New movies over-perform across the board as "Lucky One" turns in $22.8 million, while "Chimpanzee" grosses $10.2 million, the highest opening for a Disneynature film; "Hunger Games" has now grossed $357 million domestically.

 

Ensemble comedy Think Like a Man scored one of the best openings in recent memory for an African-American themed film in debuting to $33 million, and continues Screen Gems' winning streak at the box office.

 

Think Like a Man -- adapted from Steve Harvey's best-selling advice book Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man -- gets bragging rights to being the film to topple Liongate's blockbuster The Hunger Games, which has now grossed $357 million domestically.

 

The film, whose cast includes Michael Ealy, Jerry Ferrara, Meagan Good, Regina Hall and Kevin Hart, is about four men whose love lives are disrupted when their partners begin using advice from Harvey's book and received an A Cinema Score. Males turned out in force, making up 63 percent of the audience. Think Like a Man skewed older, with 62 percent over the age of 30.

 

Think Like a Man, made for a modest $12 million to $13 million, follows the success of Screen Gems' The Vow and Underworld Awakening earlier this year, and marks another victory for Screen Gems' Clint Culpepper.

 

"It worked because it is so damn funny. It doesn't matter whether you are a man or a woman, you are going to have a great time," Sony president of worldwide distribution Rory Bruer said.

 

 

Warner Bros.' film adaptation of Nicholas Sparks' The Lucky One came in No. 2, turning in a better-than-expected $22.8 million in a boost for Zac Efron.

 

The seventh film based on a Nicholas Sparks novel, The Lucky One received a B+ Cinema Score. It wasn't able to match the $30.5 million debut of Dear John in February 2010 or the $25.3 million debut of The Last Song over five days in March 2010, but is nevertheless considered a strong start.

 

 

"What a nice weekend at the box office. Zac Efron is clearly the guy, and Nicholas Sparks is the best," Warner Bros. executive vice president distribution Jeff Goldstein said.

 

Overseas, Lucky One opened to a strong $3.8 million from only nine territories, with $2.5 million coming from Australia, where it bumped holdover Battleship from the No. 1 spot.

 

After ruling the domestic box office for four consecutive weekends -- the most since Avatar -- Lionsgate's Hunger Games fell to No. 3, grossing $14.5 million for a domestic total of $357 million. 

 

The third new film of the weekend is Chimpanzee, Disney's latest nature documentary, which placed No. 4 Friday with a pleasing $10.2 million, a record for a Disneynature film (Earth was the previous best at $8.8 million). Some proceeds from opening-weekend earnings will go to the Jane Goodall Institute.

 

 

Domestic Box Office, April 20-April 22

 

Title/Weeks in release/Theater count, Studio/Three-day weekend total/Cumulative 

 

1. Think Like a Man, 1/2,015, Sony, $33 million

 

2. The Lucky One, 1/3,155, Warner Bros., $22.8 million

 

3. The Hunger Games, 5/3,752, Lionsgate, $14.5 million, $357 million.

 

4. Chimpanzee, 1/1,563, Disney, $10.2 million.

 

5. The Three Stooges, 2/3,482, $9.2 million, $29.4 million.

 

6. The Cabin in the Woods, 2/2,811, Lionsgate/MGM, $7.8 million, $27 million.

 

7. American Reunion, 3/3,003, Universal, $5.2 million, $48.3 million.

 

8. Titanic 3D, 3/2,505, Paramount/Fox, $5 million, $42.8 million.

 

9. 21 Jump Street, 6/2,427, Sony/MGM, $4.6 million, $127.1 million.

 

10. Mirror Mirror, 4/2,930, Relativity, $4.1 million, $55.2 million.

 

 

(hollywoodreporter)

 

 

 

Think Like a Man (2012)

 

Comedy 

 

Four friends conspire to turn the tables on their women when they discover the ladies have been using Steve Harvey's relationship advice against them.

 

Director: Tim Story

 

Writers: Steve Harvey (book), Keith Merryman (screenplay)

 

Stars:Chris Brown, Gabrielle Union and Kevin Hart