’17 Again’ Gets Audiences- Box Office Results: April 17-19

What if? What if a 30-something year old man was turned back into a 17 year old again? Big money, that's what.

The teen-comedy 17 Again starring Matthew Perry and heartthrob Zac Efron came in at #1 this weekend with $23.7 million, about the same gross as comparable 13 Going on 30 from 2004. It helped April do better than it was previously doing earlier in the month. 17 Again is Zac Efron's third hit in a row, previous winners being musicals Hairspray and High School Musical 3: Senior Year. Besides the High School Musical series, this movie is Efron's first with him as the main character. Predictably, 75% of the crowd was female and 43% were under 18. No one saw this for Thomas Lennon and Leslie Mann?!

The political thriller State of Play's all-star cast apparently could compete with a teenage basketball player; it debuted in second place with $14.1 million. It did open better than Russell Crowe's previous flick Body of Lies, though, and attendance was in line with the novel adaptation Runaway Jury among similar movies. According to exiting polls, 75% of the audience was 35 years and older and the majority said that the reasons they saw it were because of Russell Crowe (66%) and the story (52%).

Action sequel Crank: High Voltage opened in sixth place and grossed $7 million. It was more than Shoot 'Em Up got, but less than the first Crank ($10.5 million).

Last week, fans flocked to theaters to see Hannah Montana: The Movie, however, that was not the case this weekend. It dropped to third and made $13.4 million, down 59%. It is holding up better than Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour and has gotten better results ($56.9 million in 10 days), however. Monsters vs. Aliens followed the popstar with $13.2 million, down a general 39%. It's officially the highest grossing movie of the year so far, raking in $163.1 million in 24 days. Behind Aliens the surprise-smash Fast and Furious tallied up $11.8 million. Its total so far: $136.2 million in 17 days. Could it beat Monsters vs. Aliens as the top-grossing movie of the spring? We'll just have to wait and see…

Observe and Report, despite good reviews, fell 62% to $4.2 million behind Crank 2, its total now being a mere $18.8 million in ten days. Not getting any more fans, the Seth Rogen fueled comedy from the co-writer/director of The Foot Fist Way is now following the Rogen and Elizabeth Banks Kevin Smith directed comedy Zach and Miri Make a Porno. In its second weekend in theaters, Dragonball: Evolution still can't manage to gain an audience. The manga-inspired movie escaped the top ten to #11 with $1.7 million this weekend, its total gross $7.9 million in ten days. Hard to believe that there's a guaranteed sequel, huh?

Here's the estimated total from Friday to Sunday according to box office site BoxOfficeMojo.com-

1. 17 Again- $23.7 million
   
2. State of Play- $14.1 million
   
3. Hannah Montana: The Movie- $13.4 million
   
4. Monsters vs. Aliens- $13.2 million
   
5. Fast and Furious- $11.8 million
   
6. Crank: High Voltage- $7 million
   
7. Observe and Report- $4.2 million
   
8. Knowing- $3.6 million
   
9. I Love You, Man- $3.3 million
   
10. The Haunting in Connecticut- $3.1 million