'Cloverfield' pulls down monster $41M

That deprived studios of much of the luster they count on to boost the box office of acclaimed films during awards season. Had the three-hour Globes show aired as usual on NBC, "Atonement," "Sweeney Todd" and other key winners might have done better business this weekend.

"I can only guess, but I think so," said Jack Foley, head of distribution for Focus Features. "I wish it was televised. It's one of the best commercials there is for film."

Following Heigl's success with last summer's hit "Knocked Up," "27 Dresses" solidifies the "Grey's Anatomy" co-star as a big-screen star.

While "Cloverfield" was more a movie for young males, "27 Dresses" sewed up the women's audience, the two films giving Hollywood a huge lift during what is normally a sleepy time for new releases.

"This is almost like a summer weekend," said 20th Century Fox distribution executive Chris Aronson. "It's almost a counter-programming move where you have two pictures aimed squarely, at least initially, at different audiences, and they both succeeded."

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Media By Numbers LLC. Final figures will be released Tuesday.

1. "Cloverfield," $41 million.

2. "27 Dresses," $22.4 million.

3. "The Bucket List," $15.2 million.

4. "Juno," $10.3 million.

5. "National Treasure: Book of Secrets," $8.1 million.

6. "First Sunday," $7.8 million.

7. "Mad Money," $7.7 million.

8. "Alvin and the Chipmunks," $7 million.

9. "I Am Legend," $5.1 million.

10. "Atonement," $4.8 million.