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Hulk Smashes the Competition - American Idol Movie Flops

Marvel Comics' green goliat
Marvel Comics' green goliath is fond of saying "Hulk smash!," and this weekend his movie counterpart did just that, laying waste to tanks, helicopters and box-office records as "Hulk" took in nearly $63 million to become the #1 movie in America.

Director Ang Lee's dark psychodrama about a scientist's rage-fueled alter ego enjoyed the biggest June opening in history, according to studio estimates. (Click for photos from "Hulk.") "Hulk" is now the seventh consecutive Marvel film to debut at #1 and the third Universal film in the last six weeks to open with more than $50 million (along with "Bruce Almighty" and "2 Fast 2 Furious").

Marvel Films CEO Avi Arad has said he intends to build a Hulk franchise, which now seems certain in light of the weekend's box-office numbers. "I haven't given [sequels] much thought," said "Hulk" star Eric Bana recently, who is contractually obligated to at least one. "But I am obviously signed on to the idea of it."

Meanwhile, the "American Idol" movie "From Justin to Kelly" was a flop, debuting outside the top 10 with less than $3 million. (Click for photos from "From Justin to Kelly.") And, relative to the success of films like "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days" and "Old School," the Kate Hudson/ Luke Wilson romantic comedy "Alex and Emma" was also a disappointment, opening at #7 with $6.2 million. (Click for photos from "Alex and Emma.")

The #2 movie over the weekend was "Finding Nemo" with $20.5 million, a drop of 28 percent from last weekend when the film reclaimed the #1 spot from "2 Fast 2 Furious" (see " 'Nemo' Finds #1 Again As '2 Furious' Falls Fast"). "Nemo" has made $227.9 million in the last four weeks, already passing the box-office totals of its Disney/ Pixar brethren "Toy Story" and "A Bug's Life."

"2 Fast 2 Furious" dropped another 45 percent, taking in $10.4 million to land at #3. The sequel to 2001's "The Fast and the Furious" has made $102.1 million in three weeks. (Click for photos from "2 Fast 2 Furious.")

The rest of the weekend's top 10: Jim Carrey's "Bruce Almighty" at #4 with $10 million ($210.7 million, five weeks); "The Italian Job" at #5 with $7.2 million ($67.6 million, four weeks); "Rugrats Go Wild!" at #6 with $6.6 million ($23.5 million 2 weeks); "Hollywood Homicide," which reportedly cost $75 million, at #8 with $5.8 million ($21.4 million, two weeks); "Dumb and Dumberer" at #9 with $4.7 million ($19.9 million, two weeks); and "The Matrix: Reloaded" at #10 with $4 million ($264.5 million, six weeks).
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EarthsMightiestAdmin
6/23/2003
MTV