It was expected to be the biggest wizard’s duel to grace the box office since Harry battled Voldemort, but it turned out that “Burt Wonderstone” was nothing more than an expensive illusion, as the new Steve Carell comedy was completely crushed by returning champ “Oz the Great and Powerful” this weekend.
How bad was it? “Burt Wonderstone,” which cost an estimated $32 million and which co-stars one of the biggest box office comedy draws of all time in Jim Carrey, bombed out with just $10.3 million despite being boosted by a Thursday night pre-release and a massive rollout to over 3,100 screens. Even worse, “Burt Wonderstone” scored just a C+ Cinemascore with viewers while also racking up a brutal 25% fresh rating on Rottentomatoes.
Meanwhile, pay no attention to the man behind the curtain, because he’s busy laughing all the way to the bank. Thanks in part to “Burt Wonderstone’s” epic collapse, returning champion “Oz the Great and Powerful” cruised to its second straight box office win, collecting another $42.2 million to push its 10-day total to $145 million domestically and $281.8 million worldwide.
Even the surprise success of Halle Berry’s kidnapping thriller “The Call” couldn’t put a dent in “Oz the great and Powerful.” But Berry appears to have a bona fide hit on her hands, as strong word of mouth pushed the film to an estimated $17.1 million opening, which reportedly is already enough for the low budget film to turn a profit.
Next week, of course, “Oz the Great and Powerful” will face some legitimate competition at the box office, as the DreamWorks animated epic “The Croods” opens alongside the Gerard Butler action piece “Olympus Has Fallen” and Tina Fey’s new romcom “Admission.” But for now, magic rules Hollywood — and “Oz” is the greatest and most powerful wizard around.
Here’s a look at the full box office top ten, courtesy of Hollywood.com:
1. “Oz the Great and Powerful” – $42.2m (our review)
2. “The Call” – $17.1m (our review)
3. “Burt Wonderstone” – $10.3m (our review)
4. “Jack the Giant Slayer” – $6.2m (our review)
5. “Identity Thief” – $4.5m (our review)
6. “Snitch” – $3.5m (our review)
7. “21 and Over” – $2.6m (our review)
8. “Silver Linings Playbook” – $2.6m (our review)
9. “Safe Haven” – $2.5m (our review)
10. “Escape from Planet Earth” – $2.3m (our review)
