As Robert Rodriguez’s adaptation of Frank Miller’s Sin City took in an estimated $28.1 million at the U.S. box office this past weekend, comic-book fans and vfx enthusiasts proved that an early spring opening can be as potent as any summer release. The Dimension Studio release opened in the No. 1 spot with a 3,230 theater opening. The film’s opening numbers were the second best in Rodriguez’s career, behind Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over, which bowed with $33.4 million.
Compared with other comic-book adaptations and similar pulp fare, Sin City performed better than offering such as Constantine ($29.8 million) and last year’s Hellboy ($23.2 million) and the Kill Bill Vol. 2 ($25.1. million).
Much like Paramount’s Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow and Rodriguez’s Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over, Sin City features real actors on sets largely created with digital software. Contracted to provide the film’s visual effects were The Orphanage, Café FX and Hybride. Daniel LeDuc, who served as visual effects supervisor on the Spy Kids movies and Rodriguez’s last effort, Once Upon a Time in Mexico, again took the vfx reins.
Meanwhile, Fox/Blue Sky’s CG-animated thrill ride Robots crossed the $100 million mark in its fourth week of release. Its $10 million, three-day totals were only down 23% from last week, bringing the Chris Wedge-directed movie’s total cum to $104.6 million.
MGM’s Beauty Shop took in $17.3 million since its Wednesday release, while Sony’s Guess Who continued its successful run with $13 million in the No. 3 spot. In fifth place, was Warner Bros.’ Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous which totaled $8.4 million.
