'MIB' Douses 'Avengers' At The Tills, Debuts On Top With P68.73M

source: mb.com.ph

MANILA, Philippines — “Men In Black 3” unseated “Marvel’s the Avengers” on the blockbuster chart both here and in the US.

In fact, the third film in the alien-crimefighting franchise opened at No. 1 locally with a whopping “P68.73 million for the five-day opening weekend May 23-27 frame,” said Victor R. Cabrera, managing director of Columbia Pictures Philippines.



This development earns runner-up position for “Men In Black 3” behind “Marvel’s The Avengers” and beating the bows of “Wrath of the Titans” (P62.5 million), “The Hunger Games” (P62.3 million) and “Battleship” (P46.3 million) in the race of highest-grossing films of 2012.

In the movie, Will Smith suits up for the third time opposite Tommy Lee Jones and travels back in time to save his aging partner from modern history wipeout. During Agent J’s (Smith) travel to 1969, he meets a younger Agent K (Josh Brolin) and finds that this version of K is nothing like the grumpy old man from recent years. The younger agent told J that whatever it was that changed him forever “hasn’t happened yet,” a clue to the emotional story that unfolds in this alien buddy cop sci-fi/action-comedy.

In a statement sent to Bulletin Entertainment, the sequel “rolled out on 260 screens, with SM Mall of Asia getting the lion’s share of sales with P3.95 M, followed closely by SM North EDSA (P3.86 M) and Trinoma (P3.55 M).

“Other top performing cinemas are Power Plant (P2.64 M), Greenbelt 3 (P2.41 M), SM Megamall (P2.40 M), Newport (P2.12 M), Glorietta 4 (P2.05 M), Ayala Cebu (P1.95 M) and Alabang Town Center (P1.93 M). Rounding out the Top 20 cinemas are Eastwood (P1.79 M), Greenhills (P1.429 M), Gateway (P1.42 M), Robinsons Ermita (P1.36 M), Shang Cineplex (P1.33 M), Robinsons Galleria (P1.11 M), SM Southmall (P1.08 M), Ayala Cebu (P1.05 M), SM Fairview (P1.03 M) and Festival Mall (P978,423).”

Like most blockbuster-topping films in recent years, “Men in Black 3” accomplished its record with the Digital 3D boost and an extended 6-minute sneak peek of Columbia Pictures’ “The Amazing Spider-Man,” which hits Philippine cinemas June 29.

In the US blockbuster arena, “MIB 3” suited up for $55 million to come out as the first movie to beat “Avengers” in three weeks of American cinema domination. The superhero ensemble flick still managed to haul $37 million more, advancing its US total to $514 million to become the fourth film to reach the half-a-billion mark.

“Avengers” is expected to surpass third top-grossing film of all time in domestic US count, ”The Dark Knight;” only two films away (“Avatar” with $760.5 million and “Titanic” with $658.5 million) from the top.

When it comes to worldwide revenue, “Avengers” also jacked up its position to No. 3 by adding $26.3 million for an updated total to $781.6 million. “Avengers” unseated “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2” ($1.33 billion) behind behind “Avatar” (No. 1 with $2.8 billion) and “Titanic” (No. 2 with $2.2 billion).

Recall that “Titanic” moved up the blockbuster list after releasing a 3D update of the 15-year-old epic drama that propelled the careers of Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet.
source: mb.com.ph