“Alice” Shatters Records

Audiences eager for another trip to Wonderland got their wish over the weekend as Tim Burton’s “Alice in Wonderland” shattered records, taking in $116.3 million at the box-office.

The opening was the highest ever for a March release and the film shattered records for 3-D theaters and IMAX presentations.  The movie also took in enough to knock the original “Spider-Man” out of its perch as the top grossing non-sequel on an opening weekend.

“Wonderland” raked in $11.9 million on IMAX, surpassing “Avatar”’s $9.5 million. IMAX president and CEO Greg Foster says that Wonderland is enjoying a “halo effect” from James Cameron’s computer-generated smash, which has done $720 million.

The film gave the industry a boost in a month when movies typically stagger. Ticket sales surged 74% over last weekend.

The cop drama “Brooklyn’s Finest” held its own with a $13.5 million opening, about $2 million more than expected, good for second place.

Martin Scorsese’s “Shutter Island” was third with $13.3 million, bringing its total to $95.8 million after three weeks.

The Bruce Willis comedy “Cop Out” was fourth with $9.1 million, followed by “Avatar” with $7.7 million. After three months on screen, “Avatar” has racked up $720.2 million and has yet to drop out of the top five. Worldwide, it has done $2.6 billion, another record.