Well, it finally happened. For the first time since 2003, a Saw film opened in a position other than number one. Now, it was not for any lack of trying. If nothing else, the Saw franchise has been terribly consistent with each of the sequels topping the $30 million mark for its respective opening weekend. People ask when they plan on stopping. The answer is obviously when those strong opening numbers go away. It is hard to argue when your opening weekend nearly triples the film's budget — that's the quickest way to a sequel.
When you look at the movie that did take the top spot it is hard to argue against it. The High School Musical franchise may have been born on television, but it has become a marketing department's dream. The two television films have spawned countless merchandising avenues, all building up to the series' jump to the big screen. High School Musical 3: Senior Year easily climbed to the top spot with a take north of $42 million. I can attest to the fervor with which these kids latch onto the series by the number of teens that crowded the lobby of the local theater.
One other new film reached the top ten, Pride and Glory. This opened in a disappointing fifth place with $6.2 million. This is a film I thought would have opened higher. It is a really good cop drama that has all of the cliches but is told in a fast-paced manner that you have no choice but to get taken along for the ride. Plus, it does feature Edward Norton and Colin Farrell in the leads, with both turning in strong performances.
Among the remaining films, both Beverly Hills Chihuahua and Eagle Eye continued to draw strong crowds and suffer minimal drops. The same cannot be said for last week's number one film, Max Payne, which dropped nearly 57% from last week.
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