The ComingSoon.net Box Office Report has been updated with studio estimates for the weekend. Click here for the full box office estimates of the top 12 films and then check back on Monday for the final figures based on actual box office.
It was another slow Labor Day weekend at the movies as the fears of hurricanes hitting the East Coast ended up petering away to nothing by Friday night. Still, it was not one of the best weekends for movies with only one movie grossing $15 million over the four-day weekend.
That movie was the suspense thriller The American (Focus Features), which opened in Wednesday in roughly 2,700 theaters, bringing in $3.1 million over its first two days then roughly another $16.4 million over the four-day weekend to take top placement at the box office.
Robert Rodriguez’s Grindhouse spin-off Machete (20th Century Fox), starring Danny Trejo, Robert De Niro, Jessica Alba and Michelle Rodriguez, settled for second place with $14 million in 2,670 theaters, averaging roughly $5,200 per site.
Last week’s surprise #1, the ensemble crime-drama Takers (Sony/Screen Gems), dropped to third place with $13.5 million in its second frame as it approached $40 million since opening a week ago Friday.
The low-budget horror movie The Last Exorcism (Lionsgate) dropped to fourth place with $8.8 million over the four-day weekend and roughly $33.5 million total. Even with an extra day, it dropped 57% from its opening weekend, which is not a good sign of strong word-of-mouth.
The Drew Barrymore-Justin Long romantic comedy Going the Distance (New Line/WB) opened in over 3,000 theaters, the widest new release of the weekend, but tanked with just $8.6 million over the four days, earning less than $3,000 per theater despite the holiday weekend.
Sylvester Stallone’s action flick The Expendables (Lionsgate) co-starring Jason Statham and Jet Li continues to go strong, taking sixth place with $8.5 million for the weekend and $94.1 million total after four weeks in theaters. It’s currently Lionsgate’s third highest-grossing movie of all time and Stallone’s highest grossing non-family film since Rocky IV way back in 1985.
The Will Ferrell-Mark Wahlberg cop comedy The Other Guys dropped to seventh place with $6.6 million over the four-day weekend–up from last week–bringing its total to $108.1 million, while Sony’s other returning movie, the drama Eat Pray Love (Sony) starring Julia Roberts, brought in $6.2 million with a total gross of $70.3 million in its first month.
Christopher Nolan’s ensemble sci-fi flick Inception (Warner Bros.) grossed $5.9 million on the weekend, up 22% from last week, bringing its total to $278 million as it enjoys its second month in the Top 10.
Nanny McPhee Returns (Universal) took the 10th spot with $4.7 million in its third weekend and $23.5 million total.
The Top 10 grossed approximately $93.2 million, down just 3% from the same weekend last year when The Final Destination and Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds remained in the Top 2 places despite the release of three new movies.
Click here for the full box office results of the top 12 films.
