Audiences watched the Watchmen to the tune of $55.66 million this weekend—landing it easily at the No. 1 spot—but the much-anticipated (and -debated) adaptation still didn’t overshadow director Zack Snyder’s last slow-mo actioner, 300, which had the biggest March opening ever in this same frame in 2007. Watchmen still ranked as the third-biggest March opening ever, though, and easily stomped the competition—or lack thereof; no other films opened in wide release this weekend.
The rest of the top 10 combined didn’t match Watchmen’s ticket sales, but the next biggest chunk o’ change came courtesy of Tyler Perry’s Madea Goes To Jail, which slipped to No. 2 in its third week with $8.8 million. The film has already grossed $76.5 million—making it Perry’s biggest earner to date—and is well on its way to crossing the $100 million mark. The unexpectedly robust Taken continued to rake it in, posting the smallest drop in the top 10 and taking the third spot with $7.45 million. Slumdog Millionaire continued to ride its Oscar buzz, landing at No. 4 with $6.93 million in its 17th week.
Paul Blart: Mall Cop climbed a spot to No. 5 with another solid weekend take of $4.2 million, trading spots with He’s Just Not That Into You, which dropped to No. 6 with $4.02 million. Coraline held steady at No. 7 with $3.3 million, while Confessions Of A Shopaholic climbed a spot to No. 8 with $3.12 million. That film’s bump up the list is mostly thanks to last week’s No. 2, Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience, nosediving 77.7 percent to No. 9 with $2.79 million. Once again, Fired Up rounded it out at the No. 10 spot with $2.6 million.
More detailed numbers can be found at boxofficemojo.com.