Eddie Murphy in a fat suit strikes again. The comedian’s latest multiple-personality comedy Norbit debuted in the top spot at the North American box office this weekend, grossing a hefty $33.7 million.
Norbit now stands as Murphy’s second highest opener, following Nutty Professor II: The Klumps, which opened in 2000 with $45.5 million.
“It really doesn’t get much better than this for an actor at this point in your career,” Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Media By Numbers told The Associated Press. “This is a guy whose career has spanned over two decades, and he’s still as viable a box-office star as anyone out there.”
The prequel Hannibal Rising, which traces the roots of the cannibalistic Hannibal Lecter, didn’t fare as well as its predecessors: The film debuted in second with $13.3 million. The highest Lecter opening is still Hannibal, which premiered in 2001 with $58 million.
The Top 12 movies grossed $91.2 million over the weekend, down 10.63 percent from last year’s draw of $102 million but up 28.55 percent from last weekend’s total of 70.9 million.
The Top Three films at the box office this time last year were: Sony’s The Pink Panther, which opened at No. 1 with $20.2 million in 3,477 theaters, averaging $5,815 per theater; New Line’s Final Destination 3, which opened in second place with $19.1 million in 2,880 theaters, averaging $6,657 per theater; and Universal’s Curious George, which debuted in third place with $14.77 million in 2,566 theaters, averaging $5,730 per theater (Click here to read last year’s box office report).
BOX OFFICE TOP 10, ESTIMATES
(Source: Exhibitor Relations, Inc.)
No. 1: Norbit (Paramount, PG-13)
• Gross: $33.7 million
• Weeks opened: NEW!
• Theaters: 3,136
• Per-theater average: $10,759
No. 2: Hannibal Rising (MGM, R)
• Gross: $13.3 million
• Weeks opened: NEW!
• Theaters: 3,003
• Per-theater average: $4,446
No. 3: Because I Said So (Universal, PG-13)
• Gross: $9 million (-31%)
• Weeks opened: 2
• Theaters: 2,529 (+3)
• Per-theater average: $3,575
• Cume to date: $25.6 million
No. 4: The Messengers (Sony, PG-13)
• Gross: $7.2 million (51%)
• Weeks opened: 2
• Theaters: 2,529 (+1)
• Per-theater average: $2,847
• Cume to date: $24.7 million
No. 5: Night at the Museum (20th Century Fox, PG)
• Gross: $5.7 million (-11%)
• Weeks opened: 8
• Theaters: 2,702 (-301)
• Per-theater average: $2,110
• Cume to date: $232.1 million
No. 6: Epic Movie (20th Cent Fox, PG-13)
• Gross: $4.4 million (-48%)
• Weeks opened: 3
• Theaters: 2,806 (-34)
• Per-theater average: $1,568
• Cume to date: $35.4 million
No. 7: Smokin’ Aces (Universal, R)
• Gross: $3.7 million (-38%)
• Weeks opened: 3
• Theaters: 2,199 (-20)
• Per-theater average: $1,725
• Cume to date: $30.8 million
No. 8: Pan’s Labyrinth (Picturehouse, R)
• Gross: $3.6 million (-2%)
• Weeks opened: 7
• Theaters: 1,143 (+61)
• Per-theater average: $3,150
• Cume to date: $26.6 million
No. 9: Dreamgirls (Paramount, PG-13)
• Gross: $3 million (-23%)
• Weeks opened: 9
• Theaters: 2,284 (-513)
• Per-theater average: $1,354
• Cume to date: $97.1 million
No. 10: The Queen (Miramax, PG-13)
• Gross: $2.5 million (-5%)
• Weeks opened: 20
• Theaters: 1,564 (-286)
• Per-theater average: $1,605
• Cume to date: $49 million
OTHER OPENINGS
The Lives of Others (Sony Pictures Classics, R)
• Gross: $222,727
• Weeks opened: NEW!
• Theaters: 13
• Per-theater average: $17,133
