Box Office Update 6/5-6/7: Hangover Slips Past Everyone

Who would have guessed it? Did anyone else think that The Hangover had a shot of claiming the top spot? Not I, that is for certain. No way did I think it would outdo the well-received Up or even the negative buzz surrounding Land of the Lost. I mean, it is an R-rated, guy-centric comedy that is sure to have its share of raunch and is most definitely not safe for the family set. Not that I am complaining, mind you. The Todd Phillips directed comedy is one of the funniest films I have seen in some time. It eschews the Apatow-formula and brings in a solid mystery. See it when you can.

Coming in a very close second is Pixar's latest slice of genius, Up. The film has been very well received and performed strong in its second weekend out, dropping just 35% from its debut weekend. The movie is a masterful blend of heart, comedy, and adventure, and stands as one of Pixar's best films, not to mention one of the best of the year. This is one to take the family to.

Finishing a distant third is the latest Will Ferrell vehicle, the reimagined Land of the Lost. I am glad to see this falling so far behind because the film is just really bad. It is poorly acted, lazily plotted, and is just really annoying. I was glad when it was over. I guess now we have answer to "What will be this year's answer to Speed Racer?"

Slipping down a couple spaces is the sequel to the 2006 hit Night at the Museum. This is another film I cannot claim to be a fan of, but I would rather pay to see this again than see Land of the Lostagain for free. Despite my lack of liking, the film is performing well at the box office and is a legitimate alternative to Up.

Retaining its top five slot is Star Trek. The best performing film of the season so far, a position it will likely retain until Transformers 2 arrives. If you are looking for a film that is filled with fun, adventure, action, comedy, and heart, this is your one stop shop. It is a film that delivers a grand new universe with familiar characters that does not shred the original series upon which it is based.

The bottom five is rounded out by lesser performers like the disappointing Terminator: Salvation. there is also Drag Me to Hell, which is doing about what I expected, although it is much better than the numbers would indicate.

The lower half also has its own new release with the Nia Vardalos romantic comedy My Life in Ruins. It appears to be a film that will not match the insane success off My Big Fat Greek Wedding.

Coming next week is the remake of The Taking of Pelham 123, with Denzel Washington and John Travolta. Also hitting theaters nationwide is the latest Eddie Murphy family comedy, Imagine That.

Three movies dropped off the top ten this week: X-Men Origins: Wolverine (11), Ghosts of Girlfriends Past (12), and Obsessed (18).

This Week	Last Week	Title	Wknd Gross	Overall	Week in release
1	N	The Hangover	$44,979,319	$44,979,319	1
2	1	Up	$44,138,266	$137,210,701	2
3	N	Land of the Lost	$18,837,350	$18,837,350	1
4	2	Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian	$14,634,988	$127,326,188	3
5	5	Star Trek	$8,310,480	$222,712,175	5
6	3	Terminator: Salvation	$8,248,387	$105,568,008	3
7	4	Drag Me to Hell	$7,040,550	$28,233,230	2
8	6	Angels & Demons	$6,550,282	$116,174,931	4
9	N	My Life in Ruins	$3,223,161	$3,223,161	1
0	7	Dance Flick	$1,958,725	$22,625,733	3

Box Office Predictions Recap
Unbelievable. I am incredibly shocked that The Hangover did as well as it did, couple that with the flop that Land of the Lost is turning out to be and you have the first truly shocking weekend of the season. As far as my guesses go, you can probably figure out two of the films I was way off on. As or the rest, I still was not all that great on positions, save the last few, but my dollar amounts were pretty darn close. In retrospect, it is easy to see why Lost underperformed, it is a really bad movie.

Here is how the field matched up:

Actual	Prediction	Title	Wknd Gross	Prediction
2	1	Up	$44,138,266	$41 million
3	2	Land of the Lost	$18,837,350	$32 million
1	3	The Hangover	$44,979,319	$22 million
4	4	Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian	$14,634,988	$15 million
7	5	Drag Me to Hell	$7,040,550	$8.5 million
6	6	Terminator: Salvation	$8,248,387	$8 million
5	7	Star Trek	$8,310,480	$7 million
8	8	Angels & Demons	$6,550,282	$6 million
9	9	My Life in Ruins	$3,223,161	$4 million
10	10	Dance Flick	$1,958,725	$2 million