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The 10 Highest Grossing Super Bowl Opening Weekends

By Dustin Rowles | Box Office Round-Ups | February 6, 2012 |

By Dustin Rowles | Box Office Round-Ups | February 6, 2012 |

Super Bowl weekend is typically not a huge weekend for films, but 2012 has been bucking lots of trends so far. Compared to 2011, the first 5 weeks of 2012 have been wildly successful at the box office and that is, in part, due to films of much better quality: There have been several legitimately decent films that have opened during the studio’s typical dumping grounds, including this weekend’s seriously phenomenal Chronicle. Despite positive reviews (including Prisco’s), my expectations remained low, and hell if the movie didn’t blow my skirt up. It’s reward? The top spot at the box office, with a tidy $22 million opening, good for fourth all time among Super Bowl weekend openers. However, it only barely edged out Harry Potter’s Woman in Black, which scored a mediocre reception from critics (and Joanna), as well as audiences (Cinemascore gave it a B-). I would not expect it to have the legs that hopefully Chronicle will, based on word of mouth.

Here are the 10 best Super Bowl Opening Weekends.

10. The Roommate — $15 million

9. She’s All That — $16 million

8. You Got Served — $16 million

7. Boogeyman — $21 million

6. The Woman in Black — $21 million

5. When a Stranger Calls — $21 million

4. Chronicle — $22 million

3. Taken — $24 million

2. Dear John — $30 million

1. Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour — $31 million


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The other wide opener this weekend, Drew Barrymore whale-saving flick, Big Miracle, didn’t fare nearly as well, grossing only $8.5 million, good for fourth place. I’ll have that review up this afternoon. The Grey held on to the number two spot, and it’s $35 million after 10 days has already surpassed the $25 million budget.

The only other film that opened this weekend was Madonna’s W.E., which averaged a decent but unspectacular $11,000 per screen in four locations. Prisco will have that review up this week.