The gangster and the bee

Weekend winner “American Gangster” opened at the high end of analysts’ predictions, while “Bee Movie” fared about as expected. Together, they lifted overall box-office results above the same period a year earlier after six straight down weekends.

The other major new release, the John Cusack drama “Martian Child,” came in slightly below analysts’ expectations.

Among holdovers, “Saw IV” tumbled 65% in its second weekend, a typically sharp drop for the horror genre. The romantic comedy “Dan in Real Life,” by contrast, declined a modest 31%.

Preliminary results (in millions) in the U.S. and Canada, based on studio projections:

Movie (studio): 1. American Gangster (Universal)

3-day gross (millions): $46.3

Total (millions): $46.3

Weeks: 1

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Movie (studio): 2. Bee Movie (DreamWorks Animation/Paramount)

3-day gross (millions): $39.1

Total (millions): $39.1

Weeks: 1

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Movie (studio): 3. Saw IV (Lionsgate Lions Gate)

3-day gross (millions): $11.0

Total (millions): $51.1

Weeks: 2

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Movie (studio): 4. Dan in Real Life (Disney)

3-day gross (millions): $ 8.1

Total (millions): $23.0

Weeks: 2

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Movie (studio): 5. 30 Days of Night (Sony)

3-day gross (millions): $4.0

Total (millions): $34.2

Weeks: 3

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Movie (studio): 6. The Game Plan (Disney)

3-day gross (millions): $3.9

Total (millions): $82.0

Weeks: 6

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Movie (studio): 7. Martian Child (New Line)

3-day gross (millions): $3.7

Total (millions): $3.7

Weeks: 1

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Movie (studio): 8. Michael Clayton (Warner Bros.)

3-day gross (millions): $2.9

Total (millions): $33.2

Weeks: 5

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Movie (studio): 9. Tyler Perry’s Why Did I Get Married? (Lionsgate Lions Gate)

3-day gross (millions): $2.7

Total (millions): $51.2

Weeks: 4

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Movie (studio): 10. Gone Baby Gone (Miramax)

3-day gross (millions): $2.4

Total (millions): $15.0

Weeks: 3

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Industry totals

3-day gross (in millions): $143.0

Change from 2006: +10.8%

Year-to-date gross (in billions): $8.0

Change from 2006: +6.0%

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Note: A movie may be shown on more than one screen at each venue.

Source: Media by Numbers

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Los Angeles Times