For the fifth straight week the total of the top ten box office films surpassed $100 million, the first time that has happened since the height of last year's summer season.  From all the early indications 2007 looks like it will be a strong year at the box office and the prospects of the May barrage of sequels (Spider-Man 3, Shrek 3, Pirates of the Caribbean 3) look good. 

 

Will Ferrell's figure skating spoof Blades of Glory topped this weekend's chart with an estimated take of $33 million followed by Disney's animated Meet the Robinsons, which took in an estimated $25 million.

 

Zach Snyder's adaptation of Frank Miller's 300 slipped just 43%, earning an estimated $11.1 million and bringing its cumulative total to nearly $180 million.  300 is now assured of passing Gladiator's $187 million domestic total, which will make 300 the highest grossing sword and sandals epic of the modern era.

 

The TMNT movie, which topped the box office last weekend, saw its weekend gross drop 62.2% in its second frame, a fall that reflects the direct competition from Disney's animated Meet the Robinsons.  The TMNT film has now earned $38.4 million, which assures that the new film will surpass the total of 1993's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III ($42.6 million), but it appears unlikely that it will come close to 1991's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II ($78.6 million) to say nothing of the original 1990 Turtles film that brought home $135.2 million.