Opening successfully, if slightly softer than expected, graphic novel adaptati﷽on V For Vendetta took the top spot in the US for the weekend. The tinderbox tale💦 of terrorism in an Orwellian future London rode a distinctly mixed critical wave but nonetheless lit a match in the mind of US moviegoers. V scored $26.1 million.
Down to second was Matthew McConaughey’s rom-com Failure To Launch, which continues to do well, following a hefty first weekend. Despite the dreadful title, it took in $15.8 million, losing a respectable 35% of business. Business-wise, Disney’s The Shaggy Dog dꦅid even better, dropping just 17% to $13.6 million for third. No trip to the vet for this mutt just yet.
The weekend’s other new opener – the only movie willing to cha🤡llenge V – was She’s The Man, ꦯwhich arrived in fourth with $11 million. The gender-swap update of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night (no, really) stars Amanda Byrne.
The rest of the chart was comprised of returning entries: The Hills Have Eyes continues to muddle in the middle, grabbing $8 million for fifth, while 16 Blocks took in $4.7 million at sixth place. Eight Below – AKA The Other Dog Movie – stays healthy, with a $4.1 million weekend and a running total of $73 million. Paul Walker will be using his share to pay off the debts from his stinker Running Scared, which has dropped like a stone out of the chart. Tyler Perry’s Medea&r꧙squo;s Family Reunion is now on the way down, stopping at eighth as it prepares to leave the top 10, just ahead of The Pink Panther, which made $2.5 million and has a total US take of $78.6 million. Readers: if this film gets a sequel, we’re blaming you. Finally, teen mermaid fable Aquamarine rounds out the chart with $2 million.
