Coming In 2010: 'Jason Vs. Liam'
Happy President's Day! What better way to honor the legacy of America's bold leaders than to sacrifice our own day off, starting with an historic Monday Morning Box Office?
1. Friday the 13th — $42.2 million
Fittingly or not, the biggest President's Day weekend in box-office history was led by a bloodthirsty, unlikable and unkillable man who's spent the last 30 years strategically decimating his opponents. Jason Voorhees's landslide triumph reaffirmed his supremacy and mandate for years to come, or at least until David Frost corners him to ask why he didn't burn the tapes and if he would like to apologize to the American people for anything in particular. Actually, Frost/Jason doesn't sound half-bad.
2. He's Just Not That Into You — $19.6 million
Yet another potential franchise that could benefit from the infusion of a hockey-masked suitor for its inevitable sequel. Nothing brings couples closer together than the apparent aphrodisiac of Crystal Lake, and since you want to see the HJNTIOY gang hacked to shreds anyway, we urge Warners to do the right thing and overlap these brands for maximum marketplace efficiency.
3. Taken — $19.2 million
Alternatively, Jason vs. Liam could be just the resolution to settle Fox's Watchmen claim against WB. Scrap the old deal, throw them in outer space like Jason X and let them fight their ways back to Earth.
4. Confessions of a Shopaholic — $15.4 million
Shopaholic is pretty much where we thought it would be three-quarters of the way through the holiday weekend, and likely to decline sharply throughout the week. Which, of course, can mean only one thing: Maybe next time, Isla.
5. Coraline — $15.3 million
Fun-ish facts: In 10 days of release, Coraline has become Focus Features' sixth highest-grossing film ever. Among the rest of the distributor's top 10, eight films were nominated for Oscars. Four won, and Milk is on the bubble for this weekend. So forgive us in advance should this one come up again — a lot — next fall.