Top 10 for January 12-14, 2007 Summary: Sunday estimates are in.
Stepping into the top spot this Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday weekend was the college step dance drama Stomp the Yard, which surged past expectations in knocking off three-week blockbuster champ Night at the Museum. Most of the holdovers this weekend saw minimal declines, lead by Paramount/DreamWorks' hit drama Dreamgirls. Among other debuts, Universal's Alpha Dogs and Buena Vista's Primeval both had disappointing openings in seventh and eighth place respectively.
ScreenGems' low budget college dance drama Stomp the Yard debuted much higher than industry expectations in landing the No. 1 spot this weekend, opening with an estimated $22 million for the Friday-Sunday portion of the four-day holiday weekend. Budgeted at a meager $14 million, the PG-13 pic averaged an incredible $10,726 in 2,051 theaters. The debut was much stronger than similar releases like 2002's Drumline, which opened with $12 million on 1,837 theaters, and 2004's You Got Served, which debuted with $16.1 million in 1,943 theaters. Look for Stomp the Yard to have a strong Monday, and finish with at least $50 million domestically.
Fox's vfx-laden smash hit Night at the Museum raked in another powerful $17.1 million in its fourth week of release, pushing its cume to a staggering $185.7 million. On pace to break $200 million by next weekend, the film surpassed There's Something About Mary to become Ben Stiller's third highest grossing film of all-time, behind only 2004's Meet the Fockers with $279.2 million, and 2005's animated hit Madagascar with $193.6 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $260 million.
Falling just 29% to an estimated $9.1 million in third was Will Smith's The Pursuit of Happyness, which continues to show strong legs bringing in an impressive $136.5 million in just five weeks. Budgeted at a modest $55 million, the Sony release should surpass $150 million by the end of its domestic run.
Paramount-DreamWorks' acclaimed musical drama Dreamgirls slipped just 6.2% to an estimated $8.1 million (thanks to the addition of 1,055 theaters to its release slate), pushing its five week cume to $64.9 million. With awards season in full swing, look for the Jamie Foxx-Beyonce Knowles starrer to climb past $100 million by the time the Oscars roll around.
Rounding out the top five was Paramount's well-reviewed Freedom Writers, which slipped 24% (despite adding 819 theaters) to an estimated $7.1 million. Budgeted at $21 million, the Hilary Swank starrer has grossed $18.4 million in ten days of release.
Universal's critically-acclaimed science fiction thriller Children of Men fell 37% to an estimated $6.4 million, and seems to be having trouble finding much traction in the marketplace. In three weeks the $76 million budgeted Alfonse Cuaron film has grossed $21.4 million, and might have to hope for an Oscar nod boost to help it break even domestically. Internationally, Children has also grossed $32.5 million.
Two debuts finished seventh and eighth as Universal's Alpha Dogs took in $6.1 million in 1,288 theaters, while Buena Vista's Primeval finished with an even worse $5.98 million in 2,444 theaters. MGM's animated fantasy pic Arthur and the Invisibles grossed just $4.3 million in its first weekend of wide release, averaging a pathetic $1,913 in 2,247 theaters.
Sony Classics' Chinese kung-fu epic Curse of the Golden Flower grossed just $2 million in its first weekend of wide release, averaging a disappointing $1,624 in 1,234 theaters. To date, the Zhang Yimou film has grossed just $4.4 million.
Despite strong weekends from Stomp the Yard and Night at the Museum, the top ten films grossed an estimated $90.2 million over the three day weekend, down 3% from last year's comparable frame when Glory Road debuted on top with $13.6 million. It was down an even more dramatic 20% from 2005 when Coach Carter opened with $24.2 million.
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