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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. Read»
Vince Vaughn still knows how to attract a crowd. His new comedy Couples Retreat pulled in a record-setting $34.3 million at the box office to come in at number one over the weekend, becoming the highest grossing Columbus Day weekend opener ever.
Paranormal Activity, which has been getting all sorts of buzz thanks to a strong marketing campaign and Paramount’s “demand it!” release scheme, expanded to 160 theaters and absolutely packed the houses. It pulled in $7.9 million for the number 4 spot, which is an astounding $49,379 per-theater average, especially considering the number of screens it played. It set the record for highest grossing movie playing at under 200 theaters, and don’t be surprised to see the micro-budgeted horror film expand to even more venues soon to scare up even more dollars.
Zombieland held over well from last weekend, dropping to number 2 with $14.8 million. Its $47.6 million total is already spawning talks about a possible sequel, as well as close to making it the highest grossing zombie movie ever (2004’s Dawn of the Dead currently holds the title with $59 million). Meanwhile, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs is still holding on strong, finishing third with $11.5 million in its fourth weekend of release. Toy Story / Toy Story 2 3D rounded out the top 5 with $7.8 million. Read»
