Robert Rodriguez faithful adaptation of Frank Millers SIN CITY exceeded all expectations in its box office debut for the weekend ended April 3, 2005, bringing home $29.1M for Dimension (thanks to vfx support from CafeFx, Hybride and The Orphanage). Debuting in a distant second was MGMs comedy, BEAUTY SHOP, which collected $12.8M. Sonys GUESS WHO, last weeks winner, dropped to third place with $12.7M and a two-week cume of $41M. Holding on to fourth place for Fox/Blue Sky was ROBOTS, with $9.8M, becoming only the 13th 3D-animated feature to surpass $100M at $104.2M. , Warner Bros. MISS CONGENIALITY 2: ARMED AND FABULOUS fell to fifth in its second week with $8.1M and $31.1M. Buena Vistas THE PACIFIER settled for the sixth spot with $5.8M on its way to $96.1M. DreamWorks THE RING TWO (with vfx by Rhythm & Hues) captured seventh place with $5.6M and $68M. By claiming the eighth spot, New Lines THE UPSIDE OF ANGER snuck into the top 10 in wide release, ringing in $4M and a cume of $8.6M. Sonys HITCH (with vfx by Entity FX slipped to the ninth spot with $2.9M and a grand total of $171.2M. ICE PRINCESS (vfx by Rhythm & Hues and Mr. X Inc.) skated its way to 10th place with $2.7M and $18.7M for Buena Vista.
In its third week, Katsuhiro Otomos retro sci-fi anime, STEAMBOY, tallied $36,518 on 29 screens for Triumph for a cume of $362,879. Box office information obtained from boxofficemojo.com.
Bill Desowitz, former editor of VFXWorld, is currently the Crafts Editor of IndieWire.
