G.I. Joe: Retaliation from Paramount, MGM and David Ellison’s slate financier Skydance Productions arrived on an estimated $41.2m to set the second best three-day Easter opening after Clash Of The Titans posted $61.2m in 2010.

The action follow-up to 2009’s G.I. Joe: The Rise Of Cobra ruled international on $80.3m for a $132m global debut, just more than what has been circulated as the official $130m production budget.

Retaliation generated $4.8m from 303 IMAX screens in North America and a little over $7m worldwide. Around 68% of the North American audience was male and 59% was aged 25 and over. 3D accounted for 45% of the gross.

Channing Tatum, Dwayne Johnson, Byung-hun Lee, Adrianne Palicki, Ray Park, Jonathan Pryce, Ray Stevenson and Bruce Willis star. Jon M Chu directed.

Overall box office for the top 12 amounted to $140.8m, gaining 8% on last weekend and climbing a tiny fraction over the same session in 2012.

Tyler Perry’s Temptation: Confessions Of A Marriage Counselor scored a terrific number three launch on $22.3m from 2,047 for a $10,894 per-site average, while The Host starring Saoirse Ronan based on the Stephenie Meyer sci-fi bestseller did not fare so well, opening in sixth place through Open Road on $11m from 3,202 for a $3,436 average.

DreamWorks Animation’s The Croods slipped to number two through Fox and stands at $88.6m after two weekends.

Harmony Korine’s Spring Breakers ranks number nine and has surged to an excellent $10.1m through A24.

Focus Features launched its Toronto 2012 pick-up The Place Beyond The Pines starring Ryan Gosling and Brad Cooper on $270,000 from four venues for an formidable $67,500 average. Sierra/Affinity handles international sales.

Cohen Media Group opened Pablo Berger’s acclaimed Spanish drama Blancanieves on $25,100 in four theatres.

Next weekend’s wide releases are Universal’s Jurassic Park re-release in 3D and the Evil Dead remake through TriStar.

Estimated Top 10 North America Mar 29-31 2012
Film (Dist) / Est wkd gross / Est total to date

1 (-) G.I. Joe: Retaliation (Paramount-MGM) PPI $41.2m $51.7m
2 (1) The Croods (DreamWorks Animation-Fox) Fox Int’l $26.5m $88.6m
3 (-) Tyler Perry’s Temptation: Confessions Of A Marriage Counselor (Lionsgate) Lionsgate Int’l $22.3m –
4 (2) Olympus Has Fallen (FilmDistrict) Nu Image $14m $54.7m
5 (3) Oz The Great And Powerful (Buena Vista) WDSMPI $11.6m $198.3m
6 (-) The Host (Open Road) Inferno Entertainment $11m –
7 (4) The Call (TriStar) Sierra/Affinity $4.8m $39.5m
8 (5) Admission (Focus Features) FFI $3.3m $11.8m
9 (6) Spring Breakers (A24) Kinology $2.8m $10.1m
10 (7) The Incredible Burt Wonderstone (Warner Bros) WBPI $1.3m $20.6m

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