"Officially" starting the Summer Movie Season with somewhat of a fizzle are a pair of wide release newcomers and a handful of hangers-on. Ridley Scott‘s "Kingdom of Heaven" took the #1 spot by a healthy margin, although total box office numbers continue to lag as compared to last year. "Heaven" grossed an estimated $20 million on 3,200 screens, which was more than enough to give it the top spot, despite hauling in less cash than anticipated. In second place …
… was Elisha Cuthbert‘s horror remake "House of Wax," which grossed about $12.2 million at 3,100 theaters. Dropping 57% from its opening weekend was Disney’s "The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy," which made $9.1m in its sophomore session. In fourth place was New Line’s race-relations drama "Crash," which pulled in a fairly impressive $9.1m on less than 1,900 screens. In fifth was the Nicole Kidman / Sean Penn political thriller "The Interpreter," which added another $7.5m to a box office total that presently stands at $54m total. Next Friday sees a quartet of releases that will try to make a quick killing before "Revenge of the Sith" overtakes the multiplexes: the Will Ferrell soccer comedy "Kicking & Screaming" and the J. Lo / Jane Fonda concoction "Monster-in-Law" open in wide release, while the crime thrillers "Mindhunters" and "Unleashed" open semi-wide. As always you can get a closer look at the box office numbers by visiting the Rotten Tomatoes Box Office Page!
