| Filml | Weekend | Per Screen | Total | |
| 1 | 2012 | $65,000,000 | $19,095 | $65,000,000 |
| 2 | A Christmas Carol | $22,325,000 (-25.7%) | $6,062 | $63,289,000 |
| 3 | The Men Who Stare at Goats | $6,200,000 (-51.2%) | $2,528 | $23,376,000 |
| 4 | Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire | $6,090,000 (+225.2%) | $35,000 | $8,915,000 |
| 5 | Michael Jackson’s This Is It | $5,100,000 (-61.2%) | $1,679 | $68,211,000 |
| 6 | The Fourth Kind | $4,744,000 (-61.2%) | $1,875 | $20,588,000 |
| 7 | Couples Retreat | $4,253,000 (-30.6%) | $1,695 | $102,133,000 |
| 8 | Paranormal Activity | $4,200,000 (-49.3%) | $1,549 | $103,847,000 |
| 9 | Law Abiding Citizen | $3,932,000 (-34.5%) | $1,899 | $67,326,000 |
| 10 | The Box | $3,185,000 (-57.9%) | $1,209 | $13,206,000 |
This Just in: Dick and fart jokes.
Well, okay. 2012 opened like a motherfucker. I thought fall fatigue would keep the film from getting near $70 Million. God I want pumpkin bread. People wanted to see the destruction of the world, and nothing was going to stop the flow. This though doesn’t necessarily mean the film will get within spitting distance of $200, as regardless of WOM (which could still sort of hurt, but the film is what it is) the film is going to drop 50% next weekend. It will make it to $150 at this point for sure, that much is known. Twlight opens next week, but I don’t think that takes the wind out of these sails (nor could Planet 51) in any meaningful way. If this can hold stronger then it could get over $200 and change, but again, we shall see if gets any sort of Turkey day bump.
A Christmas Carol did what it needed to do. Which is fall less than 40%. Yes, it’s still two weeks away at best from hitting $100 million, but it didn’t die, and it is starting to make the case that it’s a holiday picture and will perform well for it. It has also doubled the opening weekend, so, again, not pathetic as it’s has been painted, but the best metaphor is that it got to first base, and that’s about it. Some tongue.
Precious hit the top five, and should do some expanding next week. This will likely be its highest weekend performance on the list, simply because of the size of the picture that will open each week for the rest of the year, but Precious is the art film of the month, and possibly the art film for the rest of the year. The film has now guaranteed itself a $40 to $50 Million take regardless of how it expands. Which is huge, though because it’s a black film it may have an invisible ceiling. This is the sort of film a/my mother would call me about seeing with her friends. Oprah may put some marketng muscle behind it wih her show, so it’s got that too. Can it be the feel good-and-bad hit of the year, and make it to $100 Million? Probably not, simply because Mariah Carey can only get you so far. When films like this tend to cross over (and this has) you need that Heath Ledger hook to take it to the next level, that “it’s still a Hollywood movie” sort of veneer that a film like Juno has. This is likely not palatable enough for that.
The Men Who Stare at Goats was cheap in the scheme of things, and it seems to be performing aimiably. Heslov won’t be able ot work without Clooney, but I wouldn’t write him off, either, and it seems to be doing better than Leatherheads. That’s something. This Is It is playing, so that move out of December for the video release date was smart, and the international numbers are excellent. Now that he’s dead, people can love MJ again!
The Fourth Kind didn’t get the Paranormal loving, with the latter crossing the $100 Million mark. Also in the nine digit range: Couples Retreat.The Box is a bomb, and Law Abiding Citizen is doing rather well. Whoo hoo. Would you like me to read you a story?