No dilemma about it: Box office gets stung

The first successful box office weekend of 2011 featured newcomers “The Green Hornet” and “The Dilemma” atop the box office with the former establishing itself as the unquestionable leader with $33.7 million. More interestingly, this is the most successful opening for a superhero comedy, a genre that typically receives cult following and makes its money on DVD. (“Kick-Ass,” being one.)

Golden Globe winners and Oscar favorites “Black Swan” and “The King’s Speech” also were among the top five as well, with the latter joining the party for the first time after doubling its theater count for a 43 percent boost in business.

1. The Green Hornet  – $33.7 M (weekend) … $33.7 M (gross)
2. The Dilemma – $17.8 M … $17.8 M
3. True Grit – $10.9 M  … $126.1 M
4. The King’s Speech – $9.1 M … $44.6 M
5. Black Swan – $8.3 M … $73.2 M
6. Little Fockers – $7.1 M  … $134.2 M
7. Tron: Legacy – $5.6 M -… $156.9 M
8. Yogi Bear – $5.3 M … $82 M
9. The Fighter – $5 M … $65.7 M
10. Season of the Witch – $4.5 M … $18

“True Grit” had another solid week and results were typical for the other Christmas movies that bleed into 2011. Last week’s entries “Season of the Witch” and “Country Strong” both landed at No. 10 and 12 on the charts respectively. Needless to say, Gwyneth Paltrow wasn’t “Country Strong” enough.