A '21' winning streak at the box office
published:
Monday | April 7, 2008
LOS ANGELES:
The gambling tale 21 kept up its winning streak as it took in US$15.1 million to stay on top of the box office for a second-straight weekend, leaving George Clooney's Leatherheads and the family tale Nim's Island to scrimmage for second place.
Leatherheads, a 1920s football comedy directed by Clooney, who co-stars with Renee Zellweger and John Krasinski, had a soft opening of US$13.5 million, below distributor Universal's expectations.
The 20th Century Fox Nim's Island was right behind with US$13.3 million. The family adventure centres on a bold girl (Abigail Breslin) alone on an island and her email pen pal (Jodie Foster), an obsessive-compulsive, shut-in author.
Close rankings
Leatherheads and Nim's Island were so close that their rankings could switch after final weekend numbers are released today.
Leatherheads is Clooney's third directing effort, a commercial turn after his acclaimed Edward R. Murrow drama Good Night, and Good Luck and the Chuck Barris fantasy thriller Confessions of a Dangerous Mind.
Yet, Leatherheads earned mixed reviews and mainly drew theatregoers in their 30s and 40s, failing to connect with younger crowds that are the box office's mainstay, according to Universal.
"I'm disappointed for us, I'm disappointed for George. I think he's a great guy and think he's got tons of directing talent," said Nikki Rocco, head of distribution for Universal. "I wish I could have that crystal ball and tell you what went wrong."
He said some parents who might otherwise have gone to see Leatherheads may have been tied up taking children to see Nim's Island or the family hit Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who!
20th Century Fox, which had been tracking Nim's Island slightly ahead of Leatherheads, was pleased with the results of its film, said distribution executive Chris Aronson.
"This movie was targeted for families, and we hit the families," Aronson said of Nim's Island.
Sony's 21, featuring Kevin Spacey, Kate Bosworth and Jim Sturgess in a Vegas blackjack romp, raised its 10-day total to US$46.5 million.
Overall, however, it was another dreary weekend for Hollywood, where business has lagged nearly every weekend since January. The top 12 movies took in $80.9 million, down 27 per cent from the same weekend last year.
Revenues are at US$2.24 billion so far this year, off 1.8 per cent from 2007, according to box-office tracker Media By Numbers. Factoring in higher ticket prices, movie attendance is running 5 per cent behind last year's.
This weekend's other new wide release Paramount's horror story The Ruins, about tourists who discover an ancient evil during a jungle trip, debuted at No. 5 with US$7.8 million.
In narrower release, Martin Scorsese's Rolling Stones concert film Shine a Light, distributed by Paramount Vantage, did fair business with $1.5 million.
Wong Kar Wai's romantic drama My Blueberry Nights, starring singer Norah Jones and Jude Law, Rachel Weisz, Natalie Portman and David Strathairn, took in a solid US$73,742 opening in six theatres.
Box office top 10
1. 21, US$15.1 million.
2. Leatherheads,
US$13.5 million.
3. Nim's Island,US$13.3 million.
4. Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who!, US$9.1 million.
5. The Ruins, US$7.8 million.
6. Superhero Movie,US$5.4 million.
7. Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns, US$3.51 million.
