Eminem movie tops predictions

Eminem made an explosive feature film debut this weekend, as his “8 Mile” came in at No. 1 with an impressive $54.5 million, according to studio estimates, and an average of $22,050 per theater nationwide.

Directed by Oscar winner Curtis Hanson (for his screenplay to “L.A. Confidential”), the film far exceeded pre-release estimates.

Studio executives said they were surprised by how well the R-rated movie performed.

The studio released the movie on 2,470 theaters, fewer than most contemporary genre films, which are typically released in 3,000 theaters or more. Multiple prints at individual theaters pushed the actual screen count to 3,900, meaning that most locations had back-to-back showings of the movie.

Second was Disney’s “The Santa Clause 2,” which grossed $24.8 million, dropping only 14% from last weekend’s opening figure. Its total is about $60.1 million.

In third place was DreamWorks’ “The Ring,” which held up well in its fourth weekend with $16 million, bringing its cumulative total to $86.1 million.

At No. 4, Sony’s “I Spy” took in an estimated $9 million for a total of $24.7 million.

Paramount/MTV’s “Jackass the Movie” slipped to No. 5 with $7.2 million for a total of $53.3 million.

Debuting at No. 9. was the Brian De Palma thriller “Femme Fatale,” taking in $2.8 million and $3.5 million since it opened Wednesday. The film is in 1,066 theaters.

Miramax’s “Frida” edged into the top 10 for the first time, tying for 10th with “Punch-Drunk Love” at $2.6 million, although Julie Taymor’s Frida Kahlo biopic was in only 319 theaters while Paul Thomas Anderson’s comedy was in 1,293.

Todd Haynes’ ode to glossy 1950s melodramas, “Far From Heaven,” did very well over the weekend in limited release, perhaps benefiting from effusive reviews.

The film, which stars Julianne Moore and Dennis Quaid, grossed $207,110 over the weekend on only six screens for a healthy average of $34,518.

This week’s top 12 films grossed $133.8 million, up 15% from last year, according to Exhibitor Relations Inc.