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LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – "Clash of the Titans," the latest film to cash in on the 3D craze, easily won the battle at the worldwide box office during the weekend, according to studio estimates issued on Sunday.
The Olympian epic earned $64.1 million from theaters in the United States and Canada since opening Thursday evening, said Time Warner Inc-owned distributor Warner Bros Pictures.
The opening was in line with industry expectations, and the $61.4 million portion from the traditional Friday-to-Sunday period sets a new record for an Easter release. The previous Easter record was set by "Scary Movie 4" ($40.2 million) in 2006.
The film, starring Sam Worthington ("Avatar") as the heroic Perseus and Ralph Fiennes as the villainous Hades, also grossed $44.2 million from No. 1 openings in all 15 of its foreign markets. Spain contributed $8.6 million in five days, Britain $7.8 million in three, and South Korea $6.8 million in four. The early worldwide total stands at $108.26 million.
Worldwide, 3D screenings accounted for just over half of total sales even though the film played in more 2D locations.
Since the success of "Avatar," Hollywood has rushed to capitalize on 3D movies because studios can charge higher ticket prices for the experience. "Clash of the Titans," which cost over $100 million to make, is not even a true 3D film since it was converted from 2D after filming was completed.
But movie theater owners have been slow to equip their theaters with new technology, creating a logjam among 3D titles. "Clash" competed for playdates with previous champion "How to Train Your Dragon" and recent leader "Alice in Wonderland."
DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc's "Dragon" slipped to No. 3 with $29.2 million, taking its 10-day haul to $92.3 million. After a relatively disappointing $44 million opening that sent the studio's stock price down eight percent on Monday, the film lost just one-third of its audience. Second-weekend drops tend to be in the 50 percent range.
Walt Disney Co's "Alice" fell three to No. 5 with $8.3 million in its fifth weekend; its tally stands at $309.8 million.
Among other openers, Tyler Perry's "Why Did I Get Married Too?" came in at No. 2 with $30.2 million, the second-highest opening for the prolific filmmaker after "Madea Goes to Jail" ($41 million) last year. Perry's low-cost films are released by Lionsgate, a unit of Lions Gate Entertainment Corp.
The Disney drama "The Last Song," teen starlet Miley Cyrus' first foray into mature fare, debuted at No. 4 with $16.2 million. Its total stands at a solid $25.6 million after opening on Wednesday.
