Clearly the Hollywood pro-dog lobby has more clout that anyone expected. How else can you account for the fact that even the release of Ridley Scott’s latest, Body Of Lies, failed to dethrone Beverly Hills Chihuahua from the box office throne.
The canine comedy retained the number one spot with $17.5 million while zombie horror Quarantine nipped at its heels, taking second place with $14.2 million. Scott’s terrorist hunt came in a disappointing third, surfing a wave of mixed reviews to an opening of just $13.1 million.
It’s a sorry state of affairs indeed when the combined star power of Russell Crowe and Leonardo DiCaprio can’t draw people away from a pampered pooch lost in the mean streets of Mexico. A spokesman from Warner Bros blamed the film’s performance on the current political climate in the US and poor public reaction to any mention of terrorism.
It will be disappointment for Scott and the studio, but since the suits at Warner are still driving around in their fleet of diamond limos thanks to The Dark Knight’s success, we doubt there will be any permanent damage.