Science fiction epic John Carter has opened strongly in its first weekend, taking $3,092,526 across 246 screens.
The Disney-distributed film, which tells the story of a civil war veteran transported to Mars, had a healthy screen average of $12,571.
The critical reception for John Carter has been poor and the months leading up to its release were filled with speculation as to whether it would flop, particularly after audience tracking revealed that the $250 million-plus film held no appeal to women in any age group.
The film was also released in 3749 locations across the US over the weekend, but failed to unseat Dr Seuss adaptation The Lorax from the number one spot. It opened with an estimated $US30.6 million, according to Box Office Mojo – a result far lower than the opening weekends achieved by similar films such as Watchmen ($US55.2 million) and 300 ($US70.9 million).
Back in Australia, Project X dropped to second place in its second week of release, earning a screen average of $5751 over 191 screens. This brings its total gross to $2,920,967.
Contraband ($727,100), This Means War ($673,397) and The Vow ($550,206) round out the top five. Meanwhile, SeeSaw Pictures film Shame took in $18,505 – a 52 per cent drop from last weekend. It has now made $576,026 since its February release.