It’s probably no surprise to anyone that with no new films in wide release again, the Owen Wilson, Jennifer Aniston puppy movie, “Marley and Me” topped the box-office weekend again, taking in an additional $24 million to its now $100-million-plus gross. Chalk it up as another victory for bland, white people. Adam Sandler’s “Bedtime Stories” at #2 with $20 million dollars is again, no big shocker.
What is semi-surprising is the massive success of more specialty films like ‘Benjamin Button’ and Tom Cruise’s “Valkyrie.” Unlike 20th Century Fox’s gamble on Baz Luhrmann and “Australia,” Paramount’s risk involving the $130 million-dollar costing ‘Benjamin Button’ by David Fincher seems to be paying off. Coming in at the number three spot, the dark love story film has nearly grossed $80 million dollars in two weeks. With multiple Oscar nominations presumably on the way, covering and surpassing their costs seems totally viable.
Similarly, “Valkyrie” was maligned with tons of negative press in the months before its release, with the release date changing three times, but audiences didn’t seem to care and flocked to the film in droves. Taking in $14 million at the number four slot and now having grossed $60 million total, this is nowhere near the bomb some pundits were expecting. Having cost only $75 million, the Bryan-Singer directed WWII film will surely recoup its cost and then some. Cracking the $100 million mark doesn’t seem totally out of the question.
Conversely, “Australia” cost $130 million to make and has only taken in $46 million in North American box-office receipts. But don’t completely write it off as a bomb yet, either, globally the film has taken in and additional $46 million making its worldwide gross currently $93,669,212. Making money isn’t out of the question (but with additional marketing costs, yes, it might not quite break even).
The slow but sure, “Slumdog Millionaire” keeps expanding into wider markets and cracked the top 10 this weekend. It has grossed $28 million so far in North America.
Box-Office Weekend Results for January 2-4.
1. Marley and Me – $24,050,000 – total gross so far $106,510,000
2. Bedtime Stories – $20,317,000 – total gross so far $85,351,000
3. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button – $18,400,000 – total gross so far – $79,011,000
4. Valkyrie – $14,042,000 – total gross so far – $60,692,000
5. Yes Man – $13,850,000 -16.9% 3,434 – $4,033 $79,413,000
6. Seven Pounds – $10,000,000 -24.3% 2,758 – $3,626 $60,038,000
7. The Tale of Despereaux – $7,020,000 – total gross so far – $43,742,000
8. Doubt – $5,031,000 – total gross so far $18,730,000
9. The Day the Earth Stood Still – $4,850,000 – total gross so far $74,299,000
10. Slumdog Millionaire – $4,770,000 – total gross so far – $28,779,000