Kevin Spacey teaches the odds in 21 (2008).
© Sony Pictures
21 Doubles Down at the Box Office.
By: Jarrod SarafinDate: Sunday, April 06, 2008
The attraction of beating the odds and Vegas wins again for audiences around the country. For the second weekend in a row, the crime thriller 21 has landed in the top spot spoiling the hopes of debuting films Leatherheads, Nim’s Island and The Ruins. The gambling tale, based on a true story, only had a 37% drop from its previous weekend with a 15.1 mil haul at the box office. That’s not really spectacular numbers for a #1 film but it still won out with less theater screens then everyone else in the top 5. It also can be called a profitable film for Sony Pictures with a domestic gross of 46.5 mil in only ten days of release. It has a budget of only 35 mil.
Following in 2nd place is Universal Pictures’ Leatherheads. The Clooney-directed sports comedy doesn’t have a budget listed but it debuted right behind with a 13.4 mil payday while getting shown in 2,769 theaters across the nation. This points to an average rate of $4,869 per showing. Even if no budget is listed, the film probably doesn’t have that high a budget for Universal. If it maintains legs the next two weeks, it should end up well for Clooney’s credit score.
The same can’t be said for Fox’s score of Nim’s Island, which landed in 3rd place with 13.3 mil. They probably had higher hopes for this adaptation of the fantasy with a theatrical debut of 3,513 prints across the nation. Still, we have to wonder how much distress they’re actually in over this lackluster opening haul. Fox’s Seuss film cut into the demographics for this baby and it opens the question as to why they would release it so soon after the other. It has them competing against themselves. The studio listed the budget for Island at 37 mil so lets see how it debuts overseas and does the next two weeks.
In the meantime, as mentioned above, Fox is happily enough with its other children fantasy tale Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who. The film once again landed on top of a debuting film in 4th by grabbing another 9.1 million on 3,571 theaters. In four weeks of release, the studio has grabbed a domestic gross of 131.0 mil and another 76.4 mil overseas. While they may have less than stellar returns on Nim’s debut, having a worldwide gross of 207.4 mil and a budget of only 85 for this franchise likely makes up for it.
The final debuting film for this report is The Ruins from Paramount and DreamWorks, with the film landing in 5th place. The horror, based on Scott B. Smith’s novel, opened up in 2,812 theaters and took in 7.8 million, marking an average of $2,788. Neither distributor released a budget.
It’s also clear that the MGM spoof Superhero Movie isn’t enjoying the same success as the last spoof Meet the Spartans enjoyed at the box office. The film dropped three slots in its second weekend, landing in 6th with only 5.4 mil in receipts. The Spidey spoof is getting shown in 2,965 theaters so this points to below-average rate of $1,822 per showing. The studio didn’t release a budget but a domestic gross of only 16.8 mil is clearly less than spectacular.
Another film pulling in less than expected numbers, making this a universal theme for this report is Tyler Perry’s Meet the Browns. The producer’s latest project dropped another three places and 53% in its third week of release with a 3.5 mil haul at the box office. Sure, Lionsgate is likely still pleased with its domestic gross 37.7 mil since Perry tends to keep his budgets low but this film isn’t enjoying the same success as his other installments. Variety reported earlier in the week that Perry has some more ambitious projects, outside the world of family dramedies, so perhaps he saw this coming.
Paramount’s Drillbit Taylor follows right behind Perry in 8th place with 3.49 mil in receipts. Out of the top 10, it had the second lowest drop off rate of 38% but that’s likely due to it pulling in only average box office results last weekend. It’s still getting shown in 2,707 theaters so it had an average rate of only $1,291. In three weeks of release, the Owen Wilson vehicle has only 25.5 mil. No budget is listed.
Another horror film that isn’t doing very well is Fox’s Shutter, landing in 9th place with only 2.8 mil to show for its 2,125 theaters. This has it averaging only $1,352 with audiences in its third week of release. Again, no budget is listed and it has domestic gross of 23.1 mil.
Director Roland Emmerich is likely wishing he kept his films for the summer season when they usually do better. His latest, WB’s 10,000 B.C, isn’t enjoying the same domestic success even if its doing fine overseas. The film dropped three places to 10th this weekend with 2.7 mil in ticket sales. It’s still getting shown in 2,335 theaters so this means an average rate of only $1,186. In five weeks of release, the 105 mil budgeted film has a domestic gross of 89.3 mil and a foreign haul of 143.2 mil. Basically, a 232.5 worldwide gross isn’t bad but WB was likely wishing for higher domestic numbers with it.
| Rank | Movie | Weekend | Theaters | Average | Total | Budget | Week # |
| 1 | 21 | 15.1 mil | 2,653 | $5,691 | 46.5 mil | 35 | 2 |
| 2 | Leatherheads | 13.4 mil | 2,769 | $4,869 | 13.4 mil | | 1 |
| 3 | Nim’s Island | 13.3 mil | 3,513 | $3,785 | 13.3 mil | 37 | 1 |
| 4 | Horton Hears a Who | 9.1 mil | 3,571 | $2,548 | 131.0 mil | 85 | 4 |
| 5 | The Ruins | 7.8 mil | 2,812 | $2,788 | 7.8 mil | | 1 |
| 6 | Superhero Movie | 5.4 mil | 2,965 | $1,822 | 16.8 mil | | 2 |
| 7 | Tyler Perry’s Meet the Browns | 3.5 mil | 1,554 | $2,258 | 37.7 mil | | 3 |
| 8 | Drillbit Taylor | 3.4 mil | 2,707 | $1,291 | 25.5 mil | | 3 |
| 9 | Shutter | 2.8 mil | 2,125 | $1,352 | 23.1 mil | | 3 |
| 10 | 10,000 B.C | 2.7 mil | 2,335 | $1,186 | 89.3 mil | 105 | 5 |
Just a few more weeks…
Friday April 11, 2008 Releases:
Prom Night (2,400+ theaters)
Street Kings (2,500 theaters)
Smart People (1,150 theaters)
The Visitor
Young@Heart
Persepolis
I'm tempted to watch Street Kings next week but I'll probably make my return to theaters to see Forgetting Sarah Marshall. Apatow son!!!!!!