Invincible Takes Hollywood’s Top Spot

Are you ready for some football?

Fans anxious for the season to start looked to theatres for their gridiron fix over the weekend, as Mark Wahlberg’s Invincible, a Walt Disney tale about a real-life walk-on who signed with the Philadelphia Eagles in the 1970s, debuted as the top movie with $17 million.

Invincible stars Wahlberg as Vince Papale, a substitute teacher that made the Eagles’ special-teams squad in open tryouts. It’s another feel-good sports hit from Disney, which also brought you The Rookie and Miracle.

“They make people feel good, and they can relate to the underdog,” said Chris LeRoy, general sales manager at Disney. “They are sports-related stories, but I think these movies transcend the sport and get right to characters that people relate to.”

After a surprising opening of its own, New Line’s Snakes On A Plane fell from top spot all the way to sixth despite a continuing whirlwind of Internet buzz. Even a plot that involves Samuel L. Jackson as a federal agent battling killer snakes on a redeye flight wasn’t enough to keep the gravy plane flying.

Among other openers, the Warner Bros. booze bash Beerfest opened in fourth place with $6.5 million. Universal’s Idlewild, starring Andre Benjamin and Antwan A. Patton of OutKast, premiered in ninth with $5.9 million.

Expanding to its widest release yet, Fox Searchlight’s independent hit Little Miss Sunshine made an unexpected push to third with $7.5 million, averaging $5,245 in 1,430 theatres.

“Movie-goers do not live by blockbusters alone,” said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations.

“They want to see these more interesting character studies and quirky, offbeat movies. That’s reflected in the grosses for both of these movies.”

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

1. Invincible, $17 million.

2. Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, $8 million.

3. Little Miss Sunshine, $7.5 million.

4 (tie). Beerfest, $6.5 million.

4 (tie). Accepted, $6.5 million.

6. Snakes on a Plane, $6.4 million.

7. World Trade Centre, $6.39 million.

8. Step Up, $6.2 million.

9. Idlewild, $5.9 million.

10. Barnyard: The Original Party Animals, $5.4 million.