Los Angeles – “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End” hit an ebb tide in its second weekend but still had enough buoyancy to hold the No. 1 spot at the box office.
With a $43.2 million weekend, Disney’s blockbuster sequel sank a steep 62.4 percent from its $114.7 million opening a week earlier, according to studio estimates today.
Universal’s romantic comedy “Knocked Up,” starring Katherine Heigl as a career woman who gets pregnant from a one-night stand with a slacker (Seth Rogen), debuted at a strong No. 2 with $29.3 million. The movie’s weekend gross equaled its entire production budget.
MGM’s thriller “Mr. Brooks,” with Kevin Costner as a mild-mannered businessman who moonlights as a serial killer, premiered in fourth place with $10 million.
Picturehouse’s sports tale “Gracie,” featuring Elisabeth Shue in a film inspired by tragic events in her own life and her teenage days as the only girl on a boys soccer team, opened at No. 7 with $1.4 million.
The big drop for “Pirates of the Caribbean” was typical of summer flicks that open to colossal numbers. In the second weekend, Sony’s “Spider-Man 3” tumbled 62 percent from its record $151.1 million debut, while DreamWorks Animation’s “Shrek the Third” fell 57 percent from its $121.6 million opening.
While big films once had longer shelf life, most blockbusters today aim to pack in the crowds the first weekend before audiences move on to the next hit. By the second weekend, most people who wanted to catch a big movie already have seen it.
With its mix of serious themes and bawdy humor, director Judd Apatow’s “Knocked Up” became a rare R-rated comedy to click with a mainstream audience, much as his “The 40-Year-old Virgin” did two years ago. Most Hollywood comedies have a softer tone to land a PG-13 rating.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through today at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Media By Numbers LLC:
1. “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End,” $43.2 million.
2. “Knocked Up,” $29.3 million.
3. “Shrek the Third,” $26.7 million.
4. “Mr. Brooks,” $10 million.
5. “Spider-Man 3,” $7.5 million.
6. “Waitress,” $2 million.
7. “Gracie,” $1.4 million.
8. “Bug,” $1.22 million.
9. “28 Weeks Later,” $1.2 million.
10. “Disturbia,” $1.1 million.
