Deadline’s original box office estimates, which indicates “Cowboys & Aliens” garnered $17 million from Friday showings, turned out to be off the mark. A “Toldja!” probably fits in somewhere.
The correct data shows that “Cowboys” garnered only around $13 million, which would actually put it behind the Friday bow of “The Smurfs.” The family-friendly flick took in $13.3 million Friday, easily outpacing expectations for the critically-panned film.
Some industry sources still forecast a weekend victory for “Cowboys & Aliens,” but the cumulative figure is more likely to fall in the mid-$30 millions than the $45 million Deadline’s figures indicated.
“The Smurfs,” which had been expected to land in the mid-$20 millions, has a shot at overdelivering with more than $30 million by the weekend’s completion. Some think it might fall off faster than most family films, which typically see a spike for Saturday matinee showings, but it would take a major drop-off for “Smurfs” not to top expectations.
If it continues to overperform, it could even have a shot at the box office trophy.
“Captain America” was third Friday on $7.9 million in returns, topping the $6.6 million for “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II.” Fifth was “Crazy Stupid Love,” which earned $6.6 million in its bow.