The Box-Office Top Five
#1 "Paul Blart: Mall Cop" ($21.5 million)
#2 "Underworld: Rise of the Lycans" ($20.7 million)
#3 "Gran Torino" ($16 million)
#4 "Hotel for Dogs" ($12.4 million)
#5 "Slumdog Millionaire" ($10.6 million)
The third coming of werewolves and vampires failed to take a bite out of Kevin James. "Paul Blart: Mall Cop" stayed at the top of the chart in its second week, bringing in another $21.5 million for a total gross of $64.8 million. Who knew a humble mall cop could earn so much love?
The third installment of the "Underworld" series, "Rise of the Lycans" opened at a respectable #2 with $20.7 million, but didn't do as well as the first two installments — "Underworld" opened in 2003 at $21.8 million, while "Evolution" made a splash of $26.9 million in 2006. Perhaps "Twilight" has consumed the audience for undead romance, or maybe moviegoers were just missing Kate Beckinsale's pleather.
Though he was snubbed by the Oscars, Clint Eastwood continues to attract big numbers. Dropping to #3 in its third week of release, "Gran Torino" still brought in $16 million, bringing the film's total gross to $97.6 million.
In its second week of release, "Hotel for Dogs" rose to #4 with $12.4 million. It fended off the competition from Brendan Fraser's family-friendly newcomer "Inkheart," which opened at #7 with a disappointing $7.72 million.
The top five was cracked by a now-familiar face. With $10.6 million, "Slumdog Millionaire" landed at #5 for the first time this week, helped by its Oscar nominations and an expansion into 1,411 theaters. Already a critical hit, "Slumdog" is becoming one at the box office with a cumulative total of $55.9 million so far. In the weeks leading up to Oscar night (February 22), could it climb even higher in the charts? When it comes to Danny Boyle's fairy tale, anything seems possible.
Upcoming Releases
Three movies will attempt to compete with Super Bowl Sunday. Opening next weekend are Liam Neeson's flick "Taken," Renee Zellweger's rom-com "New in Town" and Elizabeth Banks' suspenseful "The Uninvited."
Check out everything we've got on "Paul Blart: Mall Cop,""Underworld: Rise of the Licans" and "Slumdog Millionaire."
For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.
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