August 25 - 27, 2006
THTRS = Number of Screens
* Denotes new release.
Click on title to read CB Review
| 1. | Invincible * |
| $17,029,000 - Total: $17,029,000 | |
| LW: N WR: 1 THTRS: 2917 |
| 2. | Talladega Nights: TheBallad of Ricky Bobby |
| $8,000,000 - Total: $127,684,000 | |
| LW: 2 WR: 4 THTRS: 3370 |
| 3. | Little Miss Sunshine |
| $7,500,000 - Total: $23,024,000 | |
| LW: 7 WR: 5 THTRS: 1430 |
| 4. | Beerfest * |
| $6,500,000 - Total: $6,500,000 | |
| LW: N WR: 1 THTRS: 2964 |
| 5. | Accepted |
| $6,476,000 - Total: $21,118,000 | |
| LW: 5 WR: 2 THTRS: 2917 |
| 6. | World Trade Center |
| $6,393,000 - Total: $55,557,000 | |
| LW: 3 WR: 3 THTRS: 3021 |
| 7. | Step Up |
| $6,187,000 - Total: $50,419,000 | |
| LW: 4 WR: 3 THTRS: 2647 |
| 8. | Idlewild * |
| $5,892,000 - Total: $5,892,000 | |
| LW: N WR: 1 THTRS: 973 |
| 9. | Snakes on a Plane |
| $5,860,000 - Total: $26,012,000 | |
| LW: 1 WR: 2 THTRS: 3555 |
| 10. | Barnyard: The OriginalParty Animals |
| $5,433,000 - Total: $54,710,000 | |
| LW: 6 WR: 4 THTRS: 3003 |
Feel-good sports drama Invincible absolutely owned the box office this weekend, doing better than twice what the number two film, Talladega Nights could muster (which is pretty darn good for a movie in its fourth week). But that wasn't the big surprise this weekend.
Snakes On A Plane, which barely managed the number one spot last weekend, plummeted to number nine, a huge drop in the pecking order. It's box office proceeds dropped 57%, which isn't too far below average, but it was the only movie in the top ten to lose more than 50% in sales, hence the rattling tail spin.
Speaking of spin, I don't buy for a second that reports of poisonous snakes being smuggled into one Arizona theater had any real impact on the movie's success. This was the kind of drop I expected. As a movie it's a lot of fun, but anybody who really wanted to see it went last weekend and now it's on its way out like any other movie. Its B-movie badness will leave it to languish financially until a highly successful DVD release redeems it to something of a cult-classic status.
Little Miss Sunshine doubled in release to 1400+ theaters and charged right up to third place on the chart. The highly acclaimed comedy has reached its pinnacle, though. There are no plans to widen the release and this looks to have been its last week as an up-and-comer. That's no sad news, though; the movie already made back nearly triple its $8 million budget.
The other new releases this weekend landed all over the place. Beerfest drunkenly stumbled into the fourth spot while OutKast's semi-musical Idlewild landed at eight (though it's worth noting it ruled the top ten in per theater take with $6055 per screen). Kiddie gross out flick How To Eat Fried Worms got a taste of its own medicine, barely making $4 million, missing the top ten altogether.
After a seven week reign Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest finally slipped off the chart. With over $400 million dollars domestic, nearly $1 billion dollars total around the world, and a handful of box office records under it's belt, Pirates 2 leaves with the knowledge that it is, without a doubt, the top money-making movie of the year.
Next weekend will be a sleeper for sure. Jason Statham's Crank will go up against Nicholas Cage's Wicker Man. Given the buzz (or lack thereof) for both films, they may have a tough time beating out the well received Invincible. Sony will dump sports drama Crossover into the mix with a miserable 1000 theater release. Expect it to foul out pretty quick.
