BOX OFFICE FORECASTERS ARE WRONG AGAIN

Once again box office forecasters proved to be about as accurate as your local TV weatherman apologizing for a drenching storm on a day he had predicted would be sunny. After a day’s headstart on Thursday, including preview screenings on Wednesday night, Warner Bros.’ The Hangover Part 3, according to the forecasts, was supposed to wage a close battle with Universal’s Fast & Furious 6 for the No. 1 spot at the box office. That’s not how things worked out. Fast & Furious 6 is now expected to earn $120.02 million over the holiday, while The Hangover Part 3 is now expected to earn about half that amount — $63 million over five days. Last week’s winner, Star Trek Into Darkness is now projected to earn about $47 million, for third place, followed by the new animated family film Epic with $42.6 million and Iron Man 3, with $24.6 million. With all that high-powered fare at the box office, the total take for all films is expected to come to around $317 million, making it the biggest Memorial Day weekend ever and, for Fast & Furious, the second-biggest opening weekend of the year for any film (behind Iron Man 3).

The top ten films at the box office over the four-day Memorial Day weekend, according to Hollywood.com:
1. Fast & Furious 6, $120.02 million; 2. The Hangover Part 2, $63 million (over five days); 3. Star Trek: Into Darkness, $47 million; 4. Epic, $42.60 million; 5. Iron Man 3, $24.35 million; 6. The Great Gatsby, $17.02 million; 7. Mud, $2.43 million; 8. The Croods, $1.62 million; 9. 42, 1.61 million; 10. Oblivion, $1.09 million.