HOLLYWOOD - In a battle between Heaven and hell this weekend, the angels win. The romantic comedy Just Like Heaven, starring Reese Witherspoon and Mark Ruffalo, opened on top with $16.5 million, forcing the courtroom-horror drama Exorcism of Emily Rose into second place with $15.3 million.
"It was sort of one of these traditional romantic comedies. Even the reviewers said it seemed like such a pat formula, but they kind of liked it," Exhibitor Relations president Paul Dergarabedian told The Associated Press, "And Reese Witherspoon is always a draw."
Although there were a number of other films opening this weekend, only a few made it to the top 10. Nicolas Cage's arms-dealing thriller Lord of War took third place with $9.2 million, while the horror flick Cry Wolf opened in fifth with $4.5 million.
Overall, box office revenue jumped an estimated 13 percent compared with the same weekend last year, continuing the upward trend in movie grosses after a dismal summer, AP reports. "The fall season is starting in a terrific fashion," Dergarabedian said. "I'm cautiously saying that we're back on track. Audiences are just finding that the studios have a lot to offer right now."
The Top 12 films grossed an estimated a four-day total of $71.2 million, up 12.75 percent from last year's draw of $63.1 million but down 3.01 percent from last weekend's $73.4 million.
The Top Three films at the box office this time last year were: Paramount Pictures' PG rated Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, which opened at the No. 1 spot with $15.5 million in 3,170 theaters, averaging $4,915 per theater; Buena Vista PG-13 rated Mr. 3000, which debuted in second place with $8.6 million in 2,736 theaters, averaging $3,172 per theater; and Screen Gems R-rated Resident Evil: Apocalypse, which dropped to third in its second week with $8.6 million in 3,284 theaters, averaging $2,636 per theater. (Click here to read last year's box office report)
(This week's box office Top 10 below...)
BOX OFFICE TOP 10, ESTIMATES (Four-Day Totals)
(Source: Exhibitor Relations, Inc.)
No. 1: Just Like Heaven (DreamWorks, PG-13)
• Gross: $16.5 million
• Weeks opened: NEW!
• Theaters: 3,508
• Per-theater average: $4,704
No. 2: The Exorcism of Emily Rose (Sony Pictures, PG-13)
• Gross: $15.3 million (-49%)
• Weeks opened: 2
• Theaters: 2,983 (+2)
• Per-theater average: $5,129
• Cume to date: $52 million
No. 3: Lord of War (Lions Gate, R)
• Gross: $9.2 million
• Weeks opened: NEW!
• Theaters: 2,814
• Per-theater average: $3,269
No. 4: The 40 Year-Old Virgin (Universal, R)
• Gross: $5.8 million (-25%)
• Weeks opened: 5
• Theaters: 3,006 (+32)
• Per-theater average: $1,929
• Cume to date: $90.6 million
No. 5: Cry Wolf (Focus Features/Rogue, PG-13)
• Gross: $4.5 million
• Weeks opened: NEW!
• Theaters: 1,790
• Per-theater average: $2,543
No. 6: Transporter 2 (20th Century Fox, PG-13)
• Gross: $4 million (-46%)
• Weeks opened: 3
• Theaters: 2,805 (-515)
• Per-theater average: $1,435
• Cume to date: $36.5 million
No. 7: The Constant Gardener (Focus Features, R)
• Gross: $3.6 million (-22%)
• Weeks opened: 3
• Theaters: 1,387 (+6)
• Per-theater average: $2,664
• Cume to date: $24.3 million
No. 8: Red-Eye (DreamWorks, PG-13)
• Gross: $2.9 million (-35%)
• Weeks opened: 5
• Theaters: 2,455 (-621)
• Per-theater average: $1,181
• Cume to date: $55.2 million
No. 9: March of the Penguins (Warner Independent, G)
• Gross: $2.5 million (-3%)
• Weeks opened: 17
• Theaters: 1,876 (-527)
• Per-theater average: $1,362
• Cume to date: $70.4 million
No. 10: The Wedding Crashers (New Line, R)
• Gross: $2.5 million (-22%)
• Weeks opened: 9
• Theaters: 1,807 (-374)
• Per-theater average: $1,399
• Cume to date: $203.6 million
OTHER OPENINGS
Venom (Miramax, R)
• Gross: $500,751
• Weeks opened: NEW!
• Theaters: 489
• Per-theater average: $1,024
Proof (Miramax, PG-13)
• Gross: $200,868
• Weeks opened: NEW!
• Theaters: 8
• Per-theater average: $25,109
Thumbsucker (Sony Pictures Classics, R)
• Gross: $93,579
• Weeks opened: NEW!
• Theaters: 9
• Per-theater average: $10,398
Everything Is Illuminated (Warner Independent, PG-13)
• Gross: $73,600
• Weeks opened: NEW!
• Theaters: 6
• Per-theater average: $12,267