Scoring the biggest opening day ever for a Sony Pictures animation film, “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” dominated the box office Friday as it effectively locked up the weekend crown.
The film earned $8.1 million from 3,119 screens, which gave it a comfortable edge over all other competition. And, because school is back in session, the film should do even better Saturday, when matinee showings attract young children and their families.
Distantly behind “Meatballs” was newcomer “The Informant!,” which earned $3.7 million. It edged holdover champ “Tyler Perry’s I Can Do Bad all by Myself” and new Jennifer Aniston vehicle “Love Happens,” which both came in at around $3.1 million.
The weekend’s big disappointment came in the debut of “Jennifer’s Body.” Promoted gratuitously–and aggressively–around star Megan Fox’s body, the Diablo Cody-penned film earned just $2.8 million. While such a figure is not horrible for a unspectacularly-reviewed horror/thriller, the visible ad campaign, the vast press for Megan Fox and the “Juno” factor for writer Diablo Cody cast a big spotlight on the film (and thus made the gross particularly disappointing).
