The Game Plan topped the North American box office this weekend with an estimated US$16.3 million.
Andy Fickman's PG comedy starring Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson prolonged its reign at the top of the chart for a second consecutive week, reaching a total gross of $42.8 million. Released by Walt Disney Pictures, the movie follows am egocentric star quarterback who finds out he has a 7-year-old daughter from a previous marriage.
New entry The Heartbreak Kid ranked in second this week, earning $14 million in ticket sales from 3,229 sites. The Peter and Bobby Farrelly-directed comedy stars Ben Stiller as a newlywed who falls for another woman during his own honeymoon. Despite predictions by "experts," the movie failed to grab the No. 1 spot, possibly because of its R-rating coupled with widespread negative reviews.
Down one spot from No. 2 to No. 3, Peter Berg's war thriller The Kingdom collected $9.3 million from 2,802 markets. Starring Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Garner, and Chris Cooper, the movie lifted its cumulative gross to $31.4 million after two weeks of release.
Meanwhile, Russell Mulcahy's Resident Evil: Extinction delivered yet another strong performance at No. 4, taking home $4.3 million. The third installment in the series based on the popular Capcom videogame reached a total haul of $43.5 million, and is only $7 million short of its predecessor's total gross.
New entry The Seeker: The Dark Is Rising landed at the No. 5 spot, pulling in $3.7 million. Directed by David L. Cunningham and based on the novel by Susan Cooper, The Seeker follows the adventures of a teenager whose life is turned upside down after he discovers that he is the last chosen warrior to fight the forces of darkness.
This upcoming weekend, four major releases will compete for the No. 1 spot at the US/Canada box office.
Director Shekhar Kapur, whose Elizabeth was a 1998 best picture Oscar nominee, returns with a sequel, Elizabeth: The Golden Age, exploring the relationship between Queen Elizabeth I and the adventurer Sir Walter Raleigh. Cate Blanchett is back as The Queen, being supported by Clive Owen and Geoffrey Rush.
Mark Wahlberg and Joaquin Phoenix will face each other in James Gray's crime drama We Own the Night, about two brothers who get tangled up in some serious danger when the Russian mob vows to kill their father, who happens to be the chief of police. We Own the Night marks Wahlberg's second collaboration with Gray, following The Yards.
Also set to open is The Final Season, a sports drama about a determined coach who struggles to lead the Norway High School baseball team to victory. Opening at 1,000 locations, the movie stars Sean Astin and is helmed by David M. Evans, director of The Sandlot.
Tyler Perry also returns to the big screen with Why Did I Get Married?, a comedy about eight married college buddies who encounter a series of unexpected and tempting surprises when they reunite for their annual get-together in the Colorado mountains.
Source: Box Office Mojo (www.boxofficemojo.com)
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