June 28, 2005
LAND OF THe DEAD OPENS WITH AN IMPRESSIVE #5 OPENING WEEKEND SLOT
George Romero's latest zombie opus, Land of the Dead, which screamed into fifth place with $10.2 million. The modestly budgeted R-rated horror flick, featuring Dennis Hopper and a bunch of ticked off flesh-eating undead, opened in fewer sites and had a better per-theater average than Herbie--$4,545 average at just 2,249 locations.
Despite the latest Caped Crusader still pulling strong numbers and the arrival of the three major new films, the top 12 movies grossed $117.6 million, down 15 percent from the same time last year, when Fahrenheit 9/11 heated up the megaplex. It was the 18th straight down weekend, passing the dubious record set in 1985 as the longest slump since trackers began keeping detailed tabs on the minutiae of weekend grosses.
Here is a rundown of the top 10 films based on figures compiled by Exhibitor Relations:
1. Batman Begins, $27.6 million
2. Bewitched, $20.1 million
3. Mr. & Mrs. Smith, $16.8 million
4. Herbie: Fully Loaded, $12.7 million
5. George A. Romero's Land of the Dead, $10.2 million
6. Madagascar, $7.4 million
7. Star Wars: Episode III--Revenge of the Sith, $6.1 million
8. The Longest Yard, $5.5 million
9. The Adventures of Shark Boy & Lava Girl in 3-D, $3.5 million
10. Cinderella Man, $3.4 million