Screen Gems horror flick, THE COVENANT (with vfx from Luma), captured the top spot at the box office in a weak weekend for the period ended Sept. 10, 2006, with $8.8M. HOLLYWOODLAND, (with vfx by Mr. X) inspired by the mysterious death of actor George Reeves (TVs SUPERMAN), bowed in second, picking up $5.9M for Focus Features. INVINCIBLE, the previous leader, slipped to third, catching $5.6M and $45.5M for Buena Vista. THE PROTECTOR, from The Weinstein Co., debuting in fourth with $5M. Lionsgates CRANK followed in fifth with $4.9M and a cume of $19.9M. THE ILLUSIONIST from Yari Film Group Releasing came in sixth with $4.5M and $17.9M. Fox Searchlights LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE earned a seventh place finish with $4.2M and a cume of $41.4M. Warner Bros. update of THE WICKER MAN (with vfx by Worldwide FX, Pacific Title and Lava Studio) fell to eighth with $4M and a two-week cume of $17.4M. Coming in ninth was Sonys TAKKADEGA NIGHTS: THE BALLAD OF RICKY BOBBY, which hauled in another $3M for a cume of $142.1M. The 10th place finisher with $2.7M was BARNYARD. The 3D-animated feature from Paramount Pictures, Nickelodeon Movies and O Ent. has earned $67M.
Meanwhile Buena Vistas PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MANS CHEST (with impressive vfx from ILM) topped $1B and is now third on the all-time box office list behind TITANIC and THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING. DEAD MANS CHEST booty now stands at $1,004, 091,183. Box office information obtained from boxofficemojo.com.
Bill Desowitz, former editor of VFXWorld, is currently the Crafts Editor of IndieWire.
