The runt of the litter, Chicken Little and Abby Mallard. - CONTRIBUTED
LOS ANGELES (AP):
CHICKEN LITTLE remained number one in the pecking order, taking in US$32 million in its second weekend to beat back a flock of new movies.
Debuting in second place was the sci-fi fantasy Zathura: A Space Adventure, which grossed US$14 million, according to studio estimates yesterday.
Jennifer Aniston's first post-Friends film, the thriller Derailed, opened in third with US$12.8 million.
Rapper Curtis '50 Cent' Jackson's semi-autobiographical drama Get Rich or Die Tryin premiered at number four with US$12.5 million, though it played in fewer theatres than its competitors. The movie has grossed US$18.2 million since opening Wednesday.
Also debuting in the top 10 was Keira Knightley's Pride & Prejudice, a new take on Jane Austen's 19th century classic of romance and class conflict. The film came in at number 10 with US$2.8 million while playing in just 215 theatres, compared to 3,223 for Zathura, 2,441 for Derailed and 1,652 for Get Rich or Die Tryin.
The overall box office was down, with the top 12 movies grossing US$114.7 million, off 15 per cent from the same weekend last year, when The Incredibles was number one with US$50.3 million.
MOVIE ADMISSIONS RUNNING BEHIND
Movie admissions are running 8 per cent behind last year's, but the industry will get a big bump Friday with Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, the fourth film about the boy wizard.
With US$80.8 million domestically in 10 days, the cartoon tale Chicken Little should soar past the US$100 million mark by this coming weekend. That's good news for distributor Disney, whose recent animated slate has been lacklustre.
"You can't crow about things if people aren't buying tickets to your movies," said Chuck Viane, Disney head of distribution. "This proves that our animation team, with their commitment and resilience, can deliver."
Box Office listings
1. Chicken Little, US$32 million
2. Zathura: A Space Adventure,US$14 million
3. Derailed, US$12.8 million
4. Get Rich or Die Tryin', US$12.5 million
5. Jarhead, US$12.3 million
6. Saw II, US$9.4 million
7. The Legend of Zorro, US$6.6 million
8. Prime, $4 million
9. Dreamer: Inspired by a True Story, US$3.8 million
10. Pride & Prejudice, US$2.8 million.
