Jack Black Pinned By 'Cars' In Close Box-Office Match
Not even the allure of Jack Black leaping and fighting in spandex could knock "Cars" off its course at the box office this weekend.
The animated Disney-Pixar flick held tight to the #1 position at the box office, fending off newcomers including "Nacho Libre" by earning more than $31.1 million. "Cars" features the voices of Owen Wilson and Paul Newman and centers on a racecar whose quest for speed takes a detour in a slow-moving small town.
Coming in close behind this week is "Nacho Libre," which debuted at #2 with more than $27.5 million. The comedy stars Black as a cook in a Mexican monastery who decides to become a Lucha Libre wrestler to earn money to buy better food for the children living in an orphanage. Though Nacho is a skilled wrestler, he must hide his side hustle from the elders at the monastery who have forbidden anyone from participating in the sport (see [article id="1534378"]"Tights, Camera, Action: Jack Fights For Good In 'Nacho Libre' ")[/article].
Another car flick (this one aimed at adults) zoomed into the top 10 this week. "The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift," the third installment in the street-racing series, bowed at #3 with more than $24 million. Lucas Black stars in the film about a racer who moves to Tokyo to escape the watching eyes of the authorities in his hometown, and finds new action in the underground world of drift racing (see [article id="1534320"]" 'The Fast And The Furious' -- Now With Brains Under The Hood "[/article]).
Opening at #4 with more than $13.6 million is "The Lake House," starring Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock as would-be lovers who find their romance stunted by a wrinkle in time that has them living two years apart.
With three new releases debuting strongly this week, "The Break-Up" tumbled from #2 to #5 with more than $9.5 million. The romantic comedy stars Jennifer Aniston and Vince Vaughn as a couple who agree to split but can't see eye to eye on who should get the apartment they share, and decide instead to live there together anyway (see [article id="1533270"]"Aniston And Vaughn Fight For Laughs In The So-Familiar-It-Hurts 'Break-Up' ")[/article].
"Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties" bowed at #6 with $7.2 million. The film, which mixes live actors and animated animals, finds Garfield involved in a case of mistaken identity. When he follows his owner, Jon Arbuckle, to England, Garfield is believed to be a more noble cat who has recently inherited a castle.
Rounding out the box-office top 10 this week are "X-Men: The Last Stand," which falls from #3 to #7 with more than $7.1 million; "The Omen," which drops from #4 to #8 with more than $5.3 million; "The Da Vinci Code," which slips from #5 to #9 with $5 million; and "Over the Hedge," which slides from #6 to #10 with more than $4 million.
Overall, ticket sales were up from the corresponding weekend last year.
Next week, look for "Click" and "Waist Deep" to debut on the box-office top 10.
See everything we've got on "Cars", "Nacho Libre" and "The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift."
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