Robotic Real Steel Wins Weekend By TKO; George Clooneys The Ides Of March #2

SATURDAY PM,2ND UPDATE: After a mammoth marketing push to pump up mediocre tracking, DreamWorks/Disney’s Real Steel dominated the North American box officeall weekend with Disney confirmingrosses up +30% from Friday to Saturday for a $29M opening weekend.The Shaun levy directed bot battle starring Hugh Jackmanreceived a rare’A’ CinemaScore overall and’A+’ from moviegoers under age 25.Problem is Hollywood would have beenimpressed only if the result was mid-$30sM because this action pic has a family overlay and its budget was $110+M. By contrast, director, star, writer, and producer George Clooney’s newcomer The Ides Of March had only a $12.5M production budget after rebates. But this R-rated adult political thriller co-starring Ryan Gosling washard to sell even for Sony Pictures. Though well-reviewed and a hit at both the Venice and Toronto Film Festivals, audiences gave it just a ‘B’ CinemaScore and those under age 25 bestowed a ‘B+’.The piceked out $10.5M, less than the modestweekend whichHollywood expected. Alcon Entertainment/Warner Bros’ Dolphin Tale held well again and made $9M by Sunday night. Same good hold for Sony Pictures’ baseball pic Moneyball with $7.3Mbut less so forthe studio’s faith-based Sherwood Pictures’ Courageous with $4.6M. Summit Entertainment’s cancer dramedy 50/50 held very well and ended up with $5.3M range. Universal’s Dream House is not so dreamy with a pretty hefty weekend-to-weekend percentage drop. And Disney’s Lion King 3D may be safely back in the cage after its Blu-Ray release. Here are the Top10 movies at the North American box office tonight. Analysis coming: 1. Real Steel (DreamWorks/Disney) NEW [3,440 Theaters] Friday $8.5M, Saturday $12M,Weekend $29M 2. The Ides Of March (Smokehouse/Sony) NEW [2,199 Theaters] Friday $3.4M, Saturday $4.3M, Weekend $10.5M 3.Dolphin Tale (Alcon/Warner Bros) Week 3 [3,478 Theaters] Friday $2.4M, Saturday #3.7M,Weekend $9M, Cume $48.9M 4. Moneyball (Sony) Week 3 [3,018 Theaters] Friday $2.2M, Saturday $3.1M,Weekend $7.3M, Estimated Cume $49.1M 5. 50/50 (Summit Entertainment) Week 2 [2,479 Theaters] Friday $1.7M, Saturday $2.2M,Weekend $5.3M (-39%),Cume $17.1M 6. Courageous (Sherwood/Sony) Week 2 [1,161 Theaters] Friday $1.3M, Saturday $1.8M,Weekend $4.6M (-49%), Estimated Cume $15.9M 7. Lion King 3D (Disney) Week 4 [2,267 Theaters] Friday $1.2M, Saturday $1.9M,Weekend $4.5M,Cume $85.9M 8. Dream House (Universal) Week 2 [2,664 Theaters] Friday $1.3M, Saturday $1.9M,Weekend $4.4M, Cume $14.4M 9. What’s Your Number? (Fox) Week 2 [3,011 Theaters] Friday $1M, Saturday $3M,Weekend $3M, Estimated Cume $10.3M 10. Abduction (Lionsgate) Week 3 [2,591 Theaters] Friday $865K, Saturday $1.3M, Weekend $3M, Cume $23.4M