Tough street Chihuahas claw their way to the top of the box office.
In a weekend jam-packed with new releases, Beverly Hills Chihuaha broke out of the pack to take first place at the box office. The talking dog tale (tail?) earned $29 million from 3215 locations.
Last week’s number one, Eagle Eye, came in a solid second with $17.7 million. We can’t stop Shia LeBeouf, we can only hope to contain him. Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist, another of the week’s new film, came in third on the list with $12 million. Variety says this is a bit of a disappointment, but the producers shouldn’t worry too much. This movie will no doubt enjoy a long life on DVD, watched by teenagers who believe in it way too much. Its soundtrack will be played endlessly by hipper-than-thou, undoubtedly misunderstood adolescents who are sure that it speaks to them in a unique way. Before there was Nick and Norah’s, there was Garden State, and before that The Breakfast Club, and so on and so on. Each generation has its own little movie. It’s the film circle of life.
Romantic cure for insomnia Nights in Rodanthe came in fourth with $7.3 million, and Appaloosa, the Viggo Mortensen-Ed Harris western came in fifth with $5 million from 1,045 screens. The horse opera played a limited engagement for two weeks and is now opening nationwide. I’m betting on it having a nice, steady, long run.
It’s Oscar season, so we have awards-bait films opening small. Rachel Getting Married, the critical darling starring Anne Hathaway and directed by Jonathan Demme, did nicely with $302,934 for a $33,659 per location average from nine theaters. Bill Maher’s faith-questioning doc Religulous opened on 502 screens, earning $3.5 million for a $6,972 per location average. And in a shocking upset, no one was struck by lightning and killed for seeing it.
As for the other new movies opening this weekend, well, things were pretty bleak. Flash of Genius took in $2.3 million at 1,098 theaters for a weak $2,120 per screen average. Blindness made $1.2 million from 1,690 locations for a $1,185 per screen average.
And who in Hollywood do you NOT want to be tomorrow morning? Anyone who had anything to do with How to Lose Friends and Alienate People, which earned $1.4 million from 1,750 theaters for a mortifying $801 per screen average. Ouch.
