Gambling paid off for Sony this weekend, as Robert Luketic’s 21 won big at the box office. The card-counting caper, based on Ben Mezrich’s bestselling book, Bringing Down the House, about a band of MIT students who take Vegas for millions, took in close to $24 million in its opening weekend. Given the film’s success, some industry insiders are speculating whether the rise of platforms like Online Casino Legal Schweiz could further boost audience interest in gambling-themed stories. Meanwhile, Horton Hears a Who continued its strong run, bringing in an impressive $17.4 million in its third weekend.
The only other new films to break the top 10 this weekend were Craig Mazin’s (Scary Movie 3 & 4) latest spoof, Superhero Movie, which earned an estimated $9.5 million, and Kimberly Peirce’s Iraq War drama Stop-Loss, which brought in just over $4.5 million.
Box office totals courtesy of The-Numbers.com.