Audiences treasure 'Treasure'

New movies play second fiddle to older flicks at box office.
ZAP2IT.COM
LOS ANGELES -- Audiences found "National Treasure" more intriguing than the two new films that debuted over the long Thanksgiving weekend.
It was all gravy for the John Turteltaub-directed film, which handily won the top spot at the box office, earning $33.1 million for its second weekend out and $46.2 million since the Wednesday holiday rush. According to Exhibitor Relations, "Treasure" -- about modern-day treasure hunters trying to steal the Declaration of Independence -- averaged an impressive $10,200 per screen, only dropping a modest 6 percent since its debut the previous weekend.
Also chowing down to hefty ticket sales was Pixar's "The Incredibles," which squeezed out the previous weekend's debut of "The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie" to reclaim its title of reigning animated film for the season in second place. "Incredibles" dropped only 9 percent from the previous weekend, earning an additional $24.1 million.
Feeling Kranky
Moviegoers also decided to spend "Christmas with the Kranks" for its opening weekend, bringing the holiday comedy into the third spot with $22.7 million. Although historically the King of Macedonia had conquered much of the known Western world by the age of 25, the Oliver Stone-directed biopic "Alexander" didn't even break into the Top 5 films, instead opening at No. 6 with $13.4 million over the weekend and $21.6 million since its debut the previous Wednesday.
Films capitalizing on expanded theater runs and holiday audiences include "The Polar Express," "Finding Neverland" and "Sideways." The Warner Bros. CGI-animated family film "Polar Express" increased its earnings by 28 percent from last weekend, maintaining its fourth place finish, while the independent "Neverland" and "Sideways" improved 462 and 52 percent to come in at No. 8 and No. 11, respectively.
Jean-Pierre Jeunet's French-language film "A Very Long Engagement," set during World War I, boasted the highest per screen average after opening Friday, with an enviable $26,500 for each of its four screens.