Mikil vonbrigði yfir aðsókn Angels And Demons á meðan Star Trek slær í gegn

SATURDAY PM/SUNDAY AM: Sources tell me that Sony Picture's opening Angels & Demons received a much-needed +16% boost at Saturday's domestic box office for $19M from 3,527 theaters. With Friday's $16.6M and Sunday's estimate, the studio didn't get divine intervention for a hoped-for $50M weekend --  Very poor reviews took their toll -- but settled for $48M. That's 62% of The Da Vinci Code's North American grosses. But I'm told the international take has been "spectacular" so Sony is getting ready later Sunday to report a hefty worldwide total for Angels & Demons which opened early in Italy, then day and date in 96 countries..

Rival studios predicting a $55M-$60M domestic weekend called the result "very disappointing". Especially since this wasn't a cheap movie to make what with all the top dollar and/or gross players involved like Tom Hanks, Ron Howard, Brian Grazer. Screenwriter Akiva Goldsman received $4 million, a new high for a book adaptation, then another marquee name, David Koepp, rewrote the screenplay.

Angels & Demons wasn't expected to do bigger numbers than The Da Vinci Code which sold twice as many books with a similar Vatican mystery storyline. The 2006 film phenom did $77M domestic for $758M worldwide. Which is why Sony is depending on Angels & Demons, too, to make the bulk of its money overseas.  (Da Vinci Code did $217M domestic vs $540M international).

The No. 2 movie was Paramount's Star Trek which showed strong legs Saturday with $18M, down only 34% from a week ago -- a remarkable hold as great word-of-mouth about the film kicked in. Add in Friday's $11.8M and Sunday's estimate, and JJ Abrams' reboot earned another big $42M, down 44% from last week's total. Its new cume is $147.6M.

At No. 3, Fox's X-Men Origins: Wolverine earned $4.2M Friday and $6.6M Saturday from 3,892 venues for a $15M weekend after two weeks in theaters and fresh $151M cume.

In 4th place, New Line/Warner Bros' Ghosts of Girlfriends Past eked out a $2.1M Friday and $2.9M Saturday in 3,150 dates for a $6.5M weekend and disappointing $39.7M cume.

And, rounding out the Top 5 was Screen Gems/Sony's Obsessed with $1.4m Friday and $1.9M Saturday from 2,634 runs for another $4.4M weekend and nice $62.4M cume.