January 25, 2008–Fox's new comedy, “Meet the Spartans,” won the top spot Friday with $6.8 million, while Liongate's “Rambo” slotted second with $6.7 million, the best opening day for Sylvester Stallone.
Two decades after its last chapter, “Rambo” bested Stallone's previous first day record of $6.2 million, which was made by “Rocky Balboa,” in December 2006.
Playing in 2,605 theaters, the opening day for “Meet the Spartans” is in sync with Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer's previous multi-hyphenate spoofs, last year's “Epic Movie” and 2006's “Date Movie” both of which grossed $6.8 million. The three-day opening for “Epic” clocked in at $18.6 million while “Date” bowed to $19.1 million.
“Rambo,” which unspooled in 2,751 theaters, will continue to spar with “Spartans” throughout Saturday and Sunday for the weekend's No. 1 slot.
Facing four wide entries, Martin Luther King Jr. holiday holdovers, “27 Dresses” and “Cloverfield” took hits Friday, however “Dresses” looked more attractive to audiences than Paramount's monster.
“27 Dresses” took third with $4.2 million at 3,074 engagements, down 46% from a week ago and a current cume of $35.9 million.
In fourth, Paramount's “Cloverfield” dropped 76% with $4.1 million off 3,411 hardtops and a running eight-day domestic cume of $55.7 million.
Sony-Screen Gems new thriller “Untraceable” registered $3.7 million from 2,368 playdates for fifth place while the weekend's last wide entry, Paramount Vantage's “How She Move” ranked outside the day's top 10 with $1.2 million from 1,531 theaters.
