BOX OFFICE REPORT (MARCH 22-24): 'The Croods' and 'Olympus Has Fallen' Take Back the Box Office While Tina Fey's 'Admission' Gets Rejected

A lot going on at the box office this past weekend. The Croods may have saved DreamWorks Animation, Olympus Has Fallen performed above expectation, Oz the Great and Powerful continued to run up its numbers and Admission kind of flopped. The good news? Hollywood finally has a few hits on its hands, with The Croods, Olympus Has Fallen and Oz leading the way. The bad news? Yet another weekend couldn't go by without another high-profile bomb. While Jack the Giant Slayer and The Incredible Burt Wonderstone had been filling that role for awhile, it was the Tina Fey/Paul Rudd comedy Admission that couldn't make its mark this week.

The controversial Spring Breakers expanded this weekend, moving into around 1,100 theaters. Even at approximately half the theaters that Admission had, Spring Breakers still brought in $5 million, coming close to bringing into the top five.

1. The Croods (N)
$44.70 million ($44.70 million)
After Rise of the Guardians bombed, DreamWorks Animation was under pressure to deliver another hit. The studio had built a reputation of being able to churn out movies of varying levels of mediocracy that all performed well at the box office. When Rise of the Guardians failed to follow that trend, the studio started to get nervous. Had people finally caught onto the fact that it was deliver middle-of-the-road animated features? Thanks to the ugly animation of The Croods, DreamWorks is back on track. Way to go, everyone.

2. Olympus Has Fallen (N)

$30.50 million ($30.50 million)

Olympus Has Fallen was not supposed to do this well. In fact, a lot of box office predictions had the film kind of flopping, but thanks to above-meh reviews, the Gerard Butler feature turned into a mild hit. Olympus' R rating and depiction of a brutal attack on Washington, D.C., probably kept the movie from making more. Seriously, the violence in Olympus Has Fallen isn't kid stuff.

3. Oz the Great and Powerful (1)

$22.03 million ($177.56 million)
Oz the Great and Powerful will definitely cross the $200 million mark over the next week or so, making the sequel that Disney put into action before the film's release all the more justified now.

4. The Call (2)

$8.70 million ($30.90 million)
I've got nothing on this one. Has anyone actually seen this or can we just assume these are box office bots?

5. Admission (N)

$6.45 million ($6.45 million)

I think the critics have been a bit harsh on Admission, as it wasn't a movie that deserved as much scorn as it's gotten. Yes, we've come to expect more out of Fey and Rudd, but if this movie was starring Vince Vaughn and Jennifer Aniston, people would be fine with it. That said, I expect more out of you Fey and Rudd — do something great.

Next week's predictions:

1. G.I. Joe: Retaliation

2. The Host

3. Tyler Perry's Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor 

4. The Croods

5. Olympus Has Fallen

SOURCE: Box Office Mojo