Paramount’s “Captain America: The First Avenger” became the third 3D movie in a row to dominate the domestic box-office with an opening of $65.8 million topping the second week of last weekend’s record-setting “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2” from Warner Bros., which had a soft sophomore landing of $48 mil.
Meanwhile, Paramount’s previous 3D summer blockbuster “Transformers: Dark Side of the Moon,” which added another $12 mil. in North America, scored big on the most-ever IMAX screens in China with an opening launch record for a U.S. movie in that country with $3.7 mil. on 31 screens over the four-day opening.
That brings the total IMAX global gross to date to $45.5 million for “Transformers 3,” which opens in IMAX theaters in Japan this weekend as it approaches nearly $900 mil. overall.
“By year-end, we anticipate having 85 theatres operating in Greater China, more than double the 40 theatres we had open at the end of 2010.” said IMAX CEO Richard L. Gelfond.
Back in North America, “Potter” generated another $5.5 mil. in IMAX theaters for a total of nearly $275 million after just 10 days of release.
Up next in 3D is Sony’s “The Smurfs” this weekend.
— By Scott Hettrick