17 AgainFueled by a hefty dose of tweener love, Zac Efron’s 17 Again won this weekend’s box office sweepstakes without breaking a sweat. The high school time-warp comedy, which costars Matthew Perry and Leslie Mann, earned $24.1 million, according to studio estimates from the box office tracking firm Nielsen EDI.

According to ew.com, the film’s haul marked another No. 1 debut for Efron, who helped boost ticket sales with an appearance this weekend on Saturday Night Live. In 2007, the musical Hairspray, which co-starred Efron, opened first at $27.5 million. Last year, Efron’s High School Musical 3: Senior Year bowed with $42 million, and while 17 Again may have fallen short of that mark, it still represents an auspicious maiden voyage for Efron’s post-Disney career. Despite the raft of critics who pooh-poohed the film, which received a 61% fresh rating on Rottentomatoes.com, audiences were more favorably inclined, giving it a strong A- CinemaScore.






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