'Max Payne' tops weekend box office
The film based on a video game pulls in $18 million. 'Beverly Hills Chihuahua' is second with $11.2 million.
"Max Payne," the film adaptation of a popular video game, set the high score over the weekend with $18 million in gross ticket sales, according to studio estimates.
The PG-13-rated thriller gave 20th Century Fox its first No. 1 launch in seven months. The opening-night crowd was heavily male and young, matching the video game demographic. Males constituted 65% of the Friday audience, and most of them were under 25. But studio officials said 40% of the male viewers were over 25, higher than they expected, and the 35% female audience also beat expectations.
"Beverly Hills Chihuahua," taking in $11.2 million in its third week, and "The Secret Life of Bees," grossing $11.05 million, were second and third in total sales.
Strong turnout by liberals, meanwhile, put "W.," the biography of President Bush in fourth place, with $10.55 million in sales. Studio polls showed 55% of the audience called themselves liberals and 31% identified themselves as moderates -- only 14% of the audience said they were conservative.
While drawing more liberals than conservatives, the film was released across the country in diverse markets. "Attendance was strong in both Red and Blue states," said Steve Rothenberg, president of domestic distribution for the film's distributor, Lionsgate.
