“Brave”, the latest movie from cinematic behemoth Disney-Pixar, found its way to the top of the box office this weekend, scoring an estimated $66 million in ticket sales. Following close behind was “Madagascar 3”, the second sequel to director Eric Darnell Tom McGrath hit animated film. Debuting further down the road was Timur Bekmambetov’s action/horror hybrid “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter”, which opened in the third spot with $16.5. Not bad for a film that casts the former president as an ax-wielding vampire slayer.
Disney-Pixar’s “Brave”, which was directed by Mark Andrews, Brenda Chapman, and “Sam & Max” creator Steve Purcell, follows the adventures of a young princess (voiced by Kelly Macdonald) who embarks on an epic quest to end a curse that has plagued her kingdom. Presently, the film is enjoying a “fresh” rating over at Rotten Tomatoes with a combined rating of 75%. Audience approval rating, meanwhile, is 85%.
Hanging out further down the cinematic totem pole is Ridley Scott’s “Prometheus”, which has slipped down to fourth place with $10 million in ticket sales. “Rock of Ages” and “That’s My Boy” continue to leave audiences uninterested, generating admittedly pathetic sums of $8 million and $7.9 million, respectively. This has to come as a particularly hard blow for the likes of Tom Cruise and Adam Sandler, two Hollywood powerhouses that aren’t accustomed to having their films flounder in such a manner.
Rounding out the top ten were “Snow White and the Huntsman” (sixth place, $8 million), Joss Whedon’s “The Avengers” (seventh place, $7 million), “Men in Black III” (ninth place, $5.6 million), and the Steve Carell dramedy “Seeking a Friend for the End of the World” (tenth place, $3.8 million).
Next weekend should prove interesting, as a number of high-profile summer comedies are tossed into the mix. In addition to the Mark Wahlberg flick “Ted”, which was co-written and directed by Seth MacFarlane, audience will have an opportunity to take in “Madea’s Witness Protection”, and “Magic Mike”, as well as the drama “People Like Us”.