Proposal Scores at Box Office

Box office performance for latest flick a mystery

(NEWSER) - Though it’s called Funny People, Adam Sandler’s latest film is a bit more serious than his fans are used to—and its opening-weekend performance is a mystery, Variety reports. Forecasts range from just over $20 million to more like $35 million, Audiences loved director Judd Apatow’s prior efforts—which were more upbeat than the R-rated, 2½-hour Funny People. More»

(NEWSER) - Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince conjured up a weekend box-office win with $79.5 million, bringing its 5-day total to $159.7 million, Bloomberg reports. The Hogwarts sequel trailed only Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen for the year's best bow. Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs ($17.7 million), Transformers ($13.8 million), Bruno ($8.4 million) and The Hangover filled out the top five. More»

(NEWSER) - Sandra Bullock made a name for herself in romantic comedies but “can’t stand” them now, America's Sweetheart tells the Wall Street Journal. “I always read scripts and go, ‘I want to change the role of Sam to Samantha because it’s written better,’” Bullock says, citing the genre’s penchant for underselling female roles. And that’s what makes her new film The Proposal stand out. 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»

Chick flick laffer helps spark 17% ticket surge

(NEWSER) - Comedy sparked a box office comeback this weekend as Baby Mama banked $18.3 million from mostly female film-goers, Variety reports. Also fueling the 17.2% hike over last year's frame were stoner sequel Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay with $14.6 million in second, and Jackie Chan's Forbidden Kingdom with $11.2 million in third. More»