Freddie Highmore as Charlie Bucket takes a handful of marshmallow from the marshmallow plant in 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'. - CONTRIBUTED
(AP):
CHARLIE AND the Chocolate Factory and Wedding Crashers held off a rush of new releases to retain the top two spots at the weekend box office.
But after two straight weekends of rising revenue, Hollywood slid back into the slump that has lingered most of the year. The top 12 movies took in US$128.9 million, down seven per cent from the same weekend in 2004.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, starring Johnny Depp as candyman Willy Wonka, remained the top movie with $28.3 million, bringing its 10-day total to US$114.1 million, according to studio estimates yesterday.
NUMBER TWO SPOT
Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn's Wedding Crashers held on to the number two spot with US$26.2 million, raising its 10-day total to US$80.9 million. Wedding Crashers held up strongly, its revenues off just 23 per cent from opening weekend, compared to a 50 per cent drop on Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
Michael Bay's cloning thriller The Island and the remake of the baseball comedy The Bad News Bears both debuted weakly.
The Island, starring Ewan McGregor and Scarlett Johansson as clones on the run from a facility that has raised them as spare body parts, took in $12.1 million to finish at number four. It came in just behind Fantastic Four, which grossed $12.3 million to lift its 17-day haul to $122.6 million.
The acclaimed independent film Hustle & Flow, starring Terrence Howard as a pimp trying to become a rap singer, debuted at number seven with US$8.1 million. That was a solid opening compared to The Island and Bad News Bears, which played in more than 3,000 theatres, three times as many as Hustle & Flow.
HORROR TALE
Rob Zombie's horror tale The Devil's Rejects, a follow-up to his 2003 slasher flick House of 1000 Corpses, opened at number eight with US$7 million.
The Antarctic documentary March of the Penguins expanded to 695 theatres, up from 132 the previous weekend, and cracked the top 10 with US$4.3 million.
With an US$8.8 million weekend, Steven Spielberg and Tom Cruise's War of the Worlds climbed to US$208.3 million, second-best for the year after Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith, which has hit US$376 million.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at North American theatres, according to Exhibitor Relations Co. Inc. Final figures will be released today.
1. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory: US$28.3 million.
2. Wedding Crashers: US$26.2 million.
3. Fantastic Four: US$12.3 million.
4. The Island: US$12.1 million.
5. The Bad News Bears: US$11.5 million.
6. War of the Worlds: US$8.8 million.
7. Hustle & Flow: US$8.1 million.
8. The Devil's Rejects: US$7 million.
9. Batman Begins: US$4.7 million.
10. March of the Penguins: US$4.3 million.
