Box Office: Pixar's 'Up' catches solid $68M

Weekend of May 29 – 31, 2009

Pixar’s “Up” safely landed at the No. 1 spot at the North American box office this weekend with $68.2 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday.

Directed by Peter Docter, the animated family adventure opened at 3,766 locations, scoring an average of $18,109 per theater. The story follows a 78-year-old widower who decides to fulfill his dream and take his entire house on a trip to South America.

Last week’s champion “Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian” dropped to second place, earning another $25.5 million for a domestic total of $105.2 after a strong two-week run.

Debuting at No. 3 with $16.6 million from 2,508 locations was Sam Raimi’s horror flick “Drag Me to Hell.” In the film, Alison Lohman plays an ambitious loan officer whose life turns into a living hell after she’s cursed by a creepy old lady.

Meanwhile, McG’s action spectacle “Terminator Salvation” took home $16.1 million in fourth place, lifting its total haul to $90.6 million after two weeks in release. J.J. Abrams’ “Star Trek” followed at No. 5 with a weekend gross of $12.8 million and a cume of $209.5 million.

At No. 6, “Angels & Demons” collected another $11.2 million, bringing its domestic total to $104.7 million. In the Ron Howard-directed film, Tom Hanks reprises his role as Robert Langdon, who heads to the Vatican to solve a murder and help prevent a ruthless terrorist attack.

“Dance Flick,” the latest spoof comedy by the Wayans brothers, slipped to seventh place this weekend, pulling $4.9 million for a cumulative gross of $19.2 million after two weeks in release.

At the bottom of the top 10, “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” picked up $3.9 million at No. 8 ($170.8 million total), while “Ghosts of Girlfriends Past” reached a cume of $50 million thanks to weekend earnings of $1.9 million in ninth place.

Finally, Beyonce Knowles’ thriller “Obsessed” finished tenth with $665,000, lifting its domestic total to $67.5 million after six weeks in release.

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