Disney's CG-heavy Chihuahua film BEVERLY HILLS CHIHUAHUA placed first in its opening weekend with $29.3M. Per VARIETY, it's the biggest opening for Disney in October ever. The film's vfx work was done by Tippett Studio, Cinesite, Image Engine Design, K.N.B. Effects Group, Kerner Optical, Proof, Realscan 3D and Svengali Visual Effects.
Last week's winner EAGLE EYE (Paramount/DreamWorks, vfx by Sony Pictures Imageworks, The Third Floor and Kerner Optical) placed second with $17.7M and a two-week total of $54.61M.
Emo opener NICK AND NORAH'S INFINITE PLAYLIST (Sony) opened in third with a healthy $11.3M.
Fourth place went to Warner Bros.' romance drama NIGHTS IN RODANTHE with $7.37M and a two-week gross of $25.09M.
Fifth place went to APPALOOSA with $5.05M, which expanded to 1,045 theaters after a two-week limited run. It's done $5.6M in three weeks for Warner Bros., with vfx by Great FX.
Screen Gems' LAKEVIEW TERRACE placed sixth with $4.6M and a three-week cume of $32.2M.
Coen-brothers comedy BURN AFTER READING (Focus Features, vfx by Big Film Design and Brainstorm Digital) placed seventh with $4.1M and $51.68M in four weeks in release.
Christian-themed FIREPROOF (Samuel Goldwyn/IDP) placed eighth with $3.99M and has $12.41M in two weeks.
Vivendi's satire of Michael Moore and liberal politics, AN AMERICAN CAROL, opened in ninth place with $3.66M.
And in tenth place, Bill Maher's comedic documentary RELIGULOUS (Lionsgate) earned $3.4M in just more than 500 theaters.
In animation, IGOR (MGM) did another $1.74M for a three-week cume of $17.07M. Summit Ent.'s FLY ME TO THE MOON made $124,000 for a gross of $11.899M in eight weeks. Disney-Pixar's WALL-E made another $210,231 for a 15-week gross of $221.1M. Paramount/DreamWorks Animation's KUNG FU PANDA did $143,801 for $215.4M in 18 weeks. FLY ME TO THE MOON (Summit Ent.) made $132,780 for $11.9M in eight weeks. Fox's SPACE CHIMPS earned $101,571 and a 12-week cume of almost $30M. STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS (Warner Bros.) made $67,153 and has made $34.9M in eight weeks.
Box office information from BoxOfficeMojo.com.
