Box Office: ‘Into You’ finds love at No. 1 spot

Weekend of February 6 – 8, 2009

Ken Kwapis’ comedy “He’s Just Not That Into You” topped the North American box office this weekend with an estimated $27.4 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday.

Featuring an all-star cast including Ben Affleck, Jennifer Aniston, Drew Barrymore, Justin Long, Scarlett Johansson and Ginnifer Goodwin, the film follows a bunch of adults discovering new truths about dating and married life.

Still going strong in second place was Pierre Morel’s thriller “Taken,” which reached a total haul of $53.3 million after weekend earnings of $20.3 million. Liam Neeson stars as a protective father hunting down those responsible for his daughter’s kidnapping.

Debuting at No. 3 with $16.3 million was Henry Selick’s 3D stop-motion adventure “Coraline.” Based on the book by Neil Gaiman, the film follows a curious girl who discovers a door to a parallel reality in her new home.

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Box Office: 'Taken' grabs No. 1 spot, pulls $24M

Weekend of January 30 – February 1, 2008

Pierre Morel’s action thriller “Taken” easily defeated its competition at the North American box office with $24.6 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.

Starring Liam Neeson, the film follows a former government operative who stops at nothing to find his daughter and punish those responsible for her kidnapping.

Last week’s box office champ “Paul Blart: Mall Cop” slipped to second place, earning another $14 million for a domestic total of $83.3 million after three weeks in release.

Meanwhile, new entry “The Uninvited” debuted at No. 3 with a weekend gross of $10.5 million. Charles and Thomas horror remake follows two sisters trying to convince their dad that his new girlfriend (Elizabeth Banks) is not who she pretends to be.

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Box Office: 'Paul Blart' defeats 'Underworld'

Weekend of January 23 – 25, 2008

“Paul Blart: Mall Cop” topped the North American box office for the second consecutive weekend with $21.5 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday.

Steve Carr’s family comedy starring Kevin James as a mall security guard successfully fought off its competition, lifting its domestic gross to an impressive $64 million after only two weeks in release.

Following closely in second place was new entry “Underworld: Rise of the Lycans,” which took home $20.7 million but failed to beat the $26.8 million opening weekend gross of its predecessor, “Underworld: Evolution.”

Things didn’t go so well for “Inkheart,” this weekend’s second wide release. The Iain Softley-directed adaptation of Cornelia Funke’s novel finished only in seventh place with $7.7 million. In the film, Brendan Fraser plays a man with the ability to bring characters out of books by reading them aloud.

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'Paul Blart: Mall Cop' wins Monday box office race

"Paul Blart: Mall Cop" continued its box office dominance Monday with $7.2 million in ticket sales. Steve Carr's comedy starring Kevin James lifted its total gross to $39 million.

Climbing to No. 2 with $5.4 million was Thor Freudenthal's "Hotel for Dogs," which brought its cumulative gross to $22.5 million. In the family film, Emma Roberts and Jake T. Austin star as two siblings rescuing a bunch of stray dogs.

Meanwhile, Clint Eastwood's drama "Gran Torino" slipped to third place, earning $4.2 million for a total haul of $77.2 million. Following at No. 4 was "Notorious," which reached a domestic total of $24 million after Monday's earnings of $3.4 million.

Lionsgate's horror remake "My Bloody Valentine 3-D" took home another $2.9 million for a total of $24.2 million at No. 5, while Gary Winick's comedy "Bride Wars" finished in sixth place with a daily gross of $2.3 million and a cume of $39.8 million.

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

Box Office: 'Paul Blart: Mall Cop' reigns supreme

Weekend of January 16 – 18, 2009

“Paul Blart: Mall Cop” secured the top spot at the North American box office this weekend with $33.8 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday.

Sony’s Steve Carr-directed family comedy stars Kevin James as a devoted security guard struggling to protect his mall against a bunch of ruthless crooks. The film just fell short of surpassing the $34.2 million opening weekend gross of James’ previous big-screen comedy, “I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry.”

Still going strong at No. 2 was Clint Eastwood’s drama “Gran Torino,” which earned $22.2 million for a total gross of $73.2 million after six weeks in release. Eastwood stars as a racist Korean War vet who forms an unlikely bond with a Hmong teenager living next door.

Debuting in third place with $21.9 million was Patrick Lussier’s remake “My Bloody Valentine 3-D.” The film focuses on what happens in the mining town of Harmony 10 years after a bloody Valentine’s Day massacre.

Meanwhile, Fox Searchlight’s biopic “Notorious” finished fourth with an impressive $21.5 million at 1,638 locations. The film chronicles the short life and fame of East Coast rapper Biggie Smalls, also known as Notorious B.I.G.

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'Hotel for Dogs' web reviews

In Thor Freudenthal's family flick "Hotel for Dogs," Emma Roberts and Jake T. Austin star as two siblings who set out to rescue stray dogs and hide them in an abandoned hotel. Let's see what the Web's critics say about this latest dog movie:

• Scott Gwin at CinemaBlend: "The final product is one hundred minutes worth of cinematic babysitting that parents will be able to pop into the DVD player to keep the youngsters quiet."

• Jette Kernion at Cinematical: "If you're over the age of ten, 'Hotel for Dogs' has little to offer but doggie antics -- still, there are plenty of those to enjoy, and you can always ignore the human characters during the occasional canine-free lulls in the film."

• Kevin Carr at FilmSchoolRejects: "Ultimately, the dogs are a MacGuffin, and the real story is about the orphaned kids, and the human element isn’t all that interesting."

Review: "Hotel for Dogs"

Seen on: January 17, 2009

The players: Director: Thor Freudenthal, Writers: Todd Farmer, Zane Smith, Cast: Emma Roberts, Don Cheadle, Jake T. Austin, Lisa Kudrow, Kevin Dillon

Facts of interest: Emma Roberts also starred in "Nancy Drew."

The plot: A bunch of kids rescue stray dogs and secretly hide them in an abandoned hotel.

Our quick thoughts: Woof! The dogs are back on the big screen. In Thor Freudenthal’s new family adventure “Hotel for Dogs,” 16-year-old Andi (Emma Roberts) and her younger brother Bruce (Jake T. Austin) embark on a risky mission to rescue stray dogs and hide them in an abandoned downtown hotel.

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'Paul Blart' secures No. 1 spot at Friday box office

Kevin James' new comedy "Paul Blart: Mall Cop" topped the North American box office Friday with an estimated $9.7 million in ticket sales. In the Steve Carr-directed film, James plays a security guard trying to protect his mall from a group of crooks.

Debuting at No. 2 with a surprising $8.2 million was "Notorious," which opened at only 1,637 locations this weekend. New entry "My Bloody Valentine 3-D" followed in third place, earning $8.2 million also. "Notorious" emerged as the movie with the higher theater average.

Meanwhile, Clint Eastwood's "Gran Torino" slipped to No. 4, collecting $6.2 million and reaching $57.2 million. The movie follows a racist Korean War veteran who forms an unusual bond with a Hmong teenager.

At No. 5, Thor Freudenthal's family adventure "Hotel for Dogs" debuted with $4.3 million. Emma Roberts and Jake T. Austin star as two siblings rescuing stray dogs and hiding them in an abandoned hotel.

Other Friday box office results: "Defiance" finished eighth with a daily gross of $2.7 million; "Last Chance Harvey" pulled in $1.2 million at No. 12; and "Revolutionary Road" took home $480,000 at No. 18.

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

Trailer radar: ‘Hotel for Dogs’

Do you love dogs? Do you enjoy seeing them on the big screen? If you do, make sure you check out “Hotel for Dogs” on Jan. 16, 2009.

In the film directed by Thor Freudenthal, a group of friends rescue every stray dog in town by offering them shelter in a vacant building.

Emma Roberts, Jake T. Austin, Troy Gentile, Lisa Kudrow and Don Cheadle star. Check out the latest trailer for the film after the jump.

I’m sick of dog flicks, really, but at least these don’t talk. That’s always some form of consolation.

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