Having seen Sith, moviegoers got caught up on their big-screen toon viewing over the weekend, bumping DreamWorks’ Madagascar up a notch to the No. 1 spot. The latest CG feature outing for Jeffrey Katzenberg and crew raked in an estimated $28.7 million in its second week, delivering a knock-out punch to director Ron Howard’s aggressively promoted period boxing pic, Cinderella Man.
Directed by Eric Darnell (Antz) and first-timer Tom McGrath, Madagascar shot past the $100 million mark domestically. Ticket sales for the animated pic fell only 39% from its opening week, despite the arrival of Universal’s Russell Crowe-led biopic and fellow newcomers Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants from Warner Bros. and Lords of Dogtown, Sony’ Pictures’ non-fictional account of the birth of modern skateboarding.
Cinderella Man, based on the life of depression-era pugilist Jim Braddock, was no Cinderella Story for Universal. The $88 million baby punched up just $18.6 million in box office receipts, debuting at a disappointing No. 4 behind 20th Century Fox’s Star Wars: Episode III–Revenge of the Sith.
George Lucas’ latest space epic earned an estimated $26 million in its third week, bringing its domestic total to around $308 million. Still, the flick dropped from No. 1 to No. 3, finishing behind Paramount’s remake of The Longest Yard. The Adam Sandler/Chris Rock prison football comedy held onto second place with around $26 million, scoring an impressive $95 million in just two weeks.
Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, based on the popular tween-targeted novel of the same name by Ann Brashares, fills out the top five with a $10.2 million debut. Meanwhile, Lords of Dogtown failed to catch air, opening at No. 6 with approximately $5.7 million.
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