"Prince Caspian's" opening day haul was slightly lower than industry expectations and behind first Narnia installment, "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe," which pulled in $23 million on its first day, $65.6 million in its first weekend, and eventually totaled $291.7 million in domestic box-office sales.
By contrast, industry observers were expecting the sequel to rake in in estimated $78 million to $85 million this weekend. Estimates for the three-day period will be issued on Sunday.
Paramount Pictures and Marvel Entertainment Inc's superhero smash "Iron Man," the box office champ for the past two weekends, was the No. 2 choice on Friday. Marvel Studios have delighted in the $188.1 million the comic book adventure has brought in. Sales decreased 48.1 percent during its second weekend in release to $51.2 million from $98.6 million
Prince Caspian has received solid reviews from most media outlets. The films are based on the C.S. Lewis novels of the same name that use fantasy as a tool to explore Christian dogma. The films are family-oriented, with a PG rating, and have screened well with audiences of all ages.
Internationally, "Prince Caspian" will be rolled out over the summer on a schedule aimed at taking advantage of local school holidays.