The globe-trotting thriller “Jumper” leaped to a box office win with $27.2 million on a weekend when Hollywood offered something for everyone, with new films for action fans, teens, family audiences and the date-movie crowd.
Starring Hayden Christensen and Samuel L. Jackson in the tale of a man who can teleport himself instantly to any spot on the planet, 20th Century Fox’s “Jumper” has rung up $33.9 million since opening Thursday, according to studio estimates Sunday.
The new wide releases opened a day early, Valentine’s Day on Thursday, to get a head start at what studio executives viewed as a long holiday weekend, with President’s Day on Monday.
“Valentine’s Day has become a great movie-going day,” said 20th Century Fox distribution executive Bert Livingston. “Even though kids are not out of school and people are working, it’s still a holiday in the sense that in the evening, men take their wives, or girlfriends and boyfriends go out. Everybody goes to the movies.”
Debuting in second place was Disney’s teen dance sequel “Step Up 2 the Streets,” which pulled in $19.7 million for the weekend and $26.3 million since Thursday.
Paramount’s family fantasy “The Spiderwick Chronicles,” featuring Freddie Highmore and Mary-Louise Parker in the story of a mom and her kids who move into a house menaced by evil creatures, opened at No. 3 with a $19.1 million weekend. Since Thursday, it has taken in $26.8 million.
Universal’s romance “Definitely, Maybe,” with Ryan Reynolds as a dad looking back on his romantic life after he’s served with divorce papers, premiered at No. 5 with a weekend haul of $9.7 million.
The previous weekend’s top movie, the Warner Bros. romantic comedy “Fool’s Gold,” fell to fourth place with $13.1 million, raising its 10-day total to $42 million.
Despite the rush of solid openings, Hollywood was unable to match the weekend business of a year ago. The top 12 movies took in $119 million, down 16 percent from the same weekend in 2007, when “Ghost Rider” opened with $45.4 million, the best debut ever over President’s Day weekend.
“A record-breaking debut for ‘Ghost Rider’ led to a record-breaking President’s Day weekend last year. Inevitably, that was going to be very tough to beat,” said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box office tracker Media By Numbers.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Media By Numbers LLC. Final figures will be released Tuesday.
1. “Jumper,” $27.2 million.
2. “Step Up 2 the Streets,” $19.7 million.
3. “The Spiderwick Chronicles,” $19.1 million.
4. “Fool’s Gold,” $13.1 million.
5. “Definitely, Maybe,” $9.7 million.
6. “Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins,” $8.9 million.
7. “Juno,” $4.6 million.
8. “The Bucket List,” $4.1 million.
9. “Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert,” $3.3 million.
10. 27 Dresses,” $3.2 million.
Flicks
February 18, 2008
MOVIES: ‘Jumper’ hurtles to top of weekend box office
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MOVIES: Could 'Knight’ catch 'Titanic’ wave?
With $43.8 million this weekend, “The Dark Knight” becomes the year’s first movie to claim the box office throne for three straight weeks and appears destined to become at least the second-biggest film of all time.
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MOVIES: ‘Dark Knight’ sets weekend record with $155.34M
Batman has sent Spidey packing as king of Hollywood’s box-office superheroes.
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LIFESTYLE: Jivin' at the drive-in
As the drive-in theater readies for its 75th anniversary this summer, a group of local enthusiasts is banding together to make sure the seasonal icon is around for decades more.
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MOVIES: Silent film fest coming to NT
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FILM: On ’Quantum of Solace’ set, even the explosions are feeling lonely
Picking up an hour after “Casino Royale” left off, “Quantum of Solace” is Bond franchise’s first direct sequel. Filming began in January and has taken the crew from Britain to Panama to this moonlike landscape in northern Chile, which is standing in for Bolivia.
- MOVIES: '21' doubles down to stay on top The gambling tale “21” kept up its winning streak as it took in $15.1 million to stay on top of the box office for a second-straight weekend, leaving George Clooney’s “Leatherheads” and the family tale “Nim’s Island” to scrimmage for second place.
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MOVIES: 'Natural' party opens film fest
One of the best parts of filming “The Natural” for Craig Stonebraker was seeing the filmmakers play God for an afternoon.
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