George Clooney's sports comedy Leatherheads failed to kick Robert Luketic's gambling drama 21 off the throne at the North American box office this weekend.
Universal's screwball comedy, which stars Clooney as a football coach struggling to save his team from financial ruin, debuted in second place with a weekend gross of US$13.4 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.
Meanwhile, Sony's crime drama 21 claimed the top spot for a second straight week with a three-day total of $15.1 million. Starring Jim Sturgess as a talented MIT student who spends his weekend cashing in at Vegas' hottest casinos, 21 lifted its domestic total to $46.5 million after a strong two-week run.
New entry Nim's Island opened at No. 3, earning $13.3 million from ticket sales at 3,513 locations. Based on a novel by Wendy Orr, and directed by Mark Levin and Jennifer Flackett, the adventure film follows a girl (Abigail Breslin of Little Miss Sunshine) living on a remote island with her scientist father (Gerard Butler of 300).
At No. 4, 20th Century-Fox's Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who! collected $9.1 million, reaching a cumulative gross of $131.6 million after only four weeks in release. Directed by Jimmy Hayward and Steve Martino, the computer-animated film features the voice of Jim Carrey as that of an eccentric elephant protecting a microscopic community from the brink of disaster.
Paramount's The Ruins, this weekend's third wide release, debuted in fifth place with $7.8 million. The Carter Smith-directed horror thriller focuses on four American friends who fall victim to an evil force at an archaeological site in Mexico.
Superhero Movie slipped to No. 6, taking home $5.4 million at 2,965 sites. Craig Mazin's slapstick comedy, which takes great pleasure in spoofing action blockbusters such as Batman Begins and Spider-Man, reached a domestic total of $16.8 million after a weak two-week run.
Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns tumbled to No. 7, pulling $3.5 million and lifting its total haul to 37.7 million. Lionsgate's family drama stars Angela Bassett as a single parent whose life takes a drastic turn after she inherits a house from a father she's never met.
At No. 8, Paramount's comedy Drillbit Taylor, starring Owen Wilson, brought in $3.4 million, while Fox's horror remake Shutter took home $2.8 million in ninth place.
Rounding out the top 10 was Roland Emmerich's pre-historical adventure 10,000 B.C., which earned $2.7 million, bringing its cumulative take to $89.3 million after five weeks in release.
Also opening this weekend was Martin Scorsese's documentary Shine a Light, which earned $1.5 million from ticket sales at only 276 theaters. Distributed by Paramount Classic, the film focuses on the Rolling Stones' 2006 concert at the Beacon Theatre in New York.
Source: Box Office Mojo (boxofficemojo.com)