In a week that saw no major new releases, there was no significant change in the make up of the US box office chart. Night At The Museum stayed at the top for a third week, bringing its total to a mighty $164 million. Pursuit of Happyness was again at number 2, with a surprising four-week haul of $124million, proving that Will Smith and the American dream are a potent combination.
Moving up swiftly at number three was Children of Men, which expanded to a wide release in its second week. It may have made a relatively meagre $10.3 million, but it played a third of the screens occupied by Night at the Museum and its screen average was a healthy $8,515.
The two new entries in the top ten made lacklustre debuts. Hilary Swank's Freedom Writers, a solidly reviewed Dangerous Minds/Coach Carter/Sister Act 2 type 'inspirational teacher goes to deprived inner city school and overcomes their mutual prejudices to lead them all to good marks, but not before one of them drops out' type movie secured a decent $9.7million. Poorly reviewed snarky fairytale animation Happily N'Ever After limped in with $6.8million.
And here is either the rest of the chart or Mr Benn on the day he went to the fancy dress shop and asked for a chart costume.
1
Night At The Museum
$24,000,000
$164,097,000
3
2
Pursuit of Happyness $13,000,000
$124,159,000
4
3
Children of Men
$10,295,000
$11,902,000
2
4
Freedom Writers
$9,705,000
$9,705,000
1
5
Dreamgirls
$8,825,000
$54,484,000
4
6
Happily N'Ever After
$6,800,000
$6,800,000
1
7
Charlotte's Web
$6,610,000
$66,975,000
4
8
The Good Shepherd
$6,536,000
$48,434,000
3
9
Rocky Balboa
$6,238,000
$60,892,000
3
10
We Are Marshall $5,135,000
$35,425,000
3