Miami Vice Overtakes Top Spot At The Box Office

After three weeks of box office dominance by Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, another adventure set on water overtook the juggernaut, only this one is more about cops than robbers.

Thanks to a strong cast that includes Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx as legendary crime fighters Sonny Crockett and Ricardo Tubbs, Miami Vice claimed the top spot in Hollywood with a $25.2 million opening.

“It’s nice to be number one,” said Nikki Rocco, president of distribution at Universal Pictures.

Heavy on action and directed by Michael Mann, who created the 1980s television series, Vice drew in an impressively large adult audience, with 62 per cent over the age of 30.

“It’s what our expectations were,” Rocco said. “We tried to do something different. There has been a lot of criticism regarding unoriginal product. We took a TV series and made it very different.”

Not that it was a terrible week for Pirates, which in its third stint reached $358.4 million to become the highest grossing film in Disney’s history. It passed the $339.7 million earned by Finding Nemo.

“After posting the biggest opening weekend of all time, it is living up to the promise created that opening weekend,” said Paul Dergarabedian, president of Exhibitor Relations.

Disney’s also had a great deal of success with the Pixar film Cars, which has dropped from the top 10 but has still raked in $234.6 million to date, making it the second highest grossing film of the year and giving Disney the two best so far.

“It’s a very happy weekend,” said Chuck Viane, Disney’s head of distribution.

Elsewhere in the world of new releases, teen com-dram John Tucker Must Die pulled into third place with a modest $14 million.

However, with a budget of just $18 million and a solid audience base comprised predominantly of young females, the story four high school girls seeking revenge against an unfaithful boyfriend should wind up in the black.

Overall, box office revenues were up 6.3 per cent and attendance enjoyed a three per cent boost.

Here’s the rest of the weekend’s top 10, with all figures estimated according to Exhibitor Relations Co. Inc.

   1. Miami Vice, $25.2 million.

   2. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, $20.5 million.

   3. John Tucker Must Die, $14 million.

   4. Monster House, $11.5 million.

   5. The Ant Bully, $8.2 million.

   6. Lady in the Water, $7 million.

   7. You, Me and Dupree, $7 million

   8. Little Man, $5.1 million.

   9. The Devil Wears Prada, $4.8 million.

   10. Clerks II, $3.9 million.