With the highest opening weekend of 2011, Fast Five sped out of the gates with a $33 million opening Friday. It kept up to bring in an easy $83.6 million for the weekend, fueling the excitement of the upcoming summer box office season. This sets a new April opening weekend record, previously set by its predecessor in 2009. It also marks the highest opener since Lost World: Jurassic Park for Universal, which has had a string of box office disappointments the last few years. Rio had an impressive third weekend as the runner-up, gating an additional $14.4 million, crossing the century mark with $103 million total.
In third, Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Big Happy Family earned $10 million in its second weekend, totaling $41 million. Meanwhile, a pair of debuts stumbled out of the gates in fifth and sixth: Prom and Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil ($5 and $4.1 million respectively). In limited release, Werner Herzog‘s 3D Cave of Forgotten Dreams grabbed $127,000 from 5 theaters for an impressive $25,400 per-theater-average.
Next week will see Thor handily taking the top-spot as the ramp up to summer continues. It opens against Something Borrowed and Jumping the Broom, but should see its toughest competition from Fast Five‘s second weekend. On the smaller markets, check out Hobo With A Shotgun or The Beaver.
Check out the top 10 – (movie – weekend; total)
1. Fast Five – $83,630,000 (debut)
2. Rio – $14,400,000; $103,627,000
3. Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Big Happy Family – $10,050,000; $41,080,000
4. Water for Elephants – $9,125,000; $32,263,000
5. Prom – $5,000,000 (debut)
6. Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil – $4,140,000 (debut)
7. Soul Surfer – $3,300,000; $33,775,000
8. Insidious – $2,687,000; $48,307,000
9. Hop – $2,557,000; $48,307,000
10. Source Code – $2,532,000; $48,909,000
Did you see Fast Five this weekend?