Weekend Wrap-Up
R-Rated Ultra-Violence Rules Box Office
By John Hamann
August 30, 2009
Julie & Julia, the leggiest film in the top 12, finishes sixth. Now in its fourth frame, the Meryl Streep biopic earned a solid $7.4 million and dropped only 16%, even better than its 27% decline last weekend. This $40 million Sony film has now earned $71 million, and is quickly becoming a lock for a Meryl Streep Oscar nomination.
The Time Traveler's Wife slips behind Julie & Julia for the first time, as the Rachel McAdams flick continues its slide. The Time Traveler's Wife earned $6.7 million, as it continues to struggle against film quality and a poorly executed marketing plan. The news isn't all bad for Warner Bros., as it has now earned $48.2 million domestically against a production budget of about $40 million. It should finish with about $65 million on the domestic front.
The Robert Rodriguez kids flick Shorts drops to eighth this weekend, after a soft $6.4 million opening last weekend. Word-of-mouth must be better for kids than what critics think (44% fresh at RottenTomatoes), as Shorts earned $4.9 million and dropped a small 24%. However, with the small opening, anything short of superhero legs isn't going to save this one. Shorts has a total so far of $13.6 million, but this drop could spell good things for home video sales of this kid-friendly pic.
Ninth spot goes to our last, and most un-heralded new film, Taking Woodstock. From director Ang Lee - who brought us great titles such as Brokeback Mountain and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon – Taking Woodstock is a small film that has not been reviewed to the usual Ang Lee standard. Released to only 1,393 venues, Taking Woodstock earned $3.7 million and had a venue average of $2,691, a figure not good enough for this type of film, especially when the production budget sits at $30 million.
Finally in tenth is G-Force, and excuse me while I celebrate the last weekend in the top ten for this one. The Disney/Bruckheimer juggernaut earned $2.8 million in its sixth weekend and drops 31%, as it gives up 3-D venues to The Final Destination. G-Force has now earned $111.8 million.
Overall, things are very good considering it's late August. This is a weekend where the top 12 has never earned over $100 million, yet this weekend, the top 12 earned $114.8 million, thanks to strong showings from our four R-rated flicks at the top of the list (so much for movies for adults being dead). A year ago, Tropic Thunder was on top, and the top 12 could only manage $74 million. Next weekend brings the Labor Day frame – usually the height of slowness at theaters – but we have at least two films that could open strongly. All About Steve stars The Hangover's Bradley Cooper and The Proposal's Sandra Bullock, but the suggested venue count of about 2,000 doesn't say good things about studio confidence. Also opening are Extract (aka Office Space 2) and Gamer with Gerard Butler.
| 1 |
The Final Destination |
New Line Cinema |
$28,335,000 |
$27,408,309 |
New |
$27,408,309 |
| 2 |
Inglourious Basterds |
The Weinstein Company |
$20,041,000 |
$19,303,653 |
- 49.3% |
$73,022,841 |
| 3 |
Halloween II |
Dimension Films |
$17,405,000 |
$16,349,565 |
New |
$16,349,565 |
| 4 |
District 9 |
Screen Gems |
$10,700,000 |
$10,270,435 |
- 43.6% |
$90,383,712 |
| 5 |
G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra |
Paramount Pictures |
$8,000,000 |
$7,715,572 |
- 36.8% |
$132,151,954 |
| 6 |
Julie & Julia |
Sony/Columbia |
$7,400,000 |
$7,035,675 |
- 20.1% |
$70,628,063 |
| 7 |
The Time Traveler's Wife |
New Line Cinema |
$6,745,000 |
$6,452,270 |
- 33.8% |
$47,900,418 |
| 8 |
Shorts |
Warner Bros. Pictures |
$4,870,000 |
$4,511,345 |
- 29.6% |
$13,200,697 |
| 9 |
Taking Woodstock |
Focus Features |
$3,748,896 |
$3,457,760 |
New |
$3,457,760 |
| 10 |
G-Force |
Walt Disney Pictures |
$2,845,000 |
$2,824,808 |
- 31.3% |
$111,780,350 |
| 11 |
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince |
Warner Bros. |
$2,615,000 |
$2,466,423 |
- 29.1% |
$294,258,075 |
| 12 |
(500) Days of Summer |
Fox Searchlight |
$2,075,000 |
$2,008,956 |
- 11.9% |
$25,203,886 |
| |
Also Opening/Notables |
| |
The September Issue |
Roadside Attractions |
$240,078 |
$220,416 |
New |
$220,416 |
| |
My One and Only |
|
$86,570 |
$79,652 |
+ 35.7% |
$165,641 |
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Click here for all weekend data
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Box office data supplied by Exhibitor Relations
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