New at BOP: Review: Matrix Resurrections Movie Review: Moonfall Movie Reviews: Scream The #1 Movie in America November Forecast The Many Saints of Newark October Forecast New Trivia Question All site updates Share & Save   Tweet Print this column

Finishing third is Slumdog Millionaire, the film the Academy thought was the Best Picture of the year, a sentiment I am still trying to deal with (am I the only one that saw The Dark Knight or Iron Man or Milk or The Wrestler or Ghost Town?). Fox Searchlight ratcheted up the venue count to 2,943 screens this weekend to celebrate its win, and Slumdog benefited, earning $12.2 million, its biggest take so far. The Danny Boyle flick was up 45% compared to last weekend. Last year, No Country For Old Men increased its weekend gross by 71%; however, it moved from $2.4 million to $4.1 million. Really, this is an apples and oranges type of situation. Slumdog crossed the $100 million mark this Tuesday, and now has a total of $115.1 million domestic, and $75 million in international sales - all against a budget of only $14 million.

After Taken fell 41% last weekend, one might have thought the incredible run for the Liam Neeson actioner was over, but guess who's back? Taken fell a very small 14% and earned a bigger-than-expected $9.9 million. Taken, like Paul Blart: Mall Cop, has been one of the big box office head scratchers in 2009, as its box office performance has been simply astounding, showing great legs for a genre that doesn't often (ever?) perform like this. Taken has had weekend drops now of 17%, 8%, 41% and now 14%. The Liam Neeson flick crossed the $100 million mark on Friday, has a domestic cume of $107.9 million, and has earned another $70 million overseas. Unexpected hit just doesn't cover it.

He's Just Not That Into You slips one spot to fifth this weekend as the romantic comedy recovers somewhat from its 56% plunge last weekend. The Drew Barrymore flick pulled in another $5.9 million this weekend, and drops 31%. The star-studded chick flick is going to come close to finishing with $100 million, but will come up about $10 million short. It has a cume so far of $78.5 million.

Sixth goes to Paul Blart: Mall Cop, the comedy that just won't die. The Kevin James comedy had another good hold, despite being in release now for seven weekends. Paul Blart earned $5.6 million, and was off only 18% compared to the previous frame. Obviously, audiences are enjoying a good-natured laugh, and Sony is cashing in, to the tune of $128.1 million (so far).

The biggest surprise this weekend may be the drop of Coraline, as the Focus Features release drops from a powerful second place finish last weekend to a seventh place finish this weekend. Coraline earned only $5.2 million after pulling in $11.4 million in the previous frame, giving the animated flick a drop of 54%. What happened? Those damn Jonas boys happened, that's what. Because the Jonas Brothers concert movie was filmed in 3-D, and was supposed to be akin to the second coming of the box office Christ, theatres moved Coraline out of the 3-D venues, and dumped it into 2-D. Along with that, the Jonas Brothers also stole Coraline's audience, leaving it with the big drop. Still, the animated marvel has a total so far of $61 million, against a budget of $35 million.

Continued:       1       2       3