Even The Dictator knew better than to deal with the second weekend of The Avengers [AVNGR] as the Sacha Baron Cohen film pushed its release date back until next week leaving Dark Shadows [DRKSH] as the sole new wide opener. After shattering the opening weekend box office record, The Avengers has held up reasonably well during the weekdays. The Avengers enjoys excellent word of mouth, which will attract moviegoers seeing these superheroes for the first time as well as bring repeat business. Much like Avatar, The Avengers has become a must-see event for those who want to stay cultural relevant. Amongst the superhero blockbusters that opened the first weekend in May, The Avengers' second weekend drop-off should be closer to the well-liked Spider-Man (-38%) and Iron Man (-48%), rather than the maligned Spider-Man 3 (-61%) and Iron Man 2 (-60%) The Avengers looks to amass around $107 million and set another record for biggest second weekend ever.
Dark Shadows reunites Johnny Depp [JDEPP] with director Tim Burton [TBURT]. Their last collaboration Alice in Wonderland opened to $116 million in 2010, but that was a family-friendly 3D film based on a famous literary as well as Disney property. Dark Shadows is based on a 1960s TV series no one under 40 is familiar with. Warner Bros. was late in starting the marketing campaign and when the first trailer finally arrived, its offbeat humor divided opinions. The PG-13 rated gothic comedy has received mixed reviews from critics, which may turn off older adults who actually remembered the original show. Younger moviegoers are more likely to watch The Avengers again. With Depp and Burton indulging in their weird kookiness, Dark Shadows looks to attract only their die-hard fans. Opening in 3755 theaters, Dark Shadows may suck in $32 million.
As for the rest of the box office, ahh who cares. 
Nothing else will make more than a few million.
That’s the whisper from the virtual trading floor.
Tag(s): AVNGR, DRKSH, JDEPP, TBURT