Most likely due to some seriously mixed reviews, **Green Lantern **managed to score a first-place launch at the American box office this weekend, but never quite soared, earning $52.6 million in its first three days. Depending on the word of mouth from cinemagoers, it’ll really have to work hard to get into profit, especially since the budget and advertising cost calculations run between the $250-300 million level.
Still, it was enough to knock Super 8 from its perch at the top. JJ Abrams’ nostalgic alien action drama managed to hold on to a sizeable chunk of its audience, dropping just 40% to make $21.2 million this weekend. It beat out the other wide new arrival, Jim Carrey family comedy Mr Popper’s Penguins, which, despite a stronger showing on Friday, debuted in third with $18.2 million. There’s a chance it could creep up once the final figures are tallied, but we doubt it’ll challenge Super 8. In fourth place, X-Men: First Class continued to do decent business, taking in $11.5 million, while The Hangover 2 rounded off the top five with $9.6 million. Warner Bros. will still be pleased, though – the sequel passed the original film’s worldwide gross today.
**Kung Fu Panda 2 **slipped to sixth with $8.7 million, while Bridesmaids went down to seventh with $7.4 million. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides sank to eighth with $6.2 million and Midnight in Paris fell one place to ninth and $5.2 million. Finally, in 10th, we find underperforming kid pic Judy Moody and the NOT Bummer Summer, which made $2.2 million.
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