By Franck Tabouring
Weekend of September 12 – 14, 2008

Joel and Ethan Coen’s “Burn After Reading” beat Tyler Perry at the North American box office this weekend with $19.4 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday.

Starring George Clooney, Frances McDormand, Brad Pitt and John Malkovich, the crime comedy delivered the best opening ever for a Coen brothers film, surpassing the $12.6 million earned by “The Ladykillers” in 2004.

Tyler Perry’s “The Family That Preys debuted in second place with $18 million, which is less than the opening weekend grosses of his previous films “Meet the Browns” ($20 million) and “Why Did I Get Married?” ($21.3 million).

Meanwhile, Jon Avnet’s crime drama “Righteous Kill” opened at No. 3 with $16.5 million. Starring Robert De Niro and Al Pacino, the film follows two veteran NYPD detectives struggling to hunt down a mysterious serial killer.

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By Franck Tabouring
Weekend of September 5 – 7, 2008

Nicholas Cage’s latest action vehicle “Bangkok Dangerous” topped the North American box office this weekend with $7.8 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday.

Danny and Oxide Pang’s remake ended the three-week reign of DreamWorks’ “Tropic Thunder,” leading an incredibly slow weekend as the only nationwide release. In the film, Cage stars as a lonely hit man who travels to Bangkok and falls in love with a local woman.  

Ben Stiller’s action comedy closely followed at No. 2, earning $7.5 million and reaching a domestic total of $96.8 million after four weeks in release. With Stiller, Jack Black and Robert Downey Jr. in the lead roles, the flick centers on a group of actors as they fight for survival in a dangerous jungle.

Meanwhile, “The House Bunny” climbed back up to No. 3, collecting $5.9 million. Starring Anna Faris as a former Playboy bunny who becomes the housemother of a geeky sorority, the Fred Wolf-directed comedy lifted its cumulative gross to $36.9 million.

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By Franck Tabouring
Weekend of August 29 – 31, 2008

“Tropic Thunder” ruled the North American box office for the third consecutive weekend with $11.5 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday.

Ben Stiller’s R-rated action comedy easily protected its No. 1 spot from this week’s four new releases, lifting its domestic total to $83.8 million. Released by DreamWorks, the film centers on a group of actors as they fight for survival in a dangerous jungle.

Debuting in second place with only $9.7 million was 20th Century Fox’s science-fiction adventure “Babylon A.D.,” which stars Vin Diesel as a mercenary who escorts a young woman (Mélanie Thierry) from Mongolia to New York City.

Meanwhile, Christopher Nolan’s summer hit “The Dark Knight” climbed back up to No. 3, earning $8.7 million and reaching a total gross of an impressive $502.4 million after seven weeks in release.

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By Franck Tabouring

Weekend of August 22 – 24, 2008

“Tropic Thunder” topped the North American box office for the second consecutive weekend with $16.1 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday.

Ben Stiller’s critically acclaimed action comedy managed to fend off a bunch of new releases, lifting its domestic total to $65.6 million after a solid two-week run. Starring Stiller, Jack Black and Robert Downey Jr., the film centers on a group of actors on the run from ruthless criminals.

Following closely in second place was new entry “The House Bunny,” which debuted with $15.1 million. The Fred Wolf-directed comedy stars Anna Faris as a Playboy bunny who becomes the housemother of an unpopular sorority after being tossed out of the mansion.

Opening at No. 3 with $12.2 million was Paul W.S. Anderson’s “Death Race,” in which Jason Statham plays a prisoner who’s forced to participate in a brutal car race.

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