Answering the call

It’s a film that few of us have heard of – indeed, it was barely screened for critics in the US. But the low-budget stalker thriller When A Stranger Calls, starring Camilla Belle, also happens to be a remake of the 1979 film which saw Carol Kane terrorised while babysitting. This new version, directed by Simon West (Con Air, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider), has snuck into number one this weekend at the US Box Office with $22 million.

It displaced the previous week’s champ, Martin Lawrence comedy Big Momma’s House 2, which dropped down to number two with $13.3 million.

In third place, Emma Thompson’s witchy Nanny McPhee continued to exert an influence on US moviegoers. The comedy took in $9.9 million for a total that currently stands at $26.6 million in the States.

No doubt getting a boost from the all the awards it’s been grabbing – and the recent Oscar nominations – Brokeback Mountain is staying near the top of the charts, placed at fourth with $5.6 million. The love story’s US total so far is $59.7 million.

Further down the charts, CG fantasy ‘toon Hoodwinked moved down to fifth with $5.3 million. Underworld Evolution seemed on the slide, taking sixth with $5.1 million. And despite some positive buzz, rom com Something New didn’t exactly grab the public’s heart – it debuted at seven with $5 million.

Navy training drama Annapolis continues to underperform, slipping to eight for a take of $3.5 million. At nine, Johnny Cash biopic Walk The Line – an awards possibility alongside Brokeback – jumped back into the charts for a nice boost in its take to $3.4 million. And at 10, inspirational based-on-truth sports drama Glory Road scored $3 million.