Previous evidence of the crossover potential of the powerful Disney brand can be found in the Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds
3-D concert release earlier this year; never playing in more than 687
theaters, the movie opened to $31 million, and finished with over $65
million domestically. Similarly relying upon its huge built-in
audience, High School Musical 3 broke the record for highest-grossing musical opening of all time, raking in $42 million on approximately 5,900 screens. That was more than enough to best the still-strong franchise staying power of Saw V, which, in keeping with Lionsgate’s historically ridiculous schemes to tamp down advance reviews, didn’t screen for critics, but still pulled in an estimated $30.1 million on 4,100 screens. In other wide new releases, cop drama Pride and Glory finished fifth for the weekend, with $6.3 million.
Rounding out the top 10 were videogame adaptation Max Payne ($7.8 million, $30 million overall); Beverly Hills Chihuahua ($6.9 million, $78.1 million overall); The Secret Life of Bees ($6.1 million, $19.3 million overall); Oliver Stone‘s W. ($5.1 million, $18.5 million overall); Eagle Eye ($5.1 million, $88 million overall); Body of Lies ($4.1 million, $30.9 million overall); and horror flick Quarantine ($2.6 million, $28.8 million overall).
In limited release, Clint Eastwood’s Changeling, starring Angelina Jolie, pulled in $489,000 at 15 venues; Rodrigo Garcia’s Passengers, starring Anne Hathaway, grossed just over $172,000 on 125 screens; writer Charlie Kaufman‘s directorial debut, Synecdoche, New York, grossed $172,000-plus on nine screens; Noah’s Arc: Jumping the Broom grossed $151,000-plus at five theaters; French import I’ve Loved You So Long, starring Kristin Scott Thomas, grossed $72,000 on nine screens; and striking, vampire-inflected Swedish coming-of-age tale Let the Right One In grossed $42,295 at four theaters.