21 wins box office jackpot
2008-03-31 10:01
Los Angeles - The new gambling drama
21 played a winning hand at the weekend box office in North America, earning an estimated $23.7m in its first round,
distributor Columbia Pictures said on Sunday.
The fact-based saga revolves around a team of college
whizzes who conspire to count cards at blackjack tables in Las
Vegas. The cast includes Jim Sturgess as one of the kids, Kevin
Spacey as their coach, and Laurence Fishburne as a displeased
casino thug.
Columbia Pictures, a unit of Sony Corp, said the opening
for the $35m film exceeded expectations, and it played
strongly to old and young, male and female moviegoers.
After two weekends at No 1, the animated smash Dr Seuss'
Horton Hears A Who! slipped to No 2 with $17.4m. The
20th Century Fox comedy, featuring the voices of Jim Carrey and
Steve Carell, became the first release of 2008 to hit the
century mark, with sales of $117.3m to date. Fox is a
unit of News Corp.
New at No 3 was the comedy spoof Superhero Movie with
$9.5m. It was released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios
Inc, and produced by Weinstein Co's Dimension Films banner.
Both are privately held.
Prolific filmmaker Tyler Perry's latest comedy Meet the
Browns tumbled two places to No 4 with $7.8m, losing a
hefty 61 percent of its opening-weekend haul.
Its total stands
at $32.8m. The film was released by Lionsgate, a unit of
Lions Gate Entertainment Corp.
The Owen Wilson comedy "Drillbit Taylor" fell one place to
No 5 with $5.3m, also in its second weekend. Its drop
was 49%, and its total rose to $20.6m. The film
was released by Paramount Pictures, a unit of Viacom Inc.
- Reuters