Rio topped the North American box-office this passing weekend with a $40 million plus opening, while the fun Scream 4 underperformed slightly with a $19.3 million bow.
Industry insiders were expecting a mid to high 20s opening for Scream 4, but the film is over two hours long (giving it less screenings in theatres) and the expected new teen audience didn't turn up as much as insiders speculated. Most of the core movie goers who paid to see it would've been fans of the series from the 90s. Calling it a flop is ridiculous, though. It cost $40 million to produce and a fair whack more on domestic marketing; but The Weinstein Company will still be counting the profits come the worldwide and DVD releases. They also need a new UK distributor. Not screening the film here is an absolute joke, as is Ireland constantly being ignored by them.
I liked it a lot, but I'm a huge fan of the series. Could've done with some character shaving and Emma Roberts was completely miscast, but still a very smart and fun slasher flick.
