May 26, 2012

The Hangover That Won't Go Away

by Goldy Moldavsky | Published June 15, 2009

L to R: Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis and Bradley Cooper star in The Hangover (2009).

The Hangover managed to hang on to the top spot this week with an estimated $33.4 million at the box office, securing its place as the sleeper hit of the summer. The comedy, which stars Bradley Cooper, Zack Galifianakis and Ed Helms, averaged $9,960 at 3,355 sites, bringing its two-week total past the $100 million mark.

Pixar’s Up continued to make it a tight race, finishing close behind in second place with $30.5 million for a total gross of $187 million, already surpassing its $175 million budget in three weeks.

Though it’s got megastars Denzel Washington and John Travolta as its leads, The Taking of Pelham 123 only managed to take third place, with $25 million. Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian stayed in fourth with $9.6 million, while the Will Ferrell comedy Land of the Lost lost 51 percent of its audience, landing in fifth place with $9.1 million.

In new releases, Eddie Murphy’s Imagine That barely made it into sixth place with a measly $5.7 million, while Moon, the Sam Rockwell-starring trippy space odyssey, averaged a strong $18,125 at eight theaters for a weekend total of $145,000. Even stronger was Food Inc.; the documentary that takes a look at the scary side of the food industry averaged $21,000 at three sites, totaling $63,000.

Next week it’s a battle between the comedy superstars with Jack Black and Michael Cera in the prehistoric Year One; Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds fall in love in the romantic comedy The Proposal; and Larry David and Evan Rachel Wood get directed by Woody Allen in the robbing-the-cradle-themed Whatever Works.