Is there any topic Pixar can’t turn into a hit? The studio has now transformed its geriatric fantasy adventure Up into its third highest grossing opening ever, behind The Incredibles ($70 million) and Finding Nemo ($70.2 million). It’s surely been aided by the 1500 3-D screens that cost a premium ticket price. Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian grabbed the number two slot, holding incredibly well considering the competition was stiff for the family audience this weekend. The Ben Stiller-starrer dropped a mild 53% to $25.5 million for the frame. But despite the solid turnout from the family audiences this weekend, the box office couldn’t match last year at this time when Sex and the City opened to $56.8 million and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull had a giant $44.5 million second weekend. (The top 12 movies were down just under 1% from last year.)
Despite the dour year-over-year comparisons, individual films are still holding their own. In third place, the well-reviewed Sam Raimi-directed horror film Drag Me to Hell opened to $16.6 million, just beating Terminator Salvation’s three-day take of $16.1 million. The Christian Bale-starrer dropped 62% from its opening frame. The film’s 11-day cume stands at $90 million, far beneath what Terminator 3 had grossed in its first 11 days in theaters back in 2003. Fifth place belonged to the stalwart Star Trek which continues to earn despite already being in theaters for a month. The J.J. Abrams-directed movie has now crossed the $200 million mark — dropping only 44% this frame, it proves it’s still got more earning power left.
More from EW:
Up: Is it Pixar’s best?
Box Office Preview: How high will Up go?
Sam Raimi: My 12 Hell-ish films
Pixar Hall of Fame: 11 classics
Chace Crawford is ready to follow the fancy footwork of Kevin Bacon when he begins shooting Paramount’s reboot of the 1984 dance classic Footloose next March. The 23-year-old Gossip Girl star landed the lead after Zac Efron dropped out. “I know Zac and we’re actually friends,” says Crawford. “He’s gotta make the best choice for his career at this point and I have to make the best for mine and luckily it worked out for both of us.” Still, Crawford wasn’t even born when the original premiered in theaters. So is this just an elaborate ruse to win at Six Degrees? Jokes Crawford, “I want my number to be up — my Bacon number.” Crawford won the part after a brutal audition, including dancing and singing, for producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron (Hairspray) and director Kenny Ortega (High School Musical). “It was, like, five hours of the most rigorous tests ever,” says Crawford. “I walked out very confident.” He had a right to be, according to Zadan: “At the end of it, we all sort of looked at each other and said, ‘He’s the guy!’” Crawford may soon have his onscreen dance partner. A Paramount spokesperson confirmed to EW that Dancing With the Stars’ Julianne Hough will screen-test this week. Hough’s recent success as a country music star could give her an advantage. Says Meron, “It’s a much more singing-intensive movie for the female lead.” 
