The big news on both sides of the pond is the dismal flop of Speed Racer, taking just $18m in the US and a paltry $362k in the UK. That's awful considering it cost in excess of $100m. So what went wrong?
Well, plenty of suggestions have been made: the lack of audience awareness of the 60s cartoon it's based on, ongoing fervour for Iron Man eating into profits, the filmmaker's Matrix pedigree flying in the face of the resolutely kid-friendly product, and general feeling that it's... well, not that good. But still, it surely deserved to beat trite rom-com What Happens In Vegas (which knocked it to #3 in the US) and Forgetting Sarah Marshall (which nudged it down further to #4 in the UK.)
Other box-office results include the aforementioned success of Ashton Kutcher/Cameron Diaz's What Happens In Vegas (#2 in the US and UK) and the unfortunate #6 placement for Neil Marshall's Doomsday in the UK – perhaps because a grim post-apocalyptic actioner isn't what people want to watch during a bright, sunny week in May...
US TOP 10
(1) 1. Iron Man $51.2m
(-) 2. What Happens In Vegas $20.2m
(-) 3. Speed Racer $18.6m
(2) 4. Made Of Honor $8.12m
(3) 5. Baby Mama $6.23m
(5) 6. Forgetting Sarah Marshall $3.84m
(4) 7. Harold & Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay $3.11m
(6) 8. The Forbidden Kingdom $2.17m
(7) 9. Nim's Island $1.46m
(8) 10. Prom Night $1.01m
UK TOP 10
(1) 1. Iron Man £1.9m
(-) 2. What Happens In Vegas £1.2m
(2) 3. Forgetting Sarah Marshall £524k
(-) 4. Speed Racer £362k
(3) 5. Nim's Island £317k
(-) 6. Doomsday £311k
(4) 7. Made Of Honor £278k
(7) 8. In Bruges £103k
(6) 9. 21 £89k
(5) 10. The Eye £88k
UK RELEASES THIS WEEK
THE AIR I BREATHEA businessman bets his life on a horse race, a gangster sees the future, a pop star falls prey to a crime boss and a doctor must save the love of his life. Rom-com thriller starring Kevin Bacon, Julie Delpy, Brendan Fraser, Andy Garcia, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Emile Hirsch, Kelly Hu & Forest Whitaker.
OUTPOSTIn war-torn Europe, a world-weary group of mercenaries discover a secret in an abandoned WWII bunker. Action horror starring Ray Stevenson, Julian Wadham, Richard Brake, Paul Blair & Brett Fancy.
SHUTTERA newly-married couple discover ghostly images on photos they develop after a tragic accident. Horror starring Joshua Jackson & Rachael Taylor.
SMART PEOPLEA widowed professor and his intelligent family have to contend with his layabout adopted brother. Comedy drama starring Dennis Quaid, Ellen Page, Sarah Jessica Parker & Thomas Haden Church.
WELCOME HOME, ROSCOE JENKINSA successful talk show host leaves L.A to reunite with his family in the Deep South. Comedy starring Martin Lawrence, James Earl Jones, Cedric The Entertainer, Margaret Avery & Michael Clarke Duncan.
