Here’s the box office round-up for the weekend of 10/25-10/27.
- JACKASS PRESENTS: BAD GRANDPA opened to 32.1 million (avg. 9,537). It performed like Jackass Number Two which opened to 29.0 million in 2006.
I’ve never been a major Johnny Knoxville fan but clearly there are tons of them out there. The thought of having someone repeatedly kick you in the balls while filming it just doesn’t sit so well. As for this movie, though, pretty impressive start for a comedy especially considering that Gravity and Captain Phillips are still out there.
- GRAVITY finally dropped out of the top spot with a gross of 20.1 million (-33%) (avg. 5,422). It has a new total of 199.6.
Cuaron will never have to beg for more money in his budget again.
- CAPTAIN PHILLIPS held in nicely in its third weekend of release grossing 11.6 million (-29%) (avg. 3,691). This brings its total to 69.9.
This story is absolutely phenomenal. One interesting aspect about this movie is that it makes an attempt to humanize the Somali pirates in a very effective way. Sometimes living in the United States makes us totally unaware (maybe intentionally) of how life in the Third World can be and how there are so few opportunities for those people. This film brings that issue to light while still keeping us terrified of the villains.
- THE COUNSELOR opened to a disappointing 7.8 million (avg. 2,562).
Director Ridley Scott (Prometheus, Alien, American Gangster) and scribe Cormac McCarthy’s (The Road, No Country for Old Men, The Sunset Limited) new film would be akin to the Lakers 2012-2013 season. Amazing on paper, superstars left and right, but for some reason, they just couldn’t put it all together. Disappointing that this great cast and writer/director team couldn’t make this movie into something worth watching. The all-star line-up did, however, keep this bad-boy in the top-5 on a solid box office weekend.
WEEKEND TAKEAWAY
The weekend added up to approximately 100 million which is +8% from last year when Argo found the top spot in its third weekend of release.
ANOTHER NOTE ON 12 YEARS A SLAVE
-Expanded to 123 locations grossing 2.135 million (avg. 17,358); cume 3.4.
Just something to be aware of…12 Years A Slave has only been released in 123 theaters in the country. To give a point of reference, Bad Grandpa and Gravity are both in around 3,500 theaters. The average gross per theater is twice as high as the next best (Grandpa) and nearly 4 times that of Gravity. This film certainly has garnered enough critical attention to driving patrons to the limited theaters in huge crowds…not something you see often.