I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry topped the North American box office this weekend with an estimated US$34.8 million.
The (sort of) marital comedy directed by Dennis Dugan and starring Kevin James and Adam Sandler opened at 3,495 locations on Friday, and managed to outperform Dugan's previous film The Benchwarmers, which opened with $19.7 million.
Last week's winner Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix slipped to the No. 2 spot, earning $32.2 million in ticket sales and reaching a total haul of $207.5 million after only two weeks in release. Directed by David Yates, the fifth installment of the popular series based on J.K. Rowling's novels is $80 million away from outgrossing its predecessor, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.
Meanwhile, new entry Hairspray opened at No. 3, taking home $27.8 million from 3,121 sites. The adaptation of the Broadway musical and the John Waters 1980s cult classic was directed by Adam Shankman, and — unlike I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry — received substantial critical praise throughout the nation.
Down from No. 2 to No. 3, Michael Bay's science-fiction spectacle Transformers scored $20.5 million this weekend, lifting its cumulative gross to $263 million after three weeks in theaters.
Ratatouille, the latest Pixar adventure directed by Brad Bird, dropped to the No. 5 spot, earning $11 million from 3,402 sites and reaching a total gross of $165.6 million.
This upcoming week, five major releases will compete for the No. 1 spot at the box office.
On Friday, millions of fans will rejoice when The Simpsons Movie hits theaters worldwide. The film, which was directed by David Silverman, follows the Simpsons family as they struggle to save Springfield from being destroyed forever.
Also opening is No Reservations, a romantic comedy starring Aaron Eckhart and Catherine Zeta-Jones. The movie was directed by Scott Hicks, and is based on the excellent German film Bella Martha.
Other releases include I Know Who Killed Me, a psychological thriller starring Lindsay Lohan; Skinwalkers, a horror-thriller directed by James Isaac; and Who's Your Caddy?, a comedy starring Big Boi from the hip-hop band Outkast.
Source: Box Office Mojo (www.boxofficemojo.com)
HARRY POTTER Casts a Spell Over the Box Office
TRANSFORMERS Battles Its Way to the Top of the Box Office
Gay Kiss Clips: Q&A with Montage Creator Robert Eldredge
Miklós Rózsa Centennial Salute
omg what an awful awful movie!!
Sanderl was terrible in it and so was everybody else , too!
A MESS!!