AUG 9-11 BOX OFFICE REPORT: BUSY BUSINESS, AND A WIN FOR THE R-RATING

Two R-rated films opened atop the domestic box office over the weekend August 9-11, although the film in second place arguably performed better than the film in first. Comedy We're the Millers, starring Jennifer Aniston and Jason Sudeikis, took in $26.4 million Friday-to-Sunday, and $37.9 since Wednesday. That's already its budget back in just five days, and it's also tracking ahead of fellow R-rated August comedy Tropic Thunder, which was a big hit with audiences in 2008. Neill Blomkamp's follow-up to the Oscar-winning District 9 failed to capitalise on the popularity of that film, though, opening significantly below it with $29.8 million. Sure, that was enough to win the weekend, but off from even some modest expectations. Disney Cars spin-off Planes took third place with $22.2 million, a fair figure considering the glut of animated films currently on release, and sequel Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters bombed in fourth, with $14.4 million for the weekend, and $23.3 since Wednesday.

With all those new releases, none of the major holdovers fared very well. The Smurfs 2 (6) dropped just three spots, compared to five for The Wolverine (7), but that still won't be enough to help that sequel from being rendered an out-and-out disappointment for Sony. Despicable Me 2 (9) continued to rocket ahead, with the best hold in the top ten. Blue Jasmine's (12) expansion was a success, with its per-theatre average at $19,709. New release Chennai Express (13) performed well too, as did Lake Bell's In a World... (39). Not so hot for Lovelace (28), though, whose $1,564 per-theatre average was dismally low for a film in such moderate release. Prince Avalanche (49) also opened small, although not as small as I Give It a Year (71), which still earned $5,436 more than it ought to have. To put that into perspective: that film was in theatres for nine weeks in the UK, a country with roughly 1/6 of the population of the US and lower general cinema attendance. It grossed more than that in every single week of its release here.

The Winner / Highest Opener: Elysium ($29,807,393)
Top Per-Theatre Average: In a World... ($23,514)

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