Box office

B.O. IS RIGHT: Sly Stallone kicked sand in the face of 97-pound weakling Michael Cera over the weekend, as The Expendables (Lionsgate) obliterated Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (Universal) posting a robust $35 million in the U.S. and Canada compared to a puny $10.5 million. The Julia Roberts-starring estromance Eat Pray Love (Sony Pictures) glided into the opening with $23.7 million to snag second place. While it was no surprise that women made up 72% of Eat Pray Love’s audience, we’re still trying to get our heads around the fact that 40% of those who went to see The Expendables were females. What could’ve drawn them to this cavalcade of over-the-hill action heroes, macho physical stunts and explosions? Who knew the likes of Jet Li and Dolph Lundgren were still such draws, if not exactly heartthrobs? Scott Pilgrim wound up at #5, also trailing the Will Ferrell comedy The Other Guys ($18 million, -49% in week two) and Inception ($11.4 million, -35% in week five). (8/16a)