Hollywood Deep

Jerry Seinfeld’s “Bee Movie” buzzed to the top of the box office, overtaking last weeks #1, “American Gangster,” starring Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe. The DreamWorks/ Paramount animated comedy flick, packed in family crowds to pull in $26 million, raising its total to $72.2 million, in two weeks.

“Our bee has legs,” said Anne Globe, head of worldwide marketing for DreamWorks Animation. “This weekend really shows that the ‘Bee Movie’ is a must-see show this holiday season.”

For the first time since July 2005, a movie climbed from a lower opening spot to No. 1 at the box office. “Bee Movie,” a silly animated film written and voiced by Seinfeld about a bee that sues the human race for stealing honey. I guess all that shameless promoting and plugging by Seinfeld on every talk show and during every commercial break for every TV show on every network paid off. My God… the movie cost $150 million to make, I imagine the advertising budget is approaching the same. I’m tired of hearing about it, but it does look like it will do good business through the holidays.

“American Gangster,” was a strong No. 2 with $24.3 million in sales, lifting its total to $80.7 million. Last week’s impressive numbers made Ridley Scott’s film, which stars Washington as a 1970s Harlem drug lord and Crowe as the cop trying to take him down, this fall’s top opener so far, and marked the biggest opening for both actors.

Adult audiences had put “American Gangster” ahead on Friday, but weekend matinee crowds lifted “Bee Movie” to the top spot. “Bee Movie” is positioned well for Thanksgiving next week, when children will be out of school. The Warner Bros. family comedy “Fred Claus,” with Vince Vaughn as the black-sheep brother of Santa (Paul Giamatti), opened at No. 3 with $19.2 million. MGM and Tom Cruise’s United Artists released the Robert Redford directed, “Lions for Lambs,” co-starring Cruise, Redford and Meryl Streep in a drama interlocking three stories in the war on terror, premiered at No. 4 with $6.7 million.

So with 2 family movies out and hot as we go into the holidays, the adult themed movies will continue to have to take a backseat at the box office. Look for “Bee” and “Claus” to clean up through the holiday season.
…Totally Deep!

Weekend Box Office

1. “Bee Movie,” $26 million.
2. “American Gangster,” $24.3 million.
3. “Fred Claus,” $19.2 million.
4. “Lions for Lambs,” $6.7 million.
5. “Dan in Real Life,” $5.9 million.

IMDB Box Office Chart

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