Jennifer Aniston Breaks Box Office Poison Curse!

The Break-Up, starring Jennifer Aniston and Vince Vaughn, debuted at the top of the American box office over the weekend. Aniston's $52 million project stunned Hollywood watchers with its nearly $40 million, according to industry estimates reports New York Post

The Universal Pictures release had been expected to open in the $20 million range, but thanks to a strong female backing , the movie took off.

The Breakup stars Jennifer Aniston and real life boyfriend Vince Vaughn as Brooke and Gary, a steady couple who have many reasons to break up but none to get together, except that they fall in love. Since the scenes where they're together are so much less convincing than the ones where they fall apart, watching the movie is like being on a double-date from hell writes ROGER EBERT

"It's impossible to buy Aniston and Vaughn as an on-screen couple," said The Post's Lou Lumenick, noting the two have "zero on-screen chemistry."

"They're always in the press," said Nikki Rocco, head of distribution for Universal, which distributed The Break-Up. "Every time you turn around, somebody's talking about Jennifer, or Jennifer and Brad, or Jennifer and Vince. It's not why we made the movie, though."

"There is humor in it, just not the saccharine type of humor you expect," said Nikki Rocco, president of distribution for Universal. "People genuinely like Vince and Jennifer, and they like to be entertained."

Aniston, who divorced Brad Pitt in October, after 4 1/2 years of marriage said she found her own experience beneficial to her role in the movie.

Aniston reportedly has been dating her co-star Vince Vaughn. She described him as someone who is generous and thoughtful to work with.

Aniston also revealed that she enjoyed shooting her nude scenes with boyfriend Vince Vaughn in new movie 'The Break Up' so much that she got carried away on set.

She told Britain's OK! magazine: "I just got crazy, ripped off my skirt and went: 'Woo! Woo!' I guess there's something liberating about walking around completely nude. I am comfortable being naked."

X-Men: The Last Stand fell to second place, with earnings of US$34.35 million.

The animal cartoon "Over the Hedge" held steady at No. 3 with $20.6 million in its third weekend. Meanwhile, "The Da Vinci Code" fell two places to No. 4 with $19.3 million, taking its total to $172.7 million.

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