Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax exceeded all expectations and opened with an estimated $70.7M from 3,729 theaters, delivering the year’s biggest opening weekend. The project opened on Friday to an estimated $17.4M, but exploded to an estimated $31.3M on Saturday (+80%). Universal is projecting a 30% dip on Sunday to $22.0M.
The only other new wide release this weekend was the Warner Brothers “found-footage” R-rated comedy Project X. The film opened to a very solid estimated $20.775M from 3,055 theaters, grossing an estimated $8.17M on Friday, $7.64M on Saturday (-7%) with a projected 35% dip on Sunday to $4.965M. Rounding out the top five were Act of Valor in third place (est. $13.7M / est. $45.239M cume), Safe House in fourth (est. $7.2M / est. $108.2M cume) and Tyler Perry’s Good Deeds in fifth place (est. $7.0M / est. $25.745M cume).
In other box office news, Best Picture-winner The Artist entered into the top 10 for the first time — at #10 — with an estimated $3.9M from an expanded 1,756 theaters (+790). The film’s domestic cume stands at an estimated $37.088M.
Source: Box Office Mojo
