A 'Hangover' that just won't quit (HWD)
By Paul Dergarabedian
One outrageous bender deserved another this weekend as Warner Bros.' "The Hangover" became the first movie of the Summer of 2009 to grab first place for two consecutive weekends.
"The Hangover" imbibed another $33.4 million in alcohol-crazed excess as audiences couldn't get enough of this R-rated comedy romp.
With huge midweek daily figures in the $6 million range, it's no wonder the film crossed the $100 million mark in just 10 days of release. Not only that, but its second weekend drop of 26% is amazingly low and reflects the great word-of-mouth and repeat business the film is receiving. This is literally the first sleeper hit of the summer and with a budget in the $35 million range, one of the most profitable films of the summer as well.
In second place is the audience favorite "Up," which continues the Disney/Pixar tradition of engendering praise from critics and love from the audiences -- and box office power.
With $30.5 million in its third weekend and a mere 31% drop, the film is closing in on the $200 million mark in domestic helium-fueled dollars.
As the top two movies illustrate, the term 'star power' remains challenged and redefined this summer as example after example of non-star driven films propel box office. How amazing is this idea: 'Ed Asner, box-office star'? Enough said.
Debuting with $25 million is Sony's excellent remake of the 1974 classic, "The Taking of Pelham 123" which stars Denzel Washington and John Travolta. This is the best-ever opening for a Denzel Washington/Tony Scott collaboration, besting "Crimson Tide" ($18.6 million) "Man on Fire" ($22.7 million) and "Deja Vu" ($20.5 million). Obviously a great pairing, the two have created some indelible images and characters over the years.
At No. 4 is Ben Stiller in Fox's "Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian" with $9.6 million in its fourth weekend of release and a cumulative gross approaching $145 million. A 34% drop shows the impressive staying power of this PG-rated family-friendly juggernaut.
Rounding out this week's Top 5 is Universal's "Land of the Lost" which grabbed $9.1 million in its second weekend against a 51% drop and a domestic total of $35 million for the Will Ferrell PG-13 rated comedy.
It was a good weekend for a "Hangover," but another down weekend for the industry as this became the third consecutive frame with revenues down from the same period a year ago.
Nonetheless we are enjoying an 11% revenue advantage year-to-date over 2008 when the box-office was down about a quarter percent vs. 2007.
So it's really the best of times and the worst of times at the nation's theaters as we continue the summer movie season of 2009.
