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I woke up yesterday morning to loads of Twitter angst over the comparatively weak box office performance of Scott Pilgrim vs. the World](http://www.cinematical.com/2010/08/.../review-scott-pilgrim-vs-the-world/), which I think is one of the only movies to become a cult hit before the cameras even rolled. But look. The movie (which is terrific, and has earned its praise) is aimed at a very specific audience, by definition limited. It has no brand name. No stars other than MIchael Cera – whose presence does little to broaden the film’s appeal, since his fans are the same people who were inclined to see it anyway. A very peculiar aesthetic. I think that an $11 million debut – more than twice the opening weekend gross of either of Edgar Wright’s similarly adored previous films – is kind of a victory, the reported $60 million budget aside. I’m not sure what people expected.
On the other hand, everyone agrees that $35 million for Lionsgate’s The Expendables](http://www.cinematical.com/2010/08/12/the-expendables-review/) is a victory. (Sylvester Stallone certainly does, as evidenced by his comments in a fawning Hollywood Reporter interview.) Not sure how much of that is nostalgia-driven, and how much is par for a generic, well-marketed action flick these days. The $24 million for Eat Pray Love](http://www.cinematical.com/2010/08/13/eat-pray-love-review) is disappointing given the presence of Julia Roberts, the popularity of the source material, and a 3,000-screen opening – but there’s some potential for the film to make up ground in the coming weeks, as there will be little high-profile competition.
Inception](http://www.cinematical.com/2010/07/05/inception-review/) continues to chug along, approaching $250 million . . . it’s been a good summer for adult-oriented action films all around. Even Salt](http://www.cinematical.com/2010/07/23/review-salt/), which easily could have gotten lost in the shuffle, has done very respectably, crossing the $100 million mark this weekend.
The full top 10 after the jump.Filed under: New Releases, Box Office
Continue reading Weekend Box Office: Old Fogey Action Heroes Rocket Past ‘Pilgrim’