Dinner for Schmucks takes early lead

2010-07-31 22:59

Los Angeles - Steve Carell's new comedy Dinner For Schmucks took an early lead at the weekend box office in North America, according to preliminary estimates issued on Saturday, but faces a close race with reigning champ Inception for overall honours.

Schmucks opened to $8.4m on Friday, while Inception earned $8.15m, said their respective distributors Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros Pictures.

They are each on track to finish up in the low-$20m range when estimates for the three-day period are issued on Sunday.

Also new were Universal Pictures' Zac Efron psychological melodrama Charlie St Cloud at No 4 with solid Friday sales of $5.6m, and the Warner Bros sequel Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore at No 6 with a weak $4.2m.

Schmucks, which garnered mixed reviews, stars Carell as a buffoon invited to a party for oddballs hosted by wealthy businessmen who lampoon their idiocy. Paul Rudd co-stars, and Jay Roach of Austin Powers fame directs.

Carell's last live-action comedy Date Night, co-starring Tina Fey, earned $25m during its first weekend in April en route to a North American haul of $98m. The ubiquitous star of the sitcom The Office is currently in theatres as the lead voice in the hit cartoon Despicable Me.

- Reuters