NEWS'2012' Blows Up with $65 Million Dollar Opening Weekend
Nov. 16 2009, Published 1:03 p.m. ET
It was a much hyped, CGI—heavy tale of the end of the world, but clearly armageddon sells movie tickets: 2012 raked in a global total of $225 million on its opening weekend.
The movie, starring John Cusack, Amanda Peet and Chiwetel Ejiofor (pictured), opened at No. 1 after making $65 million domestically, and $160 worldwide.
2012 follows John Cusack's Jackson Curtis as he battles to rescue his family as the Earth is destroyed in a Biblical series of earthquakes, tidal waves and floods.
The cable network, FX, has wasted no time and snapped up the TV rights to the Roland Emmerich-directed disaster movie, and plans to air it at the beginning of 2012.
The animated holiday classic, Disney's A Christmas Carol slipped to No. 2 with $22.3 million, down only 26 percent from its No. 1 position last week.
Meanwhile, at No. 4 with $6.1 million, Precious has become a surprise hit, breaking into the Top 10 as it expanded to more theaters.
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The total box office takings for Michael Jackson's This Is It have increased to $67.2 million, making the movie the top-grossing music documentary, surpassing the $65.3 million total of last year's Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert.
