Universal's PG rated family comedy Big Fat Liar fell two rungs to ninth place in its fifth week with an OK ESTIMATED $3.43 million (-31%) at 2,074 theaters (-158 theaters; $1,655 per theater). Its cume is approximately $43.3 million.
Directed by Shawn Levy, it stars Frankie Muniz, Paul Giamatti and Amanda Bynes.
Liar, which was made for only about $15 million, should be very profitable for Universal.
Rounding out the Top Ten again this week was New Line Cinema's PG-13 rated blockbuster The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, still holding well in its 12th week with an ESTIMATED $2.6 million (-22%) at 1,210 theaters (-93 theaters; $2,149 per theater). Its cume is approximately $291.1 million, heading for $300 million or more in domestic theaters, depending on how it performs Oscar night.
Directed by Peter Jackson, Rings' ensemble cast is led by Elijah Wood and Ian McKellen.
OTHER OPENINGS
This weekend also saw the arrival of Paramount Classics' PG-13 rated comedy drama Festival in Cannes to an encouraging ESTIMATED $0.04 million at 6 theaters ($6,625 per theater).
Written and directed by Henry Jaglom with additional writing by Victoria Foyt, it stars Anouk Aimee, Greta Scacchi, Maximilian Schell, Ron Silver and Zack Norman.
SNEAK PREVIEWS
There were no national sneak previews this weekend.
EXPANSIONS
On the expansion front this weekend Lions Gate Films' R rated drama Monster's Ball, which has two Oscar nominations, went wider in its 11th week with an okay ESTIMATED $1.65 million (-9%) at 696 theaters (+36 theaters; $2,365 per theater). Its cume is approximately $15.4 million.
Directed by Marc Foster, it stars Billy Bob Thornton, Halle Berry, Heath Ledger and Peter Boyle.
USA Films' R rated whodunit Gosford Park, which has seven Oscar nominations including best picture and won the Writers Guild of America's best original screenplay award Saturday night, added a few more theaters in its 11th week, holding well with an ESTIMATED $1.6 million (-17%) at 918 theaters (+3 theater; $1,725 per theater). Its cume is approximately $33.2 million.
Directed by Robert Altman and starring an extensive ensemble cast, it was written by Julian Fellowes and produced by Altman, Bob Balaban and David Levy.