Weekend Wrap-Up
2012 Storms Box Office; Christmas Carol, Precious Strong
By John Hamann
November 15, 2009
We have a big surprise in fourth this weekend as the Lionsgate drama Precious made the top five despite being out to only 174 venues. The Oprah Winfrey-produced Precious earned a remarkable $6.1 million from those 174 theatres, giving this one an out of this world venue average of $35,000. We shouldn't be all that surprised as last weekend, Precious made the top 12 despite being on only 18 venues, earning $1.9 million. If you're looking for an early bet for awards season, I would put my money on Precious (and Up), as this one has already earned $8.9 million despite being out to so few screens.
In fifth, Michael Jackson and This Is It ran out of some serious steam this weekend, as the concert rehearsal movie drops from a solid second last weekend to a disappointing fifth this weekend. This Is It earned only $5.1 million and was off a huge 61% compared to its second weekend gross. Sure, Sony dropped 400 venues from the run, but the result never should have been this big. Note to studios: be very careful when you talk about limited engagements. This Is It has now earned $67.2 million domestically, and climbs past the $200 million mark worldwide.
The Fourth Kind struggled in sixth place, earning $x.xx million. The horror flick dropped 61% compared to its $12.2 million debut, and now has a running total of $20.6 million.
Seventh goes to Couples Retreat, as a really bad movie finds a way to earn $100 million. The Vince Vaughn flick earned another $4.3 million and dropped 31%. It now has a total of $102.1 million.
Eighth is Paranormal Activity, the once unstoppable force that has dwindled in the last two weekends. In this frame, Paranormal Activity earned $4.2 million and dropped 49%. It also managed to cross the $100 million mark and has a running total of $103.8 million.
Ninth goes to Overture Films' other title in the top ten, Law Abiding Citizen. Now in its fifth weekend of release, the Jamie Foxx film earned $3.9 million and dropped 35%. The $50 million film has now earned $67.3 million.
In tenth is The Box, the Cameron Diaz flick that opened in sixth spot last weekend. It got crushed in its second weekend, earning only $3.2 million, and dropping 58%. It has a poor running total of only $13.2 million.
Finishing outside of the top ten is Pirate Radio, which will be a disappointment for Focus Features. The Philip Seymour Hoffman flick finished the weekend with a gross of only $2.9 million from 882 venues. The $50 million film earned about $28 million from overseas grosses earlier in the year, but won't be able to make up the difference stateside.
Overall this weekend, things are pretty much flat at the box office compared to last year. In 2008, Quantum of Solace opened, and had an opening weekend that was quite similar to that of 2012, coming in at $67.5 million. The top 12 films last year earned $137.7 million, which was again quite similar to this year's take of $130.3 million. Next weekend will be interesting, as Twilight: New Moon hits theatres along with The Blind Side with Sandra Bullock, the animated Planet 51, Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans with Nic Cage, and the expansion of Precious. Check back next weekend to see how things fall out.
| 1 |
2012 |
Paramount |
$65,000,000 |
$65,237,614 |
+ 0.4% |
$65,237,614 |
| 2 |
Disney's A Christmas Carol |
Walt Disney Pictures |
$22,325,000 |
$22,308,913 |
- 0.1% |
$63,272,757 |
| 3 |
Precious |
Lionsgate |
$6,090,000 |
$5,874,628 |
- 3.5% |
$8,699,180 |
| 4 |
The Men Who Stare at Goats |
Overture Films |
$6,200,000 |
$5,861,753 |
- 5.5% |
$23,038,050 |
| 5 |
Michael Jackson's This Is It |
Columbia Pictures (Sony) |
$5,100,000 |
$5,078,920 |
- 0.4% |
$67,190,296 |
| 6 |
The Fourth Kind |
Universal Pictures |
$4,743,750 |
$4,605,365 |
- 2.9% |
$20,449,660 |
| 7 |
Couples Retreat |
Universal |
$4,252,755 |
$4,164,940 |
- 2.1% |
$102,045,330 |
| 8 |
Paranormal Activity |
Paramount Pictures |
$4,200,000 |
$4,093,417 |
- 2.5% |
$103,690,184 |
| 9 |
Law Abiding Citizen |
Overture Films |
$3,932,000 |
$3,796,327 |
- 3.5% |
$67,190,452 |
| 10 |
The Box |
Twentieth Century Fox |
$3,185,000 |
$3,158,368 |
- 0.8% |
$13,179,622 |
| 11 |
Pirate Radio |
Universal Pictures |
$2,869,377 |
$2,904,380 |
+ 1.2% |
$2,904,380 |
| 12 |
Where the Wild Things Are |
Warner Bros. |
$2,415,000 |
$2,418,140 |
+ 0.1% |
$73,440,413 |
| |
Also Opening/Notables |
| |
Fantastic Mr. Fox |
20th Century Fox |
$260,000 |
$265,900 |
+ 2.3% |
$265,900 |
| |
The Messenger |
|
$50,000 |
$44,523 |
- 11.0% |
$44,523 |
| |
Uncertainty |
IFC Films |
N/A |
$13,075 |
New |
$13,075 |
| |
The End of Poverty |
Cinema Libre |
N/A |
$12,593 |
New |
$12,593 |
| |
Four Seasons Lodge |
First Run |
N/A |
$11,667 |
New |
$16,921 |
| |
William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe |
Arthouse |
$10,106 |
$10,322 |
New |
$10,322 |
| |
Oh My God? |
Mitropoulos Films |
N/A |
$8,263 |
New |
$8,263 |
| |
La Danse |
Zipporah Films |
$29,000 |
$28,104 |
New |
$66,102 |
| |
The Boondock Saints II: All Saint's Day |
|
$1,007,717 |
$1,033,639 |
+ 2.6% |
$2,495,119 |
| |
Astro Boy |
Summit Entertainment |
$1,651,000 |
$1,702,946 |
+ 3.1% |
$17,965,336 |
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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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