| Film | Weekend | Per Screen | Total | |
| 1 | 21 | $15,100,000 (-37.4%) | $5,691 | $46,533,000 |
| 2 | Leatherheads | $13,485,000 | $4,869 | $13,485,000 |
| 3 | Nim’s Island | $13,300,000 | $3,785 | $13,300,000 |
| 4 | Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who | $9,100,000 (-48.7%) | $2,548 | $131,060,000 |
| 5 | The Ruins | $7,840,000 | $2,788 | $7,840,000 |
| 6 | Superhero Movie | $5,405,000 (-43.2%) | $1,822 | $16,887,000 |
| 7 | Tyler Perry’s Meet the Browns | $3,510,000 (-53.1%) | $2,258 | $37,754,000 |
| 8 | Drillbit Taylor | $3,495,000 (-38.8%) | $1,291 | $25,579,000 |
| 9 | Shutter | $2,875,000 (-44.9%) | $1,352 | $23,183,000 |
| 10 | 10,000 B.C. | $2,770,000 (-44.0%) | $1,186 | $89,323,000 |
This just in: A Partridge, a pear tree, and a baby kitty? Twelve dead, eleven wounded.
Well, I thought we might have some weak sisters this weekend, but Leatherheads showed some more promising tracking. It could be the Clooney bump. People like him, you see, but I guess they jut didn’t give much about this one. As I said on Friday, I thought there was a possibility that 21 could stay on top, and it did. I just figured it’d take closer to a 50-60% drop. It didn’t, which suggests that audiences are enjoying the film enough to recommend it. Or that there were more Across the Universe fangirls than previously surmised. Or people just like, they just like Kevin Spacey. they would invite him into their homes and serve him a proper British Tea, they would. Crumpets and cucumber sandwiches and everything. But they may love him, they’re not in love with him. Not enough to watch K-Pax.
That Leatherheads failed was fated the moment Universal bumped the picture from December to April. That’s a red flag spelling “no academy chances… uh how the fuck do we sell this?” The answer is: they didn’t, so you’ve got a nice poster image, and a film that will do less business than Cinderella Man. Maybe it’s just the period. Dunno. Maybe it’s that women who’ve nicknamed their sex toys Clooney wait for netflix so they can do it right.
Speaking of thirteen-inch black dildos, Nim’s Island is the sort of film that if it worked, it would also not be coming out in April. A more kid-friend Romancing the Stone, you’ve got Jodie Foster, who being outed – whatever – is still a draw, and Gerald Butler and yet it doesn’t click. Post-300, the man has not capitalized on his heat, so I think it’s fair to say he’ll lurch back unless he gets a big movie open again. It says he’s in a movie called Game with Chud-lovin Milo Ventimigila, who (Milo, that is) plays a character named Rick Rape. Rick Rape. That’s the best thing I’ve seen all day. If he spends the whole movie busting Rick Astley moves, and telling people they’ve been Rick Raped, oh jesus, the internet would explode. With pleasure. Dear makers of Game, please contact me if the character of Rick Rape was inspired by rick-rolling. If so, I’ll be there opening fucking day. A character named Rick Rape. Maybe he’s just a lonely cloth salesman with an unfortunate last name. “It’s pronounced rah-pee. Yeah, I get that a lot. No, I won’t dance for you.”
Rick Rape.
21 cost nothing, so that $60-plus total is might awesome. It’s arguably this year’s Disturbia. Whereas Horton Hears a Who might make it to $150. That’s a lot of money, but it’s more of a theatrical break-even. With international and home video sales, it’s still a big win, for sure.
Almost everyone I’ve seen talk about The Ruins has said it delivers and then some, even if it’s not deep or anything. My guess is that Dreamworks and Paramount don’t know how to market this film, like a Screen Gems would. You can’t sell these movies as being good. It’s sad but funny that Prom Night is going to absolutely wipe the floor with it next week. Just kill it. Rick-roll it.
We’re in the second weakest box office period of the year, so the stragglers remain. Superhero should cross $20 and then maybe get to $23-25, Tyler Perry’s good for $40, and a spot more, Drillbit should get over $30, and Shutter will likely limp to $27 or so. But Warner Brothers is likely gong to try and squeeze the lemon til the 10,000 B.C. $100 Million juice runs down their leg. Next weekend offers stuff (and things, don’t forget them), but little to get excited about. But Iron Man – like prosperity – is just around the corner. And a filmmaker whose name rhymes with Wedgar Bright suggested that it’s rather good.