Meet the Robinsons drops to 3

(Source: www.boxofficemojo.com)

The Walt Disney Company's Meet the Robinsons has benefited from some decent timing to make its mark on the box office: it is currently the only animated family film in the Top 10.

In an April 14-15th weekend crowded with look-a-like live-action thrillers and fantasy flicks, that lucky circumstance helped the Stephen J. Anderson movie make another $12.1 million at the box office this past weekend, bringing its 3-week total to just over $72 million. That's well within spitting distance of the magic $100 million mark, which signifies a profitable movie.

However, last weekend's box office wasn't quite so kind to other animated flicks. Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theatres opened in 13th place, making slightly below $3.1 million in its 877 theatres. With a not-unexpected 48% Rotten rating on RottenTomatoes.com, the Cartoon Network movie didn't pull the hardcore fans away from their television sets, and the flick's scathing notices ensured that no one outside of that fanbase was interested, unless they were crap-movie connoisseurs who get off on watching Uwe Boll or Ed Wood films.

At this stage in the game, it's looking highly unlikely that ATHF-CMFT will get a wider theatrical release. It may hang on in some theatres for a little while, but don't be surprised if it's quickly dumped for the busy summer season.

As bad as ATHF-CMFT's opening was, it was two spots higher than Imagi/Warner Bros.' TMNT. That animated movie dropped 6 places, and out of the Top Ten. In its 4th week in theatres, the latest Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie made a scanty $2.1 million in theatres, plummeting to 15th place in the rankings. TMNT's total box office take so far is slightly below $50.7 million.

In terms of raw numbers, that means Meet the Robinsons is now the April Animation winner; it made $72 million in less time than its closest competitor. However, since the Mouse House isn't releasing how much it cost Meet the Robinsons to make, no one knows (outside of Disney's boardroom) if the film is actually making a profit yet.

TMNT has no worries on that score: since it only cost Imagi Animation and Warner Bros. $35 million to make, that means it's already making a profit. That said, TMNT is now the lowest-grossing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie ever made, which doesn't bode well for the future of this franchise. At this stage, a TMNT2 is likely, but expect it to be a direct-to-DVD sequel.

Don't be looking for anything to upset Meet the Robinsons' presence in the rankings any time soon. The next week is packed with live-action thrillers galore, with nary an animated flick (family-oriented or otherwise) in sight. That should help Meet the Robinsons reach the $100 million mark within 3 weeks; a respectable amount for a movie that isn't Flushed Away, but well below the magic $200 million zone that spells blockbuster to movie studios.

For completeness' sake, here are the rankings:

• #3) Meet the Robinsons (Buena Vista): $12,103,000 ($72,004,000 over 3 weeks)
• #13) Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theatres (First Look): $3,088,000 (NEW)
• #15) TMNT (Imagi / Warner Bros.): $2,105,000 ($50,665,000 over 4 weeks)

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