Box Office: 'Megamind' moves past 'Unstoppable' to win the weekend
'Skyline' and 'Morning Glory' end up with so-so debuts
'Megamind'
Credit: Dreamworks
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Will Ferrell's dastardly schemes continue to succeed, with the animated "Megamind" staying at the top of the box office.
The DreamWorks Animation 3-D comedy, featuring Ferrell as the voice of a super villain, made just over $30 million in its second week in theaters, according to Sunday studio estimates. It's now made nearly $90 million total. "Megamind" also features the voices of Brad Pitt, Tina Fey and Jonah Hill.
Opening in second place is the 20th Century Fox action thriller "Unstoppable," starring Denzel Washington and Chris Pine as railroad workers trying to stop a massive runaway train. It made $23.5 million. The movie is based on a 2001 Ohio incident in which a train carrying hazardous cargo traveled 66 miles without a crew.
Last week's No. 2 film, "Due Date," fell to the third spot with $15.5 million. The Warner Bros. comedy features Robert Downey Jr. and Zach Galifianakis as opposites stuck together on a cross-country road trip. It's now made $59 million in two weeks.
Among the weekend's other new releases, "Skyline" opened in fourth place with $11.7 million. The Universal Pictures sci-fi thriller depicts aliens invading and destroying Los Angeles. And "Morning Glory," a Paramount comedy set in a network morning show starring Rachel McAdams, Harrison Ford and Diane Keaton, opened at No. 5 with about $9.6 million.
Anne Globe, head of worldwide marketing for DreamWorks Animation, said positive word of mouth helped "Megamind" remain on top.
"It's exciting because audiences are clearly responding very well to the movie," said Globe. "This was a decided No. 1 again. We were only down 35 percent, which is a pretty terrific hold for the movie."
But "Megamind" is the rare family movie in theaters these days, which also helps, said Hollywood.com analyst Paul Dergarabedian. Next week, the feverishly anticipated first half of the "Harry Potter" finale, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1," debuts.
"Up until 'Megamind' the marketplace was virtually devoid of any family films," Dergarabedian said. "The R-rated films were dominating: You had 'Paranormal Activity 2,' 'Saw 3-D,' 'Jackass 3D.' Then there was a plethora of adult-oriented dramas: 'Secretariat,' 'The Social Network,' 'Hereafter,' all those films. Then there were movies for older audiences like 'Red.'"
The fact that "Megamind" is in 3-D is also a draw to younger audiences, he said: "Kids love 3-D. Kids love the gimmicky thing."
"Unstoppable," the fifth film Washington has made with director Tony Scott, debuted slightly better than the $21.4 million average opening of their collaborations. Previously, they'd worked on "Crimson Tide," ''Man on Fire," ''Deja Vu" and "The Taking of Pelham 123."
The movie had surprisingly good reviews for an action picture — 86 percent positive on Rotten Tomatoes — and the audience was evenly divided between men and women, said Bert Livingston, general sales manager for 20th Century Fox
"It doesn't happen very often, but when you get reviews like that and people like the movie so much, and they come out and tell their friends, it's the first weekend but it's just a beginning," Livingston said.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Hollywood.com. Final figures will be released Monday.
1. "Megamind," $30 million.
2. "Unstoppable," $23.5 million.
3. "Due Date," $15.5 million.
4. "Skyline," 11.7 million.
5. "Morning Glory," $9.6 million.
6. "For Colored Girls," $6.75 million.
7. "Red," $5.1 million.
8. "Paranormal Activity 2," $3 million.
9. "Saw 3-D," $2.75 million.
10. "Jackass 3-D," $2.3 million.
Copyright (2010) Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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