"March 20-22, 2009 Movie Box Office"
"Knowing" #1
at www.wildaboutmovies.com
Who'd have ever thought that Nicolas Cage would overtake Hollywood princess Julia Roberts as movie box office champ?
Summit Entertainment's president - and Wild About Movies friend - Rob Friedman can breathe a sigh of relief. His studio released the Nicolas Cage film "Knowing" and it is their only movie in history - other than "Twilight" - to debut at #1 at the movie box office.
Its first weekend in movie theaters, "Knowing" walked off with the top spot at the movie box office - and $25 million - beating even the studio's highest expectations. The fact that "Knowing" was released in more theaters than any other movie this weekend - over 3300 - didn't hurt its movie box office take.
Julia Roberts on the other hand, an Oscar nominee for "Pretty Woman," and at one time someone who could draw in the girls, women and gays with movies like "Runaway Bride," "Notting Hill" and "Erin Brokovich," - for which she won the Best Actress Oscar - is now officially a fallen star; an A list actor who cannot 'open' a movie.
Not since "Erin Brokovich" - a decade ago - has any Julia Roberts movie grossed $100 million at the movie box office, (not including either "Ocean's 11 and "Ocean's 12," in which she appeared in glorified cameos).
This week's "Duplicity," starring Julia Roberts, ended up #3 at the movie box office with a less than spectacular $14 million, behind current movie box office superstar Paul Rudd in the Paramount Picture "I Love You, Man," which came in at #2 with $18 million.
Nearly a dozen new movies were released in a handful of movie theaters Friday, including: "Skills Like This," "Sin Nombre," "Super Capers," "Spinning Into Butter" and the very long delayed "The Great Buck Howard." Also, the Valentino biography, "The Last Emperor."
Below, the Top 25 Movies at the Box Office March 20-22, 2009
1 Knowing - 3,332 Theaters - $7,447 Per Screen - NEW $24,814,000
2 I Love You, Man - 2,711 Theaters - $6,641 Per Screen - NEW $18,005,000
3 Duplicity - 2,574 Theaters - $5,595 Per Screen - NEW $14,402,000
4 Race to Witch Mountain - $13,004,000 - 3,187 Theaters - $4,080 Per Screen - Gross $44,715,000
5 Watchmen - $6,725,000 - 3,510 Theaters - $1,916 Per Screen - Gross $98,065,000
6 The Last House on the Left - $5,921,000 - 2,402 Theaters - $2,465 Per Screen - Gross $24,047,000
7 Taken - $4,100,000 - 2,661 Theaters - $1,541 Per Screen - Gross $133,139,000
8 Slumdog Millionaire - $2,700,000 - 2,067 Theaters - $1,306 Per Screen - Gross $137,202,000
9 Tyler Perry's Madea Goes to Jail - $2,510,000 - 1,835 Theaters - $1,368 Per Screen - Gross $87,208,000
10 Coraline - $2,143,000 - 1,431 Theaters - $1,498 Per Screen - Gross $72,803,000
11 Mall Cop - $1,875,000 - 1,762 Theaters - $1,064 Per Screen - Gross $141,084,000
12 He's Just Not That Into You - $1,270,000 - 1,302 Theaters - $975 Per Screen - Gross $91,564,000
Movie Showtimes
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WEEK-TO-WEEK "2009 Movie Box Office" BREAKDOWN
"2008 Movie Box Office"
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