Walt Disney’s “High School Musical 3: Senior Year” danced to the top of the North American box office Friday with an estimated $16.9 million in ticket sales.

The third installment in the popular series is the first to hit the big-screen, opening at 3,623 locations – the widest release this weekend. The film should have no major trouble holding on to the No. 1 spot.

Debuting in second place with $14.1 million was David Hackl’s horror sequel “Saw V,” followed by John Moore’s “Max Payne” at No. 3 with $2.6 million. The latter’s domestic total currently stands at $24.6 million.

The weekend’s third wide release, “Pride and Glory” only made it to No. 4, collecting $2.3 million at 2,585 sites. Gavin O’Connor’s crime drama centers on a family of NYPD cops involved in a major corruption investigation.

At No. 5, “Beverly Hills Chihuahua” finished with $1.8 million, lifting its cumulative gross to $73 million. Check back tomorrow for the full three-day box office results.

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

“Max Payne” delivered a strong performance at the North American box office Friday with $7.1 million at the No. 1 spot.

The John Moore-directed adaptation of the popular video game had the widest release at 3,376 locations this weekend, gaining an early lead in what could transform into a solid three-day gross Sunday.

Debuting in second place with $3.8 million was Oliver Stone’s “W.,” which chronicles the life and career of George W. Bush. Following closely at No. 3 was “The Secret Life of Bees,” which collected $3.6 million in ticket sales.

Things didn’t work out that well for “Sex Drive,” the week’s fourth wide release. Sean Anders’ comedy about a loser who takes a road trip to meet his online girlfriend opened at No. 9 with only $1.3 million.

Meanwhile, “Beverly Hills Chihuahua” dropped to fourth place, earning $3 million and reaching a total haul of $60.9 million. At No. 5, “Eagle Eye” picked up $2.2 million to bring its domestic total to $76.2 million.

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

By Franck Tabouring
Weekend of October 10 – 12

“Beverly Hills Chihuahua” clung to the top spot at the North American box office this weekend with $17.5 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday.

Walt Disney’s family adventure outran its competition by gaining momentum Saturday, lifting its domestic total to $52.5 million after two weeks in release. Directed by Raja Gosnell, the story centers on a spoiled chihuahua ending up astray in Mexico.

Debuting in second place with $14.2 million was Screen Gems’ horror remake “Quarantine,” which follows a group of people struggling to survive a night in a quarantined building.  

Following closely at No. 3 was Ridley Scott’s thriller “Body of Lies,” which collected $13.1 million at 2,710 locations. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe, the film follows two CIA agents on their quest to hunt down an international terrorist.

Click to read more ...

John Erick Dowdle’s “Quarantine” topped the North American box office Friday with an estimated $5.3 million in ticket sales. It was an easy win for the horror remake, which debuted at 2,461 locations this weekend.

Following in second place was last weekend’s champion “Beverly Hills Chihuahua,” which took home another $4.5 million to reach a domestic total of $39.5 million after one week in release.

At No. 3, new entry “Body of Lies” collected $4.3 million. Directed by Ridley Scott, the film stars Russell Crowe and Leonardo DiCaprio as two CIA agents struggling to locate a terrorist.

The remaining wide releases of the weekend had troubles competing against existing box office players. “The Express” debuted in sixth place with $1.5 million, while Gil Kenan’s family adventure “City of Ember” only made it to No. 11 with a disappointing $950,000.

Still going strong was D.J. Caruso’s action thriller “Eagle Eye,” which ranked fourth with a Friday gross of $3.2 million. Following at No. 5 was “Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist” with $2.1 million.

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

Walt Disney Pictures’ family comedy “Beverly Hills Chihuahua” continued its reign at the top of the North American box office Monday with an estimated $1.3 million in ticket sales.

Raja Gosnell’s adventure about a spoiled chihuahua ending up astray in Mexico lifted its total gross to $30.6 million after only four days in release. Following closely in second place was “Eagle Eye,” which earned $1.1 million and reached a cumulative of $55.7 million.

Peter Sollett’s romantic comedy “Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist” took home $693,010 in third place, bringing its domestic total to $12 million after a four-day run. Meanwhile, George C. Wolfe’s “Nights in Rodanthe” reached $25.6 million thanks to Monday’s earnings of $582,207.

At No. 5, Ed Harris’ Western “Appaloosa” finished with a daily gross of $488,451. Its total haul currently stands at $6 million.

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