Moviegoers ignored naysaying critics and swarmed to Baz Luhrmann’s stylized 3-D adaptation of “The Great Gatsby†over the weekend. But “Iron Man 3†(Walt Disney Studios) repeated as the No. 1 box office draw in North America, taking in $72.5 million, for a two-week total of $284.9 million. “Gatsby,†adapted from F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic novel and starring Leonardo DiCaprio in the title role, sold about $51.1 million in tickets in second place â€" an astounding result for a period drama.
Although “Gatsby†received mixed-to-negative reviews, Mr. DiCaprio remains a “Titanicâ€-sized draw among women, and Warner Brothers backed “Gatsby†with a highly effective marketing campaign. Still, the film was not cheap: Warner Brothers and Village Roadshow spent more than $150 million to produce it (about $100 million after factoring in tax credits), according to trade media reports. And 3-D sales were soft: Only about 33 percent of ticket buyers opted to see “Gatsby†in that format.
“Pain & Gain†(Paramount) was third, taking in $5 million, for a three-week total of $41.6 million, according to Hollywood.com, which compiles box office data. “Peeples†(Lionsgate), a new African-American comedy that counted Tyler Perry as a producer, was a distant blip on the cultural radar, taking in about $4.8 million, for fourth place, though it cost only about $15 million to make. “42†(Warner) was fifth, selling $4.7 million in tickets, for a five-week total of $84.8 million. Of note overseas: “Star Trek Into Darkness,†working to overcome a terrible foreign track record for the franchise, arrived in seven countries and took in $31.7 million, compared to the opening-weekend total of $19.2 million in those same markets for “Star Trek†in 2009, for an increase of 65 percent.
