APOCALYPTO CONQUERS THE BOX OFFICE

Mel Gibson’s epic tale of Mayan Warriors conquers the box office earning $14.1 million over the weekend. The tech guys give away secrets to it’s success.

Mel Gibson is having quite a celebration; hopefully not with anything alcoholic, as Apocalypto, his epic story of Mayan warriors has conquered the box office with $14.1 million over the weekend.

The star of the film is Jaguar Paw played by Rudy Youngblood who embarks on a perilous journey when his idyllic existence is invaded by a brutal force. Stunt coordinator Mic Rogers says he was impressed with Rudy’s stamina during the scene where he must chase down an actual jaguar.

“So in the jaguar chase we were able to run the jaguar and Rudy at the same shot like close together. We built in safety. The jaguar is on a line. He can’t get off the line. There’s a pull back line on the jaguar itself so if he gets too close we can check him. But we were really banking on Rudy’s intelligence as a performer and slash athlete.”

The actors of Apocalypto went through extensive weapons training so they would look like they had been fierce warriors their whole life.Weapons master Simon Atherton says the design of the weapons were flexible should Mel change his mind about how violence in a scene should play out.

“Instead of just making a dagger and that’s it we keep all the component parts to the dagger that’s made and if he dreams up a scene on the day hopefully within an hour or two hours we can make a new weapon for him. It’s happening as we get to the Temple top where there’s new ideas being dreamt up where people’s fingers have been snipped off before they die so we have to make a weapon or something, a pair of secaters of that period that are gonna do it. In this film people aren’t attacking only. They’re going out to take prisoners so we had to invent weapons that not only killed people but stunned people.”

The Holiday took second place at the box office with $13.5 million and Happy Feet held strong in third with $12.7 million.