OPENINGS: OBLIVION (Universal) had a solid $38.2M start (although the studio is estimating the lowest Sunday drop in the Top 10, so that number may come down tomorrow), with a 12% Saturday bump. The less good news is that overseas, which holds the key to the film’s success, business was down to $33.7M after last weekend’s $60.4M, despite adding 7 new territories. The movie’s worldwide total is currently at $150.2M, but may not get much higher than $300M–and if the movie’s rumored cost of $275M+ for production and worldwide marketing (Universal says it’s less) is true, that means breakeven at best. Incidentally, comparisons with other Tom Cruise openings are misleading, because apart from the Mission: Impossible franchise and War of the Worlds, Cruise’s career is surprisingly light on big-budget tentpole releases–and Oblivion is behind all of those, just slightly ahead of 2002’s Minority Report.
In its first weekend of wide release, THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES (Focus/Universal) had a mediocre $3100 average at 1542 theatres (that’s just slightly higher than the per-theatre average for The Croods in its 5th weekend).
HOLDOVERS: A very solid hold for 42 (Warners), down 34% from its opening weekend, and headed for $90-100M. THE CROODS (DreamWorks Animation/20th) continues strong, down only 28% from last weekend to $9.5M in the US, and with another $23.4M overseas, for a global total of $429.4M. Also strong internationally is GI JOE: RETALIATION (Par/MGM), which is fading in the US (down 47% to $5.8M), but roaring overseas with a $40M weekend, thanks primarily to a huge $33M opening in China. Joe is at $322.9M worldwide, and seems likely to hit $400M, which would be $100M more than its franchise predecessor. OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN (FilmDistrict), down 38%, and OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL (Disney), down 37%, are still in the picture.
Taking the express train down, though, are SCARY MOVIE 5 (Dimension/Weinstein), which fell 56% from opening weekend, EVIL DEAD (TriStar/Sony/FilmDistrict), down 55%, and JURASSIC PARK 3D (Universal), also down 55%.
LIMITED RELEASE: FILLY BROWN (Lionsgate) was extremely front-loaded, with a 40% drop on Saturday that pushed its per-theatre average for the weekend at 188 to a merely OK $7300. That was far better than HOME RUN (Goldwyn), with a $4300 average at 381. And that was far better than LORDS OF SALEM (Anchor Bay), with a $1800 average at 354. THE COMPANY YOU KEEP (Sony Pictures Classics) doubled its run to 84 theatres with a decent $5100 average. DISCONNECT (LD) went to 67 theatres with a $3800 average. UPSTREAM COLOR (erbp) found tough going as it went to 30 theatres with a $2500 average. TRANCE (Fox Searchlight) collapsed completely with a pathetic $900 average at 443.
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