I Am Legend

"Legend" overtakes "Compass" at foreign box office

By Frank Segers

"Legend" overtakes "Compass" at foreign box officeBy Frank Segers
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - A week after it opened at No. 1 across North America, "I Am Legend" snatched the top spot at the international box office, ending the two-week reign of domestic dud "The Golden Compass."
Will Smith's sci-fi thriller earned an estimated $25.3 million from 15 markets, taking its foreign haul to $54.3 million after two weekends. "Legend" finished first in each of its seven new territories, including France ($7.6 million) and Spain ($5.8 million).
"The Golden Compass" followed with $23.9 million from 49 markets, lifting its international total to $130 million. The $180 million family fantasy has earned just $48 million after three weekends in North America.
New North American champ "National Treasure: Book of Secrets" opened at No. 3 internationally with $22.3 million from 17 markets. The Nicolas Cage adventure opened at No. 1 in all of its markets except Italy and Spain, where it was No. 2. The biggest bows were in Japan ($3.6 million) and Korea ($3.5 million). Openings in Russia and Mexico loom this weekend.
"Enchanted" was No. 4 internationally, grossing $15.8 million from 41 countries, lifting its foreign tally to $77.7 million. Key markets include the U.K. ($13.3 million) and France ($10.7 million).
"Alvin and the Chipmunks" came in at No. 5 with $13 million from 38 markets, of which 28 were new. The kids cartoon grabbed the No. 1 spot in Mexico with $1.7 million. The foreign total stands at $15.5 million.
Other totals include: "Beowulf" ($105 million), "The Heartbreak Kid" ($85.8 million), "Bee Movie" ($78 million), "American Gangster" ($55.1 million), "Hitman" ($41.3 million), "Elizabeth: The Golden Age" ($38.3 million), "Atonement" ($33 million) and "Fred Claus" ($22.8 million).
Reuters/Hollywood Reporter

Fairy tale enchants US film fans

Fairy tale enchants US film fans

Amy Adams in Enchanted
Enchanted pokes fun at Disney's animated fairy tales
US cinemagoers have fallen under the spell of Enchanted, a modern-day fairy tale starring Amy Adams.

The Disney film, which sees a cartoon princess exiled to real-life New York, topped the US and Canada box office, taking $35.3m (£17m) over the weekend.

Second place went to family comedy This Christmas, which took $18.6m (£8.9m), while animated fantasy Beowulf dropped to third, taking $16.2m (£7.8m).

The top five was rounded out by action film Hitman and animation Bee Movie.

Early studio estimates suggest that the top 12 films took $218.1m (£105.5m) over the five-day Thanksgiving weekend, which ran from Wednesday to Sunday.

Film studios will be pleased at the figures, which come after a two month-long slump at the box office.


US AND CANADA BOX OFFICE
Beowulf
1. Enchanted - $35.3m (£17m)
2. This Christmas - $18.6m (£8.9m)
3. Beowulf (pictured) - $16.2m (£7.8m)
4. Hitman - $13m (£6.3m)
5. Bee Movie - $12m (£5.8m)
Source: Media By Numbers
"This is good news for Hollywood," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box office analysts Media By Numbers. "This could end up being the second or third-biggest Thanksgiving weekend ever."

Disney's Enchanted took $50m (£24.1m) over the five-day weekend, making it the second highest Thanksgiving debut ever.

Only Toy Story 2 has fared better, with receipts of $80m (£36.8m) in 1999.

It has gained overwhelmingly positive reviews, in particular for leading lady Adams, previously best known for her Oscar-nominated role in quirky comedy Junebug.

"She truly has just this incredible exuberance you don't often see on screen," said the film's producer, Barry Josephson.

"She is a big surprise for people who don't know her. It's a breakout role."

Enchanted is released in the UK on 14 December.

New Disney princess Giselle has an enchanting royal lineage

By Susan Wloszczyna, USA TODAY

Enchanted's Giselle is a member of a very special royal "we," a sisterhood known as the Disney princesses.

As she journeys from the sun-dappled animated land of Andalasia to the harsh realities of modern-day Manhattan in the new romantic comedy, the trilling 'toon comes to 3-D life and pays tribute to such fellow fairy-tale heroines as Snow White and Cinderella while spoofing their telltale traits.

MORE: More enchanting, but obscure, Disney details

For instance, there probably isn't a Disney princess worth her tiara who doesn't have the power to instantly summon woodland creatures with the sound of her tinkling voice. Once Giselle pops up in the Big Apple, however, she has to settle for pigeons and rats instead of bunnies and bluebirds.

A few of the princesses have even scored cameos in Enchanted. The voice talent behind Ariel of The Little Mermaid (Jodi Benson) plays secretary to Patrick Dempsey's Robert, Belle of Beauty and the Beast (Paige O'Hara) turns up as a TV soap-opera actress, and Pocahontas (Judy Kuhn, who sang for the Native American princess) appears as a pregnant woman.