By Chris Kavan - 06/06/10 at 03:45 PM CT
The middling reviews haven't stopped Shrek Forever After from staying on top with $25.3 million for a total of $183 million. Four films targeting different audiences tried to steal the green meanies thunder, but the closest they could manage was Get Me to the Greeks second-place $17.4 million haul. While that total is pretty much equal to what Forgetting Sarah Marshall opened with.
Killers opened to a disappointing $6.1, but the bland marketing and the fact it wasn't screened for critics likely led to a likewise bland opening. Marmaduke and Splice didn't even break the top five. Despite aiming for the kid-friendly Shrek Market, the big dog could only scape by with $11.4 million. Seems kids don't read comic strips that have been around for half a century anymore. No franchise to see here. Splice fared worse, opening to $7.4 million. I see a future cult classic in the making myself, but dark comedies mixed with horror often end up this way (see also Re-Animator or Evil Dead).
I have a feeling this anemic summer will continue. I think the only solid hits will be Toy Story 3, Inception and the third Twilight film. Everything else will be middling at best - A-Team, Jonah Hex, Knight and Day - in fact, with Tron Legacy and Harry Potter and Deathly Hallows Pt. 1, fall seems to be the best bet for a big box office.
