'300' Still Big #1 Despite NE Snowstorm; Sandra Bullock's Biggest Opening Ever; But Chris Rock's Marriage Pic Bombs Big

SUNDAY AM: That heavy snowstorm and its clean-up in the U.S. Northeast depressed Friday’s and Saturday’s ticket receipts. Nevertheless, box office was still up again over last year because of blockbuster 300. Warner’s bloodbath marched into 1st place with a big $31.6 million from 3,270 theaters, or -58% from last week’s haul. The CGI extravaganza made $10.3 mil Friday, $12.5 mil Saturday and an estimated $8.8 mil Sunday (not quite the $38 mil expected before the white stuff came down in major moviegoing metropolitans like New York and Boston). Its new cume is an amazing $127.8 mil after only one week out — meaning this $60 million epic-on-the-cheap shot in two months with no stars will turn a hefty profit for Warner Bros. Disney’s Wild Hogs was the surprise No. 2 in its third week in 3,360 theaters, finishing this Fri-Sat-Sun with $19 mil and a new cume of $104.1 mil. That high placement lends more fuel to fiery allegations that teens were circumventing 300‘s ‘R’ rating by buying tickets to this PG-13 motorcycle ride and then sneaking in to the battle pic. In a nice bit of counter-programming (especially with college basketball’s March Madness underway), Sony’s Premonition gave Sandra Bullock her best opening ever, #3 with $18 mil for the weekend from 2,831 venues. Sony said the thriller’s audience composition was 66% female and 34% male, with 61% of the moviegoers 25 and older. The studio also touted that the film, made for only $20 mil, recovered its negative cost in nearly its first three days of release.

Universal debuted its ghost story Dead Silence in 4th place at only 1,805 venues for a so-so $7.7 mil for the weekend. But Chris Rock’s I Think I Love My Wife from Fox Searchlight, in 5th place at 1,776 theaters, eked out even less — only $5.5 mil for Fri-Sat-Sun despite heavy media attention and promotion. The comedian may be a hit on TV but not at the movies; he’s had bomb after bomb after bomb. No. 6 was Walden/Disney’s Bridge To Terabithia, still playing in 3,091 dates its 5th week out; the kiddie pic had another $5.2 mil weekend thanks to the usual Saturday matinee bounce. Its new cume is $74.9 mil. As 7th place Ghost Rider, Marvel/Sony’s comic book pic should hit $200 mil workwide this week after grossing $110.2 mil in the U.S. and $87.5 mil overseas. It made $4 mil this weekend from 2,824 playdates.

Paramount’s disappointing R-rated Zodiac, starring Jake Gyllenhaal, finished 8th at the start of its 3rd week in 2,362 theaters; it managed a dismal $3 mil for the weekend and new cume of $28.9 mil. Eddie Murphy’s Norbit is starting its sixth week and still placing 9th in 2,016 theaters; the DreamWorks pic mustered a $2.7 mil weekend and new cume of $92.3 mil. Rounding out the Top 10, Warner’s chick flick Music And Lyrics, with Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore, had a $2.1 mil weekend from 1,850 venues beginning its 5th week out. Its new cume is $47.3 mil. And one last note: New Line’s Jim Carrey starrer, The Number 23, continues to perform so poorly in its 4th week out that it fell out of the Top 10 entirely. That’s another troubled career and studio. Here are more numbers:

1. 300 did $10.2 mil Fri, $12.5 mil Sat and an est $8.8 mil Sun.
2. Wild Hogs earned $5.5 mil Fri, $8.7 mil Sat and an est $4.7 Sun.
3. Premonition made $6.4 mil Fri, $7.1 mil Sat and an est $4.4 mil Sun.
4. Dead Silence earned $2.8 mil Fri, $3 mil Sat and an est $1.8 mil Sun.
5. I Think I Love My Wife took in $1.7 mil Fri, $2.3 mil Sat and an est $1.3 mil Sun.
6. Bridge To Terabithia made $1.5 Fri, $2.2 mil Sat and an est $1.3 mil Sun.
7. Ghost Rider did $1.2 mil Fri, $1.8 mil Sat and an est $975K Sun.
8. Zodiac earned $931K Fri, $1.3 mil Sat and an est $800K Sun.
9. Norbit made $816K Fri, $1.2 mil Sat and an est $635K Sun.
10. Music And Lyrics did $710K Fri, $970K Sat and an est $470K Sun.