Weekend Estimates: Hollywood Hits Holidays on a High

July 1, 2012

A huge opening for Ted and better-than-expected starts for both Magic Mike and Tyler Perry's Madea's Witness Protection will add up to an impressive weekend for the industry, based on Sunday's studio estimates. Even with a tough comparison (July 4 fell on a Monday last year), the total for this weekend should be about on par with the same weekend last year.

A big part of the reason for that performance is Ted's estimated $54.1 million debut, which will be the best for a non-sequel R-rated comedy, topping The Hangover's $44,979,319 in June, 2009. Magic Mike will take second place for the weekend with about $39 million -- much more than originally anticipated. And the $26.35 million projected for Madea's Witness Protection is the best for the franchise since Madea Goes to Jail back in 2009.

Elsewhere on the chart, Brave suffered a disappointing 49% second weekend drop, although it should still have a good week ahead of it. Disney's bigger disappointment this weekend is the poor opening for People Like Us, which is pegged at $4.3 million. Meanwhile, Moonrise Kingdom (up to $4.9 million) and To Rome with Love ($750,000) both continued their expansions, with eroded per theater averages to match.

The biggest art-house story of the weekend is the debut of Beasts of the Southern Wild, which lived up to its buzz with a per theater average of $42,000 in four theaters.

- Weekend Estimates

Bruce Nash

Filed under: Weekend Estimates, Brave, People Like Us, Moonrise Kingdom, Ted, Magic Mike, To Rome with Love, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Tyler Perry's Madea's Witness Protection