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Adam Sandler comedy clicks with moviegoers
2006-06-26
Adam Sandler's dark comedy "Click" debuted at the top of the North American box office, driving animated feature "Cars" into second place in its third weekend, according to studio estimates released on Sunday. The Sony Pictures film about a father who gets a TV-like remote control for life and fast forwards to career success at the expense of family obligations grossed $40 million on its opening weekend despite largely negative reviews. "Click," the only North American debut by a major studio this weekend, marked the fourth time since 1999 that a movie starring the former "Saturday Night Live" star opened to $40 million or more. Most box office watchers are predicting that next week's release of "Superman Returns" from Warner Bros. Pictures could be a key indicator of whether the industry can shake off a two-year box office slump. That film has generated strong reviews and much publicity ahead of its opening on Wednesday. As for Sandler, he once again proved he is a major box office draw. "It is a terrific opening. Adam is probably one of the top celebrities that delivers in this way," said Rory Bruer, president of domestic distribution at Sony Pictures. Bruer added that "Click" gave Sandler his strongest debut ever in Australia, where the movie grossed $3 million over the weekend. Last year's "The Longest Yard" still stands as Sandler's biggest opening domestically with a $47.6 million dollar gross over the key Memorial Day holiday weekend in 2005. 'LONG LEGS' "Click" ousted the latest Disney-Pixar movie "Cars" from its two-week pole position at the box office. But the computer-animated feature took in a solid $22.5 million Friday through Sunday, raising its total over three weeks to $155.9 million. "It demonstrates that this movie has long legs," said Disney spokesman Dennis Rice. "Cars," which tells the story of a talking race car named Lightning McQueen, is the seventh Disney-Pixar film and their first collaboration since Walt Disney Co. acquired Pixar in January for $7.4 billion. Taking the No. 3 spot this weekend with $12.1 million was Paramount Picture's quirky comedy "Nacho Libre," starring Jack Black as a cook in a Mexican orphanage who moonlights as a wrestler. "Waist Deep," a thriller aimed mainly at black and Latino audiences from the Rogue Pictures banner of Focus Features, was the only other wide debut this weekend. It landed in fourth place with $9.4 million. Street-racing franchise "The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift" finished the weekend at No. 5 with tickets sales of $9.2 million. Universal's "The Break-Up," starring "Friends" veteran Jennifer Aniston, slipped to seventh place with $6.1 million but that was enough to push its cumulative box office haul past the key $100 million mark to $103.7 million. Blockbusters "X-Men: The Last Stand" from 20th Century Fox and Sony's "The Da Vinci Code" remained in the top 10 with cumulative tallies of $224 million and $205.5 million respectively. Reuters/VNU
Hollywood clings to box-office lead (2006-07-03)Superman flexes muscle at front of box office (2006-07-02)Adam Sandler comedy clicks with moviegoers (2006-06-26)Sandler comedy clicks with $40M debut (2006-06-26)Hollywood needs hits from "Superman," "Pirates" (2006-06-23)
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