28 Feb – "Gnomeo and Juliet" is proving to be more than just a fling, climbing to the top spot in its third weekend while two new Stateside releases sparked little interest with "Hall Pass" being more respectable than the ditched "Drive Angry", reports BoxOfficeMojo for the weekend just gone (24-27 Feb). The animated gnome gardens plucked US$75.1 million in 17 days, matching the final gross of "Coraline", out-pacing "Yogi Bear" and "Meet the Robinsons". "Gnomeo And Juliet" is scheduled to release only in Singapore on 3 March. With an estimated US$13.4 million, Owen Wilson's "Hall Pass" was below par among comparable comedies such as "The Dilemma" and "The Hot Tub Time Machine" while Nicolas Cage's "Drive Angry" only managed to inspire little road rage, clocking a mere estimated US$5.1 million, a collection much lower than Cage's previous movie, "Season Of The Witch" which managed to snag US$10.6 million in its opening weekend. "Hall Pass" is scheduled for a release in Singapore on 7 April while a tentative Malaysian release date is yet to be confirmed.
Meanwhile in Malaysia, Penang movie fans recently had a visit from the "Drive Angry" one-day convoy from Kuala Lumpur on 26 February, as a part of promo collaboration between film distributor Nusantara Edaran Filem and Cinema Online that arrived at 1st Avenue Mall Penang with a lot of fun activities, games and freebie giveaways as well as a special "Drive Angry" movie screening at the newly-opened TGV 1st Avenue. "Drive Angry" is scheduled for a release in Malaysia on 25 February and in Singapore on 14 April. Besides that, GSC Mid Valley cinema manager Lee Kong Yew revealed that the top three highest-grossing movies at the prime location for the weekend are "I Am Number Four", "Sanctum" and "Drive Angry". Other new releases and sneak shows over the weekend in Malaysia include "Tanu Weds Manu", "Seedan", "Nadunisi Naaygal", "Kembar Siang" as well as Oscar nominees "Black Swan", "True Grit" and "127 Hours". New releases and sneak shows in Singapore over the weekend include "Unknown", "I Am Number Four", "Finding Mr. Destiny", "The Kids Are All Right", "Never Let Me Go" and "True Grit".