Good day for Hugh

May 11, 2004 by Ian Evans

It was a good Monday for Hugh Jackman, who starred in this weekend’s top film and received a Tony nod for The Boy From Oz, but not quite a great Monday for his latest vehicle, Van Helsing. The poorly-reviewed flick did come out on top this weekend, with an estimated haul of $54.2 million, but that number was far behind last year’s summer season opener X2. X2, which also starred Hugh Jackman, took in $85.6 million. The record summer opening belongs to Spider-Man’s $114.8 million haul.

Last week’s number one, Mean Girls, dropped a spot to number two with a $14 million weekend, while Denzel Washington’s Man on Fire went to third with $7.9 million.

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen’s straight-to-video experience didn’t translate into boffo box office as their first feature, New York Minute, which had the almost eighteen-year-old twins running around in skimpy towels, had a fourth place $6.2 million opening. Jennifer Garner’s 13 Going on 30 rounded out the top five with $5.5 million.