Best Hit Movies: BOX OFFICE BEATDOWN: Fast Five Drives Away with $83 Million

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE

Fast Five $ 83.6 million
Rio $ 14.4 million
Madea's Big Happy Family $ 10 million
Water for Elephants $ 9.1 million
Prom $ 5 million
Hoodwinked Too! Hood Vs. Evil $ 4.1 million
Soul Surfer $ 4.1 million
Insidious $ 2.8 million
Hop $ 2.2 million
Scream 4 $ 2.1 million

It's been a boffo weekend for Fast Five. This big budget car sequel seems to have welcomed the summer blockbuster season into the box office. It managed to crank out a spectacular $ 83 million. Add in international takes and it's grossed $ 165 million. This is particularly impressive because this surprisingly well-reviewed crowd-pleaser has managed to top the previous entry in the series which made $ 71 million on opening weekend.

In other news, Rich Ross of Disney is no doubt tucking his tail between his legs after his first attempt at creating a new franchise bombed big time. Prom was an utter disaster. They had predicted a $ 9 million opening but instead the tween film debuted to a very disappointing $ 5 million. It seems this won't be getting the High School Musical sequel treatment unless a ton of girls turn out in the next week or two. Doesn't look like this one is going to last long.

It was also a flop weekend for the Weinsteins with Hoodwinked Too! Hood Vs. Evil also opening to poor numbers. An expected $ 8 million take turned out to be only $ 4 million. Who was even asking for this sequel?

Rio didn't fly quite as high as hoped. $ 18 million was forecast for the animated hit, but it took in only about $ 14 million.

Meanwhile, Dylan Dog: Dead of Night also did poorly. It didn't even crack the top ten. I have yet to figure out what this movie is about and it seems the rest of the moviegoing public didn't care to find out either. In it's place, Scream 4 managed to squeak in with $ 2.1 million.

Rio was released April 15th, 2011 and stars Karen Disher, Jason Fricchione, Sofia Scarpa Saldanha, Leslie Mann, Kelly Keaton, Jesse Eisenberg, Wanda Sykes, Jane Lynch. The film is directed by Carlos Saldanha.

Hoodwinked Too! Hood Vs. Evil was released April 29th, 2011 and stars Glenn Close, Hayden Panettiere, Cheech Marin, Patrick Warburton, Joan Cusack, Bill Hader, David Ogden Stiers, Amy Poehler. The film is directed by Mike Disa.

Hop was released April 1st, 2011 and stars James Marsden, Russell Brand, Kaley Cuoco, Hank Azaria, Gary Cole, Elizabeth Perkins, Hugh Laurie, Tiffany Espensen. The film is directed by Tim Hill.

Scream 4 was released April 15th, 2011 and stars Lucy Hale, Roger Jackson, Shenae Grimes, Dane Farwell, Anna Paquin, Kristen Bell, Aimee Teegarden, Brittany Robertson. The film is directed by Wes Craven.

Fast Five was released April 29th, 2011 and stars Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Jordana Brewster, Tyrese Gibson, Ludacris, Matt Schulze, Sung Kang, Gal Gadot. The film is directed by Justin Lin.

Prom was released April 29th, 2011 and stars Aimee Teegarden, Thomas McDonell, DeVaughn Nixon, Danielle Campbell, Yin Chang, Jared Kusnitz, Nolan Sotillo, Cameron Monaghan. The film is directed by Joe Nussbaum.

Dylan Dog: Dead of Night was released April 29th, 2011 and stars Brandon Routh, Anita Briem, Sam Huntington, Peter Stormare, Taye Diggs, Kurt Angle, Brian Steele, Kimberly Whalen. The film is directed by Kevin Munroe.