| Le Film | Le Gross | Le Per Screen | Le Freak, say chic | |
| 1 | Evian Almighty | $32,112,000 | $8,910 | $32,112,000 |
| 2 | 1408 | $20,175,000 | $7,533 | $20,175,000 |
| 3 | Le Fantastic Four: Rise’ of le Silver Surfer |
$20,150,000 (-65.3%) |
$5,084 | $97,604,000 |
| 4 | Ocean’s Treize | $11,345,000 (-42.5%) | $3,288 | $91,013,000 |
| 5 | Un Knocked Up | $10,636,000 (-24.4%) | $3,575 | $108,982,000 |
| 6 | Le Pirates of Le Caribbean: World’s End | $7,215,000 (-41.9%) | $2,574 | $287,015,000 |
| 7 | Le Surf’s Up | $6,700,000 (-27.6%) | $2,024 | $47,313,000 |
| 8 | Shrek Le Third | $5,754,000 (-36.1%) |
$2,038 | $307,908,000 |
| 9 | Un Nancy Drew | $4,505,00 (-34.1%) | $1,724 |
$16,193,000 |
| 10 | Un Mighty Coeur | 4,006,000 | $2,956 | $4,006,000 |
No one was exactly thrilled with Evan Almighty, but it was figured Universal would be able to fool the audience for at least a weekend. And they did, but not enough to guarantee a hundred million return, much less profitability. Evan will probably get to around $90 Mil, but there are two films next weekend that should trump it, and then comes giant fucking robots and Harry Potter. Evan won’t have the sexy gams of Knocked Up, which (round of applause) crossed the hundred million mark this weekend. For the record, KU has not lost any screens yet and only dropped 24%, which is near miraculous. Though it did not – as I projected – beat Ocean’s Thrirteen, which is on a sure and steady path to gross a little over a hundred (say $121?) With summer tent-poles geared towards hitting $300, is a hundred a victory anymore?
Speaking of crossing over to a hundred without achieving profitability, The Silver Surfer wiped out this weekend, and it should take it in the shorts next. Though the Saturday-Sunday saved it from a Hulk tumble, the 65% is almost as pretty as Michael Chiklis on a bender calling ex-girlfriends. Speaking of surfers, Surf’s Up is doing somewhat okay business for a film that could have been a blockbuster but wasn’t. That said, next weekend it’ll be deader that toast.
Nancy Drew proves that it’s hard drop like a stone if don’t have the weight, while A Mighty Heart proves that counter programming only gets you so far. Yes, Crash and Little Miss Sunshine had May/June bids, but those films had people talking, and this sort of woman’s picture is tres non-vogue. But the DVD will hit late November, and Paramount has the advantage of a likely weak Best Actress category. (I say that having done no research and based solely on the fact that there are so few great roles for women these days. As James Brown opined, "It’s a Man’s World." He also said "You pay the cost to be boss. You pay the cost to be boss. Look at me, you know what you see? You see a bad Muther." He is a genius. God I miss Larry Cohen. Personally.)
Shrek crossed the 300,000,000 line during the week, so it can go in a corner and die now, while Pirates 3 will likely get there sometime around July. So let’s talk about how great the foreign markets are doing, shall we? Or not.
But the story of the weekend is that 1408 played well and got to $20 mil, trumping FF 2. Except it’s a Weinstein film, so that number smells like cod. Or a nice Chinook Trout. I’m making myself hungry, but the point is made. Then again, this weekend, it feels like everything could have some wiggle room. If this weekend was a mouth, it should be heading to the dentist, or hopefully be eight years old or so. All this weekend wants for Christmas are its two front teeth. Every number in the top five could go up or down when the real numbers come in. But because 1408 was relatively cheap, and people actually seem to like it, it should prove an earner for the brothers (the brothers). And the brother’s gonna work it out. So, congratulations on washing that Grindhouse taste out your mouth.