Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment is seeing green after the environmentally-themed animation “Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax†earned $70.7 million this weekend.
The animation featured the voices of Danny DeVito, Ed Helms, Zac Efron, Taylor Swift and Betty White, which is based off Theodor Geisel’s 1971 children’s story.
It is about a young boy in search of The Lorax, a creature who is trying to protect his world.
The last Dr. Seuss animation “Horton Hears a Who!†grossed $45 million in its debut in 2008, and garnered $300 worldwide in its box office run.
Warner Brothers’ “Project X†had a good debut at $20.77 million, but in a distant second place from “The Lorax.â€
The Todd Phillips-produced film is about three high school seniors trying to throw the biggest birthday party that spiraled out of control.
Despite limited advertising from Warner Brothers, it is generating a lot of buzz on Twitter and Facebook for this $12 million-budgeted film.
In rounding out the top five, “Act of Valor†fell to third place with $13.7 million, a decrease of 44 percent from the previous weekend. The fourth place “Safe House†maintained its position with $7.2 million, a decrease of 34.1 percent. “Safe House†has grossed over $108 million in its fourth week of release. And finally, “Tyler Perry’s Good Deeds†dropped to fifth place with $7 million, a decrease of 55.1 percent from the previous weekend.
For next weekend, Walt Disney Pictures’ sci-fi “John Carter†will make its way into theaters along with comedies “Friends with Kids†and “A Thousand Words.†In limited release, thriller “Silent House†and Seeking Justice†are making their premieres at the theaters.
Here is the WEEKEND BOX OFFICE REPORT for March 2-4, 2012:
| 1. | Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax | $70.7 million |
| 2. | Project X | $20.78 million |
| 3. | Act of Valor | $13.7 million |
| 4. | Safe House | $7.2 million |
| 5. | Tyler Perry’s Good Deeds | $7 million |
| 6. | Journey 2: The Mysterious Island | $6.93 million |
| 7. | The Vow | $6.1 million |
| 8. | This Means War | $5.63 million |
| 9. | Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance | $4.7 million |
| 10. | The Artist | $3.9 million |
Source: BoxOffice.com, Box Office Mojo