Paul Blart: Mall Cop topped the North American box office for the second consecutive weekend with $21.5 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday.
Steve Carr’s comedy starring Kevin James as a mall security guard successfully fought off its competition, lifting its domestic gross to an impressive $64 million after only two weeks in release.
Following closely in second place was new entry Underworld: Rise of the Lycans, which took home $20.7 million but failed to beat the $26.8 million opening weekend gross of its predecessor, Underworld: Evolution.
Things didn’t go so well for Inkheart, this weekend’s second wide release. The Iain Softley-directed adaptation of Cornelia Funke’s novel finished only in seventh place with $7.7 million. In the film, Brendan Fraser plays a man with the ability to bring characters out of books by reading them aloud.
Meanwhile, Clint Eastwood’s drama Gran Torino dropped to No. 3, earning $16 million and reaching a total haul of $97.5 million. Eastwood stars as a racist Korean War veteran who forms an unlikely bond with a Hmong teenager.
At No. 4, Thor Freudenthal’s comedy Hotel for Dogs picked up $12.3 million for a cumulative gross of $36.9 million. Emma Roberts and Jake T. Austin star as two siblings who spend their free time rescuing stray dogs.
Danny Boyle’s acclaimed drama Slumdog Millionaire jumped to No. 5 after expanding to 1,411 locations, picking up another $10.5 million and bringing its total gross to $55.9 million after 11 weeks in release.
Following closely in sixth place was Patrick Lussier’s remake My Bloody Valentine 3-D, which finished with a weekend gross of $10 million and a domestic total of $37.7 million.
Twentieth Century Fox’s comedy Bride Wars slipped to No. 8, with $7 million, lifting its cumulative gross to $48.7 million after a decent three-week run. In the Gary Winick-directed film, Kate Hudson and Anne Hathaway star as two best friends who become the worst enemies after their wedding dates are booked on the same day.
Two films rounded out the top 10: David Fincher’s The Curious Case of Benjamin Button finished ninth with $6 million ($111 million domestic total), while Fox Searchlight’s biopic Notorious took home $5.7 million at No. 10 ($31 million total gross).
Source: Box Office Mojo (www.boxofficemojo.com)