Good buzz wins out as 'Hangover,' 'Up' dominate box office once again

Word-of-mouth defeated opening-weekend hype at the box office as twoestablished films easily dominated a pair of new movies with big namestars.

"The Hangover" and "Up" were No. 1 and No. 2 at thedomestic box office with studio estimated ticket sales of $33.4 millionand $30.5 million, respectively, on their second and third weekends, respectively."Up's" box office gross declined 31% from last weekend, while "TheHangover" was down just 26%.

"The Hangover's" drop is thesmallest for any movie this summer and indicates it will ultimatelygross well over $200 million, a very strong performance for a moviethat cost Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures only $35 million toproduce.

"Up," meanwhile, is declining slower than any Pixarmovie since 2003's "Finding Nemo." If it continues to perform as wellas that movie, it could easily earn over $300 million in the U.S. andCanada by the end of its run.

Though marketing has continued forboth movies, their continued strong grosses demonstrate that audienceswho weren't initially interested are hearing good things from friendsand family, online and in the press. Some moviegoers are alsoundoubtedly going back for second viewings.

The traditionaldrivers of a No. 1 movie -- well known stars and themarketing muscle that comes with a summer opening -- didn't prove verypowerful this weekend. Sony Pictures' remake of "The Taking of Pelham123," which stars Denzel Washington and John Travolta, debuted withsales of $25 million. Sixty-two percent of audiences were over 30, making"Pelham" the latest in a string of adult-targeted thrillers to startmodestly this year.

Although far from disastrous, "Pelham's" opening is relatively soft for a film budgetedat more than $100 million. Co-financiers Sony and RelativityMedia are counting on Travolta and Washington todeliver a bigger audience overseas if the film is to be a success, ashas happened with Sony's "Angels and Demons."

EddieMurphy's appeal, meanwhile, proved virtually non-existent, as "ImagineThat" opened to an anemic $5.7 million, well below already weakexpectations. Paramount's family comedy, which cost $55million, is the summer's second-biggest flop so far after "Land of the Lost."

Stayingpower proved important at the foreign box office as well, where"Terminator Salvation" was No. 1 for the second weekend in a row. TheHalcyon Co.'s fourth entry in the science-fiction series, which isbeing distributed internationally by Sony, grossed $46.1 million. Thatincludes very impressive launches in Japan and China, where it grossed$10.7 million and $9 million, respectively.

The $200-millionmovie is making up for a soft performance in the U.S. and Canada, whereit has earned $113.8 million, with foreign grosses that already total$165.5 million.

In limited release, Sony Pictures Classics openedthe indie science-fiction film "Moon" at eight theaters and earned ahealthy $145,218. Francis Ford Coppola's new film "Tetro" bowed to a respectable $31,339 at two locations. Magnolia's documentary about the business behind the things we eat, "Food, Inc.," also started off solidly with $61,400 at three theaters.

Focus Features' "Away We Go," starring JohnKraskinsky and Maya Rudolph, continues to perform well. It sold$554,383 worth of tickets at 45 locations on its second weekend,bringing its total gross to $751,322.

Here are the top 10 films at the domestic box office this weekend, according to studio estimates and Hollywood.com:

1. "The Hangover" (Warner Bros./Legendary): $33.4 million, down just 26% on its second weekend. Domestic total: $105.4 million.

2. "Up" (Disney/Pixar): $30.5 million on its third weekend, a decline of just 31%. Domestic total: $187.2 million.

3. "The Taking of Pelham 123" (Sony/Relativity): Opened to $25 million.

4. "Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian" (Fox): $9.6 million, down 34% on its fourth weekend at the box office. Domestic total: $143.4 million.

5. "Land of the Lost" (Universal/Relativity): $9.2 million, down 51% from its opening. Domestic total: $35 million.

6. "Imagine That" (Paramount): Debuted at $5.7 million.

7. "Star Trek" (Paramount/Spyglass): $5.6 million, a 33% decline on its sixth weekend. Domestic total: $232 million.

8. "Terminator Salvation" (Warner Bros./Halcyon): $4.7 million, down 43% on its fourth weekend. Domestic total: $113.8 million.

9. "Angels and Demons" (Sony): $4.2 million, a drop of 36% on its fifth weekend. Domestic total: $123.3 million.

10. "Drag Me to Hell" (Universal/Ghost House): $3.9 million, down 45% on its third weekend. Domestic total: $35.1 million.

--Ben Fritz

Photos, from top: Ed Helms and Heather Graham in "The Hangover"; John Travolta in "The Taking of Pelham 123." Photo credits, from top: Frank Masi /Warner Bros.; Stephen Vaughan / Columbia Pictures

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