‘Chihuahua’ leads Disney’s domination at box office
Beverly Hills Chihuahua held off seven other films that either debuted or expanded nationwide.
The family comedy did $29 million, according to studio estimates from box office tracking firm Nielsen EDI.
The opening met most analysts' expectations and gave Disney a lopsided win at the box office.
The Shia LaBeouf thriller Eagle Eye held well from its No. 1 debut, taking second place with $17.7 million. It has done $54.6 million in 10 days.
The Michael Cera comedy Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist was third, taking in $12 million and nearly recouping its $13 million budget in one weekend.
The Richard Gere-Diane Lane romantic drama Nights in Rodanthe was fourth with $7.4 million, while the Western Appaloosa expanded nationwide and was fifth with $5 million.
Audiences had political offerings on the left and right. An American Carol, a send-up of Michael Moore, did a respectable $3.8 million, good for No. 9. Religulous, the skewering of religion from comedian Bill Maher, was 10th with $3.5 million, though it was playing on only 500 screens and had more than three times the per-screen average of Carol.
The Greg Kinnear biopic Flash of Genius was 11th with $2.3 million, while the Julianne Moore drama Blindness was No. 12 with $2 million.
The only other major newcomer, the comedy How to Lose Friends & Alienate People, did $1.4 million, about half what analysts projected.
The crop of new movies helped ticket sales surge 44% over the same weekend last year.
Final figures are due Monday.