Jodie Foster (left), and Peter Sarsgaard in a scene from the movie 'Flightplan'. - CONTRIBUTED
LOS ANGELES (AP):
JODIE FOSTER'S Flightplan stayed aloft at the box office, as the airplane thriller took in US$15 million to remain the No. 1 movie over a rush of new wide releases.
The science-fiction tale Serenity, a continuation of writer-director Joss Whedon's cult TV series Firefly, debuted in second place with US$10.1 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.
The overall box office, which had surged since Labour Day, fell back into a slump that has persisted most of the year. The top 12 movies grossed US$75.3 million, down 26 per cent from the same weekend in 2004, when Shark Tale opened with US$47.6 million.
ANIMATED FANTASY IN THIRD PLACE
The animated fantasy Tim Burton's Corpse Bride was No. 3 with US$9.8 million, lifting its total to US$32.9 million after two weekends in wide release.
After a strong opening in limited release the previous weekend, David Cronenberg's A History of Violence expanded and came in fourth with US$8.2 million. The film stars Viggo Mortensen as a family man whose tranquil life is shattered by encounters with mobsters.
Into the Blue, a thriller with Paul Walker and Jessica Alba as divers hunting for treasure in a 150-year-old shipwreck, opened at No. 5 with US$7 million.
The sports flick The Greatest Game Ever Played, which dramatises the 1913 U.S. Open golf showdown between an unknown amateur (Shia LaBeouf) and a veteran British champ (Stephen Dillane), debuted at No. 9 with US$3.75 million.
Roman Polanski's Oliver Twist, his new take on the Charles Dickens classic featuring Ben Kingsley, flopped in its wide-release debut after a solid premiere in a handful of theatres a weekend earlier.
Playing in 779 theatres, Oliver Twist took in just US$875,000 for an US$1,123 average.
Polanski's version received mixed reviews, some critics noting the film faithfully adapted Dickens' story but brought little new to the tale of the orphan boy, which has been filmed in many variations for movies and television.
"It's probably one of those things where people feel they know the story so well, and to try to get them to come see it again, possibly in a new way, is not the easiest task," said Rory Bruer, head of distribution for Sony, which released Oliver Twist.
Opening strongly in limited release was Capote, starring Philip Seymour Hoffman in an acclaimed performance as author Truman Capote during his years researching and writing the true-crime novel In Cold Blood The film grossed US$348,978 in 12 theatres for a US$29,082 average.
Also in limited release, The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio debuted with US$155,000 in 41 theatres, averaging US$3,780. The film stars Julianne Moore as a 1950s housewife who supports her family by winning advertising jingle contests.
Box office listings
1. Flightplan, US$15 million
2. Serenity, US$10.1 million
3. Tim Burton's Corpse Bride, US$9.8 million
4. A History of Violence, US$8.2 million
5. Into the Blue, US$7 million
6. Just Like Heaven, US$6.1 million
7. The Exorcism of Emily Rose, US$4.4 million
8. Roll Bounce, US$4 million
9. The Greatest Game Ever Played, US$3.75 million
10. The 40-Year-Old Virgin, US$3.1 million.
