Another Lump of Coal for Hollywood
Um, this was bad.
Hollywood resumed its losing ways at the box office with a lousy weekend—sorry, super lousy weekend—down nearly 50 percent from last year.
Disney's Enchanted made the best of a bad situation, pulling in a respectable $16.4 million and retaining its number one spot.
Only on the art-house circuit did business really click, with two Oscar-buzz films, The Savages and The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, packing houses.
Among all releases, Enchanted was the only movie to top $10 million. Last year at this time, the studios were getting fat off the receipts from Happy Feet, Casino Royale and Déjà Vu.
The post-Thanksgiving weekend is typically weak, but this weekend was especially weak—Hollywood's worst in 10 years, Box Office Mojo's Brandon Gray said. It worsened a slump that seemingly began the second the record-setting summer ended.
So far, Bee Movie (ninth place, $4.4 million; $117.6 million overall) and American Gangster (11th place, $4.3 million; $121.7 million overall) are the only fall movies to top $100 million. And of those two, only American Gangster has earned back its reported production budget.
By comparison, by early December 2006, Hollywood had released four $100 million-plus fall blockbusters. And one of those hits, Borat, cost a considerable amount less to make than Bee Movie.
The Golden Compass arrives in theaters next Friday. But Gray, for one, doubts the fantasy tale will chart a more profitable course.
"It would be surprising if Golden Compass turned things around," Gray said Sunday. "It's not the next Narnia."
Will Smith, however, might be.
The star, who could sell ice cubes to North Pole residents and/or Wild, Wild West tickets to movie buffs, is due back in theaters Dec. 14 with the sci-fi remake, I Am Legend.
In the meantime, here are some more lowlights from Friday-Sunday:
- Beowulf (second place, $8.2 million; $68.9 million overall) was down 52 percent. This Christmas (third place, $7.9 million; $36.4 million overall) was down 56 percent from the holiday weekend; Even Enchanted was down 51 percent.
- The Hayden Christensen-Jessica Alba thriller Awake left itself wide open for a host of sound-asleep jabs when it opened with just $5.9 million (fifth place).
- Fred Claus (sixth place, $5.5 million; $59.8 million overall) probably will end up as Vince Vaughn's lowest grossing wide-release comedy.
- Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium ($3.3 million; $26.3 million) fell out of the top 10, and can't get up. Ever again.
In limited release, The Savages, the new comedy-drama starring Laura Linney and Philip Seymour Hoffman as siblings dealing with a dying father, made $151,859 at just four theaters, for a per-screen average of $37,965—by far, the best average of the weekend.
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, another new indie film, about the true story of a paralyzed French magazine editor, earned $75,721 at three theaters, for a per-screen average of $25,240.
Here's a rundown of the top 10 films based on final Friday-Sunday figures compiled by Exhibitor Relations:
- Enchanted, $16.4 million
- Beowulf, $8.2 million
- This Christmas, $7.9 million
- Hitman, $6 million
- Awake, $5.9 million
- Fred Claus, $5.5 million
- August Rush, $5 million
- The Mist, $4.6 million
- Bee Movie, $4.44 million
- No Country for Old Men, $4.39 million
(Originally published Dec. 2, 2007 at 3:03 p.m. PT.)
The Big Picture
Women Glow & Men Plunder
Britney embraces local culture by eating Vegemite clothes shopping in the land Down Under
Most Commented
- Bitch-Back! Breaking News—Johnny's a Hottie (913)
- Costars and Suits Give Robsten Their Blessings! (650)
- Blab Blab Blab: Is Twilight Sexist? (552)
- Truth, Lies & Ted: Twilight Special (478)
- Why Won't Sarah Palin Go Away? (440)
- Bitch-Back! What's Brad Got to Do With It? (426)
- Is New Moon Even Good? (417)
- Is Ugly Betty Ending? And Who Gets the Girl? (414)
- Adam Lambert: For Your Entertainment—or His? (363)
- Review: New Moon Is Either Just Fine or Way Mopey, Depending On Who You Are (334)
Top 10 Stories
- TLC Lets the Door Hit Jon (Not So Much Kate) on the Way Out
- Jennifer Lopez Stumbles for East Coasters Only
- Michael Jackson's Cash-Strapped Doctor Returns to Work
- Taylor Swift Tops Even Michael Jackson at American Music Awards
- Carrie Prejean the Hot Topic at Miss California USA Pageant
- New Moon Makes a Lot of Money (But Not Quite Batman Money)
- Jon (Plus Flowers) & Kate Reunite to Put Finishing Touches on Divorce
- New Moon Eclipses Dark Knight!
- Dr. Phil, Rachael Ray & More Continue Singing Oprah's Praises
- Michael Jackson's Doc Shipped Propofol From Vegas to L.A., Records Show
Fashion Police
Bring On the DramaLeave it to fearless fashionista Rihanna to make the fiercest statement on the AMAs red carpet
More Photos
Latest Movie Reviews
Get Your E! News Now
6 Comments
-
Show the next 1 - 0 of 6 comments
Now loading...