Weekend box-office review: Presto-chango The Prestige is #1

By Scott Rosenberg Oct 23, 2006, 3:20 GMT

Sad box-office this weekend – only three new openers in the top five.

The most interesting, leading in first place is Buena Vista’s release of ‘The Prestige’, a story of rival magicians in Victorian era London. After a performance turns to tragedy for Hugh Jackman at the hands of Christian Bale, the two men spend the ensuing years trying to one-up each other with their craft.

Michael Caine plays Jackman's mentor and trick designer with Scarlett Johansson playing his lovely stage assistant.

‘The Prestige’ in its first week in North America is pushing for a big second week opening across Asia running TV spots. “Prestigue” opened across 2,281 screens raking in $14.8 million.

Martin Scorsese’s ‘The Departed’, a Hollywood remake of the HK movie ‘Infernal Affairs’, remains in the number two spot three weeks into its release.

The crime thriller starring Matt Damon, Leonardo DiCaprio and Jack Nicholson (who will surely get another Oscar © nod for his role as a crime boss) took in $13.7 million from 3,005 screens for a total take of $77.1 million.

‘Flags of Our Fathers,’ Clint Eastwood’s latest offering is in third place with $10.2 million from 1,876 screens. Starring Ryan Phillippe, Jesse Bradford, Paul Walker and Adam Beach, Eastwood is receiving critics praise on this WWII tale of the six men who raised the American flag at Iwo Jima.

An interesting side note, Scorsese ensconced in second place, beating out Eastwood’s new opener is small payback for Scorsese who lost the Oscar © to Eastwood in the past.

Sony’s animated ‘Open Season’ in its fourth week of release is in fourth place in this week’s box office taking in $8 million from 3,379 locations brining its total cume to $69.6 million.

And in fifth place is the wild stallion heart breaker ‘Flicka.’ Starring Alison Lohman and Tim McGraw, this movie based on Mary O’Hara’s novel “My Friend Flicka”, took in $7.7 million form 2,877 locations.

All bets are open that 'Saw 3 'walks away with next weekend’s box-office in a prelude to Halloween October 31st.