March 24 - 26, 2006
THTRS = Number of Screens
* Denotes new release.
Click on title to read CB Review
| 1. | Inside Man * |
| $28,969,000 - Total: $28,969,000 | |
| LW: N WR: 1 THTRS: 2818 |
| 2. | V for Vendetta |
| $12,326,000 - Total: $46,194,000 | |
| LW: 1 WR: 2 THTRS: 3365 |
| 3. | Stay Alive * |
| $11,208,000 - Total: $11,208,000 | |
| LW: N WR: 1 THTRS: 2009 |
| 4. | Failure to Launch |
| $10,800,000 - Total: $63,861,000 | |
| LW: 2 WR: 3 THTRS: 3202 |
| 5. | The Shaggy Dog |
| $9,137,000 - Total: $47,925,000 | |
| LW: 3 WR: 3 THTRS: 3421 |
| 6. | She's the Man |
| $7,429,000 - Total: $20,476,000 | |
| LW: 4 WR: 2 THTRS: 2631 |
| 7. | Larry the Cable Guy:Health Inspector * |
| $7,050,000 - Total: $7,050,000 | |
| LW: N WR: 1 THTRS: 1710 |
| 8. | The Hills Have Eyes |
| $4,250,000 - Total: $35,580,000 | |
| LW: 5 WR: 3 THTRS: 2461 |
| 9. | Eight Below |
| $2,737,000 - Total: $77,156,000 | |
| LW: 7 WR: 6 THTRS: 2101 |
| 10. | 16 Blocks |
| $2,215,000 - Total: $34,059,000 | |
| LW: 6 WR: 4 THTRS: 2066 |
When it comes to men in masks it would seem Americans prefers bank robbers to political anarchists. V for Vendetta, which looked to be one of the year's first big hits, only mustered $25.6 million. Coming in with a slightly more humble marketing approach but far more star power, Inside Man took nearly $29 million to the bank.
Not only did Inside Man take the number one spot, it did so with a vengeance of it's own, raking in more than double what Vendetta scored. The Wachowski film couldn't live up to Matrix legend and dropped the usual 50%, coming in second with $12 million.
Horror/thriller Stay Alive took the third place spot with $11 million, a poor showing by genre standards for the year. When A Stranger Calls opened with $21 million and Hostel took in $19 million its first weekend. Perhaps it's the video game premise or it could just be the long shadows cast by V and Inside Man, but horror was definitely out this week.
Speaking of horror, Larry the Cable Guy opened with a paltry $7 million, which frankly is about $5 million more than I would have hoped for. Still, the low amount will hopefully be enough to turn studio execs off to the idea of any further cinematic adventures of Larry, or any other redneck comedians for that matter.
Next week Ice Age 2 arrives and is bound to melt the year's Box Office curse a bit. Its predecessor took in nearly $50 million and hopefully the second can match it. Unfortunately its not the only sequel coming out. Sharon Stone's deluded idea that American still wants to see her naked will materialize in the form of Basic Instinct 2. If it even makes the top ten I may be forced to go into mourning. Sci-fi horror Slither and the drama ATL will open as well in medium release.
