Martin Scorsese’s Hitchcockian thriller remained the top draw in U.S. theaters for the second weekend in a row.
Bruce Willis comedy Cop Out, horror film Crazies, and the record-breaking Avatar rounded out the top spots, according to trade paper The Hollywood Reporter.
Shutter Island represents the fourth collaboration between director Mr. Scorsese and lead actor Leonardo DiCaprio, who portrays a federal marshal stranded during a hurricane at a prison hospital for the insane, off the coast of Massachusetts in 1954.
The film is a departure for Mr. Scorsese, who is noted for his intense, realistic dramas. It incorporates a more dream-like quality where illusion and reality bend and blur, challenging the viewer. Many critics have noted the film’s nuances and subtlety, lending itself to multiple viewings.
The director and actor are also rumored to be planning a fifth collaboration to make a film tribute to Frank Sinatra, with Mr. Scorsese having the film rights awarded by the late singer’s estate.
Director Kevin Smith’s most recent comedy, Cop Out, claimed the number two spot at the box office. The film stars Bruce Willis and Tracy Morgan as NYPD officers. Willis is no stranger to portraying police officers, as he has starred in four Die Hard movies. However, he hasn’t performed much comedy since the early days of his career in films like Blind Date and the 1980s television series Moonlighting.
Next weekend
This Friday marks the global opening of Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland, which stars his long-time collaborator, actor Jonny Depp. The film is the second wide-released IMAX and 3D feature film debut following James Cameron’s record-breaking blockbuster Avatar.
Adding to a recent string of R-rated films comes Brooklyn’s Finest, an intense police action-drama starring Richard Gere, Don Cheadle, Ethan Hawke, and Wesley Snipes.
Also capping off the weekend on Sunday comes the annual telecast of the 82nd Annual Academy Awards, Hollywood’s biggest awards program.
