With a studio estimated $24.05 million intake over the weekend, "Marley and Me" remained the number one box office draw for the second consecutive weekend. The family comedy starring Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson has eclipsed the $100 million domestic mark in just 11 days in theaters and should continue to be a substantial draw for a few weeks to come without another major family release.
Sneaking in as the tenth biggest draw of the weekend was "Slumdog Millionaire," which continues to do well in its limited release across the country. With a per theater average of $7,794, "Slumdog" had the highest per theater average of any film in the top ten; its $4.77 million weekend intake brought its total to an impressive $28.78 million domestically. As awards season continues to approach, the $15 million production distributed by Fox Searchlight should continue to expand to more and more theaters and will likely be a factor throughout January.
While "Marley and Me" and "Slumdog" continue to reach their targeted demographic, Adam Sandler's family adventure "Bedtime Stories" has also remained a strong draw and will likely close in on $100 million by early next weekend. "Bedtime" hauled in $20.32 million in its second weekend in theaters with a per theater average of $5,515. If "Bedtime" continues on its current pace, it will become Sandler's third straight release to cross $100 million domestically. "You Don't Mess With the Zohan" and "I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry" were the other two.
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" and "Valkyrie" also remained strong over their second weekend in theaters, dipping just 31.5% and 33.2%, respectively, from their week ago totals. With a production budget of $150 million, however, "Benjamin Button" will likely have to do fairly well in foreign markets to end up as a strong box office performer for distributor Buena Vista. On a positive note, with "Benjamin Button" likely to pull down a bevy of Academy Award nominations, the Brad Pitt starring drama should get a boost later this month.
Director Bryan Singer's "Valkyrie," starring Tom Cruise and Tom Wilkinson, has done well with thriller audiences since its release on Christmas Day, pulling in $14.04 million in its second weekend in theaters. The $75 million production distributed by United Artists should continue to do well in the following weeks despite the release of horror film "The Unborn" this upcoming Friday.
Drama "Doubt" also remained a viable box office performer over the weekend, pulling in $5.03 million and landing in the top ten for the second consecutive weekend. Much like "Benjamin Button" and "Slumdog Millionaire," the $20 million production "Doubt," starring Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Meryl Streep and Amy Adams, should also remain a relatively strong draw throughout January.
Next weekend, the widest release will be the comedy "Bride Wars," starring Kate Hudson and Anne Hathaway; "Bride Wars" is slated to hit approximately 3,000 across the United States. Universal's horror release "The Unborn" also is scheduled for a wide release at an estimated 2,200 theaters. Director/producer/actor Clint Eastwood's latest film "Gran Torino" will also see an expansion to 2,600 theaters and the Kate Winslet and Ralph Fiennes starring "The Reader" will likewise see a wide expansion.
Early Studio Box Office Estimates For 1/2 - 1/4:
1) Marley and Me (Fox): $24.05
2) Bedtime Stories (Buena Vista): $20.32
3) The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (Paramount): $18.40
4) Valkyrie (United Artists): $14.04
5) Yes Man (Warner): $13.85
6) Seven Pounds (Sony/Columbia): $10
7) The Tale of Despereaux (Universal): $7.02
8) Doubt (Miramax): $5.03
9) The Day the Earth Stood Still (Fox): $4.85
10) Slumdog Millionaire (Fox Searchlight): $4.77
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