It seems like there are a lot of science-fiction fans
outhere and Will Smith it’s not so alone. His latest movie, “I Am Legend” has
an astonishing debut as the movie opened with $76.5 million earnings at the
domestic box office.
Will Smith has a lot of reason to celebrate because “I Am
Legend” has just become the biggest December opening ever and a personal best
for him.
Smith’s “I Am Legend” surpassed the $72.6 million start for
"Lord of the Rings: Return of the King" in 2003, the Time Warner Inc
announced. Last year, Smith’s “The
Pursuit of Happyness” led the box office for the same weekend, but earned just
26.5 million dollars.
Based on Matheson’s novel "The Last Man on Earth",
“I Am Legend” is set in 2012 and Will Smith is Robert Neville, a scientist and
the only survivor of the virus that has destroyed almost the entire population
on earth. He is a former Army doctor and is somehow immune to the virus.
The first movie based on Matheson’s novel was "The Last
Man on Earth" starring Vincent Price and the second one was classic movie
"The Omega Man” from 1971. This third version, which cost $100
million, is by far the best yet. The movie relies mostly on special effect: a
computer vision of a depopulated New
York, covered with weeds and wild animals that are
retaking their territories.
The squeaky voiced chipmunks from “Alvin and the Chipmunks'' opened in second
place with $45 million. Based on the 1980s TV cartoon starring Jason Lee as
Dave and Justin Long as the voice of Alvin,
the movie played strongly with family audiences.
The $ 180-million fantasy epic movie, “The Golden Compass,”
based on the first volume of the award-winning trilogy "His Dark
Materials" by militant atheist Philip Pullman had another disappointing
box office revenues over its second weekend.
The last weekend No. 1 has earned only $9 million, while
Walt Disney Co.'s “Enchanted'' fell to fourth from second with $6 million.
The Coen brothers' dark crime thriller "No Country for
Old Men", about a merciless manhunt in Texas gained the fifth place with $3
million, while "The Perfect Holiday," a romance starring Morris
Chestnut and Gabrielle Union, tallied $2.97 million.
The last for movies in Top 10 were "Fred Claus" wih
$2.31 million, "This Christmas" with $2.3 million, "Atonement"
with $1.85 million and "August Rush" with $1.79 million.
Depicting the story of a young writer who irreversibly
changes the lives of her sister and her sweetheart by accusing him of a crime
he didn’t commit, the story of “Atonement” charmed the film critics. The movie received
seven nods for the Golden Globe, which will take place on January 13 in Beverly
Hills.
