'Kick-Ass' leads Friday box office with $7M

Matthew Vaughn's "Kick-Ass" didn't exactly kick butt at the North American box office Friday. The Lionsgate release based on the comic by Mark Millar only bagged $7.6 million from ticket sales at 3,065 locations, and that's a lot less than box office analysts predicted. It's shame, because the film is fantastic.

Starring Aaron Johnson, Chloe Moretz and Nicolas Cage, among others, the film follows a teenager trying to spice uo his life by becoming a costumed vigilante. "Kick-Ass" generated a lot of buzz prior to its theatrical release, but the action-packed movie only scored an average of $2,480 per theater.

Debuting in second place with $5.6 million was Neil LaBute's remake of "Death of a Funeral," which Screen Gems released at 2,459 locations. Chris Rock and Martin Lawrence star in the comedy about a family's misadventures during a funeral ceremony. The film scored an average of $2,277 per theater.

Following closely in third place was Shawn Levy's comedy "Date Night" with Tina Fey and Steve Carell. The flick picked up $5.4 million for a domestic total of $37.4 million. Meanwhile, "How to Train Your Dragon" bagged $4.4 million at No. 4. The 3D-animated tale lifted its total to $143 million.

Warner's "Clash of the Titans" remake came in fifth Friday, generating another $4.2 million for a cumulative gross of $121.4 million after two weeks in release. Check back tomorrow for full weekend estimates. Actuals will be published Monday.

Source: Box Office Mojo (www.boxofficemojo.com)