Everybody Goes WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE At The Box Office
Spike Jonze’s Where The Wild Things Are took over the box office this past weekend, grossing an estimated $32.5 million for the top spot in its much-anticipated debut.
The total was a little shy of ambitious estimates after a surprisingly strong Friday and Saturday, but nonetheless is still a strong bow for Warner Bros. It was an uncharacteristically active weekend, with three different films crossing the $20 million mark. You have to go all the way back to 2004’s Shark Tale to find the last time a film managed that in this frame.
Law Abiding Citizen opened at number 2 with $21.3 million, but once again it was Paranormal Activity that comes away with the most impressive victory. Expanding to 760 theaters, the ultra low-budget horror film pulled in $20.2 million for the number 3 spot, or a staggering $26,530 per-theater average in its fourth weekend of release. Couples Retreat held on to fourth place with $17.9 million over its second weekend, and The Stepfather opened in 5th place with a so-so $12.3 million. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, meanwhile, crossed the $100 million mark with an $8.1 million weekend, bringing its total to $108.3 million.
In the specialty market, New York, I Love You opened across 119 venues for $372,000, or a $3,126 per-theater average. Black Dynamite also debuted in 70 theaters, pulling in $141,000 for an unimpressive $2,014 average.
Next week, four new films will open wide. Astro Boy, Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant, Saw VI, and Amelia will battle for box office dollars in a crowded late October weekend. Saw VI has shown remarkable resiliency for a fairly formulaic franchise, and should take the top spot. Astro Boy will probably come in behind it, followed by Cirque du Freak and, with only a 800-screen release, Amelia will most likely finish last. The record stands at 44 for 56.
Check out the top 12 below, or head on over to Box Office Mojo for the full weekend chart.
New releases highlighted in yellow
| TW | LW | Title (click to view) | Studio | Weekend Gross | % Change | Theater Count / Change | Average | Total Gross | Budget* | Week # | |
| 1 | N | Where the Wild Things Are | WB | $32,470,000 | - | 3,735 | - | $8,693 | $32,470,000 | $100 | 1 |
| 2 | N | Law Abiding Citizen | Over. | $21,250,000 | - | 2,890 | - | $7,353 | $21,250,000 | $50 | 1 |
| 3 | 4 | Paranormal Activity | Par. | $20,163,000 | +155.2% | 760 | +600 | $26,530 | $33,717,000 | - | 4 |
| 4 | 1 | Couples Retreat | Uni. | $17,949,000 | -47.7% | 3,009 | +9 | $5,965 | $63,339,000 | $70 | 2 |
| 5 | N | The Stepfather (2009) | SGem | $12,300,000 | - | 2,734 | - | $4,499 | $12,300,000 | $20 | 1 |
| 6 | 3 | Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs | Sony | $8,100,000 | -29.7% | 3,037 | +45 | $2,667 | $108,284,000 | $100 | 5 |
| 7 | 2 | Zombieland | Sony | $7,800,000 | -47.3% | 3,171 | +133 | $2,460 | $60,823,000 | $23.6 | 3 |
| 8 | 5 | Toy Story / Toy Story 2 (3D) | BV | $3,011,000 | -61.2% | 1,489 | -263 | $2,022 | $28,594,000 | - | 3 |
| 9 | 6 | Surrogates | BV | $1,922,000 | -55.0% | 2,326 | -666 | $826 | $36,332,000 | $80 | 4 |
| 10 | 7 | The Invention of Lying | WB | $1,905,000 | -43.0% | 1,624 | -119 | $1,173 | $15,495,000 | $18.5 | 3 |
| 11 | 8 | Whip It | FoxS | $1,525,000 | -46.1% | 1,482 | -256 | $1,029 | $11,378,000 | $15 | 3 |
| 12 | 9 | Capitalism: A Love Story | Over. | $1,433,000 | -45.5% | 991 | -4 | $1,446 | $11,600,000 | - | 4 |
Tags: Amelia, Astro Boy, Black Dynamite, Box Office, Cirque Du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, Couples Retreat, Law Abiding Citizen, New York I Love You, Paranormal Activity, Saw 6, Saw VI, The Stepfather, Where The Wild Things Are
