Tom Cruise stars as Ethan Hunt in the movie Mission Impossible III. - CONTRIBUTED
LOS ANGELES (AP):
IT WAS bottoms up for Poseidon, as the cruise ship disaster remake failed to topple Mission: Impossible III from a second week atop the nation's box office, according to studio estimates yesterday.
Mission: Impossible III clung to the number one position with a US$24.5 million take during an anaemic North America box office weekend that saw the Tom Cruise action film drop 49 per cent from its opening weekend.
Internationally, Mission: Impossible III raked in another US$70 million to bring its two-week earnings overall to US$214 million.
GOOD START
"It's not a bad start," said Rob Moore, Paramount's president of world-wide marketing, distribution and operations.
Poseidon, which reportedly cost more than US$150 million to make, debuted in second place with what was described as a solid weekend opening of US$20.3 million.
"You've got two PG-13 action movies vying for the top spot and each earned over US$20 million. I think that's pretty strong for Mother's Day weekend," said Paul Dergarabedian of Exhibitor Relations Co. Inc., which tracks box office performance.
But the overall North America turnstile take was more than 13 per cent behind the comparable 2005 period, the first time in seven weeks that box office receipts dropped over last year's figures.
"The top 12 films for this weekend are down about 13.5 per cent for the comparable weekend last year. Hollywood has been on a roll for seven weeks," Dergarabedian said, adding the upcoming weekend has two potential blockbusters that could again float all boats.
"This was a solid but not spectacular weekend leading up to a big week ahead with The Da Vinci Code' and Over the Hedge. This will be classic counter-programming," he said.
The Robin Williams comedy RV was third with US$9.5 million, Lindsay Lohan's Just My Luck debuted in fourth with US$5.5 million and An American Haunting was fifth with US$3.7 million.
Top ten box office listings
1. Mission: Impossible III, US$24.5 million.
2. Poseidon, US$20.3 million.
3. RV, US$9.5 million.
4. Just My Luck,
US$5.5 million.
5. An American Haunting, US$3.7 million.
6. United 93, US$3.6 million.
7. Stick It, US$3.2 million.
8. Ice Age: The Meltdown, US$3 million.
9. Silent Hill, US$2.2 million.
10. Hoot, US$2.1 million.
