Carrey tops box office
2008-03-17 10:47
Los Angeles - Jim Carrey scored
his biggest opening at the North American box office in almost
five years on Sunday as Dr Seuss' Horton Hears A Who debuted at No 1 with estimated weekend sales of $45.1m.
The computer-generated family film was released by News
Corp's 20th Century Fox, which said the opening
exceeded expectations. The production budget was $85m.
Carrey voices the title character, a rubbery elephant who
stumbles upon a speck that happens to be a tiny planet, home to
a city called Who-ville. Steve Carell voices the excitable
mayor.
Carrey's record opening was 2003's Bruce Almighty, which
kicked off with $67.95m.
Hortonranks as his fourth-best opening. The film also ranks as the fifth-biggest G-rated opening ever; the top honour is held by 2003's Finding Nemo with $70.2m.
Last weekend's champion, 10 000 BC" slipped to No 2 with
$16.4m for the three-day period; the 10-day haul for the
prehistoric epic stands at $61.2m. It was released by
Warner Bros Pictures, a unit of Time Warner Inc.
Opening at No 3 was Never Back Down, a mixed martial
arts movie targeted at male youngsters. It earned $8.6m. The film is the debut production of privately held Summit
Entertainment.