?The Lorax? Cleans Up at the Box Office, ?Project X? a Distant Second

Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax killed it over the weekend, earning a whopping $70.7 million and scoring the biggest box office debut of the year so far. The 3D animated film about the importance of preserving the environment features the voice talent of Danny DeVito, Zac Efron, and Taylor Swift.

“I was stunned,’’ Nikki Rocco, Universal’s president of domestic distribution, said of The Lorax’s great success. “Who would have expected a result like this?’’

High school hijinx film Project X also debuted over the weekend, brining in a respectable $20.7 million. The movie follows three high school students who throw and film a huge party in hopes of becoming famous. The Hangover’s Todd Phillips produced Project X.

Last week’s top earner, Act of Valor, brought in an additional $13.7 million over the weekend, while Safe House held steady at number four. The Ryan Reynolds, Denzel Washington film has so far earned $108 million. Tyler Perry’s Good Deeds rounds out the list of top five box officer performers with earnings of $7 million.

Journey 2: Mysterious Island and The Vow placed sixth and seventh over the weekend with respective earnings of $6.9 and $6.1 million. Eighth place went to This Means War with earnings of $5.6 million, while Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance came in ninth with a box office tally of $4.7 million. The critically-acclaimed, Oscar-winning film The Artist placed tenth with a take of $3.9 million.

Next week theatre goers can choose from newcomers John Carter, Silent House, and A Thousand Words. Check back next Monday to see how the films perform.

Sources: Box Office Mojo, Boston.com

Source: http://blog.starcam.com/post/the-lorax-cleans-up-at-box-office-project-x-distant-second.aspx

Ashton Kutcher Charlie Sheen Lindsay Lohan