Box Office: Treasure still tops

NATIONAL TREASURE remained tops at the U.S. box office over the three-day period from Friday, December 27 through Sunday, December 29, and the top four slots remained in the hands of hold-over titles, allowing little room for new films to find a niche in the marketplace.

ALIENS VS PREDATOR: REQUIEM, in 2,611 theatres, had to settle for sixth place, with $10.05-million worth of tickets sold during its first weekend of release. Combined with its Christmas Day debut, the film’s total stands at $26.88-million.

THE WATER HORSE: LEGEND OF THE DEEP swam into seventh place with $9.2-million, earned in 2,772 theatres. The film also debuted on Christmas Day; the Tuesday to Sunday total is $16.82-million.

As for hold-over fantasy, sci-fi, and horror films…

ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS showed impressive staying power, rising from third to second place in its third weekend of release. Earning $30-million, the animated film lifted its total to $142.38-million.

I AM LEGEND, also in its third week, showed ever so slight signs of decay, slipping from second to third place – the first time it has fallen behind the CHIPMUNKS movie. Not to worry, however, LEGEND added another $27.5-million to its hefty three-week gross of $194.58-million.

SWEENEY TODD slipped from #5 to #9, where it sliced its way through $8-million worth of tickets. After two weekends in theatres, the total is $26.72-million.

ENCHANTED materialized in 10th place, down three notches fom the previous weekend. The film added $6.5-million to its $110.65-million total.

THE GOLDEN COMPASS dropped out of the Top Ten, sliding from #9 to #12. With a $4.36-million weekend, the U.S. toal is now a disappointing. $58.87-million.

Read the complete Top Ten here.

About the Author

Steve Biodrowski

Cinefantastique's Los Angeles Correspondent from 1987 to 1993 and West Coast Editor from 1993 to 1999. Currently the webmaster of Cinefantastique Online, I also run a website called Hollywood Gothique that covers Halloween Horror and Sci-Fi Cinema Events in the Los Angeles area.

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