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  • Weekend Box Office Estimate
  • TOP STORY:
        'Indiana Jones' raids box office

  • WEEKEND BOX OFFICE ESTIMATE
    May 23 - May 26
    Title Engagements Estimated
    Weekend
    Box Office
    1. Indiana Jones and The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (PARAMOUNT) 4,260 $126,000,000
    2. Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (WALT DISNEY) 3,929 $28,600,000
    3. Iron Man (PARAMOUNT) 3,915 $25,600,000
    4. What Happens in Vegas (FOX) 3,188 $11,100,000
    5. Speed Racer (WARNER BROS.) 3,112 $5,200,000
    6. Baby Mama (UNIVERSAL) 2,158 $4,200,000
    7. Made of Honor (SONY) 2,393 $4,200,000
    8. Forgetting Sarah Marshall (UNIVERSAL) 1,078 $2,200,000
    9. Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanmo Bay (WARNER BROS.) 750 $1,200,000
    10. The Visitor (OVERTURE) 270 $917,000
    in millions of dollars
    Full list available Monday afternoon at www.variety.com/boxoffice

     
    TOP STORY
    'Indiana Jones' raids box office
    'Crystal Skull' unearths $126 million

    By Pamela McClintock
     
    Steven Spielberg's "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" crystallized into the biggest opening for both the filmmaker and Paramount as the classic action-adventure franchise returned to the bigscreen after an 18-year slumber to grab a worldwide gross of $311.1 million.

    "Crystal Skull"--buoyed by baby boomers and their kids--grossed an estimated $126 million domestically for the four-day Memorial Day weekend, the second best showing ever for the holiday frame. Opening on Thursday, pic's five-day cume was an estimated $151.1 million from 4,260 runs.

    Overseas, where the Harrison Ford topliner began playing on Wednesday, "Crystal Skull" grossed $160 million in its debut. Weekend take of $146 million is the fifth best international opening of all time.

    Stateside, the only Memorial Day opener to gross more was last year's "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End," which made $139.8 million in its domestic debut.

    Worldwide gross of "Crystal Skull" bested the debut of "War of the Worlds," the previous best opener for both Spielberg and Paramount.

    "Crystal Skull," produced by George Lucas' LucasFilms, played much more like a family film than a sequel. With sequels, the busiest days are Friday, or Thursday if the film goes out early. That wasn't the case with "Crystal Skull," which saw a hefty 19% jump from Friday to Saturday.

    Elsewhere at the domestic Memorial Day box office, Disney sequel "Chronicles of Narnia" declined a steep 58% in its second weekend to an estimated $23 million from 3,919 runs for the three-days, according to Rentrak. Four-day haul was an estimated $28.6 million for a cume of $96.7 million in the film's first 11 days. Pic placed No. 2 for the holiday frame.

    Coming in No. 3 was Par's B.O. hit "Iron Man," which declined just 37% in its fourth frame to $20.1 million from 3,915 for the three day. Four-day haul was $25.6 million for a cume of $257.8.

    Twentieth Century Fox's Cameron Diaz-Ashton Kutcher laffer "What Happens in Vegas" continued to thrive, serving as counter-programming to the bigger summer tentpoles. For the three-days, "Vegas" dipped only 35% to an estimated $9 million from 3,188 runs. Four-day take was an estimated $11.1 million for a cume of $56.4 million in the film's third frame.

    Placing No. 5 at the holiday box office was Warner Bros.' "Speed Racer," which declined 51% in its third frame to $4 million from 3,112 runs for the three-days. Four-day gross was an estimated $5.2 million for a cume of $37.4 million.

    On the specialty side, Overture's "The Visitor" made the top 10 chart for the second weekend in a row. Film placed No. 10 for the Memorial Day frame, grossing an estimated $917,000 from 270 runs for a cume of $4.6 million in its seventh frame.