The Box-Office Top Five
#1 "The Hangover" ($33.4 million)
#2 "Up" ($30.5 million)
#3 "The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3" ($25 million)
#4 "Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian" ($9.6 million)
#5 "Land of the Lost" ($9.15 million)
Weekend audiences preferred to revisit Las Vegas and a fantastical South America over a remade ride on the subway. After last weekend's tight race and box-office recount, the boys of "The Hangover" kept the party going, and stayed high above the rest with $33.4 million. The R-rated comedy is the first film of summer 2009 to stay at #1 for two weeks straight, and exceeded Warner Bros.' wildest expectations by earning $105 million in just 10 days. Who says no one leaves Las Vegas a winner?
Sony's "The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3" was neither a winner nor a loser, enjoying a respectable debut at #3 with $25 million. A remake of the 1974 thriller, it received middling reviews, and the combined star power of Denzel Washington and John Travolta wasn't enough to put it at #1. Nevertheless, it attracted an older demographic often left out of summer popcorn flicks, and it's one of the biggest openings director Tony Scott has enjoyed since "Beverly Hills Cop II" in 1987.
Eddie Murphy's latest effort, "Imagine That," was definitely a loser. Paramount's cuddly offering was a flop, opening at #6 with only $5.7 million, far below the studio's expectations. "Given the fact that Eddie Murphy's been a big part of many of Paramount's biggest hits over the years, we're disappointed that more people didn't turn out for the opening," Paramount exec VP distribution Don Harris told The Hollywood Reporter.
Audiences preferred other family-friendly offerings over "Imagine," even "Land of the Lost," which managed to knock "Star Trek" off the top five with $9.15 million. But while the Will Ferrell comedy had a relatively slight drop of 51 percent, it's managed to make only $35 million in two weeks and is unlikely to join the $100 million club. Meanwhile, "Up" has secured its membership and is headed into $200 million territory after making another $30.5 million, bringing its cumulative total to $187 million. It's currently clocking well ahead of last year's "WALL-E," which had made $163 million by its third week.
Two limited releases also did well: Duncan Jones' buzzed-about sci-fi thriller "Moon" opened in eight New York and Los Angeles locations to make $145,218, which is good news for its expansion in the next few weeks. Francis Ford Coppola's "Tetro" also performed well with $15,243, a tidy sum considering it was playing at only two theaters.
But despite solid numbers for films big and small, the $150 million weekend is clocking at 17 percent less than last year, though 2009 has been up overall. Audiences may be burned out on blockbusters early this year, which would make for a cold, unhappy summer in Hollywood.
Upcoming Releases
Disney goes wide with "The Proposal," starring Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds, while Sony goes back to "Year One" with Jack Black and Michael Cera.
Check out everything we've got on "The Hangover" and "The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3."
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