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10 000 BC a mammoth
09/03/2008 22:13 - (SA)
Los Angeles - 10 OOO BC, a
widely-ridiculed, prehistoric action movie boasting a menagerie
of exotic beasts, trampled the competition at the weekend box
office in North America.
According to studio estimates issued on Sunday, the Warner
Bros. Pictures release sold $35.7m worth of tickets
during its first three days of release in 3 410 theatres.
The opening was "right on target", said Dan Fellman,
president of domestic theatrical distribution at the Time
Warner Inc-owned studio. Pundits had expected an opening in the
$30m to $40m range.
The film, which Fellman said cost "slightly north" of $100m to make, was almost unanimously ripped by critics. USA
Today described it as a "bombastic bore" and The New York Times
as "sublimely dunderheaded".
Newcomer Steven Strait stars as a mammoth hunter who
battles a horde of slave-traders. Gargantuan birds and
saber-tooth tigers add to the intrigue. The film was directed
by Roland Emmerich, the German auteur behind such hits as
Independence Day and The Day After Tomorrow.
Opening at No. 2 with $14m was the Walt Disney Co.
broad comedy College Road Trip, which also appalled critics.
Martin Lawrence stars as the overprotective father of a college
freshman played by Raven-Symone. The film played in 2 706
theatres.
Critics did love one new release but moviegoers were less
enthused. The heist thriller The Bank Job opened at No. 5
with a modest $5.7m from 1 603 theatres. The film, based
on the 1971 robbery of a Lloyds bank in London, stars Jason
Statham. Last weekend's champion, Semi-Pro, slid to No. 4 with
$5.8m. The comedy, which cost $57m to make, has
earned just $24.7m after 10 days. Will Ferrell stars as
the flamboyant owner of an underdog basketball team in the
film, which was released by New Line Cinema, also a unit of
Time Warner.
The assassination thriller Vantage Point slipped one
place to No. 3 with $7.5m. The film, released by Sony
Corp's Columbia Pictures, has earned $51.7m after three
weeks.
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South Africa
