Despite all the worries about the film's marketing and audience, Where The Wild Things Are romped to the top of the box office in the US with $32.4 million this weekend.
That sound you hear is the Warners executives exhaling - slightly - as the film performs, launching in first position.
But there was plenty of wealth to share this weekend - revenge thriller Law Abiding Citizen scored $21.2 million, while spooky hype magnet Paranormal Activity nabbed $20 million in its first wide release ("wide" in this case being 760 screens).
Couples Retreat had to settle for dropping to fourth place and $17.9 million, while the weekend's other new arrival - horror remake The Stepfather - sputtered in at fifth with $12.3 million.
The Top 10:
- Where The Wild Things Are ($32.4 million)
- Law Abiding Citizen ($21.2 million)
- Paranormal Activity ($20 million)
- Couples Retreat ($17.9 million)
- The Stepfather ($12.3 million)
- Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs ($8.1 million)
- Zombieland ($7.8 million)
- Toy Story/Toy Story 2 3D ($3 million)
- Surrogates ($2 million)
- The Invention Of Lying ($1.9 million)
[Data Source: Box Office Mojo ]