By Franck Tabouring
Weekend of September 26 – 28, 2008

D.J. Caruso’s action blockbuster “Eagle Eye” stormed to the top of the North American box office this weekend with $29.2 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday.

DreamWorks’ Shia LaBeouf vehicle easily knocked out its competition after opening in 3,510 theaters and securing the top spot early on Friday. Co-starring Michelle Monaghan, the flick centers on a slacker and a single mother who are framed as terrorists and forced to participate in a major political assassination.

Debuting in second place with $13.5 million was George C. Wolfe’s romance drama “Nights in Rodanthe.” Based on the acclaimed novel by Nicholas Sparks and starring Richard Gere and Diane Lane, the movie follows two single parents who fall in love during a stormy weekend at an old beachside inn.  

Last weekend’s box office winner “Lakeview Terrace” dropped to No. 3, earning $7 million and lifting its cumulative gross to $25.7 million after two weeks in release. Directed by Neil LaBute, Sony’s thriller follows a racist cop (Samuel L. Jackson) who tries everything in his power to get his new neighbors to move out again.

Meanwhile, Alex Kendrick’s Christian-themed drama “Fireproof,” about a firefighter who embarks on a spiritual mission to save his marriage, ranked fourth this weekend with $6.5 million in ticket sales. Kirk Cameron, Erin Bethea and Ken Bevel star.

At No. 5, Joel and Ethan Coen’s comedy “Burn After Reading” took home $6.1 million, reaching a total haul of $45.5 million after a three-week run. Following closely in sixth place with $5.5 million was Anthony Leondis’ animated adventure “Igor,” which brought its domestic total to $14.3 million.

Jon Avnet’s crime drama “Righteous Kill” slipped to No. 7 this weekend, pulling in $3.8 million to reach a total of $34.8 million after three weeks in theaters. The film stars Robert De Niro and Al Pacino as two NYPD detectives hunting down a serial killer.

At the bottom of the box office chart we find Lionsgate’s comedy “My Best Friend’s Girl,” which reached a cumulative gross of $14.5 million thanks to weekend earnings of $3.8 million. Spike Lee’s new war drama “Miracle at St. Anna” only made it to ninth place with a disappointing $3.5 million.

Rounding out the top 10 was Tyler Perry’s “The Family That Preys,” which picked up $3.1 million for a total of $32.7 million after a decent three-week run. 

Source: Box Office Mojo (www.boxofficemojo.com)