Of the week’s new releases, Dreamworks’ Gnomeo and Juliet spoke to romantics and animation fans alike with almost $2m in takings over the weekend, while the Liam Neeson thriller Unknown was hot on its heels with almost $1.7m. Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son didn’t fare as well with takings under $1m, putting it in fifth, while the Nicole Kidman-starring drama Rabbit Hole failed to make any kind of dent on the box office at all, finishing in 12th. The King’s Speech refused to budge in its ninth week, with only five per cent less takings than the week prior.
Upcoming new releases include Hilary Swank’s Conviction, Bay/Spielberg-produced I Am Number Four with Adelaide’s Teresa Palmer and the Peter Weir-helmed epic The Way Back. As a new teen sci-fi franchise in the making, strong figures for I Am Number Four in its opening few weeks — particularly in the US — will be integral to the likelihood of future instalments.
AUSTRALIAN WEEKEND BOX OFFICE RESULTS
Film Title, Distributor, Box Office ($)
1. GNOMEO AND JULIET, WALT DISNEY, 1,935,671
2. UNKNOWN, WARNER BROS, 1,697,099
3. NO STRINGS ATTACHED, PARAMOUNT, 1,437,194
4. THE KING’S SPEECH, PARAMOUNT/TRANSMISSION, 1,133,295
5. BIG MOMMAS: LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON, FOX, 913,684
6. BLACK SWAN, FOX, 795,167
7. 127 HOURS, FOX, 719,080
8. TRUE GRIT, PARAMOUNT, 550,885
9. HEREAFTER, WARNER BROS, 534,753
10. JAMES CAMERON PRESENTS SANCTUM, UNIVERSAL, 353,481
Source: MPDAA
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