Entertainment news

Terminator Salvation isnt being terminated exactly. But it is being denied.

Smithsonian is estimated to gross $53.5 million from Friday-Sunday; Salvation is down for $43 million for the same stretch.

Ben Stillers Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian, not the latest Terminator film, as projected, was winning the Memorial Day weekend box office. And it wasnt all that close.

I think most people felt Terminator was going to win the weekend, Chris Aronson, an exec for Smithsonians Fox, said today. I think its a testament to comedy is king.

Four-day weekend estimates will be out tomorrow.

Or to put it another way: Restarting a franchise isnt as easy, or big, as the $184 million-grossing Trek is making it look.

Salvation, meanwhile, might be a testament to what a good job Star Trek is doing.

Drilling down into the numbers:

If estimates hold, Salvations initial three-day weekend gross will be $1 million less than Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines took in six summers ago. Since opening Thursday, one full day ahead of Smithsonian, its only made about $3 million more than the comedy and looks to fall short of its reputed $200 million budgeton the domestic side.

On Friday, Smithsonians margin of victory over Salvation was slim: Less than $500,000 separated the two movies. On Saturday, Smithsonians business jumped 30 percent; Salvations dipped about 2 percentand the rout was on.

Smithsonian is Stillers biggest-opening live-action (read: non-Madagascar) movie ever. And its more than $20 million bigger than the original Night at the Museums Friday-Sunday debut in 2006.

Among spoof comedies, Dance Flick ($11.1 million) fell somewhere between Date Movie ($19.1 million debut in 2006) and Superhero Movie ($9.5 million in 2008), and nowhere near the Wayans familys original Scary Movie ($42.3 million in 2000).

Star Trek held wellagain. It took in another $22 million and leapfrogged last weekends champ, Angels & Demons ($21.4 million), for third place.

In limited release, the terribly British period comedy Easy Virtue ($115,989 at 10 theaters) outdid, theater for theater, Steven Soderberghs collaboration with star Sasha Grey, The Girlfriend Experience ($165,000 at 30 theaters).

The Soloist ($823,000) disappeared from the Top 10 after four weekends and a $29.2 million run.

Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian, $53.5 millionTerminator Salvation, $43 millionStar Trek, $22 millionAngels & Demons, $21.4 millionDance Flick, $11.1 millionX-Men Origins: Wolverine, $7.8 millionGhosts of Girlfriends Past, $3.7 millionObsessed, $2 millionMonsters vs Aliens, $1.3 million17 Again, $1 million

Heres a complete look at the weekends top-grossing films based on Friday-Sunday estimates as compiled by Exhibitor Relations: