What movie ruled atop the weekend box office?

I’d suspected that the new 300 movie would wind up number one at the weekend box office, and I was correct. It wasn’t a difficult prediction to make, especially given the success of the first 300 movie. But even I am a little surprised the 300: Rise of an Empire not only took the top spot – but it did so handily, raking in more than $45 million. Clearly, the demand for a 300 sequel was high, and over the years, new fans were added. And everyone, it seems, wanted to see this 300 in 3D: 3D showings made up more than 60 percent of ticket sales.  

Those new fans? Oh, they turned out in droves at movie theaters nationwide, eager to see 300: Rise of an Empire, despite the fact that Zack Snyder did not direct this sequel. Am I wrong in thinking that it was 300 that made Snyder one of the hottest directors in Hollywood? Snyder was apparently just too busy with Man of Steel to direct this sequel, but he did co-write and produce – so I have no doubt fans will notice some Snyder touches throughout the film.

Is that enough to please hardcore fans? I’m not sure, but if you are a hardcore fan and you’ve just seen 300: Rise of an Empire, I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments. FYI: For those of you keeping score, 300 opened with nearly $71 million – so yes, the sequel didn’t deliver as much of a box office punch as the original (not even close).

Anyway, back to the top box office takes: Second place belonged to Mr. Peabody & Sherman, which took in an impressive $32.5 million. Family movies are huge at the moment, so I’m not at all surprised. Can this film sustain the momentum, with lots of kids out of school for spring break hitting up theaters? Maybe for another week or two, but once Muppets Most Wanted opens (March 21), all bets are off.

As for the rest of the top five, Non-Stop finished in third place ($15.4 million), followed by The Lego Movie ($11 million) and Son of God ($10 million).

Photo courtesy of TotalFilm.com