Bodog Beat

Hayden Christensen’s new flick raked in $27.2 million. (Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox)

The force was with Hayden Christensen and his new sci-fi movie. Best known for his wooden portrayal of Annakin Skywalker in the two most recent Star Wars movies, Christensen plays the lead in “Jumper”, a film about people who can teleport themselves.

“Jumper” has been hyped as the first action-adventure film of the year and took advantage of the Presidents’ Day long weekend to top the box office. It pulled down $27.2 million in North America in its opening weekend.

The Disney dance flick “Step Up 2 the Streets” starring Briana Evigan was No. 2 in its opening and “The Spiderwick Chronicles”, another new movie, came in third.

Last week’s champ, “Fool’s Gold”, which stars Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson, fell to fourth spot.

In other movie news, the Academy Awards are one week away and Hollywood is gearing up with a party-filled lead-up to the 80th annual celebrations. “No Country for Old Men” is the favorite to win Best Picture with Oscar odds of 2/5.

Bet on the Academy Awards!