Oz did well enough both with critics and at the box office to silence the doubters and naysayers. It's straddling the border on RT and came in on the lower end of box office projections but that is more than good enough. Don Hahn and the rest of the
Maleficent team have many reasons to celebrate with them beyond their shared Disney DNA.
Oz's success allows them to go about their business without prophets of doom trailing behind them proclaiming that the public has grown tired of fairy tales. -- Fussy
@giteshpandya
@PamelaDayM
THR
3:37 PM PDT 3/11/2013 by Pamela McClintock
Sunday estimates had put the number at
$80.3 million; the 3D fantasy-adventure still boasts the top debut of
2013 and the No. 3 March opening of all time.
Final numbers show Disney's
Oz the Great and Powerful opening to $79.1 million at the domestic box office.
On Sunday, Disney estimates showed
Oz, from director
Sam Raimi,
opening to $80.3 million. Sunday numbers and Monday's official tally
often vary, since companies are only modeling what Sunday's traffic will
be.
PHOTOS: 'Oz the Great and Powerful': How Sam Raimi Brought the Legend Back to Life
Overseas,
The Wizard of Oz prequel opened to $69.9 million from 47 territories.
Disney and producer
Joe Roth hope to launch a family-friendly franchise with
Oz, which scored the top North American debut of 2013 as well as the third-best March opening of all time after last year's
The Hunger Games ($152.5 million) and fellow Disney fantasy-adventure
Alice in Wonderland, which debuted to $116.1 million in early March 2010.
The
Wizard of Oz prequel tells the story of how a fast-talking Kansas circus worker (
James Franco) became the wizard. The three witches central to the story are played by
Mila Kunis,
Rachel Weisz and
Michelle Williams.
Disney spent north of $300 million on
Oz, between the $215 million production budget and a hefty worldwide marketing campaign. It is opening in the same corridor as
Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland, starring
Johnny Depp.
Alice received an A-
CinemaScore from moviegoers, versus a B+ for
Oz.
Oz did solid but not spectacular business internationally,
where the original 1939 film isn't as well known. Russia led with $15
million, followed by the
U.K. ($5.7 million), Mexico ($5.1 million) and Australia ($5 million).
Oz opened to $4.2 million in Germany, where it was in a close battle with holdover
Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters. Oz opened in a total of 46 territories, or roughly 80 percent of the international marketplace.
THR COVER: 'Oz's' Journey: 3 Studio Chiefs, Multi-Ethnic Munchkins, James Franco Scores $7 Million
In North America,
Oz was up more than 35 percent from Friday
to Saturday as families turned out in force, making up 41 percent of
the audience. Couples made up 43 percent, while teenagers made up 16
percent. The movie skewed slightly female (52 percent).
"The families absolutely came out, but we also did great business during the evening," said Disney distribution chief
Dave Hollis."After six weekends of decline at the box office,
Oz has become a water-cooler movie and gets people back in the mood to see movies."
Roughly 53 percent of the domestic gross came from
3D theaters, a pleasing number considering the overall decline in
3D attendance. Imax theaters contributed 10 percent of the
3D total, or $8.2 million. Overseas, Imax grosses came in at $4 million, setting a March record.
The relative strength of
Oz was a key victory for Disney; on the same weekend a year, the studio's ill-fated
John Carter opened to a dismal $30.2 million.
