Box office

“The Game Plan” topped expectations and posted a mild upset over “The Kingdom,” taking the top spot.

The sci-fi thriller “Resident Evil: Extinction” took a big second-week plunge, dropping 66%.

The romantic musical “Across the Universe” continued to ride positive word of mouth, cracking the top 10 after expanding to more than 300 theaters.

Outside the top 10, “The Darjeeling Limited,” from quirky hipster Wes Anderson, averaged a stellar $70,000 in its opening at two upscale New York theaters, and Ang Lee’s “Lust, Caution” took in $62,000 at one location. The critically acclaimed drama “Into the Wild” held up well in its second-week expansion, averaging $20,000 at 33 theaters.

Overall receipts were down from the same period in 2006 for the second straight weekend, as industry results for early fall remain sluggish.

Preliminary results (in millions) in the U.S. and Canada, based on studio projections:

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Movie (studio): 1. The Game Plan (Disney)

3-day gross (millions): $22.7

Total (millions): $22.7

Weeks: 1

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Movie (studio): 2. The Kingdom (Universal)

3-day gross (millions): $17.7

Total (millions): $17.7

Weeks: 1

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Movie (studio): 3. Resident Evil: Extinction (Sony)

3-day gross (millions): $8.0

Total (millions): $36.8

Weeks: 2

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Movie (studio): 4. Good Luck Chuck (Lions Gate)

3-day gross (millions): $6.3

Total (millions): $23.6

Weeks: 2

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Movie (studio): 5. 3:10 to Yuma (Lions Gate)

3-day gross (millions): $4.2

Total (millions): $43.9

Weeks: 4

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Movie (studio): 6. The Brave One (Warner Bros.)

3-day gross (millions): $3.8

Total (millions): $30.9

Weeks: 3

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Movie (studio): 7. Mr. Woodcock (New Line)

3-day gross (millions): $3.0

Total (millions): $19.6

Weeks: 3

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Movie (studio): 8. Eastern Promises (Focus/Universal)

3-day gross (millions): $2.9

Total (millions): $11.2

Weeks: 3

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Movie (studio): 9. Sydney White (Universal)

3-day gross (millions): $2.7

Total (millions): $8.6

Weeks: 2

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Movie (studio): 10. Across the Universe (Sony)

3-day gross (millions): $2.1

Total (millions): $5.5

Weeks: 3

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Industry totals

3-day gross (in millions): $92.0

Change from 2006: -7.8%

Year-to-date gross (in billions): $7.34

Change from 2006: +7.3%

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Note: A movie may be shown on more than one screen at each venue.

Source: Media by Numbers

Los Angeles Times