THE EXPENDABLES IS NOT EXPENDABLE

Sylvester Stallone, arguably the comeback champ of all time, has done it again. The Expendables, which he directed, co-wrote, and starred in, easily won the box-office crown for the second week in a row, holding off five new challengers. The film earned an estimated $16.5 million, well ahead of second-place finisher, Vampires Suck, which sucked up $12.2 million, according to studio estimates. But Vampires, which started off on Friday only slightly behind The Expendables, found itself just barely ahead of the second week of the Julia Roberts chick flick Eat Pray Love, which took in about $12 million and could overtake Vampires when final results are released on Monday. The urban comedy thriller The Lottery Ticket landed in fourth place with $11.1 million, followed by the third week of The Other Guys with $10.1 million. But Piranha 3D extended The Weinstein Co.’s losing streak as it opened in sixth place with just $9.5 million (it reportedly cost $24 million to produce, plus distribution and marketing costs). Nanny McPhee Returns also had a disappointing opening with only $8.3 million, far below the $14.5 million that the original earned when it opened in 2006. (However, the film has already become a huge hit overseas, where it was released under the title Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang.) Opening in eighth place, The Switch, starring Jennifer Aniston and Jason Bateman, barely switched on, with just $8.1 million. In ninth place, Inception remained in the top ten in its sixth weekend, adding another $7.7 million to its domestic gross, which now stands at $261.8 million. Rounding out the top ten was the well-reviewed but poorly attended Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, which collected $5 million in its second weekend. Overall, the box office was virtually flat with the same weekend a year ago.

The top ten films for the weekend, according to studio estimates compiled by Box Office Mojo:
1. The Expendables, $16.5 million; 2. Vampires Suck, $12.2 million; 3. Eat Pray Love, $12 million; 4. Lottery Ticket, $11.1 million; 5. The Other Guys, $10.1 million; 6. Piranha 3D, $10 million; 7. Nanny McPhee Returns, $8.3 million; 8. The Switch, $8.1 million; 9. Inception, $7.7 million; 10. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, $5 million.

Finals: According to final box-office figures, the top ten came in as follows:
1. The Expendables; $16,968,032; 2. Vampires Suck; $12,202,831; 3. Eat Pray Love; $12,111,162; 4. Lottery Ticket; $10,652,297; 5. The Other Guys; $10,163,337; 6. Piranha (3D); $10,106,872; 7. The Switch; $8,436,713; 8. Nanny Mcphee Returns; $8,407,685; 9. Inception; $7,838,179; 10. Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World; $5,201,970.