'2012' tops North America Box Office

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(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-11-16 11:48

Cast member John Cusack (R) and Sony Corporation Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President Howard Stringer (C) interact with others at the premiere of the film "2012" at Regal Cinemas LA Live in downtown Los Angeles November 3, 2009.[Agencies]

LOS ANGELES: In yet another Sony assault on the box office in Canada and the United States, a potential disaster blockbuster "2012" garnered 65 million US dollars with exquisite rendition of a doomsday scenario, according to North America box office authorities based on ticket sales over the weekend beginning Friday.

As part of an aggressive advertising campaign, a trailer of "2012" has been shown for several months, and million of dollars have been spent to make the disaster fantasy known to potential moviegoers. As a result, the movie opened to a take that is usually seen by midsummer blockbusters.

A basically hodgepodge that included classic scenes from other disaster flicks such as "Earthquake," "The Poseidon Adventure," "Volcano," "Independence Day," "The Day After Tomorrow" and even "Titanic," the movie follows the fate of a dozen characters as they fall victim to a series of calamities brought on by some kind of solar meltdown. Director Roland Emmerich, a veteran disaster moviemaker, applied the Mayan calendar and other apocalyptic prophecies for their doomsday scenario, which imagines the world coming to an end in 2012. The movie costs more than $200 million.

Ticket sales this weekend are down 5 percent from last year, perhaps due to a poor economy, the North America box office authorities said.

Last weekend's No.1, Disney's "A Christmas Carol" slipped to second place with an impressive $22.3 million in projected sales. The first IMAX 3D animated fantasy released by Disney, the film is Disney's third adaptation from English writer Charles Dickens' timeless classic.

"The Men Who Stare at Goats," an Overture Films' comedy staring George Clooney maintained its third place from its opening over the last weekend, fetched $6.2 million in projected sales and a total of $23.4 million over two weeks.

Rounding out the top five are: "Precious: Based On The Novel Push By Sapphire," Lionsgate, 6 million dollars this weekend and $8.9 million over two weeks; "Michael Jackson's This Is It," Sony/Columbia, $5.1 million this weekend and $67.3 million over three weeks.