| Film | Weekend | Per | Total | |
| 1 | Jackass 3-D | $50,000,000 | $16,228 | $50,000,000 |
| 2 | Red | $22,500,000 | $6,912 | $22,500,000 |
| 3 | The Social Network | $11,000,000 (-28.8%) | $3,835 | $63,119,000 |
| 4 | Secretariat | $9,503,000 (-25.1%) | $3,093 | $27,517,000 |
| 5 | Life as We Know It | $9,200,000 (-36.6%) | $2,921 | $28,865,000 |
| 6 | Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole | $4,235,000 (-38.5%) | $1,693 | $46,002,000 |
| 7 | The Town | $4,040,000 (-37.0%) | $1,706 | $80,574,000 |
| 8 | My Soul to Take | $3,161,000 (-53.8%) | $1,250 | $11,907,000 |
| 9 | Easy A | $2,650,000 (-38.2%) | $1,145 | $52,334,000 |
| 10 | Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps | $2,350,000 (-48.9%) | $1,149 | $47,882,000 |
This just in: A pound of flesh.
It was going to open, but Jackass 3-D turned this weekend into an event by generating $50 Million for the weekend. The first Jackass made $64 Million, and the sequel $72, so this is a gigantic leap forward fiscally. Unless the film absolutely collapses next weekend or an asteroid hits us, it’s going to be the biggest grosser of the series and has a very strong possibility of doing over $100 Million. The only thing that could stop it is if it’s simply an opening weekend picture – horror movies are like that (this could be considered a horror movie) – but unless the weekend is inflated, and it doesn’t do weekday business, and it falls more than 70%, then there’s no way it won’t get over that nine digit hurdle. Perhaps audiences have been sold on this being the end of the franchise, or maybe it’s the 3-D bump.
Red also had a much stronger showing than expected. Here is a case where the cast added up, while also being a strong alternative – though still masculine – film for those who weren’t up for Jackass. This is slightly higher than the last Willis headliners, though I would guess this peters out around $70 or so. With international numbers based on this cast, it’s quite possible that’s a win (Miss Finke was trotting out a less than $20 number as being Summit’s pickup number for the $58 Million budget). The picture will do over $40, so if that’s the case, than Summit is in really good shape on this. Soon enough they can say “we don’t just need the vampires!”
The Social Network is playing slow and steady. The steady is what is needed, and that’s a solid Inception-esque hold. If it does over a million on the weekdays, it could be over $75 next weekend, and then it could be over $80 by Halloween. The question is still how long it plays, though Sony has to know that they’ve done as well as they could with it. Secretariat also held strong. If they can limp the picture into a $50 or $60 total, it’s a sorta win. The film almost briefly got caught up in the culture war, but it didn’t take. Still, it passed Life as We Know It, which also had a reasonably strong hold for what it was, but it’s looking at a closer to mid $40’s finish.
The Owl Movie is the only kid movie in the top ten until Megamind. That should be enough to maybe even get it to a near $60 finish. It’s no Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. The Town got over $80 this weekend, and it could get over $90. I don’t know if it will have any more juice after that. Easy A also crossed the $50 mark, and might get near $60, but that about it (it might light your wrist, but that about it). And Wall Street 2 should cross $50, which is a half-win. Oliver Stone may not be in director jail, but I don’t think he drives a production any more. He’s a good get, at best.
My Soul to Take succeeded in not failing out of the to ten this week. Good for it.
Out of the top ten, Hereafter had a stellar per screen, which they’ll try and take advantage of next week when it goes wide. It’s Kind of a Funny Story has not taken off, nor has Woody Allen’s latest (You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger) or Stephen Frears (Tamara Drewe). We’re starting to see the Oscar wreckage.