‘Queen of the Damned’ Rules Weekend
The new Warner Bros. vampire film “Queen of the Damned” grossed $14.8 million to debut atop the weekend box office chart. The studio had to grapple with how to market the film after the death of the film’s young female star, Aaliyah. The singer died in a plane crash last year.
“Certainly, there was heightened interest in the film due to her appearance in the film, but I don’t think that is why it was No. 1,” said Paul Dergarabedian, president of the box-office tracking firm Exhibitor Relations. “Horror films, in general, are solid draws at the box office. They are really review-proof.”
“John Q.,” starring Denzel Washington, dropped to second place in its second week in release, taking in $12.5 million, while the supernatural love story “Dragonfly,” starring Kevin Costner, opened in third place with $10.2 million.
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Weekend Box Office
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