It was a strong weekend for unusual creatures this weekend: The Smurfs tied with Cowboys & Aliens for first at the box office. Both films earned $36.2 million.
Despite the deadlock, Cowboys & Aliens comes out as a loser. Considering the star power involved and the budget ($163 million), expectations were high for the Jon Favreu-directed thriller. Instead, it barely made half of what the top superhero-based flicks of the summer took home in their first weekend.
A look at the top five:
- The Smurfs: $36.2 million
- Cowboys & Aliens: $36.2 million
- Captain America: The First Avenger: $24.9 million
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2: $21.9 million
- Crazy, Stupid Love: $19.3 million