Low tide for Universal's 'Almighty' bow

June 25, 2007 Taking a page from the biblical story of Noah's ark, Universal Pictures launched its PG-rated comedy "Evan Almighty" during the weekend. [...] while the film floated atop the North American boxoffice with an estimated $32.1 million, the studio found itself battling a perception that the returns on the pricey movie were less than miraculous. On the other hand, MGM's release of the Weinstein Co.'s PG-13 horror show "1408" exceeded expectations, seemingly reversing the boxoffice curse that has bedeviled R-rated horror movies in recent months by checking in with a strong second-place showing and an estimated $20.2 million.

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