Moviegoers Pant Over Chihuahua Pic

The ComingSoon.net Box Office Report has been updated with studio estimates for the weekend. Click here for the full box office estimates of the top 12 films and then check back on Monday for the final figures based on actual box office.

Walt Disney Pictures scored first place with its new family comedy, Beverly Hills Chihuahua, which opened to an estimated $29 million from 3,215 theaters. Starring Piper Perabo and featuring the voices of Drew Barrymore, George Lopez, Andy Garcia, Cheech Marin and Paul Rodriguez, the Raja Gosnell-directed film marks the eighth-biggest debut for the month of October ever.

DreamWorks’ Eagle Eye, starring Shia LaBeouf, Michelle Monaghan, Rosario Dawson and Michael Chiklis, dropped to second place with $17.7 million in its second weekend, a loss of just 39.3% in ticket sales. The D.J. Caruso thriller has reached $54.6 million and cost about $80 million to make.

Screen Gems’ Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist, with Michael Cera, Kat Dennings, Ari Graynor and Jay Baruchel, debuted in the third spot with $12 million from 2,421 theaters. The romantic comedy averaged $4,957 per location.

Warner Bros. Pictures’ Nights in Rodanthe dropped two spots to fourth and added $7.4 million. Starring Richard Gere and Diane Lane, the romantic drama has earned $25.1 million in two weeks.

The Ed Harris-directed Appaloosa expanded into 1,045 theaters and rounded out the top five with $5 million. After three weeks, the western has collected $5.6 million. It stars Viggo Mortensen, Harris, Renée Zellweger, Jeremy Irons, Timothy Spall and Lance Henriksen.

Other newcomers included David Zucker’s An American Carol, which made $3.8 million in 1,639 theaters. Bill Maher’s Religulous earned a strong $3.5 million from just 502 theaters, receiving the second-highest per theater average of the Top 10 with $6,972. Also, Anne Hathaway-starrer Rachel Getting Married saw a solid $303,000 from nine theaters. The Jonathan Demme-directed comedy averaged $33,667 per site.

Three other pics disappointed out of the gate. Universal’s Flash of Genius, starring Greg Kinnear, made just $2.3 million from 1,098 theaters, helmer Fernando Meirelles’ Blindness took in $2 million from 1,690, while MGM’s How to Lose Friends & Alienate People, starring Simon Pegg, Kirsten Dunst and Megan Fox, received only $1.4 million from 1,750 theaters.

Click here for the full box office estimates of the top 12 films.