A flurry of new films failed to sink the submarine thriller U-571, which
remained atop the box office for the second straight weekend, according
to studio estimates Sunday.
The World War II drama starring Matthew McConaughey and Harvey Keitel
took in $12.3 million, pushing its total gross to $38.2 million in 10
days.
The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas, the second live-action comedy based
on the cartoon series, debuted in second place with $10.8 million.
Next weekend is shaping up as the unofficial kickoff to the summer
blockbuster season, with the Roman spectacle Gladiator, starring Russell
Crowe, hitting theatres.
“This is the calm before the storm,” said Paul Dergarabedian, President
of box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations. “The summer starts in earnest
next week, when you’ll get new movies every weekend looking for bigger
and better results.”
