The multiplex turnstiles kept clicking at the January B.O. Friday thanks to the afterglow of Oscar noms and Sony-Screen Gem's vampire-werewolf saga "Underworld: Rise of the Lycans" which grossed $8 million.
Playing at 2,942 theaters, "Lycans" could be in a tight race for the three-day top spot with another Sony film, last weekend's No. 1 pic "Paul Blart: Mall Cop." "Paul Blart" took the number two spot yesterday with $5.6 million off 3,144, down 43% , for a running eight-day cume of $48.9 million. "Paul Blart's" PG rating will work to its advantage with family weekend matinees. "Lycans" is rated R.
The Friday estimate for "Lycans" pegs behind the opening day figure of September 2003's "Underworld" ($8.6 million) and January 2006's "Underworld: Evolution" ($10.2 million). Both pics notched the number one spot in their opening weekend, respectively posting $21.8 million and $26.9 million.
While Kate Beckinsale headlined the first two "Underworld" chapters as the vampire warrior protag Selene, she makes a cameo in "Lycans." Blighty thesp Rhona Mitra steps in as the primary fanged femme Sonja in "Lycans."
The day's only other wide release, Warner Bros./New Line's family adventure pic "Inkheart," bowed in eighth with $2.1 million off 2,655. The film which has been in release since early December abroad has accumulated over $17 million from playdates in Germany, United Kingdom, Brazil, Austria, Switzerland and Iceland.
Warner Bros.' "Gran Torino" continued to park in the top five, ranking third with $4.2 million off 3,045, down 32% for a running cume of $85.8 million.
Lionsgate's "My Bloody Valentine 3-D" grabbed fourth with $3.1 million off 2,534, repping a 62% decline and an eight day domestic cume of $30.8 million.
Fox Searchlight's wide expansion of best pic nominee "Slumdog Millionaire" catapulted the Danny Boyle pic up the B.O. chart to fifth on Friday with $2.7 million off 1,411, a 75% uptick, and a B.O. haul of $48.1 million.
Among other pics getting a huge surge from their Oscar nods, Universal's best pic contender "Frost/Nixon" chalked up $802,000 off 1,099; a three fold gain from last Friday's $167,000. Pic's domestic B.O. currently stands at $9.8 million.
Par Vantage's "Revolutionary Road" raked in $1.5 million off 1,058, a two fold uptick from last Friday's $485,000 and a domestic cume in its fifth Friday of $8.1 million.
Expanding from 144 to 566 locales, Fox Searchlight's "The Wrestler" collected $993,000; a boffo 114% gain and a domestic B.O. of $6.7 million.
The other three best pic nominees saw smaller gains. Paramount-Warner Bros.' "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" earned $1.7 million off 2,263, up 7% from a week ago, raising its domestic take to $106.7 million. Focus Features' "Milk" drew $216,000 from 250, a 10% uptick and a domestic cume of $21 million. Weinstein Co.'s "The Reader" charted $338,000 from 367, up 1%. To date, the Kate Winslet starrer has made $8.6 million.
Among specialty bows, Third Rail's Mickey Rourke starrer "Killshot" made $4,000 from five theaters.
Contact the Variety newsroom at
news@variety.com