'Bomb Squad' tops in Argentina
Film knocks off 'Treasure' from top of box office
"Bomb Squad" knocked "National Treasure: Book of Secrets" out of first in its third week, with the Nicolas Cage starrer dropping to second with attendance of 51,079 on 81 screens.
"Charlie Wilson's War" held out in third with 43,251 admissions on 45 screens in its second week and "Enchanted" slid to fourth from second with 42,905 tickets sold in its fifth week on 106 screens. "An American Haunting" opened its first week in fifth, with 29,425 admissions on 38 screens, according to ACNielsen, which did not provide figures in currency terms.
"We could have done better had it not been for the hot weather," Carlos Mentasti, a producer of "Bomb Squad" at Telefe Cine, told Daily Variety. "With cooler weather admissions will rise."
Overall attendance declined by 21% in the Jan. 31-Feb. 3 period from the previous week and fell 8% compared with the year-earlier period, according to ACNielsen.
"Bomb Squad" is the latest blockbuster out of Telefe Cine and Argentina Sono Film, a production duo behind recent hits like "Incorregibles" and "Papa se volvio loco" (Dad's Come Back Crazy).
The producers have found recent success in reviving classics of the 1980s like the beach comedy series "Baneros (Bathers). "Baneros III, todospoderosos" (Bathers III, Superpowers), drew 1.16 million admissions in 2006 to lead the local pack at the box office and come in at sixth in the overall ranking that year.
"People want to see comedy and action," Mentasti said.
Rodolfo Ledo of "Bathers III," "Incorregibles" and "Dad's Come Back Crazy" directed the $1.2 million "Bomb Squad," which was lensed in the Dominican Republic and stars Emilio Disi and Gino Renni from the original "Bomb Squads" along with model Luciana Salazar ("Bathers III"). The bomb squad must prevent modern pirates from ransacking a luxury hotel in the Caribbean.
Argentina Sono Film is distributing "Bomb Squad," which has become the first big opener of local films this year. Domestic fare -- Argentina produces a prolific 70 features a year -- generally pulls in fewer than 10,000 spectators each. The country's 92 releases last year drew 9% of total admissions in 2007, down from 11.6% on 74 releases in 2006.
