Building on buzz from a last minute social media marketing campaign, Super 8 [SUPR8] prevailed in first place with an estimated $37.0 million at the weekend box office, with an additional $1 million from sneak previews on Thursday. Directed by J.J. Abrams [JABRA], the sci-fi film attracted an audience that was 56% males and 71% over the age of 25, an audience that grew up on similar Steven Spielberg films of the 1980s. With word of mouth already affecting opening weekend, the original film should enjoy long legs over the summer.
The franchise prequel X-Men: First Class [XMEN4] dropped to second place at $25.0 million, off 55% from its opening weekend.
The Hangover: Part II [HNOV2] finished third with $18.5 million, bringing its total to $216.6 million.
Kung Fu Panda 2 [PAND2] took home another $16.6 million to advance to sum to $126.9 million.
Debuting at the seventh spot, Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer [JUDYM] tallied $6.3 million, just ahead of Midnight in Paris [MIDNP}, which banked $6.1 million in its wide expansion.
| Rank | TITLE | F-S-S | TOTAL |
| 1 | SUPER 8 | $37,000,000 | $38,000,000 |
| 2 | X-MEN: FIRST CLASS | $25,000,000 | $98,894,349 |
| 3 | THE HANGOVER: PART II | $18,500,000 | $216,560,000 |
| 4 | KUNG FU PANDA 2 | $16,635,000 | $126,905,000 |
| 5 | PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES | $10,846,000 | $208,774,000 |
| 6 | BRIDESMAIDS | $10,153,950 | $123,903,525 |
| 7 | JUDY MOODY AND THE NOT BUMMER SUMMER | $6,267,000 | $6,267,000 |
| 8 | MIDNIGHT IN PARIS | $6,146,165 | $14,224,638 |
| 9 | THOR | $2,370,000 | $173,600,000 |
| 10 | FAST FIVE | $1,714,410 | $205,081,285 |
| 11 | THE TREE OF LIFE | $875,126 | $2,409,772 |
| 12 | RIO | $681,000 | $137,791,728 |
Tag(s): SUPR8, JABRA, XMEN4, HNOV2, PAND2, JUDYM