'Gnomeo & Juliet' speeds to box office glory



LOS ANGELES- Disney's "Gnomeo & Juliet" tiptoed into first place at the North American box office this weekend as Hollywood prepared for its major Oscars awards Sunday, industry figures showed.
The family-friendly animated retelling of Shakespeare's play features the voices of James McAvoy and Emily Blunt, and Elton John's music.



For its third weekend in theaters, it took in $14.2 million in ticket sales during another sluggish week in what has been a slow start of the year for Hollywood.
New release "Hall Pass" came in second with $13.4 million. Married guys Owen Wilson and Jason Sudeikis get permission from their wives to have an affair in this latest raunchy comedy by Peter and Bobby Farrelly.
In third spot was Liam Neeson's thriller "Unknown" -- last week's winner -- with $12.4 million.
Leeson stars as a botanist who awakens after a car crash in Berlin to find his wife claiming she does not known him and that another man has taken his identity.
"Just Go With It," starring Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston, held on to the fourth spot. The romantic comedy raked in $11.1 million.
Dropping to fifth was sci-fi action flick "I Am Number Four," netting $11 million. The film stars British heartthrob Alex Pettyfer as a teenaged alien refugee hiding on Earth from evil invaders who killed his family.
Justin Bieber's "Never Say Never" held on to the sixth spot with $9.2 million. The concert documentary tells the story of the boy's rise to superstardom from a small town in Canada -- and he doesn't turn 17 until next month.
Critically acclaimed "The King's Speech" basked in Academy Awards frontrunner status, taking in $7.6 million to stay in seventh place, bringing its 14-week total to $114.5 million.
The British historical drama has been nominated for 12 Oscars and already scooped up wins at other award ceremonies in the United States and Europe.
Martin Lawrence's "Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son" comedy came in eighth with $7.55 million, ahead of new release "Drive Angry," which cashed in $5.1 million.
Rounding out the top 10 was widely panned horror flick "The Roommate," with $2 million.
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Monday, February 28th 2011
AFP
           


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