WEEKEND BOX OFFICE

The summer movie season continues to heat up with four new high profiles films, Get Him to the Greek, Killers, Marmaduke and Splice, all entering the box office race this weekend. However none of them seemed to be real competition for last weekend's box office champ, Shrek Forever After, as the DreamWorks animated film took the top spot for a third week in a row with an additional $25.3 million.

The forth installment of DreamWorks Animation's phenomenally successful Shrek series, was predicted to take the top spot this weekend with $29.6 million but instead earned around $25.3 million. The film, stars the returning voice talents of Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz, Antonio Banderas and Eddie Murphy. While the film may have dropped around 41.6% from the previous week, it was added in 19 new theaters for a total of 4,386 earning around $5,768 on each screen. The film has now earned $183.04 million in just three weeks at the box office, earning back its $165 million production cost.

Debuting this week at number two is the long awaited rock n' roll comedy Get Him to the Greek, produced by Judd Apatow. The film stars Jonah Hill (Superbad) as a record company assistant who is told by his boss (Sean Combs) that he has three days to get a washed-up, alcoholic rock singer played by Russell Brand (Forgetting Sarah Marshall) from London to Los Angeles for his comeback show. The film was predicted to earn the number two spot this weekend with around $21.5 million but instead earned roughly $17.4 million. The film was seen on 2,697 screens and earned almost $6,460 on each.

Also debuting on the charts at number three this weekend is the new action comedy Killers starring Katherine Heigl (Grey's Anatomy) as an average woman unknowingly engaged to an international super-spy played by Ashton Kutcher (Valentine's Day). The film was predicted to earn around $18.2 million this weekend but instead earned roughly $16.1 million. The film was seen on 2,859 screens and earned almost $5,631 on each, which is still a far cry from it's purported $75 million production budget.

Falling back one place from last week to number four is Disney Studios and super-producer Jerry Bruckheimer's adaptation of the classic video game Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. The film stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Gemma Arterton (Clash of the Titans), Ben Kingsley and Alfred Molina. The film did better than predicted this weekend earning and an additional $13.9 million. While the film may have dropped around 53.8% from the previous week, it played in 3,646 theaters, earning around $3,672 on each screen. The film hasn't performed that well domestically, with just $59.4 million, but the film has done well internationally, with a worldwide total of $215 million, already turning a profit from its massive $200 million production budget.

Finally, the debut of the family film, Marmaduke, based on the classic comic strip about the beloved canine, couldn't crack the top 5, landing in sixth place. The film features an all-star cast that includes Owen Wilson (Marley & Me), William H. Macy (Fargo), Kiefer Sutherland (24) and Emma Stone (Zombieland). The film was predicted to earn the number four spot on the charts this week but failed to do so only earning around $11.3 million. The film was seen on 3,213 screens and earned almost $3,517 on each.

Still doing well in limited release is the Argentine film, The Secret in Their Eyes, by acclaimed director Juan José Campanella and starring Ricardo Darín. The film only dropped an impressive 8.2% in its eighth week on the charts, adding 5 theaters for a total of 160 and earning $2,625 on each for a weekend total of $420,000, bringing the films total gross to around $4 million.

Also, continuing to do well in limited release is Please Give, which stars Catherine Keener, Amanda Peet and Oliver Platt. The film, which rose an impressive 49.7% this week was also seen in 37 more theaters and managed to earn an additional $300,000 in its sixth week. The film was seen on 87 screens and managed to earn $3,448 on each screen. The movie has now earned around $1.7 million in just six weeks on the charts.

Next weekend will see the summer box office heat up again with two highly anticipated new films in wide release and two in limited release. First up is the long awaited adapation of the classic '80s TV show The A-Team starring Liam Neeson, Bradley Cooper, Quinton Jackson and Sharlto Copley as an elite unit of soldiers of fortune, living in the Los Angeles underground, hunted by the government for a crime they didn't commit.

Continuing the theme of "'80s flashback weekend" is another long awaited film, the re-make of the classic Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita underdog story The Karate Kid. The film moves the action from California to China and stars Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan in the lead roles. The movie was produced by Smith's superstar parents Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith.

Also debuting next week in limited release is filmmaker Ralph Ziman's Gangster's Paradise: Jerusalema, which is about the violence and corruption that affects the most crime-infested district in Johannesburg.

Finally, debuting next week in limited release is the documentary Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work about the outrageous, out-spoken and legendary female comedian, Joan Rivers. So please check back in seven days to see who comes out on top at the box office next week!