Weekend Box Office: "Ted", "Magic Mike" Make Strong Debuts

Ted and Magic Mike came in at #1 and #2 this weekend, ending Brave's reign as queen of the box office. The R-rated films smashed studio expectations, who seem to have underestimated the star power of Mark Wahlberg and Channing Tatum.

Seth MacFarlane, known as the creator of Family Guy and American Dad, did particularly well in his big-screen debut. The raunchy comedy starring Wahlberg opposite a vulgar, sentient teddy bear (voiced by MacFarlane) made a very impressive $54.1 million. Ted now ranks as the third highest opening for an R-rated film ever, right behind The Hangover Part II and Sex in the City. It also marks the second biggest opening in Walhberg's career, who continues to embrace screwball comedies that make the best of his heavy Boston accent and comedic timing. Thus, the combined popularity of Family Guy and Wahlberg was able to hook the target audience right in this weekend.

Steven Soderbergh's Magic Mike also did very well, taking in $39 million. The film was made on a budget of only $7 million. Its opening is the best of Academy Award Winner Soderbergh's long career, even beating out Ocean's Twelve. Magic Mike is partly based on star Channing Tatum's own past as a male stripper. Tatum has had a good year with 21 Jump Street and The Vow, and Magic Mike continues to solidify his name in Hollywood. And yes, beefcake was probably a big draw this weekend.

Pixar's Brave dropped to third place, losing almost half of its audience. But the film has still grossed $131 million total, so no tears were shed. Madea's Witness Protection made a little over $25 million, more than last year's Madea's Big Happy Family. Not bad—Tyler Perry's Madea franchise continues to have an audience, for better or worse. Madagascar 3 is still on track to surpass the original film's $193 million; the film's total is now at $180 million. Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter continues to fall, making only $6 million in its second weekend. People Like Us's debut made $4.3 million in over 2,000 theaters. The Chris Pine/Elizabeth Banks drama didn't make much of an impression with critics or audiences. However, considering it was shot for only $16 mil, it should be able to recuperate its budget.

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