Box Office Report: Who Doesn't Love Controversy?

Riding gleefully on a wave of controversy-driven publicity -- not to mention the backs of zillions of eager Dan Brown-lovers -- The Da Vinci Code soared to the top of the box office the weekend, scoring the biggest open of 2006. The $77 million the film earned from 3735 screens gave it the 13th largest domestic open in history (for comparison's sake, Mission: Impossible III opened on over 4000 screens and made $47.7 million on its first weekend out) -- and that without even talking about the $120 million the movie made abroad, which was the second-biggest foreign debut ever for an American film. Who the hell needs critics, anyway?

The weekend's other big debut, Over the Hedge, finished a distant second with earnings of $37.2 million, while See No Evil made a paltry $4.4 million on just over 1200 screens. Joining The Da Vinci Code and Over the Hedge in the top five were MI3, which made $11 million (pushing its three week total over $100 million), Poseidon, which continued to disappoint with only $9.2 million, and RV at $5.1 million. The full top 10 is after the jump.
1.     The Da Vinci Code, $77 million
2.     Over the Hedge, $37.2 million
3.     Mission: Impossible III, $11 million
4.     Poseidon, $9.2 million
5.     RV, $5.1 million
6.     See No Evil, $4.4 million
7.     Just My Luck,  $3.4 million
8.     An American Haunting, $1.7 million
9.     United 93, $1.4 million
10.     Akeelah and the Bee, $1 million