Box Office: Ted, Magic Mike Edge Out Madea
Seth MacFarlane's comedy had best opening ever for R-rated film.
Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane's first feature film venture Ted smashed records with a $54.1 million take and the No. 1 crown: the best performance in history for an R-rated comedy. The Mark Wahlberg starrer (his co-star is a human-like teddy bear) easily beat the other new entries this weekend, Magic Mike and Madea's Witness Protection.
But Mike had plently of dollar bills stuffed into its G-string, to the tune of $39.2 million and way better than expected (unless you ask anyone interested in seeing Channing Tatum's bare chest) for an R-rated film.
Coming in third place was Tyler Perry in Madea's Witness Protection. Though the film couldn't compete with talking bears and shirtless men, it did pull in an impressive $26.4 million.
On the indie film end of the spectrum, Sundance winner Beasts of the Southern Wild opened to strong numbers in four theaters in New York and Los Angeles, and is expected to roll out to other cities in the coming weeks.
Next week, The Amazing Spider-Man goes head-to-head with Oliver Stone's Savages for the most Fourth of July box office fireworks.
