Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Cowabunga!

Warner Bros. could shout "cowabunga!" following the victory of TMNT, the latest film incarnation of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, at the box-office over the weekend. The film took in an estimated $25.5 million, but analysts noted that the studio had conservatively forecast Sunday's potential take and that the figure could go higher. The computer-animated film topped five other new releases, all of which landed in the top ten. Warner Bros. could also cheer over another strong finish for 300, which dropped to second place with ticket sales of $20.5 million, bringing its gross after three weeks to $162.4 million. (It had reportedly cost about $60 million to make.) Debuting in third place with $14.5 million was Paramount's Shooter, starring Mark Wahlberg. Despite the flood of new films, most had decent openings, with the exception of the inspirational sports (swimming) movie Pride, which failed to make much of a splash with just $4 million in ticket sales. According to box-office trackers Media by Numbers, the top 12 films took in $125.7 million, 29 percent above the figure for the comparable weekend a year ago.

The top ten films for the weekend, according to studio estimates compiled by Media by Numbers:
1. TMNT, $25.45 million; 2. 300, $20.5 million; 3. Shooter, $14.5 million; 4. Wild Hogs, $14.4 million; 5. The Last Mimzy, $10.2 million; 6. Premonition, $10.1 million; 7. The Hills Have Eyes 2, $10 million; 8. Reign Over Me, $8 million; 9. Pride, $4 million; 10. Dead Silence, $3.5 million.

26/03/2007