Sorry folks, it’s summer, which means holidays which means our usually box office folks are away. So here’s a quick rundown of what went on this weekend at the multiplex instead of our usually more verbose take. Onwards……
Call it the Oprah factor, credit the star-studded cast or perhaps something of actual substance in a season of empty thrills, but “Lee Daniels’ The Butler” took the top spot this weekend. With $25 million and a roughly $8K screen average, it basically matches what “The Help” took two years ago in a similar frame (it performed slightly better, with $26 million and a $10K screen average). The Weinstein Company are likely more than pleased with the result, and with the latter picture eventually earning four Oscar nominations (and a win for Octavia Spencer) you have to believe Harvey is figuring out what his awards season plans are for Lee Daniels‘ flick.
In other openings: “Kick-Ass 2” flopped into fourth with $13 million, a disappointing bow compared to the $19 million top spot haul of the first film; “Jobs” had a system failure landing in seventh (or in other words, less than 5% of Ashton Kutcher‘s 14 million Twitter followers bothered to buy a ticket); and lastly, “Paranoia” gave very few any anxiety, landing outside the top ten. Good thing Harrison Ford has “Star Wars,” and so much for Liam Hemsworth, Lead Actor.
Other notes: “We’re the Millers” is filling in a seemingly open comedy gap, approaching $70 million in weekend two. Will it bring $100 million? Who woulda thought? In limited release, “Austenland” led the pack with a $10.6K average, while “Ain’t Them Bodies Saints” took $28,800 in three theaters in New York City. It expands to ten cities next weekend.
1. Lee Daniels The Butler (The Weinstein Company) – $25 million
2. We’re the Millers (Warner Bros.) – $17.7 million ($69.5 million)
3. Elysium (Sony/TriStar) – $13.6 million ($55.9 million)
4. Kick-Ass 2 (Lionsgate) – $13.5 million
5. Planes (Buena Vista) – $13.1 million ($45 million)
6. Percy Jackson: Sea Of Monsters (Fox) – $8.3 million ($38.9 million)
7. Jobs (Open Road) – $6.7 million
8. 2 Guns (Universal) – $5.5 million ($59.2 million)
9. The Smurfs 2 (Sony) – $4.6 million ($56.9 million)
10. The Wolverine (Fox) – $4.4 million ($120.4 million)