A surprise at the domestic box office. The big sci-fi hit, “The Hunger Games” got kicked to the curb this weekend by romantic comedy, “Think Like a Man.” After four consecutive weeks in the number one spot, “The Hunger Games” got dethroned by “Think Like a Man, ” which pulled in $33.6 million on its debut weekend, according to the final figures released today. “Think Like a Man” was produced on a small budget of $12 million.
“Think like a Man” is based on the runaway bestseller “Act Like A Lady, Think Like A Man,” by comedian Steve Harvey. The self-help relationship book, written for women about how to deal with men, was a New York Times bestseller and a publishing phenomenon. It had broad appeal and apparently so does the movie it inspired. Opening last Friday on only 2, 015 screens, there were reports of sold out theaters for “Think Like a Man.” Also, this romantic comedy about the battle of the sexes had a very funny trailer, which is not always the case with the rom coms.
“Think Like a Man” centers on several women who shake up their relationships with men when they begin following the advice in Harvey’s book, “Act Like A Lady, Think Like A Man.” The cast includes Michael Ealy, Regina Hall, Kevin Hart, Taraji P. Henson, Gabrielle Union, Terrence J, Jerry Ferrara, Meagan Good, and Romany Malco.
In second place, the new romantic drama, “The Lucky One,” starring Zac Efron, Taylor Schilling, and Blythe Danner. It opened with $22.5 million. “The Lucky One” is the adaptation of the best seller of the same name by popular romance author, Nicholas Sparks. In the movie, a U.S. Marine returns home from Iraq to search for a woman in a photo he found in the war rubble — a photo that became his good luck charm.
“The Hunger Games” landed in third with $14.6 million. In a month, the blockbuster based on the young adult novel by Suzanne Collins, has collected around $573 million worldwide. In fourth, the new nature documentary narrated by Tim Allen, “Chimpanzee” with $10.6 million. The doc is about the adventures of a young chimpanzee named Oscar.
Rounding out the top five, “The Three Stooges” with $9.7 million.
