'Interpreter' Takes Box-Office Crown
Nicole Kidman and Sean Penn's "The Interpreter " translated into solid box-office as the United Nations thriller debuted with $22.8 million to top the weekend for Hollywood.
The weekend's other main debut, Ashton Kutcher and Amanda Peet's romantic comedy "A Lot Like Love," had a so-so opening of $7.7 million, coming in at No. 4, according to studio estimates Sunday.
Expanding nationwide after two weeks in limited release, Stephen Chow's action comedy "Kung Fu Hustle" was No. 5 with $7.3 million, lifting its total domestic gross to just over $8 million.
Anthony Anderson's kidnapping comedy "King's Ransom," so bad it wasn't screened critics, finished in 10th place with just $2.4 million.
In limited release, the documentary "Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room" opened strongly with $70,000 at three theaters. The film offers an inside portrait of the corporate scandal at the energy company.
Overall business was down for the ninth-straight week, with the top 12 movies taking in $83.4 million, off a fraction from the same weekend last year.
"The Interpreter ," directed by Sydney Pollack, stars Ms. Kidman as a U.N. translator at the center of an assassination plot after she overhears a death threat against an African dictator. Mr. Penn co-stars as a federal agent.
Reviews generally were positive, with critics calling "The Interpreter " an unusually brainy thriller. "I think audiences were anxious for any good, solid story," said Nikki Rocco, head of distribution for Universal, which released "The Interpreter ."
The movie was a rare triumph for older audiences, with the over-35 crowd making up 60% of the film's viewers. The under-25 audience that drives most of the box office was divided among several movies, including "The Amityville Horror" and "A Lot Like Love."
"You look at the demographic and go, how can 'The Interpreter' be No. 1? But if you put the right movie in the marketplace, the older audience will go," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations.
"A Lot Like Love," which received mixed reviews, fell short of distributor Disney's hopes that it would hit $10 million over opening weekend. Considering Kutcher's solid box-office history, including the current hit "Guess Who," the performance of "A Lot Like Love" was another sign of audience disinterest in what Hollywood has had to offer the last two months.
The slump has left the industry limping into its busy summer season, with such big titles as "Star Wars: Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith," "Kingdom of Heaven" and "The Longest Yard" due out in May.
"There hasn't been that breakout picture the public's jumping to see yet, but it'll happen. It's just around the corner," said Chuck Viane, Disney head of distribution. 美国周末票房榜榜单
妮可?吉德曼 (Nicole Kidman) 和西恩?潘 (Sean Penn) 主演的《翻译风波》 (The Interpreter) 周末票房表现强劲，这部以联合国为背景的惊悚片首映进帐 2,280 万美元，居票房榜榜首。
本周另外一个首映重头戏是艾什顿?库奇 (Ashton Kutcher) 和阿曼达?皮特 (Amanda Peet) 主演的浪漫戏剧《相见恨早》 (A Lot Like Love) ，该片表现平平，只录得了 770 万美元，位居票房榜第四。
周星驰的动作戏剧《功夫》 (Kung Fu Hustle) 在小范围放映两周后扩大到全国院线，上周末票房为 730 万美元，位居第五，其总票房收入略高于 800 万美元。
安东尼?安德森 (Anthony Anderson) 的《国王的赎金》 (King's Ransom) 取得 240 万美元的成绩，位居票房榜第 10 位。
在三家影院局部放映的纪录片《屋内聪明人》 (Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room) 开局强劲，取得 7 万美元佳绩。这部电影描述了能源公司安然 (Enron) 的公司丑闻内幕。
上周末总体票房连续第 9 周下滑，前 12 名电影的票房收入为 8,340 万美元，略低于去年同期水平。
周末票房榜： 1. 《翻译风波》 (The Interpreter) ， 2,280 万美元 2. 《鬼哭神嚎》 (The Amityville Horror) ， 1,420 万美元 3. 《撒哈拉》 (Sahara) ， 900 万美元 4. 《相见恨早》 (A Lot Like Love) ， 770 万美元 5. 《功夫》 (Kung Fu Hustle) ， 730 万美元 6. 《极度狂热》 (Fever Pitch) ， 545 万美元 7. 《罪恶之城》 (Sin City) ， 370 万美元 8. 《男生女生黑白配》 (Guess Who) ， 350 万美元 9. 《机器人历险记》 (Robots) ， 330 万美元 10. 《国王的赎金》 (King's Ransom) ， 240 万美元来源： Exhibitor Relations Co.
