The first 3D animated film from Universal Despicable Me [DESME] debuted with an estimated $60.1 million to top the weekend box office. The strong opening exceeded all expectations and was the biggest ever for an original animated film not produced by Pixar or DreamWorks Animation. The supervillain's yellow minions proved popular with moviegoers of all ages, while the heartwarming themes appeal to families with young children which made up 55% of the audience. Breaking through despite the competition for 3D screens, Despicable Me should exhibit long legs.
Last weekend's phenomenon The Twilight Saga: Eclipse [TWLI3] settled for second with $33.4 million, dropping just 49% when comparing the Friday-to-Sunday portion of last weekend. The third film has earned $237.0 million in 12 days, holding slightly ahead of the previous film New Moon's $235.8 million pace.
Predators [PRED3] returned to theaters with $25.3 million worthy of box office. The R-rated sci-fi actioner connected with its target demographic as the audience turnout was 70% males.
Toy Story 3 [TOYS3] took in $22.0 million to bring its total to $340.2 million after four weekends.
The Last Airbender [BENDR] fell 57% to $17.2 million in its second weekend. The fantasy crossed the $100 million mark in 10 days.
Opening in limited release, The Girl Who Played with Fire [TGWD2] managed to cracked the top 12.
| Rank | TITLE | F-S-S | TOTAL |
| 1 | DESPICABLE ME | $60,117,420 | $60,117,420 |
| 2 | THE TWILIGHT SAGA: ECLIPSE | $33,350,000 | $237,012,377 |
| 3 | PREDATORS | $25,300,000 | $25,300,000 |
| 4 | TOY STORY 3 | $22,021,000 | $340,246,000 |
| 5 | THE LAST AIRBENDER | $17,150,000 | $100,227,000 |
| 6 | GROWN UPS | $16,400,000 | $111,315,000 |
| 7 | KNIGHT AND DAY | $7,850,000 | $61,938,859 |
| 8 | THE KARATE KID | $5,700,000 | $164,600,000 |
| 9 | THE A-TEAM | $1,800,000 | $73,971,173 |
| 10 | CYRUS | $1,375,000 | $3,521,075 |
| 11 | THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE | $875,000 | $875,000 |
| 12 | GET HIM TO THE GREEK | $707,200 | $59,419,630 |
Source: Exhibitor Relations Co.
Tag(s): DESME, TWLI3, PRED3, TOYS3, BENDR, TGWD2