Lakeview Terrace tops US box office
Story by Jack Foley
SAMUEL L. Jackson enjoyed his second US No.1 of the year when his latest movie, Lakeview Terrace, took the top spot over the September 19-22 (2008) weekend with $15.6 million.
The film, written and directed by Neil LaBute (of In The Company Of Men fame), finds Jackson playing a vindictive, racist cop who makes life hell for his new mixed-race neighbours. The film co-stars Patrick Wilson and Kerry Washington.
Reviews were mixed, but Jackson is proving himself to be a reliable box office performer, and Screen Gems, the distributor of the $20 million film, was delighted with the film’s performance, insisting the tally was at the upper end of expectations.
Jackson’s previous No. 1 this year was the sci-fi action movie Jumper, which again found him playing the villain, and which took $27 million in February, before finishing up with $80 million.
Elsewhere at the US box office
In what proved to be a disappointing weekend for new releases, last week’s box office winner endured only a slight drop off in ticket sales.
The Coen brothers’ dark CIA comedy Burn After Reading, starring George Clooney and Brad Pitt, fell to No. 2 with $11.3 million, taking its 10-day total to $36.4 million.
Of the three other debutants, Lionsgate rom-com My Best Friend’s Girl, starring Kate Hudson and Dane Cook, opened at No. 3 with $8.3 million; animated movie Igor entered at No. 4 with $8 million, and Ricky Gervais comedy Ghost Town slipped in at No.8 with only $5.2 million – confirming the director’s worst fear that Gervais isn’t yet a big enough name in America to open a movie.