Battle: LA Beats Mars Needs Moms & Red Riding Hood at Box Office

Despite its bad timing given Japan’s current state, Sony’s disaster movie Battle: Los Angeles took the top spot at the box office this weekend. The film earned $36 million, making it one of the top-grossing three-day openings in 2011, second only to Rango. Disney’s Mars Needs Moms only brought in $6.8 million compared to its $150 million budget and Red Riding Hood earned $14.1 million as well as terrible reviews from critics and moviegoers alike. In a traditionally slow month at movie theaters, the U.S. box office ended the weekend in a slump with revenues down roughly 14 percent from last year. On the bright side, Focus Features' adaptation of the classic Victorian novel Jane Eyre did well considering its limited stateside release, grossing $182,000 in the four locations it played.