NEW COMEDY "COUPLE RETREAT" LEADS BOX OFFICE

11.10.2009 18:13
LOS ANGELES, Oct 11 (Reuters) - The critically maligned Vince Vaughn comedy 'Couples Retreat' easily took the top spot at the weekend box office in North America on Sunday, helped by the absence of any other new releases.
The film earned $35.3 million during the three days beginning on Friday, confounding industry forecasts of an opening in the $20 million range.
Paradoxically, the Universal Pictures project was released four days after studio chiefs David Linde and Marc Shmuger were ousted from the General Electric Co unit in the wake of a dismal summer at the box office.
Vaughn stars as one half of a couple who join three other couples on a tropical island for some counseling. It marks his best opening since 'The Break-Up' launched with $39 million in 2006. But critics overwhelmingly trashed the picture. Time magazine said it was 'offensive.' USA Today said it was 'tedious.'
Universal said women accounted for 61 percent of the audience, while 56 percent of the audience was aged 30 and older.
Last weekend's top film, 'Zombieland,' slipped to No. 2 with $15 million, while past two-time champ 'Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs' was down one to No. 3 with $12 million. The respective totals for the Columbia Pictures releases stand at $47.8 million and $96.3 million. Columbia is a unit of Sony Corp.
(Editing by Eric Walsh)
((Los Angeles bureau +1 213-380-2014)) Keywords: BOXOFFICE/
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