Weekend of January 9 – 11, 2009

Clint Eastwood’s “Gran Torino” raced to the top of the North American box office this weekend with $29 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday.

The film, which stars Eastwood as a veteran bonding with a Hmong teenager, easily shook off its competition after expanding into 2,808 theaters. Its domestic total currently stands at $40 million.

Debuting at No. 2 with $21.5 million was Gary Winick’s latest comedy “Bride Wars,” starring Anne Hathaway and Kate Hudson as best friends who become the worst enemies after their weddings are accidentally booked on the same day.

Meanwhile, new entry “The Unborn” finished third with $21 million. The David S. Goyer-directed horror flick focuses on a young woman (Odette Yustman) haunted by the spirit of an unborn child.

Last week’s box office champ “Marley & Me” dropped to No. 4, earning $11.3 million and lifting its cumulative gross to $123.7 million. Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston star as a married couple struggling to raise what they call the world’s worst dog.

At No. 5, David Fincher’s “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” took home another $9.4 million this weekend. The Brad Pitt vehicle about a man who ages backwards reached a total haul of $94.3 million after three weeks in release.

Slipping to sixth place was Adam Sandler’s comedy “Bedtime Stories,” which brought its cumulative gross to $97.1 million after this weekend’s earnings of $8.5 million.

Following at No. 7 was Tom Cruise’s WWII drama “Valkyrie,” which picked up $6.6 million for a domestic total of $71.5 million. At No. 8, Jim Carrey’s comedy “Yes Man” pulled in $6.1 million ($89.4 million total gross).

“Not Easily Broken,” this week’s third new release, debuted in ninth place with $5.6 million. Based on the novel by T.D. Jakes, the drama focuses on a couple struggling to keep their marriage alive.

Rounding out the top 10 with $3.9 million was Will Smith’s latest drama “Seven Pounds,” which brought its cumulative gross to $66.8 after four weeks in release.

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