Neither the magic of Harry Potter nor the combined star power of Katherine Heigl and Gerard Butler was enough to keep a crew of wise-cracking guinea pigs from scurrying to the top of the box office this weekend. Disney’s family comedy G-Force, produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and featuring the voices of Nicolas Cage, Will Arnett, and Penelope Cruz as a team of world-saving rodents, made an estimated $32.2 million in its debut. Despite opening hot on the heels of the one-week old Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, the animation/live action hybrid pic was a hit with young audiences, pulling 55 percent of its viewers from the under-18 crowd.
But Potter’s box office magic hasn’t worn off just yet: The series’ sixth installment landed in the number two spot its second weekend with $30 million, bringing its total to $221.8 million. After just 12 days in theaters, Half-Blood is already the fifth biggest hit of the year domestically, not to mention overseas, where the powerhouse has raked in an additional $236 million.
There was plenty for adults to enjoy at the box office, too. The Ugly Truth, a raunchy R-rated rom-com that pits Katherine Heigl and Gerard Butler in a battle of the sexes, scored an impressive $27 million bow, a career best for both Heigl and director Robert Luketic (Legally Blonde).
The weekend’s other wide release, Warner Bros’ creepy Orphan — starring Peter Sarsgaard and Vera Farmiga — pulled in $12.8 million from an audience that was 55 percent female.
Lower down on the chart, Fox Searchlight’s (500) Days of Summer (at number 11 with $3 million) is still building momentum. The quirky rom-com posted a hefty $19,176 per-site average and a 95 percent increase over its debut last weekend.
More box office news:
‘G-Force’ wins Friday box office with $11.5 million
Box office preview: ‘Harry Potter’ likely to hold off newcomers
Harry Potter’s ‘Half-Blood Prince’ becomes box office king
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Wow…Potter toppled after 1 week. Colour me shocked!
Also shocked Ugly Truth didn’t bomb
http://tvdonewright.com/
Guina pigs beat Harry Potter at the box office…..LMAO!
Not actually a career best for Heigl, since Knocked Up opened with 30 mil . . .
they already have the movie uploaded to jjpeg.com/watch282.html if you wanna see it
I am literally apalled that a movie like G-Force made that much money. Parents should be ashamed of themselves for taking their kids to see this crap.
Mike – I believe he means “career best” for Heigl in the lead role, Knocked Up wasn’t her film (well…she was the leading lady). Ugh…I dunno how to explain it.
What a weak summer for movies, seems like all that is out are stupid kids movies or romantic comedies. Boring.
Of course the guinea pigs won! Everyone loves mindless dribble like “poop in his hands, poop in his hands!”
Knocked Up made around 30 million in its opening weekend so this is not Heigl’s career best.
If I remember right, Will Arnett is one of the actual people in G-Force not one of the voices. A small article to have had two easily verifiable things missed (the Heigl thing too). I guess all of the fact checkers for EW are at Comic-Con.
It’s the end of the world as we know it!
I was hoping Katherine Heigl the Professional Complainer would go away.
UGH. Just because CGI allows you to do something does NOT mean it needs to happen. What an idea for a movie!
Looks like I wasn’t the only one disappointed in HP6….
good call Mike & Joshua – just checked, Knocked up made just under 30.7 Million it’s opening weekend.
Anybody who’s seen HALF BLOOD could tell you it wasn’t going to sustain its torrid opening pace: the movie is simply too talky and disjointed. I fear the filmmakers cowed to the TWILIGHT crowd and tried to make it too much of a teen romance, with middling results. The few action sequences in the movie also felt rather meaningless and poorly staged. I don’t think David Yates is really the best filmmaker for this, but, it doesn’t matter now, since he’s already started shooting the last 2 installments.
C’mon Adam, check your facts. Knocked up $30 mil.
I think that for every 5 million adult movies there’s one kiddy movie and kids love to go to the movies as much as adults… so every kid movie will score a good money amount, no matter how sucky it is…
I can’t believe a movie about guinea pigs pushed Harry Potter out of the top spot. It’s just ridiculous. People have no taste today.
well I saw HP this weekend and I was totally disappointed. David Yates is a terrible choice and since he is doing the next two movies, I guess I won’t be watching them. At book 6, there is no way this movie should be PG – and it should not be focusing on the kids relationships nor inputting scenes that didnt happen. What a shame a great book was a lousy movie. Who ever directed Azkaban or Phoenix SHOULD be doing the last two movies…
Wow, go away for a weekend vacation, come back and find out the box office world has been turned upside down. It is shocking to see Harry Potter only able to sustain the number one spot for one weekend. That 62% drop is almost as bad as Bruno’s +65% drop. With what appeared to be no competition until August 7th when G. I. Joe mania invades thaters, I thought it would be smooth sailing for the magical one in the top box office spot. Oh well, as hard as it is to swallow you can’t force massive numbers of people to like a poorly conceived adaptation, go for repeat visits, or recommend it to their friends. These Potter dropoffs are so dramatic that this may not even catch the 292 million in domestic box office made by Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Of course, IMAX theaters aren’t showing the film yet, but that may be another case of too little too late. Congrats to Disney. I thought 24 to 26 million would be a best case scenario.
Im not surprised of the drop with HP6. This installment and Azkaban have been the worst of the Potter movies. I was very dissapointed when they switched things around in Azkaban and just as dissapointed when they added scenes that never happened in the book in Half Blood Prince. I loved the first two movies, yes they were lighter but they stayed true to the story line although they switched some characters around with the situations. I also enjoyed Order of the Phoenix, it was also very close to the book although many things were taken out of the story. I hope they stay faithful to the story with the last book. Its going to be two parts so I don’t see why they would change things around for time’s sake.
If this doesn’t tell Warner Brothers to change directors I don’t know what will!!!
But no we may have to suffer through David Yates for another HP installment.
I may just wait for the videos.
I don’t know whether to laugh or cry in horror at HP6 getting bested by G-Force after its opening weekend. Bruno’s 73% plunge was certainly surprising after making 30 or so million, but for HP6 to crumble to 30 million after the record breaking opening weekend, and to get beat by this crap? Of all summer movie scenarios, I didn’t expect this one at all.
“Who ever directed Azkaban or Phoenix SHOULD be doing the last two movies…”
Paula Lucas, you really are an idiot. Guess who directed Phoenix? DAVID YATES.
That said, HP6 sucked…didn’t mind that most of the crap was cut but I was a little disappointed that the final Battle was cut and the Snape appeared to be protecting Harry (we don’t find this out until the 7th book)
I wish a critic would be honest and admit that these movies are terrible. The books are brilliant, but the only genuinely good film adaptation was done by Alfonso Curon in Prisoner of Azkaban and each one since has been progressively worse. Is it possible these kids have become worse actors as they have gotten older. Sadly the special effects were worse than the acting, the bridge collaspe was dull. I dread what kind lame watered down crib notes versions of Deathly Hallows Warner Brothers is going to put out. Shame could have been so much better.