After just one week at the top of the box-office charts, Warner Bros.’ Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix has been dethroned by Universal’s poorly reviewed Adam Sandler/Kevin James comedy I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry. The farce pulled off a narrow victory with an estimated $34.7 million over Potter’s $32.1 million. Don’t feel too bad for the Potter camp, though. The fantasy flick has earned approximately $207 million domestically and roughly $558 million worldwide after a magical $77 million opening weekend.
Order of the Phoenix has a way to go before it comes close to the $976 million the very first Harry Potter film earned worldwide after its 2001 release. A couple of the franchise’s sequels have come close to hitting that mark none have succeeded. The weakest of the series, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, tipped the scales at $798 million worldwide.
New Line Cinema’s remake of the 1988 John Waters’ musical Hairspray debuted to an estimated $27.8 million to place third for the weekend. While considered a classic by many, the original production, which launched the career of Rikki Lake, only earned $6.7 million upon its original theatrical run. It’s hard to tell at this point whether John Travolta in drag has been a draw or a repellent for moviegoers.
Speaking of transformations, DreamWorks/Paramount’s Transformers took in another $20 million to drive its three-week domestic gross to the ballpark of $263 million. An additional $190 million from overseas markets has contributed to a worldwide take of around $454 million for the CG-laden sci-fi action pic from director Michael Bay.
Disney/Pixar’s Ratatouille occupies the No. 5 spot in its fourth weekend of release. The culinary rat tale made an estimated $11 million this frame. To date, the animated comedy has charmed North American moviegoers to the tune of $166 million, with foreign audiences sprinkling in an additional $29.6 million. Since Disney yet to open the family flick in a lot of foreign markets, its earning potential remains to be seen. Pixar’s last effort, Cars, ended up grossing more than $217 million overseas after being delayed by the soccer playoffs.
Fox Searchlight’s sci-fi thriller Sunshine from director Danny Boyle did fairly well in very limited release, pulling in an estimated $235,000 from ten theaters in North America. The vfx-heavy astronaut tale charmed critics and earned an estimated average of $23,500 per theater, compared to Chuck and Larry‘s theater average of around $9,949.
The Simpsons Movie is sure to set the box office ablaze this coming weekend. The highly promoted animated pic opens domestically on July 27 and is expected to open to at least $50 million.
