"Shark Tale" still has box office bite
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The gangster cartoon "Shark Tale" has roughed up its rivals at the North American box office for a second weekend, while Billy Bob Thornton scored a touchdown at No. 2 with his new school football drama "Friday Night Lights," according to studio estimates.
Among other new releases, former "Saturday Night Live" star Jimmy Fallon's headlining debut "Taxi" stalled at No. 4, while ubiquitous teen queen Hilary Duff's latest drama "Raise Your Voice" struggled to be heard at No. 6.
DreamWorks' "Shark Tale," featuring the voices of Will Smith and Robert De Niro in the story of fishy mobsters, bit off $31.7 million for the three days beginning Friday, taking its 10-day catch to $87.7 million. The film cost about $70 million to make.
In an era where most big openers lose more than half their audiences in the second weekend, "Shark Tale" dropped just 33 percent, aided by favourable word-of-mouth and by the U.S. Columbus Day holiday on Monday, when about 35 percent of schools will be closed, said Jim Tharp, the closely held studio's distribution president.
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