Expectations that it would fall far short of “blockbuster” levels indeed proved to be true, but “Super 8” began its box office run ahead of recent tracking with a chart-topping Friday performance.
The JJ Abrams film garnered $12.2 million at the box office Friday, which puts it on pace for a $35 million weekend (including an additional $1 million from Thursday’s screenings). Though this falls way short of the tally for Abrams’ “Star Trek” and even his “Cloverfield” production, it should easily top the $25-30 million that had been forecast in concerned reports this week.
Studio Paramount remains confident that positive word-of-mouth and good reviews will keep the film trucking at the box office. And, if the stated $50 million budget is to be believed, even a slightly slower-than-anticipated performance in the coming weeks would not necessarily derail its success.
“X-Men: First Class” landed in second on $7.6 million, topping the $5.7 million for “The Hangover Part II.” The latter’s tally kicked it over the $200 million domestic mark.
“Kung Fu Panda 2” and “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” rounded out the top five on $4.6 million and $3.1 million, respectively. “Pirates” also crossed the $200 million threshold.
“Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer,” the only major new release, debuted with a soft $2.2 million Friday.