TOP 12: LEMONY SNICKET is the new champ

By: Patrick Sauriol
Date: Sunday, December 19, 2004

The movie adaptation of LEMONY SNICKET'S A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS took over first place at the box office this weekend, defeating last week's champ, OCEAN'S 12, by a healthy spread of cash. Early estimates peg LEMONY's weekend take at approximately $30.2 million dollars, not a bad opening salvo for a film that reportedly cost $140 M to make and will likely play well over the holiday season.

OCEAN'S 12 dropped to second spot with $18.2 M to add to its owners coffers. After two weeks of release the Warner Bros. sequel has made $68.6 M.

SPANGLISH, Adam Sandler's new drama/comedy, debuted at third spot with $9 M while THE POLAR EXPRESS hung on to fourth spot, earning just a million dollars less than what it did last weekend. BLADE: TRINITY is looking to become the lowest-grossing film in the franchise, dropping down to fifth overall. After two weeks the film has made $35 M.

The week's other new movie, Fox's FLIGHT OF THE PHOENIX, bowed in eighth spot overall, a disappointing debut.

Next week: MEET THE FOCKERS, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, the wider release of THE AVIATOR, THE LIFEW AQUATIC, FAT ALBERT, DARKNESS, HOTEL RWANDA and a little holiday that people like to call Christmas.

Here are the estimated box office receipts of the top twelve films from December 17 through to December 19 with their weekend gross and the movie's total domestic gross to date. As always, the week's new films are signified in red.



BOX OFFICE FRIDAY DECEMBER 17 to SUNDAY DECEMBER 19, 2004:


1. LEMONY SNICKET'S A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS $30,200,000 $30,200,000
2. OCEAN'S 12 $18,260,000 $68,660,000
3. SPANGLISH $9,000,000 $9,000,000
4. THE POLAR EXPRESS $8,550,000 $123,569,000
5. BLADE: TRINITY $6,600,000 $35,411,000
6. NATIONAL TREASURE $6,110,000 $132,835,000
7. CHRISTMAS WITH THE KRANKS $5,700,000 $62,306,000
8. FLIGHT OF THE PHOENIX $5,150,000 $5,150,000
9. CLOSER $3,500,000 $18,952,000
10. THE INCREDIBLES $3,263,000 $237,121,000
11. THE SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS MOVIE $2,000,000 $76,359,000
12. FINDING NEVERLAND $1,915,000 $16,863,000


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