Walt Disney Pictures' adventure comedy Beverly Hills Chihuahua took an easy lead at the North American box office this weekend with US$29 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday.
Raja Gosnell's film about a spoiled chihuahua ending up astray in Mexico had no problems taking over the No. 1 spot from last week's box-office winner Eagle Eye, which finished in second place.
D.J. Caruso's action thriller starring Shia LaBeouf took home another $17.7 million, reaching a domestic total of $54.6 million after only two weeks in release. Released by DreamWorks, the film follows a slacker and a single mom (Michelle Monaghan) who are framed as terrorists and forced to participate in a political assassination.
Debuting in third place with $12 million was Peter Sollett's Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, which stars Michael Cera and Kat Dennings as two young adults who spend an incredibly chaotic night together in New York City.
The remaining four wide releases this weekend failed to make it to the top of the chart. David Zucker's satire An American Carol finished in ninth place with $3.8 million, followed by Bill Maher's Religulous (above, in only 502 theaters) with $3.5 million at No. 10.
Universal's drama Flash of Genius, about Robert Kearns' battle to receive recognition for the invention of the intermittent windshield wiper, opened at No. 11 with only $2.3 million. Meanwhile, Fernando Meirelles' drama Blindness, starring Julianne Moore (above), ranked twelfth with a weekend gross of $2 million.
Simon Pegg's latest comedy How to Lose Friends & Alienate People suffered the worst opening, scoring only $1.4 million at No. 19. Directed by Robert B. Weide, the film follows a British journalist's journey to New York, where he's offered a job at a respected magazine.
Nights in Rodanthe, starring Richard Gere and Diane Lane, slipped to No. 4 this weekend, picking up $7.3 million and bringing its cumulative gross to $25 million after a solid two-week run. Following in fifth place was Ed Harris' Western Appaloosa, which earned $5 million.
At No. 6, Neil LaBute's thriller Lakeview Terrace pulled in $4.5 million, lifting its total haul to $32.1 million after three weeks in release. Thanks to weekend earnings of $4 million, Joel and Ethan Coen's comedy Burn After Reading, starring George Clooney and Brad Pitt, reached a total of $51.6 million in seventh place.
Last but not least, Alex Kendrick's Christian-themed drama Fireproof took home another $4 million at No. 8, reaching a cumulative gross of $12.4 million after a two-week run.
Source: Box Office Mojo (www.boxofficemojo.com)