LOS ANGELES, Nov. 2 (Xinhua) -- Disney's
song-and-dance film "High School Musical 3: Senior Year," which opened last week
as the biggest-grossing musical movie ever, remained atop the box office in
North America this weekend, according to preliminary figures released Sunday.
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Director of the movie Kenny Ortega (C)
holds Manly 'Little Pickles' Ortega from the movie, as he poses with cast
members Ashley Tisdale (L) and Zac Efron at the premiere of the movie
"High School Musical 3: Senior Year" at Galen Center in Los Angeles Oct.
16, 2008.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>> |
The first big-screen version and third installment of
the original made-for-television franchise by Disney Channel is expected to take
in 15 million dollars over the three-day period, with 61.8 million dollars over
two weeks in U.S. and Canadian theaters.
Meanwhile, HSM3 took in about 26 million dollars
overseas this weekend, being No. 1 in each of its 26 international markets and
with a foreign total of 85 million dollars since its release. It has grossed
nearly 150 million dollars globally in just 10 years.
The Weinstein Company's comedy "Zack and Miri Make a
Porno" debuted in No. 2 with 10.7 million dollars. The R-rated film is about two
cash-strapped roommates who try to make adult films to pay off their bills.
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Cast member Vanessa Hudgens greets fans
at the premiere of the movie "High School Musical 3: Senior Year" at Galen
Center in Los Angeles Oct. 16, 2008. The movie opens in the U.S. on Oct.
24. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>> |
Last week's runner-up "Saw V" slipped to No. 3 with
10.1 million dollars over the weekend, while "Changeling" from Oscar-winning
director Clint Eastwood and actress Angelina Jolie, was in No. 4 with 9.4
million dollars as it expanded to wide release.
In "Changeling," which was based a legal case in
1920s Los Angeles, Jolie played a single mother who fights against the city's
bureaucratic police department after her son disappears.
New release "The Haunting of Molly Hartley," a horror
film from Freestyle Releasing, was in No. 5 with 6 million dollars over the
Halloween weekend, which saw Hollywood's overall sales slumping as the holiday
fell on Friday coincidentally this year.
The top-selling 12 movies took in about 75.17 million
dollars collectively this weekend, down about 38 percent from the same period
last year. It was the first "down" weekend for Hollywood after five "up"
weekends.
"High School Musical 3" dances to top
of worldwide weekend box office
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Cast member Ashley Tisdale poses at the
premiere of the movie "High School Musical 3: Senior Year" at Galen Center
in Los Angeles Oct. 16, 2008.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>> |
LOS ANGELES, Oct. 26 (Xinhua) -- "High School Musical
3: SeniorYear" danced to the top of worldwide box office this weekend, as the
Disney teenager film taking in 42 million U.S. dollars in North America and 40
million dollars overseas in its opening weekend, according to studio estimates
released Sunday.
The first big-screen adaptation of Disney's popular
television movie series has racked up the best opening receipts for a movie
musical ever in Hollywood's history, overpassing the ABBA-inspired "Mama Mia,"
which set the previous opening record for a musical with 27.8 million dollars in
July. Full story