“Angels & Demons” did not pack the appeal and Box Office numbers of its predecessor, “The Da Vinci Code.” Nonetheless, the new thriller about a deadly plot against the Vatican grabbed the attention of movie fans and debuted with an estimated $48 million this weekend to become the number one movie in the country.
“Angels & Demons” is based on another Dan Brown novel. Brown’s mega-bestseller, “The Da Vinci Code” became a blockbuster movie in 2006. “The Da Vinic Code” earned $77 million on its opening weekend in the U.S. The film had a terrific run in theaters. Domestically, “The Da Vinci Code” hauled in $217 million and $540 million in foreign markets. Both films are directed by Ron Howard and star Tom Hanks as the lead character, Harvard University symbologist, Robert Langdon.
Last week’s top flick “Star Trek,” remained popular with moviegoers and pulled in around $43 million for second place. The two week total for the sci-fi space adventure is an estimated $147 million in the U.S. The comic book action film, “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” clawed its way into third with $14.8 million. The romantic comedy, “Ghosts of Girlfriends Past” claimed fourth with $6.8 million and rounding out the top five, the thriller “Obsessed” with $4.5 million.