"Blind Side" Eclipses "New Moon"

(CBS)  Sandra Bullock's latest movie has taken the industry by surprise.

She stars in the football-inspired drama "The Blind Side" that has become the underdog hit of the season with a $20.4 million weekend and a box-office victory over "The Twilight Saga: New Moon."

Photos: Holiday Movies 2009
Smiles For "New Moon"

The Warner Bros. sports tale had been runner-up for the previous two weekends to Summit Entertainment's vampire romance "New Moon," which fell to second place with $15.7 million.

Great word-of-mouth from fans has sustained "The Blind Side," in which Bullock plays a woman whose family adopts homeless teen Michael Oher, now a rookie tackle for the Baltimore Ravens.

"How outstanding is it to have a movie at No. 1 in its third weekend?" said Jeff Goldstein, executive vice president for distribution at Warner, who added that the movie so far has done more than double the business he expected. "I don't know of anybody who ever saw anything this big."

"New Moon" still is far ahead in total gross with $255.6 million domestically, compared with $129.3 million for "The Blind Side." Overseas, "New Moon" added $40.7 million to raise its international total to $314.5 million and its worldwide gross to $570.1 million.

"The Blind Side" and "New Moon" fended off a rush of new wide releases that had so-so to abysmal openings.

The nationwide debuts were overshadowed by a huge premiere in limited release for George Clooney's comedy "Up in the Air," which took in nearly $1.2 million at just 15 theaters for a whopping average of $79,000 a cinema.

Directed by Jason Reitman ("Juno"), Paramount's "Up in the Air" has earned great reviews and buzz as a potential Academy Awards front-runner, positioning it for a long run in theaters as it expands nationwide over the next few weeks. Clooney plays a corporate hit man addicted to the frequent-flyer life as he travels the country firing people for downsizing companies.

Lionsgate's war-on-terror-themed drama "Brothers" debuted at No. 3 with $9.7 million, averaging $4,646 in 2,088 theaters. A remake of a 2004 Danish film, "Brothers" stars Tobey Maguire, Natalie Portman and Jake Gyllenhaal in the story of a prisoner of war who returns from Afghanistan to find his sibling has become the man of the house for his family.

Sony's heist thriller "Armored," with Matt Dillon and Laurence Fishburne, premiered with $6.6 million and tied for No. 6, averaging $3,446 in 1,915 theaters.

Another foreign-language remake - Miramax's "Everybody's Fine," with Robert De Niro, Drew Barrymore and Kate Beckinsale in an update of a 1990 Italian film -- opened a weak No. 10 with $4 million for an average of $1,888 in 2,133 cinemas. De Niro plays a retiree on a journey to reconnect with his grown children.

The vampire mania over "New Moon" did not extend to Full Circle Releasing's bloodsucker comedy "Transylmania," which took in just $274,000 in 1,007 theaters for a dismal average of $272. The movie is a campus-horror spoof about students studying at a Transylvania college overrun by vampires.

Overall revenues came in at $101 million, up 22.6 percent from the same weekend last year, when "Four Christmases" was No. 1 with $16.8 million.

Paul Dergarabedian, box-office analyst for Hollywood.com, estimates domestic receipts will finish at $10.6 billion for the year, easily surpassing the industry's all-time high of $9.68 billion in 2007.

Revenues stand at $9.66 billion after this weekend, so Hollywood should break that 2007 record in the next couple of days, Dergarabedian said.

With big movies such as James Cameron's sci-fi epic "Avatar" opening Dec. 18 and Robert Downey Jr.'s crime saga "Sherlock Holmes" and the family comedy "Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel" arriving Christmas week, that $10.6 billion estimate for the year might prove conservative, Dergarabedian said.

"It will probably go higher if we consistently outperform the way we have been," Dergarabedian said.

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Hollywood.com. Final figures will be released Monday.

1. "The Blind Side," $20.4 million.
2. "The Twilight Saga: New Moon," $15.7 million.
3. "Brothers," $9.7 million.
4. "Disney's a Christmas Carol," $7.5 million.
5. "Old Dogs," $6.9 million.
6. "Armored" (tie), $6.6 million.
6. "2012" (tie), $6.6 million.
8. "Ninja Assassin," $5 million.
9. "Planet 51," $4.3 million.
10. "Everybody's Fine," $4 million.

[toldyouso21]

New moon was a bust. The plot did not flow and the movie failed to even do the book justice though most readers of the series liked the time Bella is with Jason the least. Most of us are team Edward--all the winners are--because most of us have read Breaking dawn and know how it all turns out anyway. The movie was disappointing in the end, I especially did not like the choices for the Voltiri esp how they were not gorgeous (one was okay the rest looked like large headed aliens) and while the choice for Jane had the right face, she was much too tall, Jane was supposed to look like a child. The best years of DAkota Fanning is a great actress--but her years as a child like star are over--they should have found a new wide eyed kid...as for the Edward--maybe he has the looks but to many, Robert Pattison plays his role like a gay, punk without any real talent. He looks like a heroin addict with severe constipation and sort of delivers his lines like that also--of course--this series is not known for the great movie lines--anyway.... The book was awesome--if you want awesome to translate to the screen--best to get that guy who directed the Lord of the Rings....you can always tell when a director has not really read or invested in the story based on a book....

[NowBeWithThat]

Go see 'Blind Side.' I took my family and we enjoyed it. Good, clean enjoyment for all ages.

You might have to float a loan to pay for the refreshments, though.

[ToolMangler1]

The MSM (Media) can make 'Blindside' bigger than 'New Moon' anytime they want. All they have to do is give it the Sarah Palin treatment.

Yes!! I am down on todays media moguls. They "sold their birthright for a few extra dollars". The "TRUTH" they deliver is now bought and paid for by the highest bidder.