'Burt Wonderstone' Box Office: Steve Carell Film Flops; 'Oz The Great And Powerful' Wins Weekend

Disappearing Act: 'Burt Wonderstone' Flops
Actor Steve Carell arrives at the world premiere of the feature film "The Incredible Burt Wonderstone" at the TCL Chinese Theatre on Monday, March 11, 2013 in Los Angeles. (Photo by Dan Steinberg/Invision/AP)
Actor Steve Carell arrives at the world premiere of the feature film "The Incredible Burt Wonderstone" at the TCL Chinese Theatre on Monday, March 11, 2013 in Los Angeles. (Photo by Dan Steinberg/Invision/AP)

"Oz The Great and Powerful" was the number one movie in North America for the second straight week, grossing an estimated $42.2 million according to figures released by Disney. That puts "Oz The Great and Powerful" at $145 million in total ticket sales, making it the highest grossing release of 2013 so far. ("Identity Thief," which had grossed $120 million going into this weekend, was the previous pace-setter for 2013.) Starring James Franco as the title character, "Oz The Great and Powerful" has earned over $281 million around the globe thus far.

Franco's other film in the marketplace, "Spring Breakers," won't come anywhere near that lofty total, but the indie fever dream was a hot ticket over the weekend in New York and Los Angeles. The A24 release grossed $240,000 from just three theaters, giving "Spring Breakers" a per-screen average of $90,000; that gives "Spring Breakers" a better per-theater start than films like "Lincoln" and "Zero Dark Thirty." Directed by Harmony Korine and also starring Selena Gomez, Ashley Benson and Vanessa Hudgens, "Spring Breakers" expands nationwide on March 22.

The news wasn't as good for Steve Carell and Jim Carrey. The duo's "The Incredible Burt Wonderstone," a PG-13-rated comedy about Las Vegas magicians, finished in a disappointing third place at the box office, with just $10.3 million in ticket sales. That's the worst debut for a Steve Carell film opening in more than 2,000 theaters since the 2004 flop "Sleepover." (That film, it should be noted, came out before Carell rose to fame thanks to "The Office" and "The 40-Year-Old Virgin" and featured Carell in a supporting role.) "The Incredible Burt Wonderstone" is just the latest Warner Bros. release to scuffle at the box office this year, joining "The Gangster Squad," "Bullet to the Head," "Beautiful Creatures" and "Jack the Giant Slayer" as big disappointments.

Finishing in second place this weekend was "The Call," starring Halle Berry and Abigail Breslin. The film earned an estimated $17.1 million at the box office, giving Berry her biggest non-franchise hit since "Gothika" in 2003.

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