Both new releases fall short in the face of repeat performer ‘Shrek.’ By Josh Wigler Shrek and Puss in Boots in “Shrek Forever After” Photo: DreamWorks Animation LLC The Box-Office Top Five #1 “Shrek Forever After” ($55.7 million) #2 “Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time” ($37.8 million) #3 “Sex and the City 2” ($37.1 million) #4 “Iron Man 2” ($20.6 million) #5 “Robin Hood” ($13.6 million) The sand-blown men and women of “Sex and the City 2” and “Prince of Persia” were offered a rude awakening at the box office this weekend, as the mean green ogre known as “Shrek Forever After” barreled its way to a first-place finish for the second week in a row. “Shrek Forever After” won first place with little trouble during the Memorial Day holiday weekend, taking home a gold medal worth $55.7 million. The film suffered a minor 21.3 percent drop from its $70.8 million performance last weekend, calming some fears that the “Shrek” franchise had lost its green sheen as a box-office powerhouse. After two weekends in theaters, the “Shrek” sequel has earned $145.5 million domestically and $25.7 million overseas for a budget-surpassing $171.3 global haul. The success of “Shrek” came at the expense of the weekend’s two new major releases: Warner Bros. and New Line’s “Sex and the City 2” and Walt Disney’s “Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time.” Both projects entered the weekend with their fair share of selling points — “Prince of Persia” boasts Jake Gyllenhaal’s star power as well as a built-in audience from its video game source material, while “Sex and the City” has a well-established fanbase. But neither film could hold a candle against “Shrek,” settling for second- and third-place finishes worth $37.8 million and $37.1 million, respectively. There are silver linings for both films, however. In the case of “Persia,” the movie enjoyed an impressive $95.5 million showing at the foreign box office. For “Sex,” the Sarah Jessica Parker-starring sequel earned $51.4 million from its Thursday release through the Monday holiday, falling short of its 2008 predecessor’s opening weekend by only $5 million. Upcoming Releases Jonah Hill and Russell Brand will do their best to “Get Him to the Greek” next weekend, as Adrien Brody and Sarah Polley tempt fate with sci-fi experimentation in “Splice.” If you’re looking for light-hearted laughs, look no further than Owen Wilson’s “Marmaduke” and Ashton Kutcher’s “Killers.” Check out everything we’ve got on “Shrek Forever After” , “Sex and the City 2” and “Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time.” For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com . Related Photos Stars Come Out For The ‘Shrek Forever After’ Premiere ‘Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time’ Red Carpet ‘Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time’ Official Stills ‘Sex And The City 2’ Premieres In NYC Sex And The City 2: The Sands Of Time Photo Mash-Up ‘Sex And The City 2’
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‘Shrek’ Rakes In More Green Than ‘Prince Of Persia’ And ‘Sex And The City 2’
