US Box Office
Despite the drunken racial slurs from writer/director Mel Gibson, Apocalypto still managed to outrun extinction, and ended up at the top spot. Getting in $14.2 million though, is in stark contrast to The Passion of the Christ, which managed to open with $84 million. Though, maybe good word of mouth might do the trick the coming weeks, just as it did with The Passion.
At two, something less bloody and without subtitles, is Nancy Meyers written/directed comedy The Holiday, with $13.5 million.
The following two spots are for the left-overs, Happy Feet with $12.7 million, and Casino Royale with $8.8 million.
Rounding out the top 5, is also a new entry, thriller Blood Diamond, starring Lonardo DiCaprio and Djimon Hounsou, with $8.5 million. This might be considered a financial bomb, with a hefty $100 million budget. Even with the slow box office slide and family friendly flicks opening next week (Charlotte’s Web and Eragon), Apocalypto with a $40 million budget is a safer bet to break even.