Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg grabbed the box office crown from Leonardo DiCaprio on Sunday as their new cop comedy "The Other Guys" sold about $35.6 million worth of tickets, the film's distributor said. The opening, which was in line with expectations, marks the second-highest of Ferrell's career and a big rebound from his 2009 summer bomb "Land of the Lost." Wahlberg, making a rare foray into comedy, achieved his best opening since 2001's "Planet of the Apes" remake kicked off with $68.5 million.
In "The Other Guys," they play mismatched underdogs on the trail of a fraudster played by English comic Steve Coogan. Reviews were strong for the $85 million film, which skewed to young men, said Sony Corp's Columbia Pictures. Ferrell suffered disappointing openings for both "Land of the Lost" ($18.8 million) and 2008's "Semi-Pro" ($15.5 million), raising speculation that another flop could hurt his ability to get big-budget studio films green-lighted.
His best opening remains the 2006 comedy "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby" with $47 million. "Talladega Nights," "The Other Guys," and Ferrell's 2007 hit "Blades of Glory" ($33 million opening) were directed by Adam McKay. Ferrell and McKay are "one of the best comedy combinations in the industry," said Rory Bruer, president of worldwide distribution at Columbia. "STEP UP 3D" HOBBLED
Also new was "Step Up 3D," the underperforming third release in the urban dance series. The Walt Disney Co release opened at No. 3 with $15.5 million, well below its predecessors even with the help of higher prices for 3D engagements. Disney partnered on the project with closely held studio Summit Entertainment.