Weekend Recap: Shrek tops unmemorable Memorial Day weekend

Memorial Day weekend favored families at the movies. Three-day weekend totals (listed below) and four-day estimates both have “Shrek Forever After” at number one for the second straight week, falling only 38 percent from a mildly disappointing opening. “Sex and the City 2” and “Prince of Persia” finished neck and neck, with “Sex” getting the three-day edge and “Persia” getting the four-day edge

The box office went up just 1.6 percent from last week, which makes this Memorial Day a pretty epic failure. Looks like people would rather be out in the sunshine for free than pay $10 – $20 to sit in a dark room with a movie that got just so-so reviews.

Last year, theaters grossed $213 million over the four-day weekend, this year just $184 million. For 3-D advocates, this was a big weekend, with the only major 3-D feature beating out fresher 2-D competition.

1. Shrek Forever After – $43.3 M (weekend) … $133.1 M (gross)
2. Sex and the City 2 – $31 M … $31 M
3. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time – $30 M … $30 M
4. Iron Man 2 – $16.4 M  … $275 M
5. Robin Hood – $10.4 M … $83.1 M
6. Letters to Juliet – $5.8 M … $36.5 M
7. Just Wright – $2.1 M … $18.1 M
8. Date Night – $1.8 M … $93.5 M
9. MacGruber – $1.5 M … $7.2 M
10. How to Train Your Dragon – $1.1 M … $212.7 M

After earning $57 million two years ago, the second “Sex and the City” film did considerably worse, albeit it came into theaters one day earlier than everyone else. Given the business of this time of year, its doubtful that “Prince of Persia” will make a considerable dent in its $200 million budget domestically. However, overseas it has already cashed in nearly $100 million.

Elsewhere in our top ten, “Iron Man 2” inches closer to the $300 million domestic mark which would put it within striking distance of “Alice in Wonderland’s” 2010 record of $333 million domestically.