"The Hunger Games" expands box office lead to 4th weekend

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　　The Lionsgate juggernaut is estimated to fetch 21.5 million U.S. dollars in ticket sales, or 35 percent down from last weekend, which is poised¹ to lead the box office derby for four weekends in a row. The PG-13 Suzanne Collins' adaptation is on track for a 337- million-dollar gross during four weeks' screening while scale of venues² has decreased by 221 to 3,916.

　　The 20th Century Fox's comedy "The Three Stooges" debuted³ in 3, 477 locations in the U.S. and Canada, garnering⁴ 17.1 million dollars to finish in the No.2 slot. The shooting of the PG-rated film, on a 30-million-dollar budget, took more than a decade to begin. It also experienced casting problems, as Jim Carrey, Sean Penn and Benicio Del Toro were at one point attached to star the trio of Larry, Mo and Curly.

　　Exit polls showed that 58 percent of those who have seen the film was male and 52 percent was over 25 years old, indicating that the Farrelly brothers adaptation of slapstick shorts appeals mainly to moviegoers who are familiar with the mid-20th century shorts. The film earned a "B-" CinemaScore.

　　Movie critics viewed the film in a positive light, and famous critics even lauded⁵ its merits. Todd McCarthy of "The Hollywood Reporter" described it as "[A] funny, good-hearted resuscitation⁶ of Hollywood's beloved lowbrow lunkheads."

　　Lionsgate's R-rated horror film "The Cabin In The Woods" finished in No. 3 slot with 14.9 million dollars in ticket sales. The horror flick⁷, which has built solid words-of-mouth and generated strong reviews from leading critics, stars Chris Hemsworth and Richard Jenkins. It centers on how five friends who go for a break at a remote cabin in the woods are caught in a requisite⁸ fright. Lionsgate is hoping to gain much from writer Joss Whedon's fan base. The film received a "C" CinemaScore.

　　Rounding out the top 10 most-popular movies in the United States and Canada this weekend were "Titanic⁹ 3-D" (11.6 million dollars), "American Reunion" (10.6 million dollars), "Mirror Mirror" (7 million dollars), "Wrath¹⁰ Of The Titans" (6.9 million dollars), "21 Jump Street" (6.8 million dollars), "Lockout" ( debuting¹¹ with 6.3 million dollars), and "Dr. Seuss' The Lorax" (3 million dollars).

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