Despite getting crappy reviews, Shrek Forever After, the 4th installment in the series, got the #1 spot during its opening weekend in the U.S., making $71.3 million.
Even though the animated film brought in huge numbers, it still didn’t compare to the other Shrek sequels, which all shattered box office records.
The head of worldwide marketing for DreamWorks Animation Anne Globe says, “We’re obviously happy to be the No. 1 movie, which we anticipated. It’s a little lower than we anticipated but it’s still No. 4 among all animated openings of all time.”
Sources say the $20 ticket price that some theaters were charging for their IMAX screenings only raked in about 7% of the film’s weekend gross.
Box office Paul Dergarabedian claims that the high ticket prices scared off some families, saying:
“I think it’s a very pragmatic situation. Families want to see Shrek, it’s the summer, and right now for kids there’s not a whole lot out there so it’s kind of a no-brainer. Then people look in their pocketbooks and go, `Whoa.'”
BTW, MacGruber bombed.