Box Office Report: Oct. 6-8

Thanks to the big star power heading up his latest movie, “The Departed,” director Martin Scorsese had the biggest opening movie of his long and storied career over the weekend. The crime drama starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson and Mark Wahlberg, raked in almost $27 million, well over Scorsese’s previous weekend box office high of $10 million with “Cape Fear.” The largely positive reviews from critics and strong promotion from Warner Bros. certainly didn’t hurt.

The modestly-budgeted horror pic, “Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning,” also did good, but not great business in its opening weekend. “Employee of the Month” certainly indicates that Jessica Simpson isn’t really a movie star in the making. Then again, comedian Dane Cook was probably a larger draw for the film than her, as Simpson’s presence has been largely downplayed in the commercials.

1. “The Departed”
(Weekend domestic gross - $26.9 million)
(Worldwide gross - $37.1 million)
(Budget - $90 million)
2. “Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning”
(Weekend domestic gross - $18.5 million)
(Worldwide gross - $18.5 million)
(Budget - $16 million)
3. “Open Season”
(Weekend domestic gross - $15.6 million)
(Worldwide gross - $50.0 million)
(Budget - $85 million)
4. “Employee of the Month”
(Weekend domestic gross - $11.4 million)
(Worldwide gross - $11.4 million)
(Budget - $12 million)
5. “The Guardian”
(Weekend domestic gross - $9.6 million)
(Worldwide gross - $34.1 million)
(Budget - N/A)
6. “Jackass: Number Two”
(Weekend domestic gross - $6.5 million)
(Worldwide gross - $64.0 million)
(Budget - $11.5 million)
7. “School for Scoundrels”
(Weekend domestic gross - $3.4 million)
(Worldwide gross - $14.4 million)
(Budget - $35 million)
8. “Jet Li’s Fearless”
(Weekend domestic gross - $2.3 million)
(Worldwide gross - $63.3 million)
(Budget - N/A)
9. “Gridiron Gang”
(Weekend domestic gross - $2.2 million)
(Worldwide gross - $36.8 million)
(Budget - $30 million)
10. “The Illusionist”
(Weekend domestic gross - $1.9 million)
(Worldwide gross - $36.0 million)
(Budget - $16.5 million)

2006 Year-To-Date
1. “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest”
(Worldwide gross - $1.056 billion)
(Budget - $225 million)
2. “The Da Vinci Code”
(Worldwide gross - $754.4 million)
(Budget - $125 million)
3. “Ice Age: The Meltdown”
(Worldwide gross - $646.5 million)
(Budget - $80 million)
4. “X-Men: The Last Stand”
(Worldwide gross - $458.0 million)
(Budget - $210 million)
5. “Cars”
(Worldwide gross - $452.1 million)
(Budget - $120 million)
6. “Mission: Impossible III”
(Worldwide gross - $395.7 million)
(Budget - $150 million)
7. “Superman Returns”
(Worldwide gross - $389.4 million)
(Budget - $260 million)
8. “Over the Hedge”
(Worldwide gross - $317.1 million)
(Budget - N/A)
9. “Click”
(Worldwide gross - $210.4 million)
(Budget - $82.5 million)
10. “The Break-Up”
(Worldwide gross - $201.6 million)
(Budget - $52 million)