Even a revival of 1980s TV cartoon characters the Smurfs can score big in 3D.
Sony’s “The Smurfs 3D” nearly tied the much-anticipated and star-filled “Cowboys & Aliens” on opening weekend with $35.6 million.
Despite competition from several of the summer’s biggest movies playing in 3D theaters, “The Smurfs” still had 45% of its audience paying a premium to watch the computer-animated movie in 3D in 2.042 of its 3,395 locations, according to Box Office Mojo.
Three of the top five and five of the top 10 movies this weekend were 3D, including third-ranked “Captain America: The First Avenger,” with another $26 mil. to reach $117 mil. overall.
“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2” picked up another $22 mil. to rank fourth and raise its total to $319 mil.
The other two were “Transformers: Dark of the Moon” ($6 mil.; $338 mil. to date) and “Cars 2” ($2.3 mil.; $182 mil. total).
— By Scott Hettrick