Tops at the Box Office: 'The Avengers' destroys the 2nd weekend record!

1. The Avengers- $103.2M/$373M
Hey, you want to know what Disney is doing to wash the scummy John Carter memory out of their brains? They're bathing in the $1B The Avengers has earned worldwide in just under three weeks of release. Yep, not only did the film break even more records here by becoming the first to earn over $100M in its second weekend, but worldwide it's taken in just over $1B in what will likely be the fastest pace ever. In less than a month, The Avengers is knocking at the door of the top ten highest grossing movies ever. Incredible. Look, we can obviously attribute some of this to increased 3D and IMAX prices, but the fact remains this is a film people are going to be happy to see multiple times, and based on these numbers that's exactly what they're doing. Will the same be said about The Dark Knight Rises? Well, that film won't have 3D on its side, so that will effect the final tally. More importantly, I'm not so sure it'll be the type of movie entire groups of people will be anxious to run back to the theater for. We shall see. The Dark Knight did make over $1B by the end of its run.
2. Dark Shadows- $28.8M

Speaking of billion dollar grossers, Tim Burton broke that barrier with Alice in Wonderland, but he's not gonna come close with the disappointing Dark Shadows. While $28M would be a great start for anybody else trying to launch a franchise based on a niche, goth TV show from the 1960s, it looks weak when you factor in the Burton/Johnny Depp partnership. Perhaps now, with this being their eighth time working together, they should take a bit of a break. At this point I feel like they're limiting one another in a closed box of quirk that hasn't felt fresh in years.
3. Think Like A Man-  $6.3M/$81.9M
4. The Hunger Games-  $4.4M/$387M
5. The Lucky One-  $4.05M/$53.7M
6. The Pirates! Band of Misfits-  $3.2M/$23.1M
7. The Five-Year Engagement-  $3.1M/$24.4M
8. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel-  $2.65M/$3.72M
Even though I was a bit disappointed in this Brit dramedy, it's good to see such an internationally acclaimed hit perform decently well over here. At this time of year, a movie like this featuring a bunch of older, British folks seeking adventure in India, is primarily counter programming against the bigger budgeted films. The expectations are low, but when they hit the rewards are great. As of now it has something like $80M worldwide, which isn't too shabby.
9. Chimpanzee- $1.62M/$25.6M
10. Girl in Progress-  $1.35M
Backing its way into the chart is Girl in Progress, which opened at just over 300 theaters and was backed by a campaign geared towards Mexican-Americans. Eva Mendes and Patricia Arquette are the only recognizable names in this family drama, directed by the underrated Patricia Riggin(Under the Same Moon).