Dreamgirls Film is Fourth on Weekend Box Office Chart

After expanding into wide release, the Dreamgirls film holds a relatively firm footing in the weekend box office charts.

Bill Condon's adaptation of the classic 1981 musical, which has earned a cumulative domestic gross of $64,963,000 (per boxofficemojo.com), placed fourth on the weekend's top ten box office chart.  Earning $8,122,000, Dreamgirls placed behind Stomp the Yard, Night at the Museum and The Pursuit of Happyness.  Freedom Writers took the #5 spot.

Dreamgirls, with a score by Henry Krieger and Tom Eyen and an adapted screenplay by director Bill Condon, stars Jennifer Hudson, Beyonce Knowles, Anika Noni Rose, Eddie Murphy and Jamie Foxx.  It is produced by Dreamworks.

After three roadshow engagements in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco, Dreamgirls opened in nationwide limited release on December 25th, 2006, and went into wide release on January 12th. 

"Set in the turbulent early 1960s to mid-70s, Dreamgirls follows the rise of a trio of women -- Effie (Hudson), Deena (Knowles) and Lorrell (Rose) -- who have formed a promising girl group called The Dreamettes.  At a talent competition, they are discovered by an ambitious manager named Curtis Taylor, Jr. (Foxx), who offers them the opportunity of a lifetime: to become the back-up singers for headliner James "Thunder" Early (Murphy).  Curtis gradually takes control of the girls' look and sound, eventually giving them their own shot in the spotlight as The Dreams.  That spotlight, however, begins to narrow in on Deena, finally pushing the less attractive Effie out altogether.  Though the Dreams become a crossover phenomenon, they soon realize that the cost of fame and fortune may be higher than they ever imagined," state press materials.

The film is currently nominated for 5 Golden Globe Awards, including Best Comedy/Musical. 

Visit www.dreamgirlsmovie.com for more information.

Photo - Anika Noni Rose