Fast Bucks for Ferrell's "Talladega"

Like the man says, Ricky Bobby can only count to one. Feeding off favorable reviews, Will Ferrell's appeal and a desire for good laughs, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby took the checkered flag by a mile.

The stock car racing spoof hot wheeled to an opening weekend gross of $47 million, easily lapping the only other major challenger, the latest wise-cracking animal 'toon Barnyard, whose second place feedbag was filled with $15.8 million.

The tally for Ferrell's PG-13 comedy exceeded expectations--Sony had anticipated it opening in the mid-$30 million range. Made with the cooperation of NASCAR, Talladega costars Gary Cole as Ricky's dad, John C. Reilly as his best bud, Leslie Bibb as his wife and Sacha Baron Cohen as his nemesis. The film was the studio's eighth movie to open as number one this year, and the ninth to debut with more $20 million.

Sony is touting Talladega's haul as the second biggest ever for an "original comedy," way behind Bruce Almighty's $85.7 million in 2003. Pitstopped at 3,803 locations, Talladega averaged a whopping $12,370 and attracted an audience that was mostly male (53 percent) and young (52 percent under 25).

"It's one of those movies--pardon the pun--firing on all cylinders. When you have Will Ferrell and NASCAR, you just know you are going to have a crowd pleaser," Rory Bruer, president of distribution for Sony, told the Associated Press.

Further down on the crowd-pleasing meter was Barnyard, Paramount's PG-rated CGI comedy featuring voice work by Kevin James, Courteney Cox and Danny Glover. The 'toon was farmed out to 3,311 sites, where it averaged a decent $4,778, considering competition from two other family-friendly 'toons, Monster House and The Ant Bully.

This weekend's horror entry, The Descent, about spelunking youths terrorized by mutant critters, debuted in fifth place with $8.9 million. The R-rated Lionsgate release averaged $4,254 at 2,095 sites.

The Night Listener, starring Robin Williams as a gay journalist investigating the mystery surrounding an AIDS-stricken kid (Rory Culkin) and his adoptive mom (Toni Collette), only crept in with $3.6 million in 10th place. The R-rated Miramax thriller, inspired by true events, averaged $2,600 at 1,367 locations.

At just eight locations, the well reviewed family angst drama Quinceañera, an R-rated Sony Pictures Classic release, averaged a solid $12,112 for $96,896.

Last week's openers all dropped sharply: Miami Vice dove 60 percent, from first to fourth place, earning $10.2 million for a 10-day total of $46.3 million; John Tucker Must Die slid 57 percent, down from third to sixth place with $6.2 million for a $28.7 million gross; and The Ant Bully was squished 54 percent, down from fifth to eighth place with $3.9 million, bringing the animated adventure's total to a wee $18.2 million.

But one film in its second week looks to have a bright future. The dysfunctional family road trip comedy Little Miss Sunshine, expanded to 58 theaters and averaged a very sunny $25,169 per site for $1.5 million, up 300 percent. The Fox Searchlight release has now grossed $2.2 million and expands to 17 more cities this week.

With Ferrell's comedy gassing up such big business it was another up week overall. The top 12 movies earned a combined $122.1 million, 5 percent above last week and 18 percent above this time last year, when another bunch of good 'old boys were revving their engines in The Dukes of Hazzard.

Here's a recap of the weekend's top-grossing films as compiled by Exhibitor Relations from final studio figures released Monday:

1. Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, $47 million
2. Barnyard, $15.8 million
3. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, $11 million
4. Miami Vice, $10.2 million
5. The Descent, $8.9 million
6. John Tucker Must Die, $6.2 million
7. Monster House, $6.1 million
8. The Ant Bully, $3.9 million
9. You, Me and Dupree, $3.64 million
10. The Night Listener, $3.55 million

(Originally published Aug. 6, 2006 at 2:20 p.m. PT.)