As predicted, Star Trek debuted in the number one spot this weekend, grossing $72.5 (just $7.5 mil off my prediction).  It was enough for the second-highest debut of 2009, behind Wolverine‘s $85.1 million take last weekend.  Wolverine, meanwhile, landed in number two with $27 million, a 68% decline from its first weekend.   Matthew McConaughey’s Ghost of Girlfriends Past was number three with $10.5 million, and if you saw that movie, let’s never hang out.

The good news is that this week, the weekend number one actually deserved its success.  I saw Star Trek over the weekend, and it’s probably the best summer movie I’ve seen since Jurassic Park.  Actually, it’s probably better than Jurassic Park.  It’s tracking 94% on RottenTomatoes, and I imagine it will eventually overtake Wolverine on the strength of people seeing it two and three times.  Though admittedly, stupid people are hard to predict.  Or as I like to call it, the Paul Blart effect. Unrelated but also important, I think Wolverine and Spock would make a great gay couple.  Wolverine could be freaking out: “GAAAAARRGGGHHH! THE THROW PILLOWS DON’T MATCH THE DUVET!!” and then Spock would be all, “Come on, sweetie, let’s be logical about this..”   They’re opposites, but Wolverine can’t get enough of the Vulcan death grip.

  1. Star Trek, $72.5
  2. X-Men Origins: Wolverine, $27
  3. Ghosts of Girlfriends Past, 10.45
  4. Obsessed, $6.6
  5. 17 Again, $4.405
  6. Next Day Air, $4
  7. The Soloist, $3.605
  8. Monsters vs. Aliens, $3.379
  9. Earth, $2.488
  10. Hannah Montana, $2.414

[source = Boxofficemojo]