Top Dog Marley Still Gnawing Competition

(NEWSER) - After breaking the box office record for best Christmas Day opener, Marley & Me stayed top dog with $51.7 million this weekend, Variety reports. Brad Pitt vehicle The Curious Case of Benjamin Button finished behind ex-wife Jennifer Aniston’s puppy flick, but still earned a surprising $39 million. Bedtime Stories was a close third with $38.6 million, while Valkyrie and Yes Man rounded out the top five. More»

(NEWSER) - Clint Eastwood’s vigilante flick Gran Torino smashed box office competition and his career record this weekend, earning $29 million, Variety reports. The film has grossed $40.1 million total after a prior monthlong limited run. Wedding comedy Bride Wars placed second with $21.5 million, followed by The Unborn, Marley & Me, and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. More»

(NEWSER) - Foreign audiences are totally into Marley and Me, the Owen Wilson/Jennifer Aniston vehicle, which topped the international box office last weekend with $14.2 million, Variety reports. Marley’s success—it’s beating Watchmen, among others—runs counter to traditional wisdom about foreign taste for US yuks leaning more to boorish guy movies. Strong showings for Confessions of a Shopaholic and Bride Wars seem to confirm the trend. More»

(NEWSER) - Is the so-called "Oscar bump" fading? Academy favorites like Slumdog Millionaire and Frost/Nixon are stalled at the box office this year; only The Reader has filled more seats since being nominated. Yes, a stream of bona fide Hollywood hits has held them back, but it's more than that, Patrick Goldstein writes in the Los Angeles Times. No one cares about the gold statuettes anymore. "The Oscars have become a hollow brass ring." More»

Yes Man comes out on top during a quiet weekend at theaters

(NEWSER) - The Northeast's weather outside was frightful, but elsewhere, audiences found Jim Carrey's Yes Man delightful, reports Variety. The Carrey comedy topped depressed box office returns with just $18.2 million, while Will Smith's drama Seven Pounds took No. 2 with $16 million—the lowest opening for Smith since 2001. The Tale of Despereaux, The Day the Earth Stood Still, and Four Christmases rounded out the top five. More»