Boffo summer time can't save year's weak B.O.

"Cowboys and Aliens" "The Smurfs" overperformed beyond all anticipation but did less than win the weekend. Despite winning the weekend, "Cowboys and Aliens" wasn't the blockbuster many B.O. commentators had expected -- and when 2011 would be to get caught up this summer time, it'll depend on a couple of remaining August hopefuls.The weekend's lively equine race between "Cowboys and Aliens" and "The Smurfs" gained lots of head lines -- Universal's "Cowboys" wound up barely winning the weekend, with $36.4 million, versus. a much better-than-expected $35.six million for "Smurfs" -- however the problem got lost within the dust.Year-to-date 2011 box office is constantly on the lag at 4% behind this past year, though that's much better than at the outset of summer time, when bizzers strongly forecasted summer time photos would help raise the 7% dip in the year-earlier period.But while approaching game titles like "Rise from the Planet from the Apes" or "Conan the Barbarian" could still perform strongly, it's unlikely the remaining summer time photos will have the ability to lift the 2010 overall domestic box office to complement or beat those of 2010: Tentpoles taper off by August, so that they would need to produce truly surprising leads to change the B.O.The year's totals continuously acquired ground this summer time, but B.O. is constantly on the trail this past year by $283.5 million. To place it in perspective, it might take another hit how big "The Hangover Part II," using its domestic gross of $253 million, to create up that amount.Also, box office this past year totalled roughly $986 million from August. 1 through Labor Day weekend, with top entertainers like Sony's "Another Men" and Lionsgate's "The Expendables." Which means if overall 2011 B.O. would be to exceed this past year by Labor Day, the rest of the summer time slate and holdovers will need to earn just shy of $1.27 billion.Still, summer time box office continues to be robust to date.By This summer 28, summer time box office (from May 6) was ahead 3% from the comparable period this year. Now, summer time totals are up 3.9% because of a 22% hike in box office through Sunday.Despite its win, "Cowboys," having a reported $163 million budget (excluding P&A costs), must have made more. As you B.O. pundit stated, "It simply did not penetrate interest rates the way in which a large-allocated movie like this must have.InchSony's live action-toon hybrid "Smurfs" overperformed all anticipation, assisted by 45% of ticket sales from three dimensional.Earlier this weekend's "Cowboys" and "Smurfs," together with holdovers "Captain America: The Very First Avenger" and "Harry Potter and also the Deathly Hallows: Part 2," beat last year's "Beginning," "Dinner for Schmucks" and "Salt" -- none which entered $$ 30 million for that weekend.If each weekend from now with the finish of summer time is capable of doing similarly, then summer time could finish up righting an off year. This is a tall order -- although not impossible.The rest of the summer time releases will have to gain ground with under-25 auds and not simply depend on adult support in the way of "Cowboys," "Smurfs" and "Crazy Stupid Love."Within the situation of "Smurfs," families paid for for 65% from the opening aud, which 40% were parents. "Cowboys" skewed mostly toward adult moviegoers, with 63% of their opening aud over 30, while 71% of "Crazy Stupid Love" moviegoers were over 25.It came lower to Sunday grosses to interrupt the tie between "Cowboys" and "Smurfs." Even though both photos become a huge hit to reliable Sunday audiences of grown ups and families, "Smurfs" had the benefit attractive to both. Ultimately, however, "Cowboys" likely came a bigger-than-expected part of over-25 auds."Crazy Stupid Love," from Warner Bros., arrived having a modified $19.a million, lower slightly in the pic's believed weekend debut of $19.3 million.Approaching photos with potential under-25 appeal include a set of horror-thrillers, New Line's "Final Destination 5" on August. 12 and FilmDistrict's "You Shouldn't Be Scared of the Dark" on August. 26, in addition to retreads "Conan," from Lionsgate on August. 19, and Fox's "Rise from the Planet from the Apes," which bows Friday. Contact Andrew Stewart at andrew.stewart@variety.com