Jennifer Carpenter stars as Emily Rose in the movie, 'The Exorcism of Emily Rose'.
LOS ANGELES (AP)
JUST LIKE Heaven, the Reese Witherspoon, Mark Ruffalo romantic comedy, debuted at number one with an estimated US$16.5 million in ticket sales, bumping the courtroom horror film The Exorcism of Emily Rose into second place.
Dreamworks' Just Like Heaven, which follows a man who encounters romance from 'beyond' when a ghost keeps appearing in his apartment, touched on the audiences' desire for something light and romantic, said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations.
REASON FOR SUCCESSFUL DEBUT
The film owed its successful debut to the female over-25 crowd, who made up more than two-thirds of its audience, according to Jim Tharp, head of distribution for Dreamworks. Tharp said positive exit reviews suggest the film will continue to grow by word of mouth.
Overall, box office revenue jumped an estimated 13 per cent compared to the same weekend last year, continuing the upward trend in movie grosses after a dismal summer.
In its second weekend, The Exorcism of Emily Rose, about a Catholic priest on trial for negligent homicide following the death of a satanically possessed 19-year-old, earned US$15.3 million in ticket sales from Friday to Sunday, bringing its total domestic gross to US$52 million, according to studio estimates.
Lord of War, starring Nicolas Cage as an arms dealer pursued by Interpol agent Ethan Hawke, debuted in third place with US$9.2 million.
The comedy The 40 Year-Old Virgin continued its successful run, moving to fourth place with $5.8 million, bringing its total to US$90.6 million. Opening in fifth place with US$4.6 million was Cry Wolf, about a group of teens who spread online rumours about a serial killer only to find the story coming true.
Despite the upswing, box office revenue for the year remained down about six per cent, with attendance down nine per cent.
Box office listings
1. Just Like Heaven, US$16.5 million.
2. The Exorcism of Emily Rose, US$15.3 million.
3. Lord of War, US$9.2 million.
4. The 40 Year-Old Virgin, US$5.8 million.
5. Cry Wolf, US$4.6 million.
6. The Transporter 2, US$4.0 million.
7. The Constant Gardener, US$3.7 million.
8. Red Eye, US$2.9 million.
9. March of the Penguins, US$2.6 million.
10. Wedding Crashers, US$2.5 million.
