Max Payne topped the North American box office this weekend with US$18 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday.
Directed by John Moore, the film version of the popular video game easily dominated its competition by gaining an early lead Friday. Starring Mark Wahlberg, Max Payne follows a grieving detective who has made it his mission to avenge those responsible for his family's murder.
Still going strong at No. 2 was last week's box-office champion Beverly Hills Chihuahua, which collected $11.2 million to bring its domestic total to $69 million after three weeks in theaters. Walt Disney's adventure tale directed by Raja Gosnell centers on a spoiled dog that ends up astray in the middle of Mexico.
Debuting in third place with $11 million was Gina Prince-Bythewood's adaptation of The Secret Life of Bees, the story of a young white girl who finds hope and love inside the house of an African-American family of beekeepers. Dakota Fanning, Queen Latifah, Jennifer Hudson and Alicia Keys star.
Meanwhile, Oliver Stone's W. opened at No. 4, taking home $10.5 million. Starring Josh Brolin, the biopic chronicles the life and career of the current president of the United States, focusing on what motivated the man to enter the race for the White House.
Following in fifth place was D. J. Caruso's action hit Eagle Eye, which picked up another $7.3 million and reached a cumulative gross of $81.3 million after four weeks in release. At No. 6, Ridley Scott's thriller Body of Lies, starring Leonardo DiCaprio (above) and Russell Crowe, lifted its total haul to $24.4 million after this weekend's earnings of $6.8 million.
Screen Gems' horror remake Quarantine dropped to seventh place, earning $6.3 million and reaching a domestic gross of $24.6 million after a two-week run. Starring Jennifer Carpenter, the flick follows a group of people struggling to escape from a quarantined downtown building filled with murderously rabid tenants.
Down three spots to No. 8 was Peter Sollett's Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, which finished this weekend's run with earnings of $3.9 million. The film's cumulative gross stands at $26.7 million.
Two films rounded out the top 10: Sean Anders' comedy Sex Drive, starring Josh Zuckerman, debuted in ninth place with $3.5 million, while Nights in Rodanthe, starring Richard Gere and Diane Lane, pulled in $2.6 million at No. 10.
Source: Box Office Mojo (www.boxofficemojo.com)
Well, Max Payne is well-chosen for that movie, but I was even more surprise by the fact that Gina Prince-Bythewood’s adaptation of The Secret Life of Bees comes to third. She's great!
Mila is so damn sexy.
i suspect the storyline for Max Payne is a lot more exciting when it's happening in the form of a video game. except for those few exciting parts that i already saw in the preview, it was a snoozefest; better luck next time, Mark