Ninja Turtles Return To Top The Box Office
Posted March 25, 2007 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The ninja turtles are back, and apparently people are excited to have them.
“TMNT,” Warner Bros. computer-animated return to the “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” comics, cartoons and live-action movies of the 1990s, debuted as the top weekend flick with US $25.45 million, knocking off two-time champion “300,” which managed $20.5 in its third go-round.
“It’s sequel time, dudes,” said Harvey Weinstein, co-chairman of the Weinstein Co., which is distributing the film.
“We knew from the inception of this project that the `TMNT’ characters would continue to resonate with audiences across the world.”
Paramount’s “Shooter,” a Mark Wahlberg vehicle in which he plays an ex-marine sniper framed for a presidential assassination, came in third with an opening of $14.5 million.
“The Last Mimzy” premiered in fifth place with $10.2 million and horror sequel “The Hills Have Eyes 2,” about National Guard troops who stumble upon a clan of mutant cannibals, opened at No. 7 with $10 million.
Despite heavy advertising, Adam Sandler’s Sept. 11 drama “Reign Over Me” had a soft opening, pulling in just $8 million and coming in eighth. The story of Sandler as a lost soul who uses an old friend (Don Cheadle) to reconnect with the world was not well received by critics or audiences.
Rounding out the new releases was Lionsgate’s sports tale “Pride,” which stars Terrence Howard and Bernie Mac in the story of a coach who starts a swim team for impoverished black youths in the 1970s. It opened with $4 million to come in at No. 9.
Though no film had a brilliant week, the line of new releases had business up in Hollywood , with the top 12 movies taking in $125.7 million. That’s up 28 per cent from the same weekend last year, when “Inside Man” debuted with $29 million.
Here’s the rest of the weekend’s top 10, with all figures estimated according to Media By Numbers LLC.
1. “TMNT,” $25.45 million.
2. “300,” $20.5 million.
3. “Shooter,” $14.5 million.
4. “Wild Hogs,” $14.4 million.
5. “The Last Mimzy,” $10.2 million.
6. “Premonition,” $10.1 million.
7. “The Hills Have Eyes 2,” $10 million.
8. “Reign Over Me,” $8 million.
9. “Pride,” $4 million.
10. “Dead Silence,” $3.5 million.
