Both major new releases in the US outperformed expectations over the weekend, with Madagascar 3 topping the chart with $60 million. It was ahead of expectations and in line with the openings of the earlier films in the franchise, suggesting the movie will have legs.
Prometheus had to settle for second spot with $50 million, which was still more than many had thought it would get and very good for an R rated movie. Indeed it’s the second highest opening ever for Ridley Scott, behind Hannibal, and the 12th biggest start for an R rated movie ever.
Those were the only new openers in the top 10, although Moonrise Kingdom made its first appearance in the upper echelons of the chart, as it expanded the number of screens it was on and took $1.58 million to finish 10th, from only 96 screens, which ain’t bad at all. Here’s the top 10 films at the US box office for the weekend of June 8th-10th.
| Rank | Title | Weekend Gross (millions) | Total Gross to date (millions) |
| 1 | Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted | $60.3 | $60.3 |
| 2 | Prometheus | $50.0 | $50.0 |
| 3 | Show White And The Huntsman | $23.0 | $98.5 |
| 4 | Men In Black 3 | $13.5 | $135.5 |
| 5 | The Avengers | $10.8 | $571.8 |
| 6 | The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel | $3.2 | $31.0 |
| 7 | What To Expect When You’re Expecting | $2.7 | $35.7 |
| 8 | Battleship | $2.2 | $59.8 |
| 9 | The Dictator | $2.1 | $55.1 |
| 10 | Moonrise Kingdom | $1.5 | $3.7 |
Prometheus doesn’t reach the US until next weekend, leaving the box office clear for Snow White And The Huntsman to take a big bite out of the US box office with $56 million in its first three days. While that’s not exceptional, for a film that isn’t a sequel it’s certainly not a bad start at all, especially considering it’s ahead of the first three day take of last week’s Men In Black III.
The Avengers has finally been toppled from the top of the US box office, with Men In Black 3 taking $70 million over the Memorial Day weekend. It’s not quite the $75-$80 million that Sony was hoping for it’s not a bad start, and the studio certainly can’t be upset that worldwide the movie took just over $200 million, suggesting it’ll make back its hefty investment in the movie even if it doesn’t end up as profitable as the earlier films in the series.
The Avengers once again smashed allcomers at the US box office, taking another $55 million over the weekend to take its total to an incredibly impressive $457 million. It believed that its continued success at attracting repeat business is one of the reasons Universal’s Battleship opened to a disappointing $25 million, well below the $35-$40 million that had been expected.