LOS ANGELES, April 4 (Reuters) - 'Clash of the Titans,' the latest film to cash in on the 3D craze, easily won the battle at the Easter weekend box office in North America, according to studio estimates issued on Sunday.
The adventure epic earned $61.4 million, in line with industry expectations and setting a record for an Easter release, said distributor Warner Bros Pictures. Its total stands at $64.1 million after an early start on Thursday.
The previous Easter record was set by 'Scary Movie 4' ($40.2 million) in 2006.
The mythological odyssey, a remake of stop-motion master Ray Harryhausen's 1981 outing, stars Sam Worthington ('Avatar') as the heroic Perseus and Ralph Fiennes as the villainous Hades.
The Time Warner Inc unit said 3D screens supplied 52 percent of the gross, even though they accounted for 42 percent of the theaters showing the film.
Since the success of 'Avatar,' Hollywood has rushed to capitalize on 3D movies because studios can charge higher ticket prices for the experience. 'Clash of the Titans' is not even a true 3D film since it was converted from 2D after filming was completed.
But movie theater owners have been slow to equip their theaters with new technology, creating a logjam among 3D titles. 'Clash' competed for playdates with previous champion 'How to Train Your Dragon' and recent leader 'Alice in Wonderland.'
DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc's 'Dragon' slipped to No. 3 with $29.2 million, taking its 10-day haul to $92.3 million. Walt Disney Co's 'Alice' fell three to No. 5 with $8.3 million; its tally stands at $309.8 million.
Among other openers, Tyler Perry's 'Why Did I Get Married Too?' came in at No. 2 with $30.2 million, the second-highest opening for the prolific filmmaker. The film was released by Lionsgate, a unit of Lions Gate Entertainment Corp.
The Disney drama 'The Last Song,' teen starlet Miley Cyrus' first foray into mature fare, debuted at No. 4 with $16.2 million. Its total stands at a solid $25.6 million after opening on Wednesday.
(Reporting by Dean Goodman, editing by Vicki Allen)
(To read more about our entertainment news, visit our blog 'Fan Fare' online at http://blogs.reuters.com/fanfare/) Keywords: BOXOFFICE/ (For box office chart click on) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2010. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.
The adventure epic earned $61.4 million, in line with industry expectations and setting a record for an Easter release, said distributor Warner Bros Pictures. Its total stands at $64.1 million after an early start on Thursday.
The previous Easter record was set by 'Scary Movie 4' ($40.2 million) in 2006.
The mythological odyssey, a remake of stop-motion master Ray Harryhausen's 1981 outing, stars Sam Worthington ('Avatar') as the heroic Perseus and Ralph Fiennes as the villainous Hades.
The Time Warner Inc unit said 3D screens supplied 52 percent of the gross, even though they accounted for 42 percent of the theaters showing the film.
Since the success of 'Avatar,' Hollywood has rushed to capitalize on 3D movies because studios can charge higher ticket prices for the experience. 'Clash of the Titans' is not even a true 3D film since it was converted from 2D after filming was completed.
But movie theater owners have been slow to equip their theaters with new technology, creating a logjam among 3D titles. 'Clash' competed for playdates with previous champion 'How to Train Your Dragon' and recent leader 'Alice in Wonderland.'
DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc's 'Dragon' slipped to No. 3 with $29.2 million, taking its 10-day haul to $92.3 million. Walt Disney Co's 'Alice' fell three to No. 5 with $8.3 million; its tally stands at $309.8 million.
Among other openers, Tyler Perry's 'Why Did I Get Married Too?' came in at No. 2 with $30.2 million, the second-highest opening for the prolific filmmaker. The film was released by Lionsgate, a unit of Lions Gate Entertainment Corp.
The Disney drama 'The Last Song,' teen starlet Miley Cyrus' first foray into mature fare, debuted at No. 4 with $16.2 million. Its total stands at a solid $25.6 million after opening on Wednesday.
(Reporting by Dean Goodman, editing by Vicki Allen)
(To read more about our entertainment news, visit our blog 'Fan Fare' online at http://blogs.reuters.com/fanfare/) Keywords: BOXOFFICE/ (For box office chart click on) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2010. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.