Alice grosses P47.9-million in 4 days

MANILA, Philippines - Local audiences headed down the rabbit hole this weekend, as Disney’s Alice in Wonderland opened at No. 1 with a nationwide gross of P47.930-M in 144 screens from March 4 to 7. This was announced by Victor Cabrera, managing director of Walt Disney Studios which locally distributed the film.

This figure marked the all-time third biggest opening weekend for Disney, after 2007’s Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End (P71-M) and 2006’s Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest (P66-M).

It likewise became the second most successful March opening weekend in history, overtaking 2006’s Ice Age 2: The Meltdown (P41-M).

Alice also gave Tim Burton his biggest opening in the Philippines, with a jaw-dropping 105 percent improvement from 2001’s Planet of the Apes (P23.4-M) and already surpassing 2005’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’s lifetime gross of P41.1-M in only four days of release.

The Top 20 cinemas that posted the best receipts are SM North EDSA (P4.10-M), Trinoma (P3.15-M), SM Mall of Asia (P2.95-M), Greenbelt 3 (P2.32-M), Power Plant (P2.08-M), Glorietta (P2.02-M), Alabang Town Center (P1.98-M), SM Megamall (P1.67-M), SM Cebu (P1.48-M) and Shang Cineplex (P1.44-M).

Close to their heels are Gateway (P1.30-M), Eastwood (P1.25-M), Greenhills (P1.22-M), Robinsons Galleria (P979,784), Sta. Lucia East (P946,002), Market! Market! (P899,608), SM Iloilo (P843,668), SM Clark (P815,772), Ayala Cebu (P789,548) and SM Marikina (P712,517).

In the US, Alice in Wonderland debuted to a gargantuan $116.3-M, smashing box-office records left and right. It was the biggest March opening ever, soaring past the $70.9-M of 300 from 2007 and the best debut for a 3D film beating the $77-M of Avatar from last December.