Contagion lassoed the top spot, and earned a potent $22.4 million on its' opening, for a per-theater average of a solid $6,953 from around 4,000 screens at 3,222 theaters. That was a bit higher than star Matt Damon's last pic The Adjustment Bureau, and just behind last years' The Town. Produced for $60 million by Warner Bros., the film might get a domestic number higher than that before it closes, but it will need much better legs than the trajectories of similar films to be a hit.
The Help slides to second place, and drops more than the last few frames. The book adaption eases 39% to $8.9 million, and brings its' total to $137.3 million in one month of release. Look for the Emma Stone flick to reach the $150 million barrier before it is all said and done.
Warrior opens in third place, but disappoints with $5.2 million, for a per-theater average of a dismal $2,805 from 1,869 theaters. Distributor Lionsgate promoted the film very much to make sure awareness was high, and showed sneak previews last weekend. Produced for $25 million, the film recieved broad critical acclaim, but even good word-of-mouth might not be enough to match that number from domestic territories alone.
The Debt slides to fourth place, and drops an expected 52% to $4.8 million, and bringing its' total to an okay $21.9 million in 12 days, against a $20 million budget. Look for the Helen Mirren drama to finish its run at about $35 million. Colombiana jumps one spot to fifth place, but fails to gain any traction as it drops 47% to $3.9 million, for a $29.7 million pick-up in 17 days. The Zoe Saldana pic should at least approach its' $40 million budget domestically.
After holding well the past few weeks, Rise of the Planet of the Apes drops 51% to $3.9 million, for a still very strong $167.8 million in five weeks. Last weeks' horror flicks Shark Night 3-D and Apollo 18 had poor audience reception, and suffered with 59% and 67% plunges to $3.4 million and $2.9 million, for 10-day totals of $15 million apiece. Shark Night's drop was though a bit less precipitous than Fright Night and Scream 4 through the same point.
Two flicks (three including Apollo 18) from distributor The Weinstein Company round out the Top 10. Our Idiot Brother dropped 51% to $2.7 million, for a $21.4 million tally in 17 days. The Paul Rudd comedy should top out at $25 million. The final summer family flick Spy Kids: All The Time In The World gets one more week in the Top 10, with a 48% drop in its' fourth frame to $2.5 million, for a $34.2 million tally in 24 days. A final domestic tally of around $40 million would be the lowest-grossing of the series, but it may not be the last we hear from the O.S.S. as it has become a success versus its' $27 million budget.
The other new releases fell outside the Top 10. Bucky Larson: Born To Be A Star was a huge bomb with just $1.4 million (per-theater average of a poor $943 from 1,500 theaters) and landing in 15th place. Also in wide release, Creature was ignored with just $327,000 at 1,507 theaters and only reached the #29 spot. Faring much better was comedian documentary Kevin Hart: Laugh at My Pain, which earned $1.9 million from just 97 theaters, slotting in 13th place for the weekend.
Overall box office was down 2% last year when horror revival Resident Evil: Afterlife 3-D topped the box office with a solid $26.7 million. But like other horror films, it crashed to a $60 million finish domestically, but was a huge hit overseas, grossing over $200 million worldwide. The rest of the Top 5 was under $6 million apiece. Takers jumped to the second spot with a 48% drop to $5.7 million, while The American depleted 57% to and finished just $1,000 lower (still with $5.7 million). Fellow second weekend holdovers Machete and Going The Distance rounded out the Top 5 with 62% and 45% drops to $4.3 million and $3.8 million.
Here Is The Final Top 10:
Place Movie Actual Numbers Projected Estimates My Prediction
#1 Contagion $22,403,596 $23,135,000 $23,000,000
#2 The Help $8,926,142 $8,651,000 $9,500,000
#3 Warrior $5,242,107 $5,605,000 $13,500,000
#4 The Debt $4,770,720 $4,900,000 $5,900,000
#5 Colombiana $3,947,582 $4,000,000 $4,200,000
#6 Rise of the Planet $3,886,285 $3,910,000 $4,900,000
of the Apes
#7 Shark Night 3-D $3,408,413 $3,525,000 $3,300,000
#8 Apollo 18 $2,851,349 $2,916,000 $3,000,000
#9 Our Idiot Brother $2,650,538 $2,758,000 ---
#10 Spy Kids: All The $2,501,432 $2,506,000 $3,200,000
Time in the World
