"RIO" FLIES OVER COMPETITION AT BOX OFFICE

Still from RIO 3-D

Congratulations to 20th Century Fox on their Box Office victory this weekend with RIO 3-D. A clear winner, taking in $41 million it its debut, the Animated Feature not only was a hit with audiences, but reviews also fared on the positive side, garnering 71% on the Tomatometer at Rotten Tomatoes.

Despite some high expectations for Scre4m, it places second in its first week of release, earning $19.5 million. Weekend projections had the fourth installment of the Horror franchise pegged it in the upper $20 million mark. Reviews on the whole haven't been too bad, just shy of positive at the 57% mark on the Tomatometer.

Two-week champion Easter-themed Hop slips to third this weekend with $11.5 million, bringing its tally to $82.9 million for Universal Pictures. Impressive ....and it's still not even Easter Weekend yet.

Soul Surfer continues to fare well in fourth spot this weekend with $7.7 million, ahead of another FilmDistrict title on the Top Ten Insidious from SAW creators James Wan and Leigh Whannell lands in sixth spot also for the U.S. distributor with $7 million. To date it is made $36 million and was made for only $1 million, turning in a huge profit.

The Conspirator opened in limited released at 707 theatres in the U.S. this weekend. Directed by Robert Redford, the Film received a TIFF premiere last September. It debuted in tenth spot this weekend with $3.8 million and will expand in another 300 theatres according to Nikki Finke at Deadline.

"HOP" ON TOP OF BOX OFFICE

Still from Hop

The Easter Bunny arrives early this year, despite our late Easter this year. Universal Pictures wins the Box Office battle with authority this weekend, taking in $38.1 million from 3,579 theatres. The Russell Brand-voiced Animated Feature also stars handsome and lithe James Marsden, who did a bulk of the promotion for the Film, including radio appearances on Toronto's CHUM-FM last week.

Summit Entertainment's Source Code starring Jake Gyllenhaal surprisingly made only $15 million in its debut, landing in second spot despite winning rave reviews. Rotten Tomatoes has it pegged at 86% on its Tomatometer.

Horror Flick Insidious debuts in third with $13.5 million for SAW creators James Wan and Leigh Whannell. Generally, the Patrick Wilson and Rose Byrne-starring Film which premiered at TIFF this past September, has received positive reviews.

Last week's champion, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules slips to fourth in its second week with $10.2 million, just ahead of another former Box Office topper, Limitless in fifth with $9.4 million.

Despite landing in second spot last week, Warner Bros.' Sucker Punch slips to seventh this weekend, a change of -68.1% from last weekend.

Rounding out the Top Ten is Battle: Los Angeles which just broke even, surpassing the $70 million mark, the amount for which it was made.

"SAW" CREATORS JAMES WAN & LEIGH WHANNELL IN TORONTO FOR "INSIDIOUS" | SIGNED PHOTO GIVEAWAY

James Wan & Leigh Whannell at Toronto Premiere of Insidious - March 2011

Creators of  the wildly successful Saw Franchise, James Wan and Leigh Whannell, flew in from Vancouver today to do the last leg of their Promotional Tour in Toronto. The Duo are here to promote their new Horror, Insidious, which won raves last September at TIFF.  It subsequently was picked-up by Sony Pictures in the U.S. and Alliance Films in Canada.  Wan directs, while Whannell acts in and writes the Film.

Although made for a pittance of $1 million, Insidious is by no means short on the screams, showcasing a less gory brand of Horror than what we have seen from the two in the past.  Its story follows a Couple  Josh (Patrick Wilson) and Renai (Rose Byrne) who move into a new home with their three Children, only to be terrorized by supernatural forces soon after.  Their Son Dalton (Ty Simpkins) then falls into a Coma and they realize for their own safety that they must leave. They soon realize the problem doesn't so much lie in their House, so much as their Son, Dalton.

Wan tells the audience at tonight's Toronto Premiere of Insidious that this project could be considered more of a "passion job".  It is a film which both he and Whannell have been wanting to make for quite some time, allowing them to go back to their original Film School roots -where the two had met first in their native Australia.  Since getting picked up for distribution last Fall, some additional fine tuning was done to Insidious, focusing primarily on establishing moods via longer frames of dimly-lit hallways, for example.  He explains that elements in the Original Cut of Insidious have been removed, reducing among other things, the number of Jump Scares (abrupt moments of shock) in this Theatrical Version.

Whannell admits that when it comes to Horror Films, he is most annoyed by False Scares (moments which elude to danger but not fulfilled). He notes, "Often we'll see a a shot in a car where a lot of room is left in the frame. Just when you expect a Killer to show up, it winds up being someone's Sister. I hate that!".  He then jokingly suggests, "They might as well smash the window and slash their heads off instead!".