"Barbershop," which stars rappers Ice
Cube and Eve, snagged the number one spot at the North American box office according
to MGM studio estimates issued Sunday.
In the movie, Cube stars as the owner of barbershop
that has been a long standing social gathering place in a Southside Chicago
neighborhood. After his bills mount up, Cube sells the shop to a local loan
shark to pay off debts and start a career in recording. Afterwards, he realizes
how much the shop means to the community and goes through extreme measures to
get it back.
"Barbershop," which also stars Cedric
The Entertainer, was shot on a budget under $15 million and almost doubled the
costs the first weekend out, raking in $21 million dollars. The closest premiere
for the weekend was "Stealing Harvard," a comedy that features Tom
Green. "Stealing Harvard took in $6.3 million.
If the numbers issued by MGM are accurate, "Barbershop"
will be the third best September opening movie ever, trailing behind "Rush
Hour," which took in $33 million the first weekend and "Double Jeopardy"
which did a respectable $23.2 million. "Barbershop" will push "Remember
The Titans" to fourth place with $20.9 million.
Talks were underway before the movie even hit
theaters for a sequel to the film.