The Hangover

Revised Sunday figures favor Warner Bros. film

By PAMELA MCCLINTOCK

Thanks to a stronger-than-expected Sunday, Warner Bros.' "The Hangover" laughed its way past Disney-Pixar's "Up" to win the weekend at the domestic box office.

"Hangover," co-produced and co-financed by Legendary Pictures, grossed $45 million from 3,269 theaters.

That doesn't mean "Up" lacked lift. The 3-D toon declined just 35% in its second frame, grossing $44.1 million from 3,818 theaters for a domestic cume of $137.2 million.

Estimates supplied by the studios Sunday showed "Up" winning the weekend by a narrow margin at $44.2 million. Warners reported that "Hangover," directed by Todd Phillips grossed $43.3 million.

Box office upsets like this are rare, since studios are generally aggressive in their Sunday estimates.

"Hangover," however, grossed $1.7 million more than projected, even with the NBA playoffs and MLB baseball games.

Todd Phillips directed the buddy comedy, which stars Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis and Justin Bartha as four friends who have an unforgettable trip to Las Vegas.

Early Sunday, Warners estimated "Hangover" would gross $11.9 million for the day; instead, the film grossed $13.6 million. The comedy grossed $16.5 million on Friday and $14.9 million on Saturday.

The size of "Hangover's" opening is one of the biggest surprises of the year.