There was only one new release in the top five on the rentals charts this week but that new release was Stranger Than Fiction, which took first place with $6.77 million. Places two through four were all within $500,000 of top spot. The Departed remained in second place with $6.57 million while Babel falling from first to third with $6.38 million. The Prestige landed in fourth place with $6.23 million for the week and $14.19 million in total. Coming in fifth place with $5.38 million was Man of the Year

The best of the rest was A Good Year in eighth place with $2.85 million while Tenacious D in: The Pick of Destiny opened in 10th place with $2.66 million. In 12th place was The Return with $2.58 million. All three films earned between 32% and 38% of their theatrical totals during their first week of release, however, all three failed to live up to expectations in theaters. The only other new release to chart this week was the direct-to-DVD release Journey to the End of the Night, which took in $2.04 million.

Over on the sales chart Flushed Away and The Departed finished neck-and-neck on top of the sales. Stranger Than Fiction opened in third place with The Prestige coming in four and Babel holding steady in fifth.

Tenacious D in: The Pick of Destiny just missed the top five on the sales chart compared to its tenth place opening on the rental chart. A Good Year was the only other theatrical release to chart coming in seventh place. There were three other new releases, but they were all direct-to-DVD affairs. The Land Before Time XII - The Great Day of the Flyers opened in ninth place; word is this was going to be the last of the series, but I don't see how that would happen now. Granted, I can see them coming up with a new naming strategy to avoid using the number 13 in their title, but Littlefoot and the rest of the gang will continue. Bratz: Fashion Pixies place 12th while Disney's Little Einsteins - The Legend of the Golden Pyramid managed 18th place.

- C.S.Strowbridge

Date posted: 2007-03-10