TRON: LEGACY: IT’S NO AVATAR

Disney’s Tron: Legacy may have blasted off with a strong $18-million opening on Friday, but after its initial surge of fanboy enthusiasm waned, ticket sales quickly slumped, and it ended up with an estimated total of $43.6 million for the weekend, a result that the Los Angeles Times described as “solid but far from spectacular.” The newspaper noted that the film has a long way to go to earn back the $170 million that it cost to produce. A year ago Avatar opened over the same weekend with $77 million. Three other films had wide releases over the weekend, but each of them came in well below analysts’ predictions. Paramount’s The Fighter, which had received numerous awards nominations, mostly positive reviews, and an exceptional limited opening a week ago, brought in a so-so $12.2 million as it expanded into general release. Sony’s How Do You Know tanked, as forecast, but its underachievement was worse than even the most pessimistic predictions. It earned just $7.6 million. Yogi Bear wound up in second place, but only by default. Even with 3D surcharges going for it, it managed to take in just $16.7 million.

The top ten films for the weekend, according to studio estimates compiled by Box Office Mojo:
1. Tron: Legacy, $43.6 million; 2. Yogi Bear, $16.7 million; 3. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, $12.4 million; 4. The Fighter, $12.2 million; 5. The Tourist, $8.7 million; 6. Tangled, $8.68 million; 7. Black Swan, $8.3 million; 8. How Do You Know, $7.6 million; 9. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, $4.8 million; 10. Unstoppable, $1.8 million.

UPDATE:
Final Figures for the Top Five Films

1. Tron: Legacy, $44,026,211
2. Yogi Bear, $16,411,322
3. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, $12,388,662
4. The Fighter, $12,135,468
5. Tangled, $8,775,344