It would be a bit obvious for us to say that “National Treasure: Book Of Secrets found gold at the box office this weekend,” but we’re very tired from a busy, busy month, and we’d like to go home and spend the day off tomorrow with our families. The Disney sequel starring Nicolas Cage cinched the #1 spot at the box office, though last week’s #1 and #2, I Am Legend and Alvin and the Chipmunks, were close behind with respectable takes at #2 and #3 this week. The next charting releases were a far-behind trio of new titles – the Tom Hanks political comedy Charlie Wilson’s War (#4), the dark Tim Burton/Johnny Depp musical Sweeney Todd (#5) and the unconventional romantic comedy P.S. I Love You (#6). Disney’s self-spoof Enchanted is still hanging on a month later, this week at #7, with the only other new movie, the music biopic lark Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story coming in at #8. The big budget fantasy The Golden Compass barely added to its disappointing take, landing at #9, though it has done considerable business abroad, prompting talk of the two sequels based on author Philip Pullman’s other two books in the His Dark Materials trilogy. In limited release (and opening in Worcester on Christmas Day) is the dark horse comedy Juno at #10. Don’t expect too much of a change next week, as also-rans The Great Debaters, Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem and The Water Horse are the only new movies opening this week.
•••WEEKEND BOX OFFICE: December 21-23, 2007•••
1. NATIONAL TREASURE: BOOK OF SECRETS - $45.5M ($45.5M total)
2. I AM LEGEND - $34.2M ($137M total)
3. ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS - $29M ($84.9M total)
4. CHARLIE WILSON’S WAR - $9.62M ($9.62M total)
5. SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET - $9.35M ($9.35M total)
6. P.S. I LOVE YOU - $6.5M ($6.5M total)
7. ENCHANTED - $4.15M ($98.4M total)
8. WALK HARD: THE DEWEY COX STORY - $4.1M ($4.1M total)
9. THE GOLDEN COMPASS - $3.98M ($48.4M total)
10. JUNO - $3.4M ($6.38M total)
To those readers who celebrate Christmas, we all wish you and yours a joyous one. Please enjoy this video Christmas card: “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy”… played on Tesla coils!