Contributed
His desire for the beautiful Queen Wealthow (left) surfaces in one of Beowulf's dreams.
LOS ANGELES (Reuters):
The medieval battlefield epic Beowulf ushered in a new age at North American movie theatres, opening at number one with almost half the ticket sales for the new box office champ coming from 3-D theatres.
According to studio estimates issued yesterday, Oscar-winning director Robert Zemeckis' innovative hybrid of live-action and animation sold US$28.1 million worth of tickets during its first three days.
Beowulf was the largest release in modern 3-D history, playing in 742 theatres across North America, accounting for about 20 per cent of the print count. Sales from those theatres contributed just over 40 per cent of the total haul.
Earnings
Big-screen firm Imax Corp. said the film earned US$3.6 million from 84 theatres equipped with its technology, or about 13 per cent of the total. The contribution is usually about five to six per cent, said Greg Foster, chairman and president of its Imax Filmed Entertainment unit.
Another firm, Real D, reported sales of US$8 million from 638 locations.
"It just shows the potential of what 3-D can be in the future," said Don Harris, Paramount's executive vice-president of distribution. The Viacom Inc.-owned studio had been hoping for an opening in the $25 million range, he added.
The US$150 million film stars British actor Ray Winstone as a dashing warrior around the 6th century A.D. Angelina Jolie and Anthony Hopkins also make up the cast, their characters presented in a mix of animation and real life. Zemeckis' last directing foray into this genre, Polar Express, opened to US$23 million three years ago and finished with US$177 million.
Bee movie
Jerry Seinfeld's animated Bee Movie slipped to number two with US$14.3 million in its third weekend. Paramount also distributed the DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc. production, which has earned US$93.9 million to date.
The Denzel Washington-Russell Crowe drama American Gangster, released by General Electric Co.'s Universal Pictures, fell one to number three with US$13.2 million, also in its third weekend. Its total stands at $101 million.
The holiday comedy Fred Claus (Warner Bros.), starring Vince Vaughn as Santa's older brother, slipped one place to number four with $12 million in its second weekend, for a total of US$35.8 million. The fantasy drama Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium (20th Century Fox), starring Dustin Hoffman as a toy impresario, opened at number five with $10 million. Fox said the opening met its expectations, and it hoped the family-oriented movie would play strongly over the holidays.
Two literary adaptations, both starring Spanish actor Javier Bardem, entered the top 10. Miramax Films' No Country For Old Men, Joel and Ethan Coen's version of the thriller by Cormac McCarthy, jumped eight places to number seven with US$3.1 million after boosting its theatre count in its second weekend. Currently playing in just 148 theatres, it will expand to 800 next weekend.
New Line Cinema's Love in the Time of Cholera, director Mike Newell's adaptation of Gabriel Garcia Marquez's tale of unrequited love, opened at number 10 with just US$1.9 million.
Warner Bros. Pictures and New Line Cinema are units of Time Warner Inc. 20th Century Fox is a unit of News Corp. Miramax Films is a unit of Walt Disney Co.
Top 10 box office listings
1. Beowulf, US$28.1 million.
2. Bee Movie, US$14.3 million.
3. American Gangster, US$13.2 million.
4. Fred Claus, US$12 million.
5. Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium, US$10 million.
6. Dan In Real Life, US$4.5 million.
7. No Country For Old Men, US$3 million.
8. Lions For Lambs, US$3 million.
9. Saw IV, US$2.3 million.
10. Love in the Time of Cholera, US$1.9 million.
