Despite its inescapable marketing efforts, DreamWorks Animation’s Bee Movie failed to take the top spot at the North American box office over the weekend. The Jerry Seinfeld comedy buzzed up an estimated $39 million but was shown up by Universal’s American Gangster starring Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe. Based on a true story, the gritty, R-Rated crime drama earned around $46.3 million in its first three days, the biggest opening we’ve seen since the summer blockbuster season ended.
Bee Movie opened in nearly a thousand more theaters than Gangster, but packed in fewer moviegoers per venue. However, the animated flick should have longer legs, especially with school holidays coming up. Though reviews have been mixed, the release will benefit from word-of-mouth and a lack of competiton in the family film category as the fall season allows more adult-oriented fare to come out and play. Even Paramount’s pseudo-animated Beowulf slings its arrows above the heads of children with a PG-13 rating earned with gore and CG nudity. It opens on Nov. 16.
Lionsgate’s horror flick Saw IV slipped from No. 1 to No. 3 in its second weekend, earning a respectable $11 million. A worldwide take of $63.4 million should ensure a fifth installment for next Halloween. Buena Vista’s Dan in Real Life picked up approximately $8.1 million in its second week for a fourth-place finish, followed by Sony/Columbia’s graphic novel-based vampire chiller 30 Days of Night with an estimated $4 million.
The weekend’s only other wide opener was New Line Cinema’s tear jerker Martian Child. The John Cusack vehicle debuted at No. 7 with just $3.6 million (est.). Meanwhile, Disney’s digital 3D re-release of Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas scared up an additional $1.5 million during its third week back in theaters. So far, the 1994 catalog title has made an estimated $12.8 million for Disney during its second re-issue and will most likely be brought back next fall to earn additional dough as more theaters become equipped for digital 3D projection.
