LOS ANGELES -- Joel and Ethan Coen scored their biggest opener to date by raking in $19.4 million in ticket sales for "Burn After Reading" and helping end a seven-week attendance slide at theaters, according to studio estimates Sunday.
Their Oscar credentials and the star-studded cast including Brad Pitt, George Clooney and John Malkovich combined to make "Burn After Reading" a hit, said Jack Foley, president of distribution for Focus Features.
"The Coens have broken into more commercial territory with this film," Foley said. "They've become more of a household name."
ASSOCIATED PRESS
1. "Burn After Reading," $19.4 million
2. "Tyler Perry's The Family that Preys," $18.0 million
3. "Righteous Kill," $16.5 million
4. "The Women," $10.1 million
5. "The House Bunny," $4.3 million
6. "Tropic Thunder," $4.2 million
7. "The Dark Knight," $4.0 million
8. "Bangkok Dangerous," $2.4 million
9. "Traitor," $2.1 million
10. "Death Race," $2.0 million