1. "Inception" ($43.5 million)
2. "Salt" ($36.5 million)
3. "Despicable Me" ($24.1 million)
4. "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" ($9.7 million)
5. "Toy Story 3" ($9 million)
Not a dream, not make believe — the success of "Inception" is very real. Christopher Nolan's surrealist action thriller once again topped the box office charts for its second weekend in a row, stealing thunder from newly arrived rival action film "Salt."
Nolan's latest scored big with a $43.5 million haul over the weekend, bringing the film's domestic total up to $143.6 million. Worldwide, "Inception" has amassed a $160.2 million total, pushing the Leonardo DiCaprio-starring movie just past its production budget. Surrounded by plenty of buzz, it's clear that "Inception" has a lot of staying power — something that's not likely to be challenged anytime soon.
As "Inception" won its second straight gold medal, Angelina Jolie's "Salt" had to settle for silver. The spy thriller's weekend premiere saw an intake of $36.5 million, not a bad result by any stretch of the imagination, but not quite enough to make a meaningful dent in its $110 million production budget.
The weekend's other new wide release was "Ramona and Beezus," Fox's family film that only managed a sixth place finish worth $8 million. Family audiences were apparently more interested in "Despicable Me," "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" and "Toy Story 3," the weekend's third, fourth and fifth place performers.
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