Ticket sales at the box office in North America plunged this weekend as
pre-Christmas snow undermined openings of two new movies starring Jim Carrey and
Will Smith, according to preliminary box office figures released yesterday.
Jim Carrey comedy "Yes Man" debuted in the number one at box office in US and
Canadian theaters with US$18 million in projected sales over the three-day
period, Los Angeles-based box office tracking firm Media By Numbers reported.
The Warner Bros. production entered the Christmas cinema derby as "another
holiday hit" for the 46-year-old rubber-faced comedian, the firm said. Warner's
comedy "Four Christmases" has been on display in theaters for three weeks with
strong performances.
Debuting in second place was Sony/Columbia drama "Seven Pounds" starring Will
Smith. The film is expected to sell US$16 million worth of tickets over the
weekend with an audience that is 55 percent female.
Another new release over the weekend, the mouse cartoon "The Tale of
Desperaux" from Universal, debuted in third with an estimated US$10.5 million in
ticket sales.
Rounding out the top 5 movies this weekend were sci-fi movie "The Day The
Earth Stood Still" with US$10.1 million and "Four Christmases" with US$7.7
million.
The 12 top-selling movies took in US$82.8 million collectively this weekend,
down 44 percent from the same period last year, as snowstorms in many areas
across the United States were keeping movie-goers at home.
