UPDATE! Up is no longer #1! Final box-office figures on Monday show that The Hangover beat the Pixar flick by less than a million dollars.
The Hangover (Warner Bros.) - $44,979,319 million
Up (Disney) - $44,138,266 million
Continuing reading Sunday's recap ...
The Pixar-animated and Disney-distributed Up claims the number-one spot for the second consecutive weekend with $44.2 million and a minimal 35 percent second weekend drop. With great word-of-mouth, a lotta love from the critics and mid-week grosses in the $6 million range, it is no wonder that this film held on to first place. In just 10 days of release, Up has earned an impressive $137.3 million. However, it was a closer call than anyone might have imagined as Warners' The Hangover posted a potent debut with the third-best ever opening for an R-rated comedy! A great marketing campaign, a great title, a terrific concept and lots of non-alcohol induced “buzz,” the Todd Phillips-directed comedy drew men and women alike as it toasted a $43.3 million in Happy Hour cheer.
In third with $19.5 million is Universal’s Land of the Lost, which found itself facing much competition from both Up and The Hangover. The PG-13 Will Ferrell comedy was well-marketed, but the competitive landscape was just too intense.
Fourth place belongs to the Ben Stiller family-friendly juggernaut Night at the Museum with a mere 40 percent third weekend drop and another $14.6 million in the tomb and $127.3 million to date. This is a total winner for Fox and a long-term summer favorite that will continue to do well in the coming weeks.
Finally rounding out the top five is the perennial favorite Star Trek. The Paramount film is as sure a bet as anything in Hollywood and with another $8.4 million against a tiny fifth weekend drop of 33 percent, the biggest domestic performer of the year (with $222.8 million) is a summer season must-see.
Not to be outdone is the international and worldwide favorite, Sony’s Angels & Demons, which has become the biggest worldwide release of the year thus far with $409 million in box-office dollars! The film has been a most consistent performer overseas and continues to wow global audiences with its intelligent script and compelling action sequences as well. Not to mention the always great Tom Hanks!
In the limited arena, Focus Features’ Away We Go, starring The Office’s John Krasinski earned a huge $143,260 in just four theaters for a massive filling of $35,815 per theater! The film is directed by the great Sam Mendes (American Beauty, Revolutionary Road) and has had a tremendous positive response, audiences and critics alike. Look for this to expand in the coming weeks.
A bummer that the overall box office is down for the second straight week amidst heavy competition from last year’s models. However, some strong movies are yet to come including next weekend’s debut of Sony’s The Taking of Pelham 123, not to mention Michael Bay and Optimus Prime coming to rescue the box office on June 24 when Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen slams into theaters.
THREE-DAY ESTIMATES:
1. Up (Disney) - $44.2M; 3818 theaters; $11,588 PTA; -35%; $137.3M cume
2. NEW! The Hangover (Warner Bros.) - $43.2M; 3269 theaters; $13,238 PTA
3. NEW! Land of the Lost (Universal) - $19.5M; 3521 theaters; $5,545 PTA
4. Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (Fox) - $14.6M; 3807 theaters; $3,848 PTA; -40%; $127.3M cume
5. Star Trek (Paramount) - $8.4M; 3202 theaters; $2,623 PTA; -33%; $222.8M cume
6. Terminator Salvation (Warner Bros.) - $8.1M; 3304 theaters; $2,474 PTA; -50%; $105.4M cume
7. Drag Me to Hell (Universal) - $7.3M; 2510 theaters; $2,925 PTA; -54%; $28.5M cume
8. Angels & Demons (Sony/Columbia) - $6.5M; 2925 theaters; $2,222 PTA; -43%; $116.1M cume
9. NEW! My Life in Ruins (Fox Searchlight) - $3.2M; 1164 theaters; $2,771 PTA
10. Dance Flick (Paramount) - $2M; 1707 theaters; $1,172 PTA; -58%; $22.6M cume
MORE BOX OFFICE:
LAST WEEK'S B.O.: Up Battles Night at Museum 2 and Soars Off With Winnings