Sign of the Apocolypse – Paul Blart: Mall cop takes in $33.8 million

Are we so desperate to escape reality that we’ll see any crap that is put up on the big screen? Apparently, yes.

Kevin James, the star of the sitcom “The King of Queens,” is now the king of the North American box office, thanks to a surprisingly strong No. 1 opening for his feature headlining debut. His family comedy “Paul Blart: Mall Cop” sold an estimated $33.8 million worth of tickets during the three days beginning January 16, distributor Columbia Pictures said on Sunday, helping boost overall ticket sales for a fourth consecutive weekend. James plays a shopping-mall security guard who takes on a gang of high-tech thieves. He also co-wrote and co-produced the $26 million movie, which was roundly trashed by critics. – From Reuters

The Martin Luther King Jr. weekend is proving bountiful for at least one shopping-mall misfit. Sony’s PG-rated comedy “Paul Blart: Mall Cop” — starring Kevin James (“I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry”) as a hapless security guard-turned-hero — rung up an impressive $33.8 million in estimated opening grosses through Sunday. That put the Happy Madison production firmly atop the domestic boxoffice headed into the Monday holiday. “It’s a huge number, there’s no doubt about it,” Sony distribution president Rory Bruer said.- From the Hollywood Reporter

“Paul Blart: Mall Cop” is a lightweight film about a hapless security guard who foils a crime ring, but like its title character, it rose above expectations and trounced other films at the box office this weekend. Ticket sales for Sony/Columbia’s “Blart” totaled about $33.8 million for the three days, knocking off last week’s box-office champ, “Gran Torino,” according to the box-office tracking firm Media by Numbers. – From LA Times