'Lose A Guy' Finds An Audience

Romantic Comedy Hits No.1 Spot And 'Chicago' Jumps To No. 3

(CBS)  Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey's romantic comedy "How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days" managed to hold off "Shanghai Knights", the Jackie Chan and Owen Wilson comedy-action sequel, at the box office this weekend.

The Early Show’s Entertainment Contributor Jess Cagle reports "How To Lose A Guy" opened at No.1 with just over $24 million. "Shanghai Knights" also had a strong debut, opening just a shade under $20 million. And "Chicago" was in the top three with just under $11 million.

According to Hollywood.com, it was a strong weekend with the top 12 movies grossing $103.1 million, up 22 percent from the same weekend last year, when "Collateral Damage," "Big Fat Liar" and "Rollerball" debuted in the top three box-office spots.

"How to Lose a Guy" stars Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey in a romance of deception between a woman trying to get dumped in 10 days and a man trying to win a bet that he can make a woman fall in love with him in 10 days. The movie generally was written off by reviewers as cutesy and contrived.

"In this case particularly, I think they were way too hard on the movie," said Rob Friedman, vice chairman of Paramount's motion-picture group, which released the romantic comedy. "The public just loves this movie. Kate and Matthew are a tremendous winning combination."

"How to Lose a Guy" should hold well with Valentine's Day coming this weekend, when "guys definitely roll over for whatever a girl wants," Friedman said. "I think we'll have more guys seeing the movie this weekend than last."

"Shanghai Knights," Jackie Chan and Owen Wilson's follow up to their mini-hit "Shanghai Noon," features the mismatched buddies on a mission in London to thwart villains trying to usurp the British and Chinese thrones.

Three years ago, "Shanghai Noon" took in $19.6 million over the four-day Memorial Day weekend, one of the busiest times at theaters. The sequel slightly exceeded that gross over a three-day weekend during Hollywood's quiet winter season, a sign that the Chan-Wilson franchise picked up new fans through the video release of "Shanghai Noon."

"Shanghai Knights" should end up surpassing the $57 million total gross of the original movie, said Chuck Viane, head of distribution at Disney, which released both flicks.

The musical "Chicago," which tripled its theater count to 1,841 cinemas, climbed to No. 3 with $10.7 million, lifting its total to $63.7 million since opening in limited release at Christmas.

Audiences may have been surprised at how well Renee Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones And Richard Gere sing and dance in the hit musical "Chicago." Perhaps less surprising are the talents of Mya, the Grammy-winning pop star who used the movie to make her leap to the big screen.

"I love to dance. I love to sing," says Mya to The Early Show. "I've been conditioned for it. I started dancing and singing actually when I was 3 years old, and I've been doing it ever since. Hey, what better movie to be a part of."

In the film, Mya plays Mona, one of the musical's merry murderesses, who perform the "Cell Block Tango."

"We're all in jail, and we've had it up to here," Mya says of the scene. "We're fed up with our husbands, and we feel very justified in the crime we've committed, which is murder. What city in the United States better deals with murder and compassion and sympathy with celebrities than Chicago? And that's what the movie is about."

The intimidating part of the role was the dancing, Mya says. "I was so confident walking in with the singing. My monologue was so brief and so short - I had no problem with that. But dancing, but I had never been so intimidated as I was on the set of rehearsals. These were professional ballerinas from Russia. These were people that had also taken part in the play on Broadway and knew the show in and out, and I had never seen it before. They were very disciplined, and I had never experienced something that strenuously. So I was a little intimidated, but it was great to be around that professionalism, and I learned a lot from it," she says.

"Chicago" is not the first time Mya has contributed to a film's soundtrack. Her first hit single, "Ghetto Superstar," appeared in Warren Beatty's 1998 film "Bulworth." And last year she won a Grammy, along with Christina Aguliera, Pink and Lil' Kim, for the No.1 smash "Lady Marmalade" from the "Moulin Rouge" soundtrack.

Mya says, "the collaboration was very different, very unique, but such a joy to do something different. It was also a transitional period for all of us during our careers and almost in a way prepared me for this role in ‘Chicago.’ After the video dropped, I got a call from Miramax, and I held the audition probably a few weeks after we received our Grammy. It happened all at once, and it totally prepared me to step into a role like this."

Although Mya does plan on continuing her acting career, her top priority right now is finishing her third album, which will be released this summer.

Here are the box office numbers according to Hollywood.com

1. "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, $24.1 million.
   
2. "Shanghai Knights," $19.8 million.
   
3. "Chicago," $10.7 million.
   
4. "The Recruit," $9.5 million.
   
5. "Final Destination 2," $8.7 million.
   
6. "Deliver Us From Eva," $7.1 million.
   
7. "Kangaroo Jack," $5.9 million.
   
8. "Biker Boyz," $4 million.
   
9. "Darkness Falls," $3.8 million.
   
10. "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers," $3.4 million.