With newcomers underperforming at the weekend box office, three sophmore films held the top three spots. After opening in second place last weekend, Safe House [SAFEH] secured first with an estimated $28.4 million over the President's Day long weekeend. The thriller has already banked $82.6 million.
Last weekend's champ The Vow [THVOW] netted $26.6 million to take the second slot. The romance advanced its total to $88.5 million.
Journey 2: The Mysterious Island [MYSTR] finished third with $26.4 million, bringing its earnings to $59.5 million.
Expected to contend for the top spot, Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance [GHST2] flamed out in fourth place at $25.7 million over the 4-day weekend. The sequel attracted a crowd that was 61% men.
This Means War [TMWAR] fared even worse, managing just $20.4 million for fifth overall. The romantic actioner skewed female at 65%.
The animated film The Secret World of Arrietty [ARITY] debuted at eighth with $8.1 million over the long weekend.
| Title | F-S-S-M | TOTAL | |
| 1 | Safe House | 28,368,330 | 82,637,945 |
| 2 | Vow, The | 26,600,000 | 88,526,837 |
| 3 | Journey 2: The Mysterious Island | 26,400,000 | 59,516,342 |
| 4 | Ghost Rider: Spirit Of Vengeance | 25,700,000 | 25,700,000 |
| 5 | This Means War | 20,400,000 | 22,009,805 |
| 6 | Star Wars: Episode I - Phantom Menace | 10,150,000 | 36,023,235 |
| 7 | Chronicle | 9,200,000 | 52,679,426 |
| 8 | Secret World Of Arrietty, The | 8,102,000 | 8,102,000 |
| 9 | Woman In Black, The | 7,920,000 | 46,530,618 |
| 10 | Grey, The | 3,768,000 | 48,661,059 |
| 11 | Descendants, The | 3,500,000 | 75,582,770 |
| 12 | Big Miracle | 3,013,070 | 17,456,565 |
Tag(s): SAFEH, THVOW, MYSTR, GHST2, TMWAR, ARITY