As expected, Battle: Los Angeles has topped the US box office, proving once again that an absolute drubbing by the critics doesn’t prevent box office success. Despite some of the most vicious reviews imaginable, the alien invasion flick picked up a respectable – if slightly softer than many expected – $36 million in its first three days.
Red Riding Hood meanwhile had to settle for third spot, behind Rango. Box office analysts had predicted it would make $18-20 million, but in the end it only picked up $14 million. Due to its comparatively low production costs (around $40 million), it’s still likely to make a profit, although it certainly won’t match Catherine Hardwicke’s last movie, Twilight.
The other big new movie, Mars Need Moms, completely tanked, taking only $6.8 million for fifth spot. As the movie cost around $150 million to make, it’s a very bad start, and the film can pretty much kiss goodbye any plan to make its money back, despite the fact it’s in 3D. It also suggests that Disney may have been right to shut down Robert Zemeckis’ Imagemovers motion capture studio, where the film was made.
Take a look below for the US box office top 10 for the weekend of March 11th-13th.