“Angels & Demons” was number one with $48.00 million, but the second Dan Brown novel-turned-movie made almost $30 million less than “The DaVinci Code” (2006), which opened with $77.07 million.

It didn’t take long for “Star Trek” to crack the $100 million mark… with $147.61 million, its now the biggest earner ever for the franchise… passing the $109.71 million mark held by “Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home” (1986).

“Monsters vs. Aliens” is still holding strong in its 8th week of release, actually moving up one spot from 8th to 7th as the rest of the field mostly moved down one spot.    Overall, the weekend earnings ($132 million) were down for a second straight weekend… 7% lower… but next weekends’ big openings of action franchiser ”Terminator Salvation” and the family friendly ”Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian” should turn that trend around.

 TOP MOVIES AT WEEKEND BOX OFFICE (estimated results):
1. “Angels & Demons” - $48.00 million (1st week)

2. “Star Trek” – $43.00 million
(2nd week, was #1 last week, lost 43%of audience from last week)

3. “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” – $14.80 million
(3rd week, was #2 last week, lost 44% of audience from last week)

4. “Ghosts of Girlfriends Past” – $6.86 million
(3rd week, was #3 last week, lost 33% of audience from last week)

5. “Obsessed”  – $4.55 million
(4th week, was #4 last week, lost 31% of audience from last week)

6. “17 Again” – $3.40 million
(5th week, was #5 last week, lost 20% from last week)

7. “Monsters vs. Aliens” – $3.00  million
(8th week, was #8 last week, lost 8% from last week)

8. “The Soloist” – $2.43 million
(4th week, was #7 last week, lost 39% from last week) 

9. “Next Day Air” – $2.28 million
(2nd week, was #6 last week, lost 45% from last week)

10. “Earth” – $1.68 million
(4th week, was #9 last week, lost 37% from last week)

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CLICK HERE FOR LAST WEEK’S BOX OFFICE REPORT 

“Angels & Demons” poster courtesy Sony Pictures

Box Office numbers courtesy Box Office Mojo

(Updated 5/12/09) With $72.50 million “Star Trek” becomes the biggest opening weekend ever for the franchise and if you add in the $4 million on Thursday, its already the 5th highest grossing movie in the franchise, and easily on track to be just the 2nd to crack the $100 million mark. (See more on the Star Trek franchise at the box office below)

The comedy “Next Day Air” opened in 6th with just $4 million at the box office.

Returns for “The Chaos Experiment”, were limited at just two Grand Rapids area theaters over the weekend with just 225 tickets sold for the R-rated thriller.

Overall, the weekend offerings were actually down 6% at the box office from last weekend’s huge $150 million weekend.

 TOP MOVIES AT WEEKEND BOX OFFICE (estimated results):
1. “Star Trek” – $76.50 million (includes $4.0 million Thursday) (1st week)

2. “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” – $27.00 million
(2nd week, was #1 last week, lost 68% of audience from last week)

3. “Ghosts of Girlfriends Past” – $10.45 million
(2nd week, was #2 last week, lost 32% of audience from last week)

4. “Obsessed”  – $6.60 million
(3rd week, was #3 last week, lost 45% of audience from last week)

5. “17 Again” – $4.41 million
(4th week, was #4 last week, lost 30% from last week)

6. “Next Day Air” – $4.00 million (1st week)

7. “The Soloist” – $3.61 million
(3rd week, was #6 last week, lost 36% from last week)

8. “Monsters vs. Aliens” – $3.38  million
(7th week, was #5 last week, lost 42% from last week)

9. “Earth” – $2.49 million
(3rd week, was #7 last week, lost 43% from last week)

10. “Hannah Montana The Movie” – $2.41 million
(5th week, was #9 last week, lost 42% from last week)

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Breakdown of Star Trek movies historically at the box office:

STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE  (December 7, 1979)
Opening Weekend:  $11,926,421
Domestic Total Gross: $82,258,456

STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN  (June 4, 1982)
Opening Weekend:  $14,347,221
Domestic Total Gross: $78,912,963

STAR TREK III: THE SEARCH FOR SPOCK  (June 1, 1984)
Opening Weekend:  $16,673,295
Domestic Total Gross: $76,471,046

STAR TREK IV: THE VOYAGE HOME  (November 26, 1986)
Opening Weekend:  $16,881,888
Domestic Total Gross: $109,713,132* Highest grossing for franchise

STAR TREK V: THE FINAL FRONTIER  (June 9, 1989)
Opening Weekend:  $17,375,648
Domestic Total Gross: $52,210,049

STAR TREK VI: THE UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY  (December 6, 1991)
Opening Weekend:  $18,162,837
Domestic Total Gross: $74,888,996

STAR TREK: GENERATIONS  (November 18, 1994)
Opening Weekend:  $23,116,394
Domestic Total Gross: $75,671,125

STAR TREK: FIRST CONTACT  (November 22, 1996)
Opening Weekend:  $30,716,131
Domestic Total Gross: $92,027,888

STAR TREK: INSURRECTION  (December 11, 1998)
Opening Weekend:  $22,052,836
Domestic Total Gross: $70,187,658

STAR TREK: NEMESIS  (December 13, 2002)
Opening Weekend:  $18,513,305
Domestic Total Gross: $43,254,409

STAR TREK  (May 5, 2009)
Opening Weekend:  $72,500,000* Biggest opening for franchise
Domestic Total Gross: $76,500,000* so far

CLICK HERE FOR LAST WEEK’S BOX OFFICE REPORT 

“Star Trek” poster courtesy Paramount Pictures

Box Office numbers courtesy Box Office Mojo

“X-Men Origins Wolverine” was easily number one at the weekend box office with $87 million, but didn’t make as much as expected ($95 million).  The romantic-comedy “Ghosts of Girlfriends Past” debuted at 2nd with $15.33 million.  The animated action/adventure “Battle for Terra” was a distant 12th with just $1.06 million.

The weekend offerings gave the box office a 46% increase from last weekend, a big jumpstart to the summer movie season.

 TOP MOVIES AT WEEKEND BOX OFFICE (estimated results):
1. “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” – $87.00 million (1st week)

2. “Ghosts of Girlfriends Past” – $15.33 million (1st week)

3. “Obsessed”  – $12.20 million
(2nd week, was #1 last week, lost 57% of audience from last week)

4. “17 Again” – $6.36 million
(3rd week, was #2 last week, lost 45% from last week)

5. “Monsters vs. Aliens” – $5.80  million
(6th week, was #5 last week, lost 32% from last week)

6. “The Soloist” – $5.60 million
(2nd week, was #4 last week, lost 42% from last week)

7. “Earth” – $4.18 million
(2nd week, was #5 last week, lost 53% from last week)

8. “Fighting” – $4.17 million
(2nd week, was #8 last week, lost 62% last week)

9. “Hannah Montana The Movie” – $4.08 million
(4th week, was #8 last week, lost 37% from last week)

10. “State of Play” - $3.66 million
(3rd week, was #7 last week, lost 47% from last week)

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11. “Fast and Furious” – $2.73 million
(5th week, was #9 last week, lost 56% of audience from last week)

12. “Battle for Terra” – $1.06 million (1st week)

13. “Taken” - $0.82 million
(14th week, was #20 last week, gained 129% from last week, adding 44 theaters)

14. “I Love You, Man” – $0.72 million
(7th week, was #11 last week, lost 63% from last week)

15. “Knowing” – $0.55 million
(7th week, was #12 last week, lost 72% from last week)

CLICK HERE FOR LAST WEEK’S BOX OFFICE REPORT 

“X-Men Origins Wolverine” poster courtesy 20th Century Fox

Box Office numbers courtesy Box Office Mojo

The four new movies helped turn around a two week decline at the box office: the top 12 combined for nearly $104 million at the box office, a 3.6% increase from last weekend.

 TOP MOVIES AT WEEKEND BOX OFFICE (estimated results):
1. “Obsessed”  – $28.5 million (1st week)

2. “17 Again” – $11.67 million
(2nd week, was #1 last week, lost 51% of audience from last week)

3. “Fighting” – $11.44 million (1st week)

4. “The Soloist” – $9.72 million (1st week)

5. “Earth” – $8.55 million (1st week)

6. “Monsters vs. Aliens” – $8.52  million
(5th week, was #4 last week, lost 36% from last week)

7. “State of Play” - $6.89 million
(2nd week, was #2 kast week, lost 51% from last week)

8. “Hannah Montana The Movie” – $6.37 million
(3rd week, was #3 last week, lost 53% from last week)

9. “Fast and Furious” – $6.06 million
(4th week, was #5 last week, lost 49% of audience from last week)

10. “Crank: High Voltage” – $2.40 million
(2nd week, was #6 last week, lost 66% from lat week) 

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11. “I Love You, Man” – $1.94 million
(6th week, was #9 last week, lost 42% from last week)

12. “Knowing” – $1.94 million
(6th week, was #8 last week, lost 46% from last week)

CLICK HERE FOR LAST WEEK’S BOX OFFICE REPORT 

“Obsessed” poster courtesy Screen Gems

Box Office numbers courtesy Box Office Mojo

But the bigger story here is that the box office was down 20% from last weekend, the 4th lowest weekend of the year’s 17 weekends so far.

 TOP MOVIES AT WEEKEND BOX OFFICE (estimated results):
1. “17 Again” – $24.06 million (1st week)

2. “State of Play” - $14.10 million (1st week)

3. “Monsters vs. Aliens” – $12.90  million
(4th week, was #3 last week, lost 41% from last week)

4. “Hannah Montana The Movie” – $12.67 million
(2nd week, was #1 last week, lost 61% from last week)

5. “Fast and Furious” – $12.29 million
(3rd week, was #2 last week, lost 55% of audience from last week)

6. “Crank: High Voltage” – $6.51 million (1st week) 

7. “Observe and Report” – $4.06 million
(2nd week, was #4 last week, lost 63% from last week)

8. “Knowing” – $3.48 million
(5th week, was #5 last week, lost 46% from last week)

9. “I Love You, Man” – $3.37 million
(5th week, was #6 last week, lost 46% from last week)

10. “The Haunting in Connecticut” – $3.15 million
(4th week, was #7 last week, lost 47% from last week)

CLICK HERE FOR LAST WEEK’S BOX OFFICE REPORT 

“17 Again” poster courtesy New Line Cinema

Box Office numbers courtesy Box Office Mojo

Last week’s number one “Fast and Furious” lost a staggering 59% of its audience from its record-breaking opening weekend.  “Monsters vs. Aliens” held on to third place, staying ahead of new movies “Observe and Report” that earned just $11 million and “Dragonball Evolution” that barely cracked the top 10 with $4.65 million in 8th place.

“Sunshine Cleaning” lost the least of the top 15 movies, down less than 1% from the previous weekend… “Knowing” and “I Love You, Man” are also holding onto their audience, losing just 18% and 17% from last week.

 TOP MOVIES AT WEEKEND BOX OFFICE (estimated results):
1. “Hannah Montana The Movie” – $34.00 million (1st week)

2. “Fast and Furious” – $28.78 million
(2nd week, was #1 last week, lost 59% of audience from last week)

3. “Monsters vs. Aliens” – $22.62  million
(3rd week, was #2 last week, lost 31% from last week)

4. “Observe and Report” – $11.14 million (1st week)

5. “Knowing” – $6.67 million
(4th week, was #4 last week, lost 18% from last week)

6. “I Love You, Man” – $6.41 million
(4th week, was #5 last week, lost 17% from last week)

7. “The Haunting in Connecticut” – $5.71 million
(3rd week, was #3 last week, lost 40% from last week)

8. “Dragonball Evolution” – $4.65 million (1st week) 

9. “Adventureland” – $3.43 million
(2nd week, was #6 last week, lost 40% from last week)

10. “Duplicity” – $2.99 million
(4th week, was #7 last week, lost 28% from last week)

—

11. ”Race to Witch Mountain” – $2.00 million
(5th week, was #8 last week, lost 28% from last week)

12. “Sunshine Cleaning” – $1.80 million
(5th week of limited release, was #10 last week, lost 0.2% from last weekend)

13. “Taken” – $1.12 million
(11th week, was #13 last week, lost 27% from last week)

CLICK HERE FOR LAST WEEK’S BOX OFFICE REPORT 

“Fast & Furious” poster courtesy Universal Pictures

Box Office numbers courtesy Box Office Mojo

In addition to breaking the April record, “Fast and Furious”’s $72.51 million was nearly as much as all of the Top 12 movies combined for the same weekend in 2008 ($80.22 million April 4-6, 2008).

“Adventureland” opened in 6th place, while “Sunshine Cleaning” cracked the top 10 as it opened in West Michigan for the first time.

So much for staying power, “Watchmen” drops out of Top 10 in just its 5th week (from 8th to 13th)… meanwhile “Taken” holds on in its 11th week, losing 41% of its audience from last week, moving just 2 spots (2 new movies) from 9th to 11th.   But “I Love You, Man” lost the least of the top 15 movies, down just 38% from the previous weekend. 

 TOP MOVIES AT WEEKEND BOX OFFICE (estimated results):
1. “Fast and Furious” – $72.51 million (1st week)

2. “Monsters vs. Aliens” – $33.51 million
(2nd week, was #1 last week, lost 44% of audience from last week)

3. “The Haunting in Connecticut” – $9.55 million
(2nd week, was #2 last week, lost 59% from last week)

4. “Knowing” – $8.13 million
(3rd week, was #3 last week, lost 45% from last week)

5. “I Love You, Man” – $7.85 million
(3rd week, was #4 last week, lost 38% from last week)

6. “Adventureland” – $6.01 million (1st week)

7. “Duplicity” – $4.30 million
(3rd week, was #5 last week, lost 44% from last week)

8. ”Race to Witch Mountain” – $3.35 million
(4th week, was #6 last week, lost 42% from last week)

9. “12 Rounds” – $2.30 million
(2nd week, was #7 last week, lost 57% from last week)

10. “Sunshine Cleaning” – $1.88 million
(4th week of limited release, was #11 last week, gained 48% from last weekend, adding 312 theaters, including West Michigan)

—

11. “Taken” – $1.58 million
(10th week, was #9 last week, lost 41% from last week)

12. “The Last House on the Left” (2009) – $1.31 million
(4th week, was #10 last week, lost 50% from last week)

13. “Watchmen” - $1.09 million
(5th week, was #8 last week, lost 60% from last week)

14. “Slumdog Millionaire” - $0.51 million
(21st week, was #12 last week, lost 56% from last week)

CLICK HERE FOR LAST WEEK’S BOX OFFICE REPORT 

“Fast & Furious” poster courtesy Universal Pictures

Box Office numbers courtesy Box Office Mojo

Last week’s number one “Knowing”, number two “I Love You, Man”, and number three “Duplicity” dropped two spots, holding their order from last week, but “I Love You, Man” lost the least from last week, just 29% of its audience while “Knowing” lost 40% of its audience and “Duplicity” lost 46% from last week.

“Sunshine Cleaning”, which opens in Grand Rapids market this Friday, nearly cracked the Top 10 in its 3rd week of limited release, despite playing in just 167 theaters nationwide. 

 TOP MOVIES AT WEEKEND BOX OFFICE (estimated results):
1. “Monsters vs. Aliens” – $58.20 million (1st week)

2. “The Haunting in Connecticut” – $23.01 million (1st week)

3. “Knowing” – $14.71 million
(2nd week, was #1 last week, lost 40% of audience from last week)

4. “I Love You, Man” – $12.60 million
(2nd week, was #2 last week, lost 29% from last week)

5. “Duplicity” – $7.56 million
(2nd week, was #3 last week, lost 46% from last week)

6. ”Race to Witch Mountain” – $5.64 million
(3rd week, was #4 last week, lost 56% from last week)

7. “12 Rounds” – $5.30 million (1st week)

8. “Watchmen” - $2.76 million
(4th week, was #5 last week, lost 60% from last week)

9. “Taken” – $2.70 million
(9th week, was #7 last week, lost 34% from last week)

10. “The Last House on the Left” (2009) – $2.61 million
(3rd week, was #6 last week, lost 55% from last week)

—

11. “Sunshine Cleaning” – $1.34 million
(3rd week of limited release)

12. “Slumdog Millionaire” - $1.14 million
(20th week, was #8 last week, lost 58% from last week)

14. “Paul Blart: Mall Cop” - $0.83 million
(11th week, was #11 last week, lost 55% from last week)

15. “He’s Just Not That Into You” – $0.47 million
(8th week, was #12 last week, lost 62% from last week)

69. “Fanboys” - $0.01 million (opened 3/6 in West Michigan)
(8th week, playing in just 28 theaters nationally, 2 more than last week)

CLICK HERE FOR LAST WEEK’S BOX OFFICE REPORT 

“Monsters vs. Aliens” poster courtesy Summit Entertainment

Box Office numbers courtesy Box Office Mojo

“Taken” continues to hold on, now in its 8th week of release, it is losing less than the movies that have been in theaters for fewer weeks, losing 38% of its audience from last week while “Watchmen” lost 62%, “Last House on the Left” lost 58%, and “Race to Witch Mountain” lost 47% of the audience from last week.

 TOP MOVIES AT WEEKEND BOX OFFICE (estimated results):
1. “Knowing” – $24.81 million (1st week)

2. “I Love You, Man” – $18.00 (1st week)

3. “Duplicity” – $14.40 million (1st week)

4. ”Race to Witch Mountain” – $13.00 million
(2nd week, was #1 last week, lost 47% from last week)

5. “Watchmen” - $6.73 million
(3rd week, was #2 last week, lost 62% from last week)

6. “The Last House on the Left” (2009) – $5.92 million
(2nd week, was #3 last week, lost 58% from last week)

7. “Taken” – $4.10 million
(8th week, was #4 last week, lost 38% from last week)

8. “Slumdog Millionaire” - $2.70 million
(19th week, was #6 last week, lost 46% from last week)

9. “Tyler Perry’s Madea Goes to Jail” – $2.50 million
(5th week, was #5 last week, lost 51% from last week)

10. “Coraline” – $2.14 million
(7th week, was #9 last week, lost 21% from last week)

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11. “Paul Blart: Mall Cop” - $1.88 million
(10th week, was #7 last week, lost 40% from last week)

12. “He’s Just Not That Into You” – $1.27 million
(7th week, was #8 last week, lost 57% from last week)

 13. “Confessions of A Shopaholic” – $0.76 million
(6th week, was #11 last week, lost 61% from last week)

56. “Fanboys” - $0.01 million (opened 3/6 in West Michigan)
(7th week, playing in just 26 theaters nationally, 1 fewer than last week)

CLICK HERE FOR LAST WEEK’S BOX OFFICE REPORT 

“Knowing” poster courtesy Summit Entertainment

Box Office numbers courtesy Box Office Mojo

New at Theaters (Friday): “Duplicity”, “I Love You, Man”, “Knowing”, “Super Capers” (limited, playing in several theaters in Grand Rapids market)

 Watch the trailer for “Duplicity”

Watch the trailer for “I Love You, Man”

Watch the trailer for “Knowing”

Watch the trailer for “Super Capers”

BEST BET: “I Love You, Man” is a funny R-rated buddy comedy that is a good man-date movie choice and could be a date night movie with wife or girlfriend… “Duplicity” is a crime/thriller with Julia Roberts and Clive Owen that looks pretty good, but have not seen yet …. and “Knowing” is a sci-fi/thriller that is good, but might be a better rental because you could be disappointed after paying full price for your movie ticket and concessions.

 CLICK HERE TO FIND A MOVIE SHOWTIME

New on DVD (Tuesday): “Elegy”, “Punisher: War Zone”, “Twilight” (Saturday 3/21) 

BEST BET: “Twilight” was the big event movie for fans of the book, it won’t be available to rent/buy until Saturday, while “Elegy” had some early Oscar buzz for the acting performances of Penelope Cruz and Ben Kingsley, if you like superhero movies and waited to see “Punisher: War Zone”… and you’ve seen everything else (10 new movies on DVD last week), now may be the time to see it.

MY REVIEWS OF OTHER MOVIES CURRENTLY PLAYING IN THEATERS OR AVAILABLE TO RENT: 

Playing at West Michigan movie theaters:
“Slumdog Millionaire” (9.5/ 10)
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (9.5 / 10)
“The Wrestler” (8.9 / 10)
“Defiance” (8.0 / 10)
“I Love You, Man” (8.0/ 10)
“Revolutionary Road” (7.9 / 10)
“New in Town” (7.9 / 10)
“Taken” (7.5 / 10)
“Fanboys” (8.5 for me, adjusted to 7.5 for most)
“Quantum of Solace”  (7.5 / 10)
“He’s Just Not That Into You” (7.5 / 10)
“Bride Wars” (7.5 / 10)
“Marley & Me” (7.5 / 10)
“Four Christmases”  (7.5 / 10)
“Paul Blart: Mall Cop” (7.0 / 10)
“Knowing” (7.0 / 10)
“Watchmen” (7.0 / 10)
“Bedtime Stories” (7.0 / 10)
“Hotel for Dogs” (7.0 / 10)
“The Day the Earth Stood Still” (6.5 / 10)
“Confessions of A Shopaholic” (5.5 / 10)

- – -

Available to rent or buy:
“The Dark Knight” (9.5 / 10)
“Changeling”  (9.5 / 10)
“WALL-E” (9.0)
“Pride and Glory” (9.0 / 10)
“Righteous Kill” (8.9 / 10)
“Eagle Eye” (8.5 / 10)
“Burn After Reading” (8.5 / 10)
“Wanted” (8.0 / 10)
“The Visitor” (8.0 / 10)
“Australia”  (7.9 / 10)
“Frozen River” (7.9 / 10)
“Traitor” (7.5 / 10)
“The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian”
“Get Smart” (7.0 / 10)
“Twilight”  (7.0 / 10)
“Appaloosa” (6.9 / 10)
“Lakeview Terrace” (6.5 / 10)
“Hellboy II: Golden Army” (6.5 / 10)
“Noise” (6.0 / 10)

- – - 

Next Week at Theaters: “12 Rounds”, “The Haunting in Connecticut”, “Monsters Vs. Aliens”

Next Week on DVD: “Big Stan”, “Bolt”, “Quantum of Solace”,

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