Without the release of a big blockbuster this weekend, the race for first place was much tighter than we have seen in many, many weeks. The comedy I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry starring Adam Sandler, Kevin James and the eye candy that is Jessica Biel took home an estimated $34.8 million, a feat I predicted back in March… where I said the formula of an Adam Sandler comedy, catchy pop tune in trailer and a guy in make-up with terrible foreign accent = box office number one hit!

Remarkably the movie was made on a budget of $85 million, so a big opening like this was certainly required. The success of this movie just goes to show there’s lots of life still in this type of comedy movie, which probably bodes well for the Ben Stiller star vehicle The Heartbreak Kid in October.

The second highest new entry of the weekend was the much hyped Hairspray, which opened at 3 with a $27.8 million taking. The movie which was a remake of the 1988 flick of the same name, made around $17 million more than the original (if you count inflation) and is actually the highest opening ever for a Musical film.

Last week’s number one, Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix dropped a steep 58% in takings but this is actually consistent with the previous Potter flicks, as the movies rely on the fans of the series coming in the first few weeks rather than bringing in new blood to see it for the long haul. Transformers, Ratatoutille and Live Free or Die Hard continue to perform strongly, though you can’t help but feel that Die Hard’s $116 taking might have been higher had it opened in a different slot.

OPENING NEXT WEEK:

The Simpsons Movie, Sunshine (adds more theatres), I Know Who Killed Me, No Reservations, Who’s Your Candy?, Moliere (limited), Arctic Tale (limited), This Is England (limited)

source – box office mojo, imdb