Weekend Box Office: Big Robots, Big Explosions, Big Money

Despite a long running time, Transformers still squeezed in enough showings to make buckets of money. 

The question this week is not who, but how much. So the numbers.

1. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen $112,000,000
2. Proposal, The $18,466,000
3. Hangover, The $17,215,000
4. Up $13,046,000
5. My Sister’s Keeper $12,030,000

The $112 million is just for the traditional three day weekend; in the five days since its Wednesday opening, “Transformers: ROTF” has earned $201.1 million. That puts the sequel into second place for the best five day opening, trailing “The Dark Knight,” which took in $203.8 million last year. If you throw in the international box office, “Transformers 2″ made $387.3 million (all numbers courtesy of Variety).

The only other national release this weekend was “My Sister’s Keeper,” the weepie counterprogrammer. That landed in fifth, though, outdone by comedies like “The Proposal” and “The Hangover.” It’s summer. People want to see things blow up, car chases, or laugh. Kids with cancer…um, not light fare.

The other main piece of box office interest is that “Up” passed “Star Trek” for the year’s top grossing movie. Animated old men. Another summer box office staple.