'Rio' impresses, but will industry box office take flight?

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Published on April 25, 2011 06:15PM EDT

Hollywood is feeling blue today, but for the first time in a long time, it’s not the sad kind of blue. For the second straight weekend, Rio, the animated film about the Brazilian adventures of a rare blue macaw, was the most popular film, threatening to become that one legitimate blockbuster that can boost the entire industry. For only the third weekend this year, total weekend receipts were up compared to the comparative date in 2010.

Even though last year’s Easter weekend, which fell in the first week of April and debuted Clash of the Titans, actually crushed Rio and Madea and Co., the relatively improved showing gives the industry some hope as the first of the summer blockbusters loom. Attendance for the year is still down significantly, but maybe, just maybe, the box office will bloom with Fast Five (April 29), Thor (May 6), and Bridesmaids (May 13). Maybe next week’s Prom will be a huge hit with teens that will bridge the gap until Pirates of the Caribbean (May 20) sets sail again.

And if not, well, we’ll always have Rio.

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