Wimpy Kid 2 bullies Sucker Punch

The Man of Steel may have cause to worry; his newly christened relaunch director, Zack Snyder, just got beat up (at the box office) by a wimpy kid.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid 2: Rodrick Rules scored a major upset last weekend as the family-friendly, kid-lit flick drew $23.7 million, a healthy distance above its $21 million budget. It was a result no one expected, even though the series has clearly clicked with the pre-teen set it was aimed at. The kids-flick sequel limped into box office with barely any promotion until the week of release, but made a big impact nevertheless, earning them all a round of Brownie Pops, no doubt.

By comparison, Snyder’s Sucker Punch boasted a production budget in excess of $80 million and had been the subject of a vast pre-release advertising and publicity campaign; yet on opening weekend, the flick couldn’t even top $20 million, drawing only $19 million to US theaters. Even with foreign ticket sales factored in, Sucker Punch drew only $28 million, less than half its budget, generally considered the first indication of box office disappointment, if not an outright bomb.

Last weekend’s champ, Limitless, added $15 million to its take for third place, while the legal thriller The Lincoln Lawyer added $10.7 million to secure fourth place. Behind those front four, no other movie broke the $10 million barrier.

The coming weekend features a similar showdown. The adult SF thriller Source Code, featuring Jake Gyllenhall and a hefty budget, will face off against the Easter-themed animated children’s flick, Hop. The horror flick, Insidious, is also arriving.

Should prove interesting.