Based on Sunday’s estimates, courtesy of boxofficemojo.com:
Did James Bond just get beaten by a bunch of penguins? Sean Connery would have sent Antarctica plummeting into the sea before suffering such an indignity.
1) Happy Feet: $42.3 million (Mark Pfeiffer, Reel Times Studios)
A monster first step out of the gate for Reel Times, surprisingly taking the top slot from the hyped-to-the-heavens “Casino Royale.”
2) Casino Royale: $40.6 million (Steve Wamsley, TSSU Productions)
Um, wow. Didn’t see this coming. Was it due to a long running time and therefore fewer screenings? Or was it because, like most Bond movies, it just wasn’t that good?
3) Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan: $14.4 million, $90.5 million to date (owner: Deb Medsker, Punch and Pie Pictures)
We’re skeptical to the claims of authenticity to the stories about kids flinging poo at cars after seeing “Borat,” but if I had to choose between that and those children becoming racist, misogynist, drunk jackasses, a little flying poo doesn’t seem so bad.
4) The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause: $8.2 million, $51.6 million to date (owner: Jason Zingale, Seven Strangers Productions)
Tim Allen hangs in there just long enough to get blown out of the theaters when the Christmas season is officially under way.
5) Flushed Away: $6.8 million, $48.8 million to date (owner: Kristin Dreyer-Kramer, Nights and Weekends)
The power of singing slugs, that’s all we can say.
6) Stranger than Fiction: $6.6 million, $22.9 million to date (owner: David Medsker, Scary Clown Studios)
That’s good, people. Send a loud and clear message to Will Farrell – or, more importantly, his agent – that says we only want to see Farrell make a complete fool of himself onscreen. Heaven help us. Scary Clown’s first pick is a disastrous one, even if the movie’s way better than you think.
7) Babel: $2.9 million, $12 million to date (Steve Wamsley, TSSU Productions)
Sleeper pick of the draft so far.
8) Saw III: $2.8 million, $74.6 million to date (Steve Wamsley, TSSU Productions)
If a girl wants to take her back to her house and show you her “rack,” run like the wind.
14) The Return: $1.7 million, $6.8 million to date (owner: Bill Clark, A Don’t Call Me Shirley Joint)
The biggest disappointment of the season so far, though it has unlikely company…
15) A Good Year: $1.6 million, $6.4 million to date (Nights and Weekends)
We blame the Benny Hill bit for thoroughly confusing everyone as to what kind of movie this was trying to be. But anyone who wants to put Abbie Cornish in their next movie has our blessing.
Gone from the list: Harsh Times. (TSSU). Hmmm, maybe “Snoop Dogg’s Hood of Horror” was the way to go after all…
Current standings:
1) TSSU Productions: $130.6 million
2) Punch and Pie Pictures: $90.8 million
3) Nights and Weekends: $55.2 million
4) Seven Strangers Productions: $51.6 million
5) Reel Times Pictures: $42.3 million
6) Scary Clown Studios: $22.9 million
7) A Don’t Call Me Shirley Joint: $6.8 million
8) What’s All This, Then?: $390,000 (“Fast Food Nation,” limited release)
Next week: Scary Clown unleashes its best weapon in “Déjà Vu,” Punch and Pie release “Deck the Halls,” TSSU opens “Bobby” in wide release, and Seven Strangers cover both ends of the intelligence spectrum with “Tenacious D in: The Pick of Destiny” and “The Fountain.” The web site projects that “The Fountain” will make $48 million. Not a chance.
