Christian Bale in 3:10 to Yuma(2007).
© Lionsgate
3:10 TO YUMA Shoots into First Place
By: Jarrod Sarafin, News EditorDate: Sunday, September 09, 2007
We have two remakes going up against each other in this weekend’s box office competition. One of the remakes is based off a classic western while the other remake is based off a classic horror appearing in nearly 800 more prints then the western…Who wins? The western remake takes the top spot even if it’s in less-then-stellar numbers.
When the winner of a weekend’s box office report is a measly 14 million, you know the season has slowed down quite a bit. In numbers which look like its January and not September, this weekend’s winner is 3:10 to Yuma pulling in only 14.1 million in 2,625 theaters across the nation. The western, starring Christian Bale and Russell Crowe, pulled an average of $5,316 per showing and earned a quarter of its 55 million dollar budget in its 3-day debut.
Following right behind the western is the re-imagining of Halloween by director Rob Zombie. The horror film pulled in another 10.0 million in its second weekend at the theaters even if it’s in nearly a thousand more theaters then 3:10 to Yuma. It averaged $2,887 per showing in its 3,475 prints. These types of numbers represent a 61.9% drop off from debut to second weekend. Halloween has pulled in 44.2 mil domestically.
Rounding out the top three rankings, landing in 3rd place is the comedy from producer Judd Apatow, Superbad. The film featuring three geeks in their last days of highschool grabbed another 8.0 million in its fourth weekend at the box office. The comedy only dropped 35.8% from last week putting its domestic total at a very nice 103.6 million. With a budget of only 20 mil, it’s clear this is yet another smash hit for Apatow.
The second comedy coming back this weekend is Balls of Fury in 4th place which took in 5.6 million in its 2nd week of release. The Rogue Pictures distributed ping-pong comedy hasn’t performed up to expectations taking in only 24.2 million so far and averaging only $1,847 per showing in 3,081 prints.
Still standing steady and strong is the Universal action adventure, The Bourne Ultimatum, landing in 5th place over the weekend. The last installment of Jason Bourne has raised eyebrows pulling in 210.0 million domestically in 6 weeks of release. With a budget of only 110 mil, it’s very clear Universal executives are very pleased at the moment. Bourne has also grabbed another 76.1 million in overseas numbers putting it very close to a worldwide 300 mil mark.
Now, it’s time to talk moderate flops. I say “moderate” here because Shoot ‘Em Up, starring Clive Owen, Paul Giamatti & Monica Bellucci, opened in only 2,108 theater prints in its debut weekend. Still, grabbing only 5.4 mil in 6th place is to be considered very flop like for New Line. Perhaps if they opened this action film in more prints, it would have ended in the top 3 places.
New Line’s other film which isn’t a flop just yet but isn’t a “success” either is landing right behind their opening film. The studio’s third installment, Rush Hour 3, follows the Clive Owen film in 7th place this weekend taking in another 5.3 million in its fifth week of release. The buddy cop comedy has a budget of 140 million and has taken in 129.1 mil domestically and another 52.9 million from overseas.
Universal’s next installment featuring Mr. Bean (by Rowen Atkinson) has 8th place for this report with 3.3 mil in receipts. The comedy, Mr. Bean’s Holiday, is already a worldwide hit even if it’s not doing as well in the United States release. It has a domestic total of 25.0 million and foreign numbers totaling 189.4 million making a worldwide sum of 214.5 mil.
Landing in 9th and 10th place are MGM’s The Nanny Diaries and New Line’s Hairspray. The adaptation, The Nanny Diaries, averaged only $1,358 per showing in its 2,444 prints for its third weekend grabbing only 3.3 million in receipts. The film has a domestic total of 21.0 mil. Following behind in 10th place is a hit for New Line with the musical remake, Hairspray. This film has stood very steady in our last 8 weeks of box office reports. This weekend, the musical remake took in only 1.9 million in receipts but its domestic total which is impressive. It has garnered 114.8 million for New Line thus far proving that there is still a niche market for musicals in the waning days of the summer season.
| Rank | Movie | Weekend $ | Theaters | Average | Total $ | Week # |
| 1 | 3:10 to Yuma | 14.1 mil | 2,652 | $5,316 | 14.1 mil | 1 |
| 2 | Halloween | 10.0 mil | 3,457 | $2,887 | 44.2 mil | 2 |
| 3 | Superbad | 8.0 mil | 3,069 | $2,606 | 103.6 mil | 4 |
| 4 | Balls of Fury | 5.6 mil | 3,081 | $1,847 | 24.2 mil | 2 |
| 5 | The Bourne Ultimatum | 5.4 mil | 3,010 | $1,819 | 210.0 mil | 6 |
| 6 | Shoot ‘Em Up | 5.4 mil | 2,108 | $2,585 | 5.4 mil | 1 |
| 7 | Rush Hour 3 | 5.3 mil | 2,690 | $1,981 | 129.1 mil | 5 |
| 8 | Mr. Bean’s Holiday | 3.3 mil | 1,778 | $1,904 | 25.0 mil | 3 |
| 9 | The Nanny Diaries | 3.3 mil | 2,444 | $1,358 | 21.0 mil | 3 |
| 10 | Hairspray | 1.9 mil | 1,393 | $1,399 | 114.8 mil | 8 |
Maniac Question of the Week:
Which of these October releases do you think will be the most successful at the box office?
- Feel the Noise (Oct 5)
- The Heartbreak Kid (Oct 5)
- The Seeker: The Dark Is Rising (Oct 5)
- Elizabeth: The Golden Age (Oct 12)
- Tyler Perry’s Why Did I Get Married? (Oct 12)
- The Final Season (Oct 12)
- We Own the Night (Oct 12)
- 30 Days of Night (Oct 19)
- Gone Baby Gone (Oct 19)
- The Comebacks (Oct 19)
- Rendition (Oct 19)
- Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas 3-D (Oct 19)
- Saw IV (Oct 26)
- Run, Fat Boy, Run (Oct 26)
- Dan in Real Life (Oct 26)
- Things We Lost in the Fire (Oct 26)
Let us hear your thoughts, readers.
Friday September 14, 2007 Releases:
Wide Releases
The Brave One (2,700+ Theaters)
Mr. Woodcock (2,200+ Theaters)
Dragon Wars (2,000+ Theaters)
Limited Releases
In the Valley of Elah
Silk
Across the Universe
December Boys
Eastern Promises
Great World of Sound
Ira & Abby
King of California
Moving McAllister
Pete Seeger: The Power of Song
As for Balls of Fury, how can you say it is performing below expectations? I don't think there were any expectations to begin with. Even the studio probably saw it as a late summer dump off anyway. I saw the film and thought it was a guilty pleasure. Just watch, this movie will obtain a cult following when it is released on DVD. I also don't think it cost that much to make.
One of the reasons Rush Hour 3 is not doing well worldwide is that China banned the film. That means it's probably playing on black market discs all over the country.