Bee Movie buzzed its way to the top of the North American box office this weekend with an estimated US$26 million.
DreamWorks' computer-animated adventure tale switched spots with last weekend's box-office champion American Gangster, lifting its cumulative gross to $72.2 million after two weeks in release. Directed by Steve Hickner and Simon J. Smith, Bee Movie follows the story of Barry B. Benson, a curious bee who breaks out of his hive to explore the human world.
American Gangster slipped to No. 2, collecting $24.3 million from ticket sales at 3,059 locations. Ridley Scott's crime drama starring Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe reached a total haul of $80.7 million after a solid two-week run. The film is based on an article about Frank Lucas, the most influential drug lord in Harlem during the 1970s.
New entry Fred Claus ranked in third, collecting $19.2 million from 3,603 sites. The David Dobkin-directed comedy starring Vince Vaughn and Paul Giamatti failed to score with both critics and audiences, delivering a relatively weak performance for the opening weekend of a wide release.
Meanwhile, Robert Redford's war drama Lions for Lambs debuted at No. 4, taking home $6.7 million at 2,215 movie houses. The film centers on a U.S. military accident in Afghanistan that triggers a series of events involving a congressman, a journalist, and a college professor. Robert Redford, Tom Cruise, and Meryl Streep star in the new United Artists' first release.
Down from No. 4 to No.5, Peter Hedges' romantic comedy Dan in Real Life pulled $5.9 million at 1,941 theaters, lifting its cumulative gross to $30.7 million after three weeks on release. The story centers on a lonely advice columnist and single father (played by Steve Carell) who falls for his brother's girlfriend. Juliette Binoche co-stars.
In limited release, Joel and Ethan Coen's crime drama No Country for Old Men grossed $1.2 million at 28 theaters, averaging a remarkable $42,929 per screen.
This upcoming weekend, three major releases will compete for the No. 1 spot at the US / Canada box office.
Academy Award winner Robert Zemeckis, the man behind The Polar Express, returns to the big screen with Beowulf, a motion-capture action-adventure tale based on the epic poem about a warrior who goes after an overpowering demon and its ruthless mother. Beowulf is set to open at 2,800 theaters.
Also opening is Zach Helm's Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium, a magical adventure story about the eccentric owner of a toy store in which everything comes to life. Dustin Hoffman, Natalie Portman, and Jason Bateman star.
Mike Newell, the director of Mona Lisa Smile and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, returns to the big screen with Love in the Time of Cholera, a drama based on the novel by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Starring Javier Bardem, Benjamin Bratt, and Giovanna Mezzogiorno, the romantic drama follows a man who waits half a century for his one true love.
Limited releases this week include Richard Kelly's futuristic epic Southland Tales, with an all-star cast that includes Seann William Scott, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Janeane Garofalo, Christopher Lambert, Miranda Richardson, and Dwayne Johnson; Noah Baumbach's dramatic comedy Margot at the Wedding, starring Nicole Kidman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Jack Black; and Brian De Palma's Iraq War drama Redacted, winner of the Silver Lion for best director at this year's Venice Film Festival.
Source: Box Office Mojo (www.boxofficemojo.com)
AMERICAN GANGSTER Swats BEE at the North American Box Office
SAW IV Scares Up US$32.1 Million at the North American Box Office
Vampires Suck the Blood Out of the Competition at the North American Box Office
Tyler Perry Married to the No. 1 Spot at the North American Box Office
Ben Stiller Heartbroken at the North American Box Office
THE GAME PLAN Scores Big at the North American Box Office
RESIDENT EVIL Scares Away Competitors at the North American Box Office
Jodie Foster's Brave Showing at the North American Box Office
HALLOWEEN Scares Off Competitors at the North American Box Office
SUPERBAD Rules Over North American Box Office for Second Consecutive Weekend