“Limitless” wins, inaccurately describes box office

“Limitless” surprised as the number one film this weekend with nearly $19 million, but the 2011 box office continued to wane. New films “The Lincoln Lawyer” and “Paul” also did reasonably well based on expectations, but not enough to bolster a relatively dull March. Bradley Cooper, however, is singing, as he has clearly established his box-office draw.

1. Limitless – $18.9 M (weekend) … $18.9 M (gross)
2. Rango – $15 M  … $92.3 M
3. Battle: Los Angeles – $14.5 M … $60.5 M
4. The Lincoln Lawyer – $13.2 M … $13.2 M
5. Paul – $13 M … $13 M
6. Red Riding Hood – $7.1 M … $25.8 M
7. The Adjustment Bureau – $5.7 M … $48.6 M
8. Mars Needs Moms – $5.3 M … $15.4 M
9. Beastly – $3.1 M … $22.1 M
10. Hall Pass – $2.5 M  … $39.5 M

Last week’s big opener “Battle: Los Angeles” dropped nearly 60 percent, a sign of weak word of mouth, whereas “Rango” continued to absorb all the family cash. It will cross the $100-million mark by this weekend at the latest.

For an R-rated crime drama, Lionsgate has to be pleased with “The Lincoln Lawyer,” which got a boost due to some favorable reviews. The only trouble is the film’s budget comes in at $40 million, which is a bit pricey and likely due to the high volume of actors.

Even “Paul” opened well for being rated R and that was with Greg Mottola’s last film “Adventureland” making just $5 million in its first weekend.

“The King’s Speech” finally bowed out of the top ten with $132 million.