National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets is pre-Christmas US No.1
Story by Jack Foley
NICOLAS Cage has claimed the pre-Christmas number one spot at the US box office with his action-adventure sequel National Treasure: Book of Secrets.
The blockbuster movie, co-starring Dame Helen Mirren and Ed Harris, took $45.5m (£23m) in its first three days, according to distributor Walt Disney Pictures, which also topped the pre-Christmas box office in the UK with Enchanted.
Last weekend’s record-breaker I Am Legend, starring Will Smith, slipped to number two with $34.2m and children’s hit Alvin & The Chipmunks fell to third with $29m.
Four further films opened in US cinemas over the December 21-23 (2007) weekend – but incredibly National Treasure: Book of Secrets pulled in more than any of them combined, despite the presence of some top-drawer casts and good reviews.
Charlie Wilson’s War, a Golden Globe nominated political satire starring Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts and Philip Seymour Hoffman about the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, opened at number four with $9.6m (£4.9m).
And Johnny Depp musical Sweeney Todd, which marks his latest outing with Tim Burton, debuted at number five with $9.35m (£4.7m).
Hilary Swank weepie PS I Love You and musical spoof Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story were the other two new entries – but neither was able to break the top five.
National Treasure: Book of Secrets is the sequel to the Jerry Bruckheimer-produced 2004 original which took $173m (£87m) in total.
The sequel reunites existing cast members Nicolas Cage, Justin Bartha, Jon Voight and Diane Kruger with newcomers Mirren, Harris and Bruce Greenwood.
This time around, Cage’s treasure hunter Benjamin Franklin Gates must solve an ancient puzzle related to the assassination of US president, Abraham Lincoln.
The film opens in UK cinemas on February 8, 2008.