Pitt, Tarantino`s `Basterds` earns glorious $37.6M

Los Angeles: The war effort by Quentin Tarantino and Brad Pitt has paid off as their history lesson `Inglourious Basterds` claimed victory at the box office with a $37.6 million debut. It was Tarantino`s best opening ever, exceeding the $25.1 million haul for 2004`s `Kill Bill — Vol. 2.` Overseas, `Inglourious Basterds` added $27.5 million in 22 countries, giving it a worldwide total of $65.1 million.

Released domestically by the Weinstein Co. and overseas by Universal, "Inglourious Basterds" features Pitt and an international ensemble in a sprawling tale of Jewish commandos and a plot to take out Nazi leaders at a movie premiere during World War II. The film provided a much-needed hit for Harvey and Bob Weinstein, who have managed only lackluster receipts at their new outfit since departing Disney-owned Miramax four years ago. At Miramax, the Weinsteins balanced prestige and profit with a string of Academy Awards triumphs such as "Shakespeare in Love" and "Chicago" and hits such as Tarantino`s "Pulp Fiction" and the "Scary Movie" and "Scream" franchises. "Tarantino helped build the house of Miramax. He`s proving right now that he`s helping to build the house of Weinstein," said Paul Dergarabedian, box-office analyst for Hollywood.com. So far, the Weinstein Co. has been unable to reproduce that Miramax success, its lineup burdened by box-office underachievers such as last year`s "Soul Men" and 2007`s "Grindhouse," Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez`s B-movie double-feature. Harvey Weinstein said critics continually write off him and his brother, including a magazine piece in 2002 "saying we were the flavor of the `90s but we were kind of over in the new millennium." Weeks later, he noted, Miramax scored 40 Oscar nominations, among them three of the five best-picture nominees, including eventual winner "Chicago." Weinstein said his new company has a strong lineup ahead, including next weekend`s horror sequel "Halloween II" along with "Chicago" director Rob Marshall`s musical "Nine" and the post-apocalypse saga "The Road" late in the year. Rodriguez, Tarantino`s "Grindhouse" partner, did not fare so well with "Shorts," his Warner Bros. family comedy that debuted at No. 6 with just $6.6 million. The movie features William H. Macy, James Spader, Leslie Mann and a cast of kids in a series of loosely linked adventures centered on a magic rock that grants wishes. Fox Atomic`s comedy "Post Grad," with Alexis Bledel as a college graduate who moves back home with her eccentric family after she`s unable to land her dream job, tanked with $2.8 million, coming in at No. 10. The previous weekend`s top movie, Sony`s sci-fi thriller "District 9," slipped to second-place with $18.9 million. With a domestic total of $73.5 million, the movie is on its way to becoming a $100 million sleeper hit. Hollywood`s revenues were up for the third-straight weekend, a late-season surge that has helped the industry recover from a monthlong slide in receipts. Overall ticket sales were $134 million, up 27 percent compared to the same weekend last year. The weekend put Hollywood back on track to break last summer`s revenue record of $4.2 billion, though receipts this season are up only a fraction. Factoring in higher ticket prices this year, movie attendance is running 3 percent below last summer`s, according to Hollywood.com. Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Hollywood.com. Final figures will be released Monday. 1. "Inglourious Basterds," $37.6 million. 2. "District 9," $18.9 million. 3. "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra," $12.5 million. 4. "The Time Traveler`s Wife," $10 million. 5. "Julie & Julia," $9 million. 6. "Shorts," $6.6 million. 7. "G-Force," $4.2 million. 8. "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," $3.5 million. 9. "The Ugly Truth," $2.9 million. 10. "Post Grad," $2.8 million. Bureau Report