"Inception" remained the No. 1 movie for the second-straight weekend with $43.5 million, according to studio estimates Sunday. The Warner Bros. thriller featuring DiCaprio as leader of a team that sneaks into people's dreams raised its 10-day total to $143.7 million.
Sony's spy caper "Salt" debuted a solid No. 2 with $36.5 million. The movie stars Jolie as a CIA operative who goes rogue after she's accused of being a Russian sleeper agent.
Coming in at No. 3 with $24.1 million was Steve Carell's family hit "Despicable Me." The animated comedy raised its domestic total to $161.7 million.
In a rare convergence of fresh ideas, the top three movies all were original stories, not sequels or adaptations of comic books, best-sellers, video games or other pre-existing material.
Typically in summer, all we're seeing are rehashes and sequels and reboots. Obviously audiences want more original material in the summer.Studios will have to change their thinking.
Inception will quickly shoot past the $200 million mark at the domestic box office and has a good shot at topping $300 million, said Dan Fellman, head of distribution at Warner Bros.
"What Salt really has going for it is just a kick-ass performance by Angelina Jolie," said Rory Bruer, head of distribution for Sony. " We coexisted really nicely with Inception and held our own."
'Despicable Me' is in a class by itself. It doesn't have to compete. It has a ready-made audience with all the kids home for the summer. But I know I loved it and I'm sure it will gain strength when the parents realize how funny and clever it is and what a great character was created by Steve Carell.
I'll be in the kitchen making tea over at the old clubhouse,FTBB. Please bring cookies.
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