Top 10 for February 17-20, 2006 Summary: Sunday estimates are in.
The extended Presidents' Day holiday frame helped push Disney's family adventure film Eight Below
to the top of the chart this weekend, while Fox's low budget spoof comedy Date Movie finished a strong second.
Holdovers dominated the rest of the top five, helping keep the box office even with last year's comparable holiday frame.
Boosted by schools closing across the country for Presidents' Day Monday, Disney's sled dog pic Eight Below
topped the box office with an estimated $25 million, averaging a strong $8,164 in 3,066 theaters. The Paul Walker starrer
debuted stronger than Buena Vista's own 2002 sleeper hit Snow Dogs, which bowed with $17.8 million on its way to $81.17 million
domestically. Expect Eight Below to have a similarly strong run at the box office.
Fox's low budget spoof comedy Date Movie finished close behind in second, opening with an estimated $22.3 million
over the four day holiday frame. Carrying a price tag of just $20 million, the Fox comedy averaged a strong $7,709
in 2,896 theaters.
There were strong sophomore performances from Pink Panther and Curious George for third and fourth, led by
Steve Martin's The Pink Panther which took in an estimated $21 million this weekend, pushing the $80 million Sony
release to a sizeable eleven day cume of $46.7 million. Universal's animated family pic Curious George pulled in
an estimated $15.3 million for fourth, pushing its two week total to $33.5 million. Look for George to finish with $50-55 million
domestically. Panther should finish with roughly $75 million.
Rounding out the top five was the horror sequel Final Destination 3, which fell three spots to fifth
with an estimated $12.5 million. In two weeks, the R-rated thriller has grossed $38.2 million. If the third installment
can reach $54 million domestically, it will become the highest grossing film in the franchise, surpassing the $53.3 million
of the original back in 2000.
The only other wide release debut was Sony's thriller Freedomland, which took in an estimated $7 million for seventh place,
averaging a weak $2,965 in 2,361 theaters. Starring Samuel L. Jackson and Julianne Moore, the poorly reviewed release should
see a quick exit out of the top ten. In limited release, Fox Searchlight's Russian import Night Watch took in
$110,000 from just three theaters. The action-thriller will open wider on March 3rd.
As for the box office, the top ten films grossed an estimated $130.3 million, virtually even with last year's comparable frame when
Hitch held on to the top spot with a strong $36.7 million.
Report by
Join us in the box office messageboard to talk about
the weekend or how next week's slate will fare.
