Some crafty CG work by Tippett Studio allows dogs to talk in Disney’s Beverly Hills Chihuahua, which took in roughly $29 million domestically over the weekend to easily claim the top spot at the box office. Fellow opener Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist earned an estimated $12 million to debut in third place behind second-week holdover Eagle Eye from DreamWorks and Paramount.
Drew Barrymore provides the voice of Chloe, a pampered Beverly Hills Chihuahua who finds herself separated from her owner during a vacation in Mexico and has to rely on some local animals in order to get back home. The supporting cast includes George Lopez, Andy Garcia, Cheech Marin, Paul Rodriguez, Edward James Olmos, Piper Perabo and Jamie Lee Curtis. Contributing to the visual effects are Cinesite, Svengali VFX, CIS Hollywood and CIS London.
The Warner Bros. romance Nights in Rodanthe dropped two notches to No. 4 in its second week, taking in another $7 million for a two-week total of approximately $25 million. Meanwhile, the Warner Bros/New Line western Appaloosa opened wider to the tune of $5 milion (est.), rounding out the top five.
The MGM/Weinstein Co. release of the Exodus animated comedy Igor is taking a steep tumble down the charts. In its third week, the mad-scientist spoof slipped from No. 6 to No. 14 on the charts with roughly $1.7 million. Since opening, the $30 million toon has pulled in roughly $17 million domestically and has yet to begin its run overseas.
