April 14-16, 2006
THTRS = Number of Screens
* Denotes new release.
Click on title to read CB Review
| 1. | Scary Movie 4 * |
| $41,020,000 - Total: $41,020,000 | |
| LW: N WR: 1 THTRS: 3602 |
| 2. | Ice Age: The Meltdown |
| $20,000,000 - Total: $147,188,000 | |
| LW: 1 WR: 3 THTRS: 3873 |
| 3. | The Benchwarmers |
| $10,000,000 - Total: $35,980,000 | |
| LW: 2 WR: 2 THTRS: 3282 |
| 4. | The Wild * |
| $9,559,000 - Total: $9,559,000 | |
| LW: N WR: 1 THTRS: 2854 |
| 5. | Take the Lead |
| $6,700,000 - Total: $22,517,000 | |
| LW: 3 WR: 2 THTRS: 3009 |
| 6. | Inside Man |
| $6,292,000 - Total: $75,285,000 | |
| LW: 4 WR: 4 THTRS: 2477 |
| 7. | Lucky Number Slevin |
| $4,600,000 - Total: $14,140,000 | |
| LW: 5 WR: 2 THTRS: 1989 |
| 8. | Thank You for Smoking |
| $4,450,000 - Total: $11,498,000 | |
| LW: 10 WR: 5 THTRS: 1015 |
| 9. | Failure to Launch |
| $2,599,000 - Total: $83,171,000 | |
| LW: 6 WR: 6 THTRS: 1950 |
| 10. | V for Vendetta |
| $2,170,000 - Total: $65,991,000 | |
| LW: 8 WR: 5 THTRS: 1380 |
I wish I could say that filmmakers are taking a gamble when they make a barely humorous parody film like Scary Movie 4, but if I did I would be lying. The numbers don't lie either, and when Hollywood puts their bet on fart jokes and Leslie Nielsen's naked butt cheeks, America goes all in and the losers are those of us who have to watch any semblence of intelligent humor be slowly sucked out of the American cinema.
With an obscenely generous $41 million payment, Scary Movie 4 was handed the second highest opening weekend of the year (Ice Age 2 has the first). Sadly, in only three days the project has nearly recovered its $45 million budget meaning we're guaranteed a Scary Movie 5 and probably a sixth installation on down the line. Somewhere Gene Siskel is rolling over in his grave. We can only hope that the film's success is somehow related to the fact that most of America was taking advantage of being able to put off filing their taxes until Monday and needed something mind numbing to dull the pain of facing their long procrastinated bout of form filling. They should have saved their money. Most of them will probably owe.
The other new release this weekend didn't fare so well. Computer animated feature The Wild, which has struggled to overcome the inevitable comparisons to Madagascar, failed to even make $10 million out of the gate. Adding insult to injury, Ice Age 2, the other animated feature on the charts, managed to make $20 million on this its third weekend in release. It's not a good omen for the embattled Disney studios.
Thank You For Smoking jumped two spots to number eight this weekend, following Paramount's expansion of the film to over 1000 screens. While only getting a meager rise in sales overall, the movie still took third place for cash per theater among the top ten movies, a moderate consolation. With no current plans for further expansion its unlikley that Smoking will enjoy any additional climb in the ranks.
Next weekend will be something of a crap shoot for the number one spot. Action/thriller The Sentinel (originally titled Fox Studios Shops For Potential Success of a "24" Film) goes head to head with horror flick Silent Hill. With a smaller release, quirky comedy American Dreamz will also join the fray. Look for an expanded release of Friends With Money to try and squeeze its way into the lower half of the top ten as well.
