LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – “Where the Wild Things Are” stomped off with the top spot at the North American box office with $32.5 million in ticket sales this weekend, according to studio estimates on Sunday.
The Spike Jonze-directed film, which is based on the classic children’s book of the same name, overcame mixed reviews to beat most predictions for the movie’s opening weekend.
[b]Finishing second was Overture Films’ vigilante movie “Law Abiding Citizen,” starring Jamie Foxx, which took home $21 million.[/b]
“Wild Things” is based on Maurice Sendak’s dark but beloved 1963 book, which consists of just nine simple sentences, and some critics knocked it as too scary and dark for young children.
Jonze, who co-wrote the screenplay, has said that he did not set out to make a traditional children’s film and won Sendak’s praise for his film.
“Wild Things” was released by Warner Bros Pictures, a unit of Time Warner Inc.
Overture Films is a unit of Liberty Media Corp.