David Cross Defends Alvin and the Chipmunks Role

Critics, bloggers, movie website readers -- pretty much anybody who knows their way around a keyboard have voiced their "concern" for Alvin and the Chipmunks. (Though with $150 million in the bank after only three weeks, the rodents are doing well with the average man on the street and his family.) But enough is enough, says David Cross, and he's countering with a lengthy tirade of his own.

Cross, who plays a sleazeball record exec in the movie, writes on the Bob and David site:

"I am not stupid nor unobservant. I knew going into this movie that I would be eating a lot of delicious s--t for it. Usually I wouldn't give a s--t about what everyone's feelings are about it, but I wasn't prepared for the level, or amount I should say, of vitriol that's been flung about like so much monkey poo."

Goaded into action after remarks from fellow comedian Patton Oswalt, Cross presents four-and-a-half reasons why he took the role and why some criticisms are out of place:

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Survey: Depp Remains No. 1 at Box Office

Johnny Depp

Johnny Depp pillaged the most money for theaters in 2007, in a survey of movie exhibitors.

Depp star of "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" and "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" has nabbed the No. 1 spot for the second year in a row in an annual survey by Quigley Publishing Co.

The survey, conducted every year since 1932, asks movie exhibitors to vote for the 10 stars who generated the most box-office revenue for their theaters.

Will Smith, now starring in "I Am Legend," placed second on the list, followed by George Clooney, Matt Damon, Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe, Tom Cruise, Nicolas Cage, Will Ferrell and Tom Hanks.

Read the entire article at : www.cinema-pedia.com

Box Office Guru Preview: Beowulf Set To Conquer Multiplexes

One animated film will bump another from the number one spot at the North American box office. But the new warrior Beowulf is no B movie but an A-list production from an Oscar-winning director offering action audiences something new. Also opening this weekend but likely to see more modest grosses are the family pic Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium and the romantic drama Love in the Time of Cholera. Without a compelling selection of great films, the marketplace should once again fall well below year-ago levels.

Paramount looks to capture the box office crown without the help of DreamWorks this time with Beowulf, a computer-animated action adventure based on the ancient epic poem. The PG-13 film comes from Robert Zemeckis who expands upon the motion capture technology he used in 2004's The Polar Express. This time around his film is aimed at somewhat older moviegoers as young children will be too frightened by the violence, gore, and yes, nudity. Beowulf aims to pry 14-year-old boys away from their videogame systems and into the multiplexes with a new type of action film that is presented in 3D in selected theaters. Ray Winstone, Anthony Hopkins, and Angelina Jolie lend their voices and digital likenesses.

The marketing has been terrific on the part of the studio. The core audience of young males is excited and ready to buy tickets and the film might even pull in part of the literary crowd curious to see how this classic tale is adapted to the big screen. The marketplace needs something like this now with hits like American Gangster skewing more adult and kidpics like Bee Movie not offering enough violence. If last December's Eragon could open to $23.2M, then surely Beowulf can target the same crowd and go higher. Launching in over 2,800 theaters, Beowulf could conquer the box office this weekend with about $32M.

The digitally-altered likeness of Ray Winstone in Beowulf
Dustin Hoffman stars as the eccentric owner of a magical toy store in Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium, a new entry for family audiences from Fox. The G-rated film co-stars Natalie Portman and Jason Bateman. With Bee Movie and Fred Claus already out there doing solid business, and likely to collect a combined $30M this weekend, competition for Emporium will be intense. Bad reviews will make parents hesitate, but if kids respond to the TV commercials, then they will find a way to force their parents to take them. Opening wide in around 3,200 locations, Mr. Magorium could bow to about $11M this weekend and try to remain a relevant choice over the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday session.

Dustin Hoffman and Natalie Portman in Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium
To counter his current role as a brutal killer in No Country for Old Men, Javier Bardem stars in the romantic drama Love in the Time of Cholera. The R-rated tale from New Line is getting a moderately wide release and will play to an older adult audience with a female skew. The Oscar buzz Bardem has been receiving for Country could rub off on Cholera helping its case. And Latino audiences are being counted on to show up as are fans of Oprah who has endorsed the book that the film is based on. But overall, the Columbia-set film has not generated enough excitement to deliver a solid debut. Plus poor reviews will turn away much of the target audience. A slot on the lower end of the top ten could await. Opening in about 800 theaters, Love in the Time of Cholera might gross around $3M over the weekend.

Love in the Time of Cholera
Bee Movie should fall from its spot at the top of the box office and slide by about 30% since there is not too much new competition for young kids. A weekend tally of $18M could result giving Paramount $97M to date. Universal's American Gangster should drop by 40% to about $14.5M giving the crime saga a total of $102M. The holiday comedy Fred Claus could dip by 35% in its second weekend. That would leave the Warner Bros. release with a weekend take of $12M and a ten-day cume of $35.5M.

LAST YEAR: In a major pre-holiday showdown, the penguin toon Happy Feet edged out the new James Bond film Casino Royale for the number one spot with a strong opening of $41.5M. The Warner Bros. family hit went on to collect $198M domestically and a stellar $384M worldwide. Sony's relaunched spy series still posted a muscular debut grossing $40.8M over the weekend on its way to $167M domestically and a sensational $595M globally making the Daniel Craig-starrer the top-grossing 007 flick ever. After two weeks on top, Fox's Borat slipped to third with $14.6M. Rounding out the top five were Disney's The Santa Clause 3 with $8.3M and the Sony release Stranger Than Fiction with $6.6M.

Source: www.cinema-pedia.com

Carell Ducks The Office for Strikers

Writers were back on the picket lines Wednesday after their strike forced at least eight prime-time shows, including the popular NBC sitcom "The Office," to halt production.

As the strike entered its third day, no new negotiations were scheduled on the main sticking point between writers and producers: payments from DVDs and shows offered on the Internet.

One of the largest rallies yet occurred outside the gates of the Disney studio in Burbank. About 60 people, including a number of powerful producer-writers known in the industry as "showrunners," joined the protest, despite that networks expected many of them to report to work as managers.

Among them was Greg Daniels, executive producer of the "The Office," who said filming stopped on the show after star Steve Carell refused to cross picket lines. Writers and actors from the show used their time on the picket line to make a video and post it on YouTube.

Sally Field, who won the best actress Oscar in 1979 for the pro-union film "Norma Rae," left the set of her ABC show, "Brothers & Sisters," to visit strikers outside the Disney lot.

Writers "are not being allowed to participate in the future of the business," Field said. "This can be a very lucrative field, but also incredibly insecure for all of the artists, writers, actors and directors."

Mark Perry, executive producer of "Brothers & Sisters," said filming on the show will end next week as it runs out of scripts.

Jay Leno drove a vintage sports car to the rally and stopped to chat with strikers. He apologized for not having any funny lines to share, blaming the problem on what else? the strike.

The strike began Monday after last-minute negotiations failed to produce a deal. The Writers Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers said no new talks had been scheduled. Neither group offered further comment Wednesday.

Production of at least seven sitcoms has been halted because of the strike, and the hit ABC drama "Desperate Housewives" was scheduled to finish filming its latest episode because it had run out of scripts.

Along with "The Office," sitcoms that will stop the cameras include "Back to You," "The New Adventures of Old Christine." "Til Death," "Rules of Engagement," "Two and a Half Men" and "The Big Bang Theory."

Filming on the 13th episode of the freshman ABC comedy "Carpoolers" was also set to finish Wednesday, ABC Studios spokeswoman Charissa Gilmore said. No new episodes have been ordered.

Networks were expected to announce plans for alternative programming in the coming days.

The strike immediately brought repeats of late-night comedy shows, but it was not expected to have an immediate impact on production of movies. Most studios have stockpiled dozens of movie scripts, and many TV shows have scripts or completed shows in hand to last until early next year.

Writers have not gone on strike since 1988, when the walkout lasted 22 weeks and cost the industry more than $500 million.

Source: www.cinema-pedia.com

Heroin Pusher, Honey Bee Lift Box Office

A heroin pusher and a honey bee put some sting back into the movie business. Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe's bloody crime saga "American Gangster" took in $46.3 million to lead the weekend box office, with Jerry Seinfeld's family cartoon "Bee Movie" following with $39.1 million. Together, the movies revitalized Hollywood's listless autumn.

"It took three of the biggest stars in the world to get the box office back on track, and they did it in high style with two totally different kinds of movies," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Media By Numbers. "You had an R-rated movie and a PG-rated movie bringing in a really diverse audience."

After six-straight weekends of declining revenues, overall business rose, with the top-12 movies taking in $127.2 million, up 12 percent from the same weekend last year, when "Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan" was No. 1 with $26.5 million.

Universal's "American Gangster," directed by Ridley Scott and starring Washington as 1970s Harlem drug lord Frank Lucas and Crowe as a Jersey cop on his trail, rode a wave of acclaim and Academy Awards buzz to debut at the top of the box office.

Audiences had been relatively disinterested this fall in serious R-rated films aimed at adults. Many of those earlier movies were box-office underachievers despite critical praise, but "American Gangster" landed with both good reviews and packed theaters.

Washington is known for heroic roles, yet as he did with his Oscar-winning turn as a bad cop in "Training Day," he imbues Lucas with charm and charisma even as the man carries out savage deeds.

"American Gangster" was the biggest opening ever for the film's two stars. Crowe's previous best was $34.8 million for "Gladiator," also directed by Scott, while Washington's was $29 million for "Inside Man."

"These are two great actors telling this true story of Frank Lucas," said Nikki Rocco, head of distribution at Universal. "You couldn't have picked a better cast."

DreamWorks and Paramount's "Bee Movie" features Seinfeld in his first big project since his TV sit-com went off the air nine years ago. Co-written by Seinfeld, the movie has him providing the voice of a bee who sues humanity for stealing his species' hard-earned commodity honey.

"Bee Movie" owned the family crowd, and studio executives said they expect the movie to hold up well through the holidays. It does face direct competition this weekend with Friday's debut of the Warner Bros. holiday comedy "Fred Claus," starring Vince Vaughn as Santa's black-sheep brother and Paul Giamatti as St. Nick.

"We look forward to seeing how it plays out, but it really looks like there's some strong playing time ahead for both movies," said Anne Globe, head of marketing for DreamWorks.

The weekend's other new wide release New Line Cinema's "Martian Child," starring John Cusack as a widower adopting a troubled boy who thinks he's from Mars opened weakly with $3.65 million, finishing at No. 7.

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Media By Numbers LLC. Final figures will be released Monday.

1. "American Gangster," $46.3 million.

2. "Bee Movie," $39.1 million.

3. "Saw IV," $11 million.

4. "Dan in Real Life," $8.1 million.

5. "30 Days of Night," $4 million.

6. "The Game Plan," $3.85 million.

7. "Martian Child," $3.65 million.

8. "Michael Clayton," $2.9 million.

9. "Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married?", $2.7 million.

10. "Gone Baby Gone," $2.4 million.

Source: www.cinema-pedia.com

Box Office Guru Wrapup: American Gangster Crushes Competition at #1

The North American box office exploded thanks to the scorching debuts of the Denzel Washington-Russell Crowe crime drama American Gangster and Jerry Seinfeld's animated comedy Bee Movie which combined for over $85M in ticket sales. Following weeks of sluggish business where the marketplace failed to match 2006 levels, this weekend's box office enjoyed a healthy bounce over last year and kicked off the holiday movie season with a bang.

Washington and Crowe both scored new career highs with the estimated $46.3M opening weekend for the crime saga American Gangster which dominated the multiplexes. Universal opened the R-rated tale in 3,054 theaters and generated a scorching $15,175 average per location. Directed by Ridley Scott, Gangster tells the true story of a drug kingpin who built up a heroin empire in Harlem in the early 1970s. The opening easily beat out the former all-time biggest debuts for the Oscar-winning actors: Washington's Inside Man with $29M and Crowe's Gladiator with $34.8M.

American Gangster enjoyed the second highest launch of the year for an R-rated film trailing only 300's $70.9M. Much of the success came from strong sales from young males and the urban audience which saw it as a Scarface for today's generation. The same audience also helped to power Eminem's R-rated hip hop drama 8 Mile to a surprising number one opening of $51.2M in November of 2002. Brian Grazer produced both Mile and Gangster. Reviews were mostly favorable and early Academy Award buzz could help the film in the weeks ahead. Despite the long running time of nearly two hours and forty minutes, moviegoers lined up and found their showtimes.

Paramount and DreamWorks settled for a second place debut for their latest animated film Bee Movie which grossed an estimated $39.1M in its opening weekend. The PG-rated toon averaged a sturdy $9,954 from 3,928 locations and performed just a bit below the levels of recent November animated titles. Last year, the penguin pic Happy Feet bowed to $41.5M while the previous year's Chicken Little launched with $40M. The two went on to gross $198M and $135.4M, respectively, from the North American market. Co-written by and starring Jerry Seinfeld, Bee Movie enjoyed virtually no competition in the current marketplace for family audiences. Critics were not too kind, but ticket buyers showed interest on the opening weekend. For 2007, the toon posted the fourth biggest debut for an animated film after Shrek the Third ($121.6M), The Simpsons Movie ($74M) and Ratatouille ($47M).

Suffering the largest sophomore drop in franchise history, Saw IV tumbled 65% from its top spot bow and grossed an estimated $11M. The Lionsgate title has still banked an impressive $51.1M in ten days and should finish with nearly $70M.

Buena Vista's Dan in Real Life fared much better in its second weekend dropping a slim 31% to an estimated $8.1M. With $23M in ten days, the romantic comedy might find its way to around $50M despite playing in less than 2,000 theaters.

Sony's vampire thriller 30 Days of Night declined by 42% and took in an estimated $4M lifting the total to $34.2M. Buena Vista's The Game Plan followed in sixth with an estimated $3.9M, off only 37%, for a cume to date of $82M.

Neglected and landing in seventh place was the new John Cusack drama Martian Child which opened with an estimated $3.7M. Playing in 2,020 locations, the PG-rated story of a man that adopts a boy who says he's from Mars averaged a pitiful $1,807 for New Line. Child was the seventh wide release in the past six weeks to debut with an average of less than $2,000.

Three adult-skewing fall pics followed. George Clooney's legal thriller Michael Clayton collected an estimated $2.9M, down 41%, for a sum of $33.2M for Warner Bros. Lionsgate's Why Did I Get Married? got hit hard by Denzel's arrival tumbling 52 to an estimated $2.7M. Cume is $51.2M. The Miramax mystery Gone Baby Gone captured an estimated $2.4M, off 37%, for a $14.9M total.

Warner Independent saw a solid platform bow for its documentary Darfur Now which saw an estimated $24,000 in ticket sales from only three theaters. Averaging $8,000 per venue, the Don Cheadle-narrated film will expand on Friday to more cities.

Three October titles fell sharply and left the top ten this weekend. Disney's latest re-release of Thee Nightmare Before Christmas saw its post-Halloween sales slump 55% to an estimated $1.5M for a cume of $12.8M. A $15M final seems likely. The Joaquin Phoenix/Mark Wahlberg drama We Own the Night fell 59% to an estimated $1.4M. The Sony release has taken in $27.7M and could make it to $30M. The spoof comedy The Comebacks grossed an estimated $1.5M, down 56%, and has collected a disappointing $11.9M for Fox. Look for a $13M final.

The top ten films grossed an estimated $124.1M which was up 14% from last year when Borat debuted in first place with $26.5M; and up 8% from 2005 when Chicken Little opened in the top spot with $40M.

Source: www.cinema-pedia.com

Amanda Peet: Box-Office Poison?

"Box office poison" is a harsh label, but one that is rarely debatable since box office numbers pretty much verify what we all already know: Hiring Actor X to star in your movie, in any capacity, is pretty much like shooting yourself – or at least your production – in the head. Of course, these poisonous actors occasionally find themselves in a commercially successful movie, but, more often than not, this probably comes as much a surprise to them as ticket-buyers.Some of those on this unfortunate list came to it later in their career, like Kurt Russell; others began there like Dennis Quaid and Hilary Swank. Others, like Jeff Bridges, enjoy the prestigious honor of being so detrimental to a production that the resulting conflagration can actually end up causing serious artistic damage to the industry like when 1980’s Heaven’s Gate, which he co-starred in, killed the idea of the Hollywood-funded auteur for almost fifteen years.

Lucky for Amanda Peet, she’s not as poisonous to movies as Bridges, though she does enjoy the rare distinction of being one of the few actors that, despite working regularly enough for five careers, can kill productions both at the theatrical and television levels. Remember Jack and Jill, which caved despite a huge marketing flurry, and, of course, last season’s catastrophic failure, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, which, despite having Aaron Sorkin as a writer-producer and Matthew Perry and Bradley Whitford as stars, managed to die a slow, gasping death? Not that this had anything to do with Peet, though. Um, right.

Anyways, if you’re looking for a few examples of Peet’s qualifications as box office poison, aside from her role in the soon-to-bomb John Cusack-co-starring Martian Child -- which opens this weekend and will probably be on DVD by the time you read this -- here’s a hefty list to ponder. You might be surprised to realize just how toxic she really is.

Igby Goes Down (2002)
This modern twist on Catcher in the Rye is one of the smartest “teen” comedies to be released in the past decade, as darkly subversive as it is hilarious. Peet plays a drugged-up artist who almost dies on a toilet. Sort of like what this movie did at the box office.

Syriana (2005)
George Clooney (albeit a fat version), Matt Damon, and the guy who won an Oscar for writing Traffic? Even with its political subject matter, this movie should’ve done a lot better at the box office than just making back its budget. Probably would’ve, too, if a certain someone wasn’t cast in it.

Fast Track (2006)
This was Zach Braff’s second live-action movie after Garden State and co-starred Jason Bateman hot off of Arrested Development, but this comedy never had a chance…after producers cast Amanda Peet, that is.

She’s The One(1996)
This was Edward Burns’ follow-up to his highly successful indie debut, Brothers McMullen. It’s also the last time anybody in Hollywood took him seriously as a director. Could Peet’s part in the movie have something to do with it?

Identity (2003)
Director James Mangold’s only bomb. Guess who starred in it?

Body Shots (1999)
This movie didn’t even make $1 million. Somebody must’ve really pissed Peet off to make her use her poisonous powers to such a mega-degree. My money is on that douche bag, Jerry O’Connell (whom, to be fair, I only hate because the lucky SOB married Rebecca Romijn).

Changing Lanes (2002)
Critics used to hate Ben Affleck, but Changing Lanes, co-starring Samuel L. Jackson, surprised them all. Not surprising: Peet’s participation guaranteed this thriller never did better than recoup its budget.

One Fine Day (1996)
Michelle Pfeiffer (one of the biggest actresses in America) and George Clooney (in only his second big-screen role since ER debuted) starred in this screwball comedy Cary Grant might have made. Add Peet to the mix and a sure-fire hit fizzled.

The Whole Ten Yards (2004)
The Whole Nine Yards made more than three times its budget, while this sequel barely made one-third of its budget back. This might have something to do with the fact Peet went topless in the original. Then again, she’s topless in Igby Goes Down, too. Yep, The Whole Nine Yards was a fluke.

Source: www.cinema-pedia.com

Fans Pay $31.8 Million to See 'Saw IV'

Audiences sought out a fresh dose of torture as "Saw IV," the horror sequel about sadistic traps laid by a serial killer, led Hollywood's weekend with a $31.8 million debut.

The top 20 movies at U.S. and Canadian theaters Friday through Sunday, followed by distribution studio, gross, number of theater locations, average receipts per location, total gross and number of weeks in release, as compiled Monday by Media By Numbers LLC are:

1. "Saw IV," Lionsgate, $31,756,764, 3,183 locations, $9,977 average, $31,756,764, one week.

2. "Dan in Real Life," Disney, $11,809,445, 1,921 locations, $6,148 average, $11,809,445, one week.

3. "30 Days of Night," Sony, $6,862,764, 2,859 locations, $2,400 average, $27,480,907, two weeks.

4. "The Game Plan," Disney, $6,129,720, 3,342 locations, $1,834 average, $76,939,167, five weeks.

5. "Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married?", Lionsgate, $5,643,899, 1,897 locations, $2,975 average, $47,204,260, three weeks.

6. "Michael Clayton," Warner Bros., $4,924,374, 2,585 locations, $1,905 average, $28,668,168, four weeks.

7. "Gone Baby Gone," Miramax, $3,817,451, 1,713 locations, $2,229 average, $11,226,975, two weeks.

8. "Tim Burton's the Nightmare Before Christmas," Disney, $3,446,012, 564 locations, $6,110 average, $10,100,435, two weeks.

9. "We Own the Night," Sony, $3,395,012, 2,402 locations, $1,413 average, $25,065,018, three weeks.

10. "The Comebacks," Fox Atomic, $3,371,708, 2,812 locations, $1,199 average, $9,925,268, two weeks.

11. "Rendition," New Line, $2,372,487, 2,250 locations, $1,054 average, $7,821,105, two weeks.

12. "The Heartbreak Kid" DreamWorks-Paramount, $1,768,720, 2,003 locations, $883 average, $35,139,137, four weeks.

13. "The Darjeeling Limited," Fox Searchlight, $1,761,335, 699 locations, $2,520 average, $6,126,748, five weeks.

14. "Across the Universe," Sony, $1,687,341, 964 locations, $1,750 average, $19,296,796, seven weeks.

15. "Elizabeth: The Golden Age," Universal, $1,651,340, 1,603 locations, $1,030 average, $14,058,975, three weeks.

16. "Bella," Roadside Attractions, $1,328,448, 165 locations, $8,051 average, $1,328,448, one week.

17. "The Kingdom" Universal, $1,232,210, 1,053 locations, $1,170 average, $45,951,010, five weeks.

18. "Lars and the Real Girl," MGM, $926,675, 296 locations, $3,131 average, $1,330,732, three weeks.

19. "Things We Lost in the Fire," DreamWorks-Paramount, $731,976, 1,142 locations, $641 average, $2,849,142, two weeks.

20. "Lust, Caution," Focus, $475,480, 143 locations, $3,325 average, $2,825,183, five weeks.

Source: www.cinema-pedia.com

Saw IV Slays in $32.M Debut Weekend

The killer of the "Saw" franchise may be dead, but his sadistic spirit lives on. Lionsgate's "Saw IV" led the weekend box office with $32.1 million, maintaining the horror franchise's position as a Halloween perennial, according to studio estimates Sunday.

Debuting at No. 2 was Disney's "Dan in Real Life," a romance starring Steve Carell, Juliette Binoche and Dane Cook that took in $12.1 million.

Overall Hollywood revenues declined for the sixth-straight weekend, though business was off only a fraction compared to the same weekend last year. The top-12 movies took in $86.1 million, down 2 percent, better results than the previous weeks, when business had fallen significantly more.

The results for "Saw IV" were on par with the debut of "Saw III," which pulled in $33.6 million over the same weekend last year. Since the original low-budget "Saw" became an out-of-nowhere fright sensation in 2004, Lionsgate has released a new chapter each October, all hits.

"I would expect to see `Saw V' next year, `Saw VI' the year after that and `Saw VII' the following year if they can keep it up," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Media By Numbers. "There's just something inherently gruesome and compelling about these movies. I don't know what that says about society in general, but it certainly works at the box office."

"Saw IV" features post-mortem horrors concocted by the fiendish killer Jigsaw (Tobin Bell, seen in flashbacks), whose autopsy turns up a cassette tape in his entrails that leads the cops into a new snare of torture puzzles the madman left behind.

"Dan in Real Life" was the prime choice for the date crowd. The movie stars Carell as a widower raising three daughters who falls for his brother's new girlfriend (Binoche) during a family reunion.

In narrower release, Roadside Attractions' "Bella" opened solidly with $1.3 million. The film stars Eduardo Verastegui as a former soccer player who hooks up with a pregnant waitress (Tammy Blanchard).

Thinkfilm's "Before the Devil Knows You're Dead," directed by Sidney Lumet ("Dog Day Afternoon," "Network"), opened strongly in limited release at two New York City theaters with $73,500. The film, which gradually expands into nationwide release through November, stars Philip Seymour Hoffman and Ethan Hawke as brothers in financial straits who plot to rob their parents' jewelry store.

A high-profile documentary, Sony Pictures Classics' "Jimmy Carter: Man From Plains," had a poor debut, taking in just $10,573 at seven theaters. The film from director Jonathan Demme ("The Silence of the Lambs") follows the former president during a tour to promote his book "Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid."

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Media By Numbers LLC. Final figures will be released Monday.

1. "Saw IV," $32.1 million.

2. "Dan in Real Life," $12.1 million.

3. "30 Days of Night," $6.7 million.

4. "The Game Plan," $6.3 million.

5. "Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married?", $5.7 million.

6. "Michael Clayton," $5 million.

7. "Gone Baby Gone," $3.9 million.

8. "The Comebacks," $3.45 million.

9. "We Own the Night," $3.4 million.

10. "Tim Burton's the Nightmare Before Christmas," $3.35 million.

Source: www.cinema-pedia.com

'30 Days of Night' Leads Box-Office Pack

Vampires put the bite on the box office as "30 Days of Night," a fright flick about bloodsuckers on the prowl in Alaska, debuted at the top of the box-office chart with $16 million.

The top 20 movies at U.S. and Canadian theaters Friday through Sunday, followed by distribution studio, gross, number of theater locations, average receipts per location, total gross and number of weeks in release, as compiled Monday by Media By Numbers LLC:

1. "30 Days of Night," Sony, $15,951,902, 2,855 locations, $5,587 average, $15,951,902, one week.

2. "Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married?", Lionsgate, $12,186,011, 2,034 locations, $5,991 average, $38,950,821, two weeks.

3. "The Game Plan," Disney, $8,178,646, 3,301 locations, $2,478 average, $69,206,626, four weeks.

4. "Michael Clayton," Warner Bros., $6,677,272, 2,585 locations, $2,583 average, $21,563,586, three weeks.

5. "The Comebacks," Fox Atomic, $5,554,594, 2,812 locations, $1,975 average, $5,554,594, one week.

6. "Gone Baby Gone," Miramax, $5,501,406, 1,713 locations, $3,212 average, $5,501,406, one week.

7. "We Own the Night," Sony, $5,420,793, 2,362 locations, $2,295 average, $19,704,516, two weeks.

8. "Tim Burton's the Nightmare Before Christmas," Disney, $5,330,101, 564 locations, $9,451 average, $5,330,101, one week.

9. "Rendition," New Line, $4,060,012, 2,250 locations, $1,804 average, $4,060,012, one week.

10. "The Heartbreak Kid" DreamWorks-Paramount, $3,814,636, 2,782 locations, $1,371 average, $32,025,396, three weeks.

11. "Elizabeth: The Golden Age," Universal, $3,150,180, 2,006 locations, $1,570 average, $11,224,145, two weeks.

12. "Across the Universe," Sony, $2,653,475, 960 locations, $2,764 average, $16,720,931, six weeks.

13. "The Kingdom" Universal, $2,326,630, 1,730 locations, $1,345 average, $43,897,695, four weeks.

14. "Into the Wild," Paramount Vantage, $2,138,403, 658 locations, $3,250 average, $6,490,408, five weeks.

15. "Things We Lost in the Fire," DreamWorks-Paramount, $1,561,949, 1,142 locations, $1,368 average, $1,561,949, one week.

16. "The Darjeeling Limited," Fox Searchlight, $1,292,778, 201 locations, $6,432 average, $3,875,451, four weeks.

17. "Resident Evil: Extinction," Sony Screen Gems, $1,004,389, 1,183 locations, $849 average, $49,962,808, five weeks.

18. "Good Luck Chuck," Lionsgate, $738,143, 852 locations, $866 average, $34,274,118, five weeks.

19. "Sarah Landon and the Paranormal Hour," Freestyle Releasing, $586,283, 1,121 locations, $523 average, $586,283, one week.

20. "Lust, Caution," Focus, $579,908, 125 locations, $4,639 average, $2,097,595, four weeks.

 

Source: www.cinema-pedia.com

Vampires Sink Teeth Into Movie Audiences

The horror tale "30 Days of Night" had three days of box-office bite. The Sony fright flick, with Josh Hartnett leading Alaskans against ravenous vampires that turn up for the prolonged winter darkness, debuted as the weekend's No. 1 movie with $16 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.

Audiences continued to choose merriment over misery as the latest crop of sober Academy Awards hopefuls, among them Ben Affleck's "Gone Baby Gone," Reese Witherspoon and Jake Gyllenhaal's "Rendition" and Halle Berry and Benicio Del Toro's "Things We Lost in the Fire," debuted with so-so to dismal numbers.

Whether it's the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, deadly news out of Pakistan and Myanmar or Friday's stock market tumble, moviegoers seem disinterested in more bad news at theaters with films about child-kidnapping, torture, widowhood and heroin addiction.

"Fall is the season of the serious movie, and it seems like audiences in a way are resisting the serious movie right now," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Media By Numbers. "Audiences are finding their horror or their intensity in real life, and they're not looking for it in the movies."

Other escapist fare joined "30 Days of Night" at the top of the box-office chart. "Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married?", the Lionsgate release that was the previous weekend's No. 1 flick, slipped to second place with $12.1 million, raising its total to $38.9 million.

Disney's family comedy "The Game Plan" held up well at No. 3 with $8.1 million, lifting its four-week total to $69.2 million.

Affleck made his directing debut with Miramax's "Gone Baby Gone," which debuted at No. 5 with $6 million. The critically acclaimed movie stars the filmmaker's brother, Casey Affleck, as a private detective trying to solve a young girl's abduction.

Coming in on par with "Gone Baby Gone" was Fox Atomic's "The Comebacks," a lowbrow spoof of sports movies that opened at No. 6 with $5.85 million.

New Line's "Rendition," starring Witherspoon and Gyllenhaal in the story of an Egyptian-born man detained and tortured under suspicion of terrorism, premiered at No. 9 with $4.2 million.

The DreamWorks-Paramount release "Things We Lost in the Fire," with Berry as a widow who takes in her husband's drug-addicted best friend (Del Toro), opened far outside the top-10 with $1.6 million.

Further proof that movie fans want fun over adversity: a 3-D version of Disney's Halloween perennial "Tim Burton's the Nightmare Before Christmas" was No. 8 with $5.1 million and had a better rate of return per-theater than any of the new wide releases.

Playing in 564 cinemas, "Nightmare Before Christmas" averaged $9,122, compared to $5,604 in 2,855 locations for "30 Days of Night;" $3,503 in 1,713 sites for "Gone Baby Gone;" $1,856 in 2,250 theaters for "Rendition" and $1,405 in 1,142 cinemas for "Things We Lost in the Fire."

"There's just so much serious fare. We have overloaded the marketplace with this highbrow, serious product," said Chris Aronson, senior vice president of distribution for 20th Century Fox. "The audience is saying, `Give me something to have some fun with.'"

While fun movies ruled, the overall box office skidded for the fifth-straight weekend. The top-12 movies took in $79.7 million, down 10 percent from the same weekend last year.

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Media By Numbers LLC. Final figures will be released Monday.

1. "30 Days of Night," $16 million.

2. "Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married?", $12.1 million.

3. "The Game Plan," $8.1 million.

4. "Michael Clayton," $7.1 million.

5. "Gone Baby Gone," $6 million.

6. "The Comebacks," $5.85 million.

7. "We Own the Night," $5.5 million.

8. "Tim Burton's the Nightmare Before Christmas," $5.1 million.

9. "Rendition," $4.2 million.

10. "The Heartbreak Kid" $3.9 million.

Source: www.cinema-pedia.com

Perry Fans RSVP With $21.5 Million

Academy Awards heavyweights such as George Clooney and Cate Blanchett were no match for another of Tyler Perry's populist tales.

The Lionsgate release "Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married?", a marital yarn whose ensemble cast includes Janet Jackson, Malik Yoba, Jill Scott and writer-director Perry, debuted as the No. 1 weekend movie with $21.5 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.

Perry's flick came in well ahead of Clooney's legal drama "Michael Clayton," Blanchett's historical pageant "Elizabeth: The Golden Age," and Joaquin Phoenix and Mark Wahlberg's crime saga "We Own the Night," which all pulled in modest crowds.

"The Game Plan," which had been No. 1 the previous two weekends, was neck-and-neck with "Michael Clayton" and "We Own the Night" for second-place. Exact rankings awaited final studio numbers Monday. Disney reported an $11.5 million haul for "The Game Plan," Warner Bros. reported $11.01 million for "Michael Clayton" and Sony reported $11 million for "We Own the Night."

Universal's "The Golden Age," a followup to 1998's "Elizabeth," was No. 6 with $6.2 million.

Despite the rush of movies featuring top stars, overall business continued to slide. Revenues were down for the fourth-straight weekend, with the top-12 films taking in $85.5 million, off 14 percent from the same weekend last year, when "The Grudge 2" and "The Departed" led the box office.

Though "Tyler Perry's Daddy's Little Girls" had a so-so opening earlier this year, "Why Did I Get Married?" joined his previous hits "Madea's Family Reunion" and "Diary of a Mad Black Woman," which also opened at No. 1.

"Why Did I Get Married?" follows the domestic trials of couples re-evaluating their relationships during an annual reunion.

"Tyler Perry is a mogul," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Media By Numbers. "There is a built-in audience base for Tyler Perry's movies, no matter what time of year, no matter what the subject matter."

"Michael Clayton," which went into nationwide release after opening in a handful of theaters a week earlier, stars Clooney as an attorney in moral crisis over a class-action lawsuit.

"We Own the Night" features Phoenix and Wahlberg in the story of a black-sheep brother who makes amends with his family of cops to take on Russian drug dealers.

In "The Golden Age," Blanchett reprises her role as Britain's Queen Elizabeth I as she faces a holy war with Spain.

The studios are counting on Oscar buzz for Blanchett and Clooney to keep "The Golden Age" and "Michael Clayton."

"We think we really have a solid Oscar contender here, and we're in for the long run," said Dan Fellman, Warner's head of distribution.

Such films tend to have more staying power, since they appeal to older moviegoers who do not necessarily rush out to see films over opening weekend.

"This is a very specific kind of film that isn't going to launch in the marketplace the same as some of the other broad-based movies do," said Nikki Rocco, head of distribution for Universal. "This is a very discerning audience. There are a lot of films vying for that same adult audience, so we were pleased to get it launched."

In limited release, the oddball romance "Lars and the Real Girl," starring Ryan Gosling, took in a healthy $85,000 in seven theaters; "Sleuth," with Michael Caine and Jude Law in an update of Caine and Laurence Olivier's 1972 battle of wits, opened with $50,090 in nine theaters; and "Control" a drama about Joy Division singer Ian Curtis, who killed himself at age 23, debuted strongly with $26,500 in one theater.

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Media By Numbers LLC. Final figures will be released Monday.

1. "Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married?", $21.5 million.

2. "The Game Plan," $11.5 million.

3. "Michael Clayton," $11.01 million.

4. "We Own the Night," $11 million.

5. "The Heartbreak Kid" $7.4 million.

6. "Elizabeth: The Golden Age," $6.2 million.

7. "The Kingdom" $4.6 million.

8. "Across the Universe," $4 million.

9. "Resident Evil: Extinction," $2.65 million.

10. "The Seeker: The Dark Is Rising," $2.15 million.

Source: www.cinema-pedia.com

Box Office Guru Preview: Wide Open Race For #1 Spot This Weekend

Five new films push their way into nationwide release on Friday hoping to challenge two-time champ The Rock making for what should be a free-for-all at the North American box office with many different studios having a realistic shot at claiming the number one spot. Among the top contenders are Sony's crime thriller We Own the Night,

the Lionsgate comedy Why Did I Get Married?, and the George Clooney vehicle Michael Clayton which expands nationally after its scorching debut in limited release. Adding to the mix are the costume drama Elizabeth: The Golden Age and the baseball tale The Final Season. The box office race should be a tight one with as many as four films likely to reach the low double digit millions.

Oscar nominated actors Mark Wahlberg and Joaquin Phoenix face off as brothers on different sides of the law in the new action thriller We Own the Night. The R-rated pic co-stars Robert Duvall and Eva Mendes and will target an adult audience with a slightly male skew. The former Marky Mark proved his box office pull last spring as the only major star in Shooter which bowed to $14.5M and a $5,176 average by targeting the same audience. Things will be more difficult this time because of the intense competition for mature audiences especially from Michael Clayton. But Night's biggest advantage over Michael is that it has two commercial stars instead of just one. The combo should lead to a slim edge at the cash registers.

Despite its awkward title, Night has been pushing itself as an action-packed thriller with faces people love to watch. Reviews have been mixed and with such a crowded field, it will be hard to stand out as a must-see option. Starpower should be the main factor here and showdowns between two solid actors are usually popular with ticket buyers. Opening in over 2,000 theaters, We Own the Night could debut to about $12M.

Phoenix and Wahlberg in We Own the Night
Taking on those boys with some machismo of his own, George Clooney heads into wide release with his legal drama Michael Clayton which Warner Bros. has drummed up plenty of awards buzz for. The R-rated pic bowed to a sizzling $47,994 average last weekend from its platform bow in the Clooney-friendly towns of New York, Los Angeles, and Toronto. This weekend, the thriller will face the real test when it enters every major market across the 50 states. Thanks to his political outspokenness, the Academy Award winning actor has become a polarizing figure. He could easily win an election to become mayor of Hollywood, but in other parts of the country people would gladly pay theaters to not play his movies.

Clayton will test his drawing power since the film has no other box office anchors in it. Co-stars Tom Wilkinson, Tilda Swinton, and Sydney Pollack are well-respected, but they don't sell tickets. There is plenty of direct competition which is why the film got a head start a week early. Buzz from its red hot platform bow has spread helping to build interest. The crowd will consist of the same people that opened Syriana to $11.7M, The Black Dahlia to $10M, and Zodiac to $13.4M. Night will take away some males and Elizabeth will steal some females so a huge gross will be hard to find. But over the long-term the film could have legs. Expanding into 2,511 locations, Michael Clayton stands as the widest of the new offerings and may capture around $11M over the Friday-to-Sunday period.

Clooney as Clayton
Tyler Perry's latest relationship comedy Why Did I Get Married? finds trouble brewing when four married couples come together for an annual winter getaway. The writer/director's films have always tapped into his loyal fan base with African American women at the core. His 2005 smash Diary of a Mad Black Woman surprised the industry with its first-place debut with $21.9M and a $14,771 average and was followed a year later by Madea's Family Reunion which grew bigger with a $30M launch. Perry's last pic Daddy's Little Girls, also a February release, saw more modest numbers with a $11.2M opening as the filmmaker did not star in the pic.

Married does not have the promotional value of Black History Month or the help of Presidents Day which Girls had early this year. However, Perry's new film will not face any direct competitors for its target audience. Girls had to face the second weekend of Eddie Murphy's hit comedy Norbit which offered some audience overlap. Plus Married boasts more starpower with Perry back on screen and an added boost will come from Janet Jackson who is always a strong draw at the box office with the target audience every time she makes a rare appearance in a movie. The PG-13 film from Lionsgate is unlike anything else in the marketplace right now and with few buzzworthy films aimed at black moviegoers in recent months, it should successfully connect. Debuting in 2,011 theaters, Why Did I Get Married? might open with roughly $12M this weekend.

Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married?

Source: www.cinema-pedia.com

`Game Plan' Repeats As Box-Office Champ

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson repeated as the weekend's box-office champion as his football family flick "The Game Plan" remained No. 1 with $16.6 million.

"The Heartbreak Kid" a comedy reuniting Ben Stiller with his "There's Something About Mary" filmmakers Peter and Bobby Farrelly, debuted in second-place with a surprisingly weak $14 million.

The top 20 movies at U.S. and Canadian theaters Friday through Sunday, followed by distribution studio, gross, number of theater locations, average receipts per location, total gross and number of weeks in release, as compiled Monday by Media By Numbers LLC are:

1. "The Game Plan," Disney, $16,609,377, 3,105 locations, $5,349 average, $43,158,823, two weeks.

2. "The Heartbreak Kid," DreamWorks-Paramount, $14,022,105, 3,229 locations, $4,343 average, $14,022,105, one week.

3. "The Kingdom" Universal, $9,722,940, 2,802 locations, $3,470 average, $31,746,270, two weeks.

4. "Resident Evil: Extinction," Sony Screen Gems, $4,521,301, 2,848 locations, $1,588 average, $43,695,477, three weeks.

5. "The Seeker: The Dark Is Rising," Fox, $3,745,315, 3,141 locations, $1,192 average, $3,745,315, one week.

6. "Good Luck Chuck," Lionsgate, $3,657,516, 2,476 locations, $1,477 average, $29,255,442, three weeks.

7. "3:10 to Yuma," Lionsgate, $3,215,469, 2,562 locations, $1,255 average, $48,728,753, five weeks.

8. "Feel the Noise," Sony, $3,187,153, 1,015 locations, $3,140 average, $3,187,153, one week.

9. "Mr. Woodcock," New Line, $2,331,445, 1,950 locations, $1,196 average, $22,613,590, four weeks.

10. "The Brave One" Warner Bros., $2,321,359, 2,358 locations, $984 average, $34,380,387, four weeks.

11. "Eastern Promises," Focus, $2,079,579, 1,212 locations, $1,716 average, $14,455,384, four weeks.

12. "Across the Universe," Sony, $1,945,219, 364 locations, $5,344 average, $8,078,951, four weeks.

13. "Sydney White," Universal, $1,369,980, 1,593 locations, $860 average, $10,261,815, three weeks.

14. "The Jane Austen Book Club," Sony Pictures Classics, $1,343,596, 1,232 locations, $1,091 average, $1,819,721, three weeks.

15. "In the Valley of Elah," Warner Independent, $1,338,190, 978 locations, $1,368 average, $5,354,603, four weeks.

16. "Into the Wild," Paramount Vantage, $1,279,208, 135 locations, $9,476 average, $2,447,444, three weeks.

17. "The Bourne Ultimatum," Universal, $1,184,685, 975 locations, $1,215 average, $224,476,610, 10 weeks.

18. "Transformers," DreamWorks-Paramount, $933,617, 421 locations, $2,218 average, $316,476,438, 14 weeks.

19. "Superbad," Sony, $882,942, 756 locations, $1,168 average, $120,338,762, eight weeks.

20. "Feast of Love," MGM, $750,258, 1,203 locations, $624 average, $3,021,180, two weeks.

Source: www.cinema-pedia.com

Box Office Guru Wrapup: Rock Defeats Heartbreak Kid To Defend Box Office Title

Ben Stiller's new comedy The Heartbreak Kid stumbled in its opening frame and forced the overall box office to plunge to the worst October weekend in eight years. Incumbent family comedy The Game Plan posted a strong sophomore hold and retained its position as North America's most popular film. But two other new releases did nothing to energize the multiplexes as the top ten films together grossed what just the top three pictures did a year ago on this same weekend. The calendar may say October but the dismal box office grosses make it seem like September never ended.Surprising industry watchers once again, Disney's The Game Plan held onto the number one spot for a second time grossing an estimated $16.3M for a slim 29% decline. That gave The Rock's first entry into the world of kid's movies a solid $42.8M in only ten days allowing the PG-rated comedy to already surpass the total grosses of his last two films Gridiron Gang ($38.4M) and Doom ($28M). All three pics were number one openers. Last weekend, many expected Game Plan to debut in second place behind The Kingdom while this weekend Heartbreak was widely seen as debuting on top. In both cases the quarterback daddy flick swiped the top spot and with little family competition in the weeks ahead, a trip to the $100M club could be in the works.

Disney is still benefiting from the fall season's shocking lack of product for families. For the third consecutive weekend, seven of the top ten films carried R ratings giving parents few other options for their children. The studio has virtually no foes to deal with until Jerry Seinfeld's animated pic Bee Movie hits theaters on November 2. Game Plan's second weekend drop was even smaller than the 40% decline that the studio's Vin Diesel family film The Pacifier experienced in March 2005 on its way to a stunning $113.1M tally. The Game Plan now looks certain to surpass the $90.5M of 2002's The Scorpion King to become The Rock's highest grossing film in a lead role.

The weekend's big disappointment came from the Ben Stiller-Farrelly brothers collaboration The Heartbreak Kid which debuted in second place with an estimated $14M from 3,229 theaters. Averaging a mediocre $4,345 per site, the R-rated film marked the first reteaming of the actor with the filmmakers since the 1998 sleeper smash There's Something About Mary which grossed a stunning $176.5M that year. Heartbreak was universally expected to open at number one and was thought to have the potential to capture at least $20M in opening weekend business for DreamWorks and Paramount. The budget was more than $60M, according to the studios.

For Stiller, Heartbreak's opening was half the size of the bows of his other recent comedies like Night at the Museum ($30.4M), Starsky and Hutch ($28.1M), and Along Came Polly ($27.7M). Those were PG or PG-13 films but the comedian was still expected to draw a large crowd this weekend. However for the Farrelly brothers, the performance was better than the $12.4M of their last pic Fever Pitch in 2005 and the $9.4M of 2003's Stuck on You. Reviews were mostly negative which is par for the course with these types of comedies.

The Heartbreak Kid put Stiller's box office power to the test and the results were discouraging. Most of the comedian's hits feature other big stars to help bring in a paying audience. This time Stiller was the only major name and audiences did not bite. In fact the launch was very similar to that of rival R-rated romantic comedy Good Luck Chuck which debuted to $13.7M and a better $5,227 average just two weeks ago. That film offered some star wattage from both genders with Dane Cook and Jessica Alba.

Universal's Middle East drama The Kingdom dropped 46% in its second weekend to an estimated $9.3M and placed third. The Jamie Foxx pic has taken in $31.4M in ten days and should find its way to $50-55M. Sony's action-horror sequel Resident Evil: Extinction fell 47% to an estimated $4.3M and pushed its 17-day cume to $43.5M.

Failing to find an audience on opening weekend was the fantasy adventure film The Seeker: The Dark is Rising which bowed to an estimated $3.7M from a very wide 3,141 theaters for a dismal $1,186 average. The PG-rated pic from the new venture between Fox and Walden Media targeted young boys but got nowhere at the box office. Seeker's debut was even worse than the $5M launch of Dragon Wars from just two weeks ago which went after the same audience. But thanks to a sluggish marketplace, Seeker's weak opening still landed the film in the top five even though its nearly $40M budget will take much time to recoup.

The Lionsgate comedy Good Luck Chuck grossed an estimated $3.5M, off 44%, for a $29.1M sum. The dance drama Feel the Noise delivered a seventh place debut with an estimated $3.4M from just 1,015 theaters. Averaging a mild $3,350 per site, the PG-13 film played to urban teens and came from the new Sony/BMG film division.

Source: www.cinema-pedia.com

The Rock Passes 'Kingdom' at Box Office

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson had the winning game plan at the box office. Disney's "The Game Plan," starring Johnson as a football quarterback whose bachelor lifestyle is disrupted by the arrival of a daughter he never knew he had, opened as the top weekend flick with $22.7 million, according to studio estimates Sunday. The weekend had looked like it would be a showdown between "The Game Plan" and Universal's Middle East thriller "The Kingdom" which stars Jamie Foxx and Jennifer Garner as members of a U.S. team investigating a terrorist attack in Saudi Arabia.

But "The Kingdom" fell short, debuting at No. 2 with a solid $17.7 million. The previous weekend's top movie, Sony's action tale "Resident Evil: Extinction," fell a steep 66 percent from its opening-weekend gross, finishing in third place with $8 million and raising its total to $36.8 million.

Johnson was the latest action hero aiming to broaden his audience with a family film. With a PG rating, "The Game Plan" took advantage of a long dry spell for kid-friendly movies, as parents with children made up two-thirds of the audience.

"There was definitely pent-up demand for people who don't necessarily want to go to the heavy R-rated films," said Chuck Viane, head of distribution for Disney. "The entire general audience has been underserved lately."

"The Kingdom" faced heavy competition from other violent R-rated films, among them "3:10 to Yuma," "The Brave One" and "Eastern Promises." Though not an overtly political film, "The Kingdom" also had to test audience interest for action tales set against the war on terrorism.

"If you're going to tell stories like this, you're going to tell stories of what's actually going on in our world. It's very difficult, challenging subject matter," said Nikki Rocco, head of distribution for Universal. "Either you're going to like this kind of movie or you're not."

In limited release, Fox Searchlight's "The Darjeeling Limited" opened strongly, taking in $140,000 at two New York City theaters on Saturday and Sunday, following its premiere Friday at the New York Film Festival.

Directed by Wes Anderson ("The Royal Tenenbaums"), the film stars Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody and Jason Schwartzman as brothers on an odyssey across India.

Focus Features' World War II saga "Lust, Caution" also did well in its debut at one New York City theater, taking in $61,688. From director Ang Lee ("Brokeback Mountain"), the NC-17-rated "Lust, Caution" features scenes of explicit sex as a Chinese woman goes undercover in a plot to kill a man collaborating with invading Japanese forces.

Both films expand to more theaters Friday.

It was the second straight weekend that Hollywood business was down after a summer of record revenue. The top 12 movies took in $76.7 million, down 11 percent from the same weekend last year, when "Open Season" was the No. 1 movie with $23.6 million.

"What goes up must come down," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Media By Numbers. "It would be really difficult to maintain three, four months of up box office, so this was kind of inevitable. It was quite a strong fall last year, so we're having a little trouble competing."

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Media By Numbers LLC. Final figures will be released Monday.

1. "The Game Plan," $22.7 million.

2. "The Kingdom," $17.7 million.

3. "Resident Evil: Extinction," $8 million.

4. "Good Luck Chuck," $6.3 million.

5. "3:10 to Yuma," $4.2 million.

6. "The Brave One," $3.8 million.

7. "Mr. Woodcock," $3 million.

8. "Eastern Promises," $2.9 million.

9. "Sydney White," $2.7 million.

10. "Across the Universe," $2.05 million.

Source: www.cinema-pedia.com

"Game Plan" conquers "Kingdom" at box office

In a major upset, former wrestler Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson pummeled the box office competition with his new family comedy "The Game Plan," which beat presumed victor "The Kingdom" for top honors.

"The Game Plan," in which Johnson plays a football star confronted by the 8-year-old daughter he never knew about, sold about $22.7 million worth of tickets since opening Friday, said distributor Walt Disney Pictures.

Universal Pictures' terrorism thriller "The Kingdom," starring Jamie Foxx and Jennifer Garner, followed with $17.7 million in its first three days. Industry pundits had expected "The Kingdom" to open at No. 1 with sales in the low-$20 million range, with "The Game Plan" kicking off in the high-teen millions.

Critics were underwhelmed by both films, but "everybody has been starved" for a family comedy, said Chuck Viane, president of distribution at Walt Disney Co.'s domestic theatrical

unit.

Johnson's last movie, 2006's "Gridiron Gang," opened at No. 1 in September 2006 with $14.4 million. "The Game Plan" marks his biggest opening since 2002's "The Scorpion King" ($36 million).

He is not the first action hero to become a kid-friendly star. In 2005, Disney's Vin Diesel comedy "The Pacifier" surprised everyone by opening at No. 1 with $30.6 million. And Arnold Schwarzenegger had a huge hit in 1990 with his unconventional turn in "Kindergarten Cop."

"PERFECTLY REASONABLE"

"The Kingdom," meanwhile, stars Foxx as the head of a small team of FBI investigators who probe a horrific terrorist attack against American civilians in Riyadh.

A Universal spokeswoman said the opening for the $70 million film was "perfectly reasonable" given its adult rating, difficult subject matter and appeal to older audiences who generally do not rush out on the first weekend. It hoped that good exit polling results would bode well for future weeks.

Universal, a unit of General Electric Co's NBC Universal Inc., financed the picture with a private investment fund that has plowed $600 million into a slate of 18 movies released by Universal and Sony Pictures.

Gun Hill Road 1, formed by independent financier Relativity Media, has backed a number of disappointments, such as "All the King's Men," "Doom," "RV" and "Monster House," as well as the hits "Ghost Rider" and "The Pursuit of Happyness."

Foxx has been hit and miss with action movies: "Miami Vice" opened to $25.7 million in July 2006, and "Jarhead" to $27.7 million in November 2005. But "Stealth" crashed on takeoff with $13.3 million in August that year.

Also new to the top-10 was the Beatle-themed musical romance "Across the Universe," which jumped three places to No. 10 with $2.1 million in its third weekend. The Columbia Pictures release has earned $5.5 million. Currently playing in just 339 theaters, the film will go into broad release on October 12.

Last weekend's champ, Screen Gems' zombie horror "Resident Evil: Extinction," fell to No. 3 with $8 million, taking its 10-day haul to $36.8 million, followed by the comedy "Good Luck Chuck" with $6.3 million and the Western "3:10 to Yuma" with $4.2 million. The respective totals for the Lionsgate releases rose to $23.6 million and $43.9 million.

Columbia and Screen Gems are units of Sony Corp. Lionsgate is a unit of Lions Gate Entertainment Corp.

Source: www.cinema-pedia.com