Twentieth Century Fox and Lightstorm Entertainment's PG-13 rated sci-fi adventure Solaris got off to a disappointing start, opening in seventh place to an ESTIMATED $9.45 million at 2,406 theaters ($3,928 per theater). (Its ESTIMATED gross for three days is $6.78 million.)
Directed by Steven Soderbergh, it stars George Clooney.
"It was well reviewed," Fox distribution president Bruce Snyder said Sunday morning, assessing the results. "Maybe (it's) too intelligent, too slick."
Universal and Imagine Entertainment's R rated drama 8 Mile fell three pegs to eighth place in its fourth week with an uneventful ESTIMATED $8.51 million at 2,498 theaters (-87 theaters; $3,408 per theater). Its cume is approximately $107.6 million, heading for $120 million. (Its ESTIMATED gross for three days is $5.9 million.)
Directed by Curtis Hanson and produced by Brian Grazer, it stars Eminem, Kim Basinger, Brittany Murphy and Mekhi Phifer.
Miramax's Dimension Films opened its PG-13 horror film Wes Craven Presents: They in ninth place to a soft ESTIMATED $8.0 million at 1,615 theaters ($2,589 per theater). (Its ESTIMATED gross for three days is $5.2 million.)
Directed by Robert Harmon, it was written by Brendan William Hood.
Miramax said They was "a North American acquisition for $4 million."
Rounding out the Top Ten was DreamWorks' PG-13 rated horror thriller The Ring, down three rungs in its seventh week with an okay ESTIMATED $7.8 million at 1,912 theaters (-716 theaters; $4,087 per theater). Its cume is approximately $120.0 million, heading for $135 million.(Its ESTIMATED gross for three days is $5.5 million.)
Directed by Gore Verbinski, it stars Naomi Watts, Martin Henderson and Brian Cox.
Thanksgiving weekend also saw IFC Films' release of Gold Circle Films and HBO's PG rated romantic comedy blockbuster My Big Fat Greek Wedding drop out of the Top Ten. Wedding fell three slots to eleventh place in its 33rd week, still performing very well with an ESTIMATED $5.5 million at 1,257 theaters (-328 theaters; $4,379 per theater). Its cume is approximately $210.7 million, heading for $225 million or more in domestic theaters. (Its ESTIMATED gross for three days is $4.1 million.)
Directed by Joel Zwick, it stars Nia Vardalos and John Corbett.
OTHER OPENINGS
This weekend also saw the arrival of Paramount's PG-13 rated action film Extreme Ops to an extremely soft ESTIMATED $3.1 million at 1,800 theaters ($1,722 per theater).
Directed by Christian Duguay, it stars Devon Sawa.