It was a slow weekend for movie theaters with a weak box office performance all around. Christian Bale and Russell Crowe’s excellent western 3:10 to Yuma managed to land number one, but with a very low $14.1 million total. The sad truth is that people just don’t show up to see westerns anymore, no matter how great they are. A few years ago Kevin Costner’s Open Range received similar audience disinterest despite comparable critical praise. Nobody cares about westerns.
People do however seem to care about remaking classic horror movies. Rob Zombie’s Halloween do-over kept killing this weekend, landing at number two with a $10 million take. The movie has already made $44 million so far, more than enough to guarantee Zombie keeps working and probably enough to doom us to the inevitable and equally intolerable remake sequel.
Aside from 3:10 to Yuma, the weekend’s other big openers barely registered. The insanely fun and intentionally stupid Clive Owen gunplay pic Shoot ‘Em Up couldn’t lure in audiences with its brand of extreme violence and had to settle for a listless sixth place, $5.5 million debut. Expect it to drop out of the top ten fast in subsequent weeks. At least The Brothers Solomon won’t have to worry about slipping out of the top ten next weekend, since it didn’t make enough to earn a spot in it this weekend. Opening on nearly 700 screens, the lame Will Arnett comedy opened in 23rd place with a horrible $750 per screen average. Don’t it expect it find it playing anywhere next weekend, as theater owners rush to kick it off their screens to make room for something that people might actually want to buy a ticket to.
Next weekend expect more of the same with Jodie Foster’s critically praised revenge flick The Brave One opening against the lame-duck comedy Mr. Woodcock and the badly computer animated giant monster attack movie Dragon Wars.
September 7 - 9, 2007
THTRS = Number of Screens
* Denotes new release.
Click on title to read CB Review
| 1. | 3:10 to Yuma * | $14,100,000 - Total: $14,100,000 | LW: N WR: 1 THTRS: 2652 |
| 2. | Halloween | $10,034,000 - Total: $44,230,000 | LW: 1 WR: 2 THTRS: 3475 |
| 3. | Superbad | $8,000,000 - Total: $103,668,000 | LW: 2 WR: 4 THTRS: 3069 |
| 4. | Balls of Fury | $5,693,000 - Total: $24,281,000 | LW: 3 WR: 2 THTRS: 3081 |
| 5. | The Bourne Ultimatum | $5,478,000 - Total: $210,099,000 | LW: 4 WR: 6 THTRS: 3010 |
| 6. | Shoot ‘Em Up * | $5,450,000 - Total: $5,450,000 | LW: N WR: 1 THTRS: 2108 |
| 7. | Rush Hour 3 | $5,330,000 - Total: $129,168,000 | LW: 5 WR: 5 THTRS: 2690 |
| 8. | Mr. Bean’s Holiday | $3,387,000 - Total: $25,063,000 | LW: 6 WR: 3 THTRS: 1778 |
| 9. | The Nanny Diaries | $3,321,000 - Total: $21,004,000 | LW: 7 WR: 3 THTRS: 2444 |
| 10. | Hairspray | $1,950,000 - Total: $114,881,000 | LW: 12 WR: 8 THTRS: 1393 |
SOURCE: Box Office Mojo
