Dragon scales box office heights in muted weekend on $15m

The animated hit added an estimated $15m for $178m through Paramount. Unlike last weekend, when it appeared to have trumped Kick-Ass only to be relegated to second place after final results were confirmed on Monday, this time it looks unlikely anybody will clip its wings.

Lionsgate’s Kick-Ass tumbled four places on $9.5m for a disappointing $34.9m after two weekends. Second place went to CBS Film’s romantic comedy The Back-Up Plan starring Jennifer Lopez on a mediocre $12.3m.

Fox’s Date Night held firm at number three on $10.6m for $63.5m after three and Warner Bros’ CIA action thriller The Losers starring Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Zoe Saldana, Chris Evans and Idris Elba and opened in fourth on a poor $9.6m.

Disneynature’s Oceans launched in seventh on $6m and Warner Bros’ Clash Of The Titans in sixth place added $9m for 145.6m after four. Disney’s Alice In Wonderland, the key box office driver of the past two months, resides in tenth place on $327.5m.

Overall revenues are believed to be around $100m, which makes this the lowest grossing weekend of the year-to-date.

Next weekend’s wide releases are: New Line’s A Nightmare On Elm Street remake through Warner Bros starring Jackie Earle Haley as the infamous Freddy Krueger; and Summit Entertainment’s family title Furry Vengeance with Brendan Fraser.

Estimated Top 10 North America April 23-25 2010

Film (Dist) / Est wkd gross / Est total to date

1 (2) How To Train Your Dragon (DreamWorks Animation/Paramount) PPI $15m $178m

2 (-) The Back-Up Plan (CBS Films) SPRI $12.3m –

3 (3) Date Night (Fox) Fox Int’l $10.6m $63.5m

4 (-) The Losers (Warner Bros) WBPI $9.6m –

5 (1) Kick-Ass (Lionsgate) Lionsgate/Universal $9.5m $34.9m

6 (5) Clash Of The Titans (Warner Bros) WBPI

$9m $145.6m

7 (4) Death At A Funeral (Screen Gems) SPRI $8m $28.4m

8 (-) Oceans (Buena Vista) WDSMPI $6m –

9 (6) The Last Song (Buena Vista) WDSMPI $3.7m $55.4m

10 (8) Alice In Wonderland (Buena Vista) WDSMPI $2.2m $327.5m