`Borat' Tops Disney's `Santa Clause 3' as No. 1 Film

[Rehmann]

By Edgar Ortega and Michael White

Nov. 5 (Bloomberg) -- Comedian Sacha Baron Cohen's ``Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan'' opened as the No. 1 film this weekend, taking in an estimated $26.4 million in ticket sales.

The movie, distributed by News Corp.'s Twentieth Century Fox, beat Walt Disney Co.'s holiday-film franchise ``The Santa Clause 3: Escape Clause,'' which was shown on four times as many screens, box office tracker Exhibitor Relations Co. said today. ``Santa Clause'' made $20 million.

Twentieth Century Fox last topped the weekly box office ranking for U.S. and Canadian theaters in May with ``X-Men: The Last Stand.''

``Borat,'' filmed in a documentary style, features Cohen as Kazakh news reporter Borat Sagdiyev as he interacts with real Americans. The film, released in 837 theaters, had the highest per-screen average among this week's top 10 new releases with $31,511 in sales.

In ``The Santa Clause 3,'' Tim Allen resumes his role as Santa, who this time must fend off an attempt by Jack Frost to take over the holiday. Martin Short co-stars as Frost.

The first two ``Santa Clause'' films had worldwide ticket sales of $368.6 million and cost about $87 million to produce, according to Box Office Mojo.com. The film kicks off the holiday movie season, which continues next week with Sony Corp.'s release of its new James Bond film, ``Casino Royale.''

`Saw III'

``Flushed Away,'' from Paramount Pictures' DreamWorks unit, was the No. 3 movie in its debut with $19.1 million in receipts. The animated feature tells the story of a mouse who is flushed down the toilet of a posh London apartment and finds himself among a tougher crowd in the city's sewers. Hugh Jackman, Ian McKellen and Kate Winslet provide the voices. Paramount is owned by Viacom Inc.

``The Santa Clause 3'' opened in 3,458, while ``Flushed Away'' was shown on 3,707 screens.

``Saw III,'' from Lions Gate Entertainment Corp., was fourth with sales of $15.5 million. The film follows the antics of a homicidal madman named Jigsaw who tortures his victims. The first two films had worldwide ticket sales of $247 million, according to Box Office Mojo.com. Combined, they cost about $5.2 million to make.

`The Queen'

Time Warner Inc.'s crime drama ``The Departed'' had sales of $8 million and ranked fifth. The movie, starring Jack Nicholson, Leonardo DiCaprio and Matt Damon, depicts the police investigation of a Boston crime ring. DiCaprio plays a police officer who goes undercover inside a gang led by Nicholson. Damon plays a mobster who infiltrates the police department.

The rest of the top 10 included ``The Prestige,'' a drama from Disney, which earned $7.8 million and took sixth place; Paramount's ``Flags of our Fathers,'' which had sales of $4.5 million and General Electric Co.'s ``Man of the Year'' with $3.8 million.

Sony Corp.'s ``Open Season'' finished ninth with sales of $3.1 million, while Miramax's ``The Queen'' took 10th place with $3 million. ``The Queen'' took in an average of $7,778 per screen, second only to Borat, in 387 theaters. Miramax is a unit of Walt Disney.

Sales for the top 12 films this week fell an estimated 2.9 percent to $116.2 million from a year earlier, Encino, California-based Exhibitor Relations said.

Movie ticket sales have risen to $7.82 billion year to date, a 6.6 percent increase from the same period last year.

1. "Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan," $26.4 million.

2. "The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause," $20 million.

3. "Flushed Away," $19.1 million.

4. "Saw III," $15.5 million.

5. "The Departed," $8 million.

6. "The Prestige," $7.8 million.

7. "Flags of Our Fathers," $4.5 million.

8. "Man of the Year," $3.8 million.

9. "Open Season," $3.1 million.

10. "The Queen," $3 million.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?p...M&refer =home

[Plepo]

That movie was toooo funny man. God damn I almost pissed myself.

[tRiLL]

ill probaly go see it next weekend

[187_skillz]

that movie wasnt all that funny
it had its moments and shit but not all that

[Kunnin']

A bit early for Santa shit to come out I reakon. Borat was always gonna top any movie. He has me in stiches when he picks up his sister, number 1 prostitute. Then she pulls out a trophy. Oh hes a fucking classic can't wait for this to be leaked on the net on MegaUpload or Rapidshare

[DYRECKT]

borat gonna be a classic .. i wanna see the dvd out so we can see all the deleted scene..

[JBO98]

Borat is a funny movie but there are some really messed up scens in it.

[Chris583]

haha like when borat walks in on his friend J'in it to his baywatch and than they wrestle....that was kinda wierd

[FunkDoc]

lol borat = best movie of the year

[Sir Babalot]

that movie was off da hook it was all like WHHHHHHAT