Sony's acquisition of Peter Jackson’s low-budget independent production, District 9, has surpassed expectations with a $37 million weekend opening. The sci-fi film, which cost only $30 million to produce, garnered $14.2 million on Friday and $12.6 million on Saturday, with a projected $10.1 million on Sunday, playing in 3,049 theaters. This impressive performance is attributed in part to the strong appeal of producer Peter Jackson's name among moviegoers aged 18-49, as well as the positive reception from Comic-Con attendees and critics. The viral marketing campaign, which ran for a year without any Sony or Tri-Star branding, included several websites tied to the film’s plot and characters, along with an outdoor advertising campaign that encouraged people to report non-human activity. The audience was predominantly male, with 64% being male and 57% aged 25 or older.

District 9, directed by Neill Blomkamp, was initially developed from Blomkamp's short film, Alive in Joburg. After the Halo project failed, Jackson and his partner Fran Walsh supported Blomkamp in turning the short into a graphic novel, which was then financed and set up as a film by Ken Kamins and Bill Block's QED International. Sony, through Tri-Star, acquired the domestic rights for $25 million, covering North America, the English-speaking world, and several international territories including Italy, Russia, Portugal, Korea, China, Hong Kong, and much of Africa. The film received an 88% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes, praised for its imaginative and cutting-edge approach outside the studio system.

Paramount's G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra saw a significant drop of 68% on Friday, but managed to recover on Saturday, resulting in a $22.5 million weekend. Paramount remains optimistic about reaching a $300 million worldwide total, with a current domestic cume of $98.7 million and a foreign cume of $91 million.

The Time Traveler's Wife, based on the bestselling book, opened to a disappointing $19.2 million weekend from 2,988 theaters. Despite Eric Bana's leading role, the film did not meet the expected $25 million opening, with a 17% drop on Saturday.

Sony's Julie & Julia, starring Meryl Streep and Amy Adams, continued to perform well, earning $12.4 million over the weekend, bringing its cume to $43.6 million. The film experienced a 40% drop from the previous weekend.

Disney's G-Force, produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, held the fifth spot with a $6.9 million weekend, bringing its total to $99 million.

Paramount Vantage's The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard, starring Jeremy Piven, opened to a modest $5.3 million weekend, placing it at number six.

Warner Bros.' Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, now in its seventh week, added $5.1 million to its cume, reaching $283.3 million.

Sony's romantic comedy, The Ugly Truth, took in $4.5 million over the weekend, bringing its total to $77.5 million.

Disney's animated film, Ponyo, from Japanese filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki, debuted at number nine with a $3.5 million weekend, providing fresh content for young audiences.

Fox Searchlight's 500 Days of Summer and Sony/Universal's Funny People both earned around $3 million over the weekend, with Funny People's cume reaching a weak $47.9 million.

Walden Media/Summit Entertainment's Bandslam, despite positive reviews, struggled with a $2.3 million weekend, falling out of the top 10 to number 13. The film's marketing, aimed at a younger audience, may have led to confusion with other teen musicals like High School Musical.

Overall, the weekend box office is estimated at $130 million, a 10% increase from the previous year.

What are the Harry Potter Movies about and Where to Watch

The Harry Potter movies chronicle the magical adventures of young wizard Harry Potter as he attends Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, confronts the evil Lord Voldemort, and discovers his extraordinary destiny alongside friends Ron and Hermione. If you're wondering where to watch harry potter films today, they're available across multiple streaming services including HBO Max, Amazon Prime, and potentially Netflix (depending on your region), with digital rental options also widely accessible for fans eager to revisit the beloved wizarding world.

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