Newcomers won the weekend box office race as FAILURE TO LAUNCH (with vfx by Lola Visual Effects) netted success for Paramount, debuting in the top spot with $24.4M over the weekend ended March 12, 2006. Buena Vistas The Shaggy Dog (vfx from Tippett Studio and Stan Winston Studio) captured the second spot in its debut with $16.3M while yet another newcomer, THE HILLS HAVE EYES from Fox SearchLight Pictures (vfx by Rez-Illusion) placed third, posting $15.7M. Warner Bros. 16 BLOCKS (with vfx by LairdFX and Mr. X) slipped to fourth, taking in another $7.4M for a $22.8 cume. The Lionsgate release,TYLER PERRYS MADEAS FAMILY REUNION, dropped to fifth, with $5.7M and $55.7M so far. Coming in sixth was Buena Vistas EIGHT BELOW (with vfx by Stan Winston Studio, Stan Winston Digital, Illusion Arts, CIS Hollywood & ILM) with $5.5M and a cume of $66.6M. Foxs AQUAMARINE (with vfx from Animal Logic), dropped to seventh place in its second week, posting $3.8M and a $12.4M cume. Screen Gems ULTRAVIOLET (wth vfx from Menfond Electronic Art) fell behind the mermaid pic in eighth place with $3.6M and a total take of $14.8M. Sonys remake of THE PINK PANTHER (2D-animated titles by Kurtz & Friends and vfx by Pixel Magic) finished in ninth with $3.6M and a cume of $74.6M. Finishing 10th with $2.5M and $44.3M was Foxs DATE MOVIE (with vfx by Furious FX and Pacific Title), which teased another $5.1M for a tally of $40.7M. Box office information obtained from boxofficemojo.com.
