The Box Office: Lions and Dolphins and Brad~ oh My!

There was a big battle at the box office this weekend between two animals and one of the hottest humans in Hollywood as The Lion King 3D narrowly beat Brad Pitt’s Moneyball and the family film, A Dolphin Tale. King took in a hefty $22 million for a two-week re-release total of $61 million and surprised many insiders by making it a second week in a row. Disney’s beloved toon held off Pitt’s latest which opened to $20.6 million making it the best opening for a baseball film in history. Strong reviews and awards prospects should keep the film in contention in the weeks ahead. Another film that should have long legs at the turnstiles, or should I say tails, is the true life story, A Dolphin Tale which grabbed a strong $20.2 million…. The other two action films opening had less stellar results with the Taylor Lautner starrer, Abduction grabbing an ok $11.2 million and the Jason Statham/Clive Owen/Robert Deniro film, Killer Elite, landing just $ 9.5 million. Both pictures also had terrible reviews and could face a dire road ahead. Take a look at the full chart below and head to Box Office Mojo for more.

TW LW Title (click to view) Studio Weekend Gross % Change Theater Count / Change Average Total Gross Budget* Week #
1 1 The Lion King (in 3D) BV $22,130,000 -26.6% 2,330 – $9,498 $61,676,000 – 2
2 N Moneyball Sony $20,600,000 – 2,993 – $6,883 $20,600,000 $50 1
3 N Dolphin Tale WB $20,260,000 – 3,507 – $5,777 $20,260,000 $37 1
4 N Abduction LGF $11,200,000 – 3,118 – $3,592 $11,200,000 $35 1
5 N Killer Elite ORF $9,500,000 – 2,986 – $3,182 $9,500,000 $70 1
6 2 Contagion WB $8,565,000 -41.1% 3,136 -86 $2,731 $57,122,000 $60 3
7 3 Drive (2011) FD $5,771,000 -49.1% 2,904 +18 $1,987 $21,425,000 $15 2
8 4 The Help BV $4,400,000 -32.4% 2,695 -319 $1,633 $154,444,000 $25 7
9 5 Straw Dogs (2011) SGem $2,100,000 -59.0% 2,408 – $872 $8,884,000 $25 2
10 6 I Don’t Know How She Does It Wein. $2,053,000 -53.4% 2,490 +14 $824 $8,019,000 $24 2

Taylor Lautner ~ Action Hero?

Sure Taylor Lautner has a ridiculously hot buff bod and can make the girls (and the gays) squeal with his turn in the Twilight films. But now the question on Hollywood’s mind is~ can he be the next big action hero? Well, we will find out come September when his first lead role outside the Twilight series hits theatres. In Abduction, Taylor plays a teen who has always felt disconnected, and ventures to discover his true origins which unleashes a chain of violent events. Co-starring in the film are Lily Collins (yes, that’s Phil’s daughter), Maria Bello, Jason Isaacs, Alfred Molina and three-time Oscar nominee Sigourney Weaver (Aliens, Working Girl, Gorillas in the Mist). Looking at the first trailer below, I’m still on the fence as to whether Taylor can carry a film himself. However, the action looks credible and the supporting cast is strong which should help out if Taylor focuses on his abs instead of his emotions… Regardless, we’ll find out if the werewolf can become a true leading man when Abduction hits theatres on Sept. 23rd. Check out the trailer below.

Abduction