"Up" retains altitude, tops box office again

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - "Up," a Disney/Pixar animated release, remained atop the weekend box office in North America, selling $44.2 million of tickets its second weekend in theaters.

The family-friendly film about a grumpy 78-year-old man and an inquisitive 8-year-old boy who fly away in a house lifted by colorful balloons showed surprising staying power. Its weekend gross was down 35 percent from its opening weekend, but that is a strong figure for a film in its second week.

Movie industry analysts had predicted that "Up" would bring in less than $40 million.

"The Hangover," released by Warner Brothers Pictures, was a close second at $43.3 million. The film about a group of men trying to reconstruct what happened at a wild, Las Vegas bachelor party benefited from a good buzz and positive reviews. It was also the first big comedy released after a month dominated by action flicks.

Universal's "Land of the Lost," starring Will Ferrell, finished a disappointing third at $19.5 million.

Four of the top five films attracted families with small children as recession-weary parents continued to seek entertainment at the movies.

"Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian," collected $14.7 million and landed in the No. 4 spot. It made about $54 million when it opened two weekends ago, and has taken in $127 million overall.

"Star Trek," a Paramount issue, also showed staying power, finishing fifth for the weekend in its fifth week of release. It brought in $8.4 million. Its cumulative total stands at $223 million.

"Angels & Demons," from Sony/Columbia, earned $6.5 million in North America over the weekend and its worldwide gross surpassed the $400 million mark, making it the No. 1 film in the world in 2009.