BROKEBACK STILL #1

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For the second day in a row, Brokeback Mountain has topped the box office, and this time it's gross went up a bit. Awesome.

"Demonstrating its clear-cut filmgoer appeal worldwide, Focus Features' "Brokeback Mountain" has ascended to the top of the national domestic boxoffice, and is also off to a chart-topping start in its first overseas engagements in the U.K. and France. The breakout business follows the film's 4 Golden Globe Award wins earlier this week (more than any other film) and 9 BAFTA Award nominations (including Best Film) earlier today. Playing to a steadily expanding audience in a host of U.S. cities and towns, the Ang Lee-directed film vaulted to the top of the national boxoffice charts on Tuesday to rank as the #1 film in America. "Brokeback Mountain" had been #9 over the recent four-day holiday weekend, which was then capped off by the film being honored with 4 Golden Globe Awards (including Best Picture [Drama] and Best Director) during Monday's televised ceremonies.

The "Brokeback Mountain" domestic gross on Tuesday was $742,412. The film had already been maintaining the highest per-theater average of any film in the national boxoffice Top 20 over the holiday weekend, and continues to do so. The Wednesday gross rose again, to $748,028, as the film retained the #1 slot. The total domestic theatrical gross of "Brokeback Mountain," through Wednesday, now stands at $33.6 million. The film is already among Focus Features' Top 5 boxoffice performers of all time, and is on track to become the company's biggest ever.

Focus president of theatrical distribution Jack Foley commented, "The unusual midweek surge to -- and hold on -- the top slot is particularly impressive in that the film is playing in only 683 theaters, which is but a fraction of the runs of the other films in the national boxoffice Top 10. The growth potential is still evolving and more and more exhibitors are requesting the film, so we're going to expand to 1,194 theaters for the coming weekend."