Weekend Box Office: 'Paul Blart' has been 'Taken' out!

[The Clown Prince]

Taken was the new number one movie this weekend with a haul of $24.6 million. It's nice debut meant that it knocked down one spot the first surprise movie of 2009...

Paul Blart: Mall Cop which came in second place with $14 million and a $83.3 million total.

Opening in third place was The Uninvited with $10.5 million.

Hotel for Dogs came in fourth with $8.7 million and a $48.2 million total.

And rounding out the top 5 is Gran Torino with $8.6 million and a nice $110.5 million total. Nice because it's budget was $33 million.

Also opening this weekend was New in Town which opened in eighth place with $6.7 million.

Out of the top 12 this weekend is Revolutionary Road (13th), Defiance (14th), and Notorious (17th).

Opening next weekend are three new movies. First up is The Pink Panther 2 (http://www.comingsoon.net/films.php?id=20948) (rated PG) starring Steve Martin, Jean Reno, Alfred Molina, Emily Mortimer, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Andy Garcia, Lily Tomlin, and John Cleese.

Next up is the newest stop motion animated film from director Henry Selick, Coraline (http://www.comingsoon.net/films.php?id=15740) (rated PG) starring the voices of Dakota Fanning, Teri Hatcher, Dawn French, Jennifer Saunders, and Ian McShane.

And finally we have Push (http://www.comingsoon.net/films.php?id=36438) (rated PG-13) with Chris Evans, Dakota Fanning, Camilla Belle, Djimon Hounsou, Maggie Siff, and Scott Michael Campbell.

Here are your numbers....

1) Taken- $24,625,000 ($24,625,000) NEW!
2) Paul Blart: Mall Cop- $14,000,000 ($83,375,000)
3) The Uninvited- $10,512,000 ($10,512,000) NEW!
4) Hotel for Dogs- $8,706,000 ($48,229,000)
5) Gran Torino- $8,600,000 ($110,547,000)
6) Slumdog Millionaire- $7,680,000 ($67,244,000)
7) Underworld: Rise of the Lycans- $7,200,000 ($32,784,000)
8) New in Town- $6,750,000 ($6,750,000) NEW!
9) My Bloody Valentine 3D- $4,260,000 ($44,608,000)
10) Inkheart- $3,700,000 ($12,792,000)
11) The Curious Case of Benjamin Button- $3,611,000 ($116,540,000)
12) Bride Wars- $3,570,000 ($53,937,000)

[SirLemming]

The promotional staff deserves a pat on the back for this one. The ads for Taken really generated interest.

[Cortez2301]

Taken was a pretty good movie. Not like your typical action movie, even though it still has the same narrative structure but this one was well made.It had a few minor plot holes but still good enough.

[NewcomerDC]

Taken WAS good, but my home newspaper gave it one star. Kinda sad that no one can understand the brilliance that is Liam Neeson.

I'm afraid that it will get a sequel since after saving his daughter, I thought of him saving the other women and stopping the entire prostitution ring. If there's a sequel, it could become another Transporter 2 or 3

[TheTerror]

Is The Wrestler out yet?

Mod Note: Please do not mention illegally obtaining downloaded copyrighted material. Warnings will be issued if necessary.

[NewcomerDC]

I hope that Coraline will strike a nerve to make it number one.

[Mesousa]

Taken WAS good, but my home newspaper gave it one star. Kinda sad that no one can understand the brilliance that is Liam Neeson.

I'm afraid that it will get a sequel since after saving his daughter, I thought of him saving the other women and stopping the entire prostitution ring. If there's a sequel, it could become another Transporter 2 or 3

Luc Besson, who produced Taken, is also a producer on The Transporter series, so it could happen.

[NewcomerDC]

Luc Besson, who produced Taken, is also a producer on The Transporter series, so it could happen.
If a sequel happens, maybe the daughter's stepfather could have some other business that deal with trafficking women in other countries making Liam Neeson trying to stop him along with his daughter who wants to help Neeson out since she probably wants payback after her dumb friend Amanda died.

[Mesousa]

I hope that Coraline will strike a nerve to make it number one.

I'm jealous at all of you. :shrug:

[JediJames2]

I think Fanboys is also opening next Friday. From what I have heard it will be a very limited release to begin (like eight cities) and may expand from there if I does well enough.

http://fanboys-themovie.com

[NewcomerDC]

I'm jealous at all of you. :shrug:
How come? It's like the only good film this week save for maybe Fanboys. Isn't the film on Comcast On-Demand anyway?

[Old Guy]

It had a few minor plot holes but still good enough.


Taken WAS good, but my home newspaper gave it one star.

Just an FYI, but the Taken you guys saw was not the one the filmmakers intended. The movie was released a year ago in European (it's a European movie - Luc Besson is a French filmmaker) and FOX being typical FOX cut a lot of stuff out to meet their "guidelines".

[Wonderwall]

Just an FYI, but the Taken you guys saw was not the one the filmmakers intended. The movie was released a year ago in European (it's a European movie - Luc Besson is a French filmmaker) and FOX being typical FOX cut a lot of stuff out to meet their "guidelines".

Did not know that. Think they'll release the uncut version on DVD?

[Old Guy]

Did not know that. Think they'll release the uncut version on DVD?

It's already out on DVD in Europe. If you have a DVD player that can play R2 then you can get it.

[NewcomerDC]

It's already out on DVD in Europe. If you have a DVD player that can play R2 then you can get it.
Cool. I'll get it when it comes out in R1 DVD.

[Old Guy]

It's funny how Valkyrie continues to do better overseas than here:



LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) – "Valkyrie," starring Tom Cruise as a rebellious Nazi officer, emerged at No. 1 on the international circuit for a second consecutive weekend, grossing an estimated $18.6 million from 3,900 screens in 26 markets and raising its overseas cumulative total to $38.9 million.

The MGM/UA production, handled overseas by 20th Century Fox and other local distributors, opened in 15 markets, finishing on top in at least five, including France and Spain.

In Germany, where "Valkyrie" was filmed, its second weekend produced $2.3 million from 400 locations, lifting its market total to $7.3 million, the largest for any overseas territory the film has played.

[Goodfellow]

I saw Taken a while ago, how was this its opening weekend????? It was really good and Jason Stathem could learn a lot by watching this movie.

However, Underworld is not doing so well. I guess it is true, most audiences these days do not want to watch a movie that takes place in the past. They only care about movies in the present dealing with drugs and sex and pompus jack*** actors like Seth Rogen (hence why Pineapple Express is so popular).

[Hanshotfirst113]

However, Underworld is not doing so well. I guess it is true, most audiences these days do not want to watch a movie that takes place in the past.

It could also be because it's the third installment in a franchise that wasn't massively popular to begin with, it's been panned across the board by critics, lack the original star and director, and is lost in a shuffle of many more family-friendly film, and is aimed mostly at genre fans.


They only care about movies in the present dealing with drugs and sex and pompous jack*** actors like Seth Rogen (hence why Pineapple Express is so popular).

Well, some people think that Set Rogen is funny.

[Mesousa]

It's indeed funny that Taken was released for months on Europe, yet it's now released on the US.

Don't know if I need to mention this, but I just got word that Coraline will come to theaters here on February 26.

YES!!! :D

[Old Guy]

Before we head into a packed weekend just a little update:

1. Slumdog Millionaire has been doing incredible business throughout the week. On Tuesday and Wednesday it was the SECOND highest grossing movie. It has now earned $69 million dollars.

2. Taken has been #1 all week. It has grossed $31 million.

3. The Dark Knight is playing in 211 theaters and has made about $30,000 per day.

[Mesousa]

3. The Dark Knight is playing in 211 theaters and has made about $30,000 per day.

Then I guess it won't make to a billion after all. :sad:

[Nightwing]

It's funny how Valkyrie continues to do better overseas than here:

I don't understand how that's weird, logically. Countries overseas are more likely aware of the story whereas Americans probably never heard of it. Col. Stauffenberg, Tom Cruise's, character is a German hero, and rightly so (although it took a few decades for them to absorb it as truth).

I still roll my eyes at Tom Cruise playing characters that I don't think he should be playing but that's an opinion and a separate topic.

Glad to hear about "Taken" doing well, but typical and crummy to hear it was edited. If it didn't beat Paul Blart Mall Cop (no offense Kevin James or the movie) I would have died a little more inside. :p I also hope "Push" is good.

[NewcomerDC]

Glad to hear about "Taken" doing well, but typical and crummy to hear it was edited.
What got edited out from the American version of the film?

[Robin2099]

What got edited out from the American version of the film?

Violence.

[Mesousa]

Violence.

So it was originally rated R in a way?

I'mma pass this film now.

[Old Guy]

So it was originally rated R in a way?

Yup. It was an R rated movie in Europe.

[Old Guy]

Early Friday Estimates:

1. He's Just Not That Into You - $10.5 million
2. Taken - $6 million
3. Coraline - $4.2 million
4. Pink Panther 2 - $4.1 million
5. Push - $3 million

[Movie06]

Coraline's doing well? YES! :anime: It's not number one but it's good that people are seeing it.

[chdr]

Coraline beating Pink Panther 2 makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

[Old Guy]

Coraline beating Pink Panther 2 makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

It's only a $100,000 difference. That's nothing to get excited about.

EDIT:

Nevermind. Get excited. What I posted earlier were the EARLY estimates. Here's the actual Friday box office:

1. He's Just Not That Into You - $10.5 million
2. Taken - $6.3 million
3. Coraline - $4.5 million
4. Push - $3.5 million
5. Pink Panther 2 - $3.3 million

Source: Box Office Mojo