Memorial Day weekend traditionally marks the start of the summer blockbuster season, so I was expecting some big grosses today, especially with Terminator Salvation on the list of new releases. And while the film did reasonably well with a $43 million haul, that was not enough to earn the title of No. 1 film in America — because it was beaten by Ben Stiller’s comedy Night at the Museum: Battle at the Smithsonian! The sequel to 2006’s Night at the Museum earned a whopping $53.5 million to beat all comers and claim the top spot on the list.
Last week’s champ, Angels & Demons, slipped all the way down to No. 4 after generating just $21.4 million in ticket sales, but its worldwide box office remained strong.
The only other new release to crack the top 10 was Dance Flick, a comedy from the Wayans brothers. This film managed to earn $11.1 million despite some truly horrid reviews.
Here’s the complete Top 10 at the box office for this Memorial Day weekend:
- Night at the Museum: Battle at the Smithsonian, $53.5 million
- Terminator Salvation, $43 million
- Star Trek, $22 million
- Angels & Demons, $21.4 million
- Dance Flick, $11.1 million
- X-Men Origins: Wolverine, $7.8 million
- Ghosts of Girlfriends Past, $3.72 million
- Obsessed, $2 million
- Monsters vs Aliens, $1.34 million
- 17 Again, $1 million