Considering the unpredictability of Hollywood release schedules, it was presumptuous of us to assume, based on one week of data, that the film industry was in recession. But now it's been three weeks, and movie executives are becoming less and less arrogant with every failure.

Last week’s holdover, “21” trumped George Clooney’s “Leatherheads” at the box office this weekend with an estimated $15.1 million in ticket sales. “Leatherheads” opened to a soft $13.5 million, just edging out Jodie Foster-starrer "Nim's Island" for No. 2.

Nikki Rocco, Universal's president of domestic distribution, said she was "disappointed with the result" for "Leatherheads," a $58-million production … "What really upsets me is the level of overall business."
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… overall business was down from the same period in 2007 for the third straight weekend.