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movie news
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Mon. 01 07. 2008 10:57 AM EST
'National Treasure' Hits Box-Office Jackpot For Third Straight Week
'Juno,' 'I Am Legend,' 'Chipmunks' in tight race for second place.
by
Shawn Adler
Jon Voight, Nicolas Cage and Diane Kruger in "National Treasure: Book of Secrets"
(
Disney
)
The Box-Office Top Five
#1 "National Treasure: Book of Secrets" ($20.1 million)
#2 "Juno" ($15.9 million)
#3 "I Am Legend" ($15.7 million)
#4 "Alvin and the Chipmunks" ($15.5 million)
#5 "One Missed Call"
($12.5 million)
In the first "National Treasure," Ben Gates (Nicolas Cage) had to borrow a $100 bill to find a clue on the back. Pretty soon he's going to be able to open his own mint. With $20.1 million, "National Treasure: Book of Secrets" scored the top spot at the domestic box office for the third weekend in a row — the first movie to do so since last April ("Disturbia").
After only three weeks, the treasure-hunting Bruckheimer production brought its overall total to $171 million, just south of the first film's $173 million. When "Book of Secrets" passes that mark in the next few days, the flick will not just be the highest-grossing of the series, but the highest-grossing of Nic Cage's career. Can you say trilogy?
But while "National Treasure" scorched the competition for the third time running, it was a remarkably close photo finish for spots two through four, with "Juno," "I Am Legend" and "Alvin and the Chipmunks" all separated by less than $300,000.
While Smith's "Legend" (now over $225 million) and the CGI "Chipmunks" ($176 million) continued to impress in their fourth weeks, "Juno" was the big winner regardless of its final standing. The pregnancy comedy with Ellen Page and Michael Cera played in approximately 1,500 fewer theaters than "Treasure," "Legend" and "Chipmunks," but equaled their takes thanks to positive word of mouth and serious awards buzz. It had the highest per-screen average of any film in the top 10 and now boasts a cumulative gross of $52 million. Now that's bloated.
The week's only significant new release, "One Missed Call," starring Ed Burns, came in fifth place with $12.5 million, slightly above expectations.
Upcoming Releases
It's a January pimp-off this weekend when Ice Cube's "First Sunday," the story of two crooks who stick up a church, squares off against Jack Nicholson's "The Bucket List," which significantly expands to wide release. No fighting ... well, maybe a little fist-fighting. Pugilistic director Uwe Boll's latest, "In the Name of the King" starring Jason Statham, bows in 2,500 theaters.
This report is from MTV News.
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