Hancock Thwacks Box Office

(NEWSER) - The annual ranking of movie stars based on exhibitors' sentiment is out. Thing is, the Quigley Poll bases its list on what industry insiders think the stars brought in, not on hard numbers. Gina Serpe of E! takes a look at the discrepancies.

• Will Smith: Theater owners had a lot of confidence in the Hancock actor, putting him first in the poll. But his movies brought in just $271.8 million, paltry in comparison to the runners-up.

Spurs record sales on oft-quiet weekend

(NEWSER) - National Treasure: Book of Secrets dug up $45.5 million this weekend, taking top spot and spurring record sales at a time often stymied by Christmas prep, Variety reports. I Am Legend helped by clearing $34.2 million in second place, and Alvin and the Chipmunks kept singing with $29 million in third. More»

'Avengers' finally falls off the top spot

(NEWSER) - Men in Black: 3 turned out to be much more in the black than The Avengers , winning the three-day holiday weekend with a whopping $55 million domestically and $202 million worldwide. But, notes the Hollywood Reporter , it needs to do well to justify the $230 million Sony spent to make it. The Avengers, meanwhile, pulled in $37 million to put it at a hefty global gross of $1.3 billion. Battleship grabbed No. 3 honors with $10.8 million, while The Dictator took in $9.6 million, and Chernobyl Diaries pulled in $5 million, reports the AP . More»

Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones return for alien flick

(NEWSER) - Sure, no one was that desperate for a Men in Black 3—but it's actually a pretty good summer movie. Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones are back defending the planet from aliens, and this time, Josh Brolin's along for the ride as a young Jones.

• The movie "turns out to be so much fun," writes AO Scott in the New York Times . While it "carefully fulfills its blockbuster imperatives—with chases and explosions and elaborately contrived plot twists—it swerves into some marvelously silly, unexpectedly witty, and genuinely fresh territory."

'Avengers' keeps crushing the competition

(NEWSER) - Battleship barely raised anchor this weekend with a weak $25 million opening that could make it the next John Carter mega-flop. Even the action flick's $226 million international gross won't ease the pain unless domestic interest picks up, says the Hollywood Reporter . Avengers continued to wallop the domestic competition with $55 million, making it the fourth-highest grosser ever. Sacha Baron Cohen's Dictator took third ($17 million), followed by Johnny Depp's Dark Shadows ($12 million) and What to Expect When You're Expecting ($10 million). More»