BOX OFFICE REPORT: “The Avengers” Smashes “Battleship,” Topples “The Dictator”

This was supposed to be another  season of high priced blockbusters bringing in massive payouts …  an  anticipated juggernaut heads into theaters nearly ever week! But one box office heavyweight is still clobbering the competition.

Following the previous success of the “Transformers” franchise it almost seemed like a foregone conclusion that “Battleship” would rake in millions for Universal, considering the similarities between the films and the fact that both should attract a similar audience. But leave it to Joss Whedon and “The Avengers” to make another $55 million dollars over the weekend and sink hopes for Peter Berg’s Alien VS. Navy epic “Battleship.”  The movie  was expected to make over $40 million – yet only brought in $25 million dollars over its first weekend. It’s  considered to be a failure of “John Carter” like proportions with a $209 million dollar budget and a massive marketing campaign “Battleship” will most likely not make its massive costs back.

Sacha Baron Cohen’s comedy “The Dictator” didn’t blow anyone away,  making just over $17 Million on its first near full week.  It did bring  in $30 million overseas, which should make the $65 million dollar budget worth the money in the long term.

The question now becomes what movie will dethrone The Avengers? “Men In Black 3” comes out this Friday, “Snow White and the Huntsman” hits theaters on June 1st and Ridley Scott’s “Alien” Prequel “Prometheus” comes out a week later. You have to think by then Marvel’s billion dollar baby will lose its grip on the box office… yet with 2 billion on the minds of Disney execs weirder things have happened. “The Avengers” continues to roll in the dough with 1.18 billion dollars in worldwide ticket sales, making it the fourth highest grossing movie of all time.