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Box Office: Paramount Has An EAGLE EYE for Victory

By Jarrod Sarafin     September 28, 2008


Shia LaBeouf and Michellle Monaghan in D.J Caruso's EAGLE EYE(2008).
© Paramount Pictures
Well, it looks like the last weekend of September is the only one worth talking about in terms of box office numbers. After weeks of very slow performances from this month’s releases, D.J. Caruso’s Eagle Eye turned out well for an early fall debut. His and Shia LaBeouf’s latest thriller opened up in 3,510 theaters this weekend and pulled in an estimated $29.2 million as a result. The only question is whether it can do well over the next few weekends and overtake that $80 mil budget, a price tag unusually high for a release this month. It might not be a problem for them though. Even with a ton of new releases next weekend, Eagle Eye could win for a second consecutive report. We shall see next weekend, Maniacs.
Second place goes to Warner Bros’ Nights in Rodanthe, which pulled in an estimated $13.5 million in its 2,704 debuting theaters. The film features the reteaming of Richard Gere and Diane Lane after their 2002 romantic thriller Unfaithful pulled in successful numbers. While Unfaithful has no direct ties to Nights, it proved successful for the two actors, having a budget of $50 mil and grossing $119.1 mil worldwide. The WB hasn’t released a budget for Nights in Rodanthe but it’s likely low. We shall see if this film has as much success as the latter.
Sony Screen Gems has always been about maintaining a low budget for their genre releases and in turn showing some moderate box office successes as a result. Their latest Samuel L. Jackson-led thriller Lakeview Terrace is yet another one for the distributor. With the film’s 3rd place and $7.0 mil showing this weekend, the film now has $25.7 mil over a budget of $20 mil. Screen Gems has done well once again. Small budgets and moderate successes is the name of their game.
Indie distributor Samuel Goldwyn knew what they were doing with their indie release Fireproof as well. For a film only hitting 839 theaters this weekend, it’s a bit surprising to be talking about it in 4th place. But that’s there the $500 k budgeted film is currently, having pulled in an estimated $6.5 million. This worked out well for them.
Focus Features and the Coen brothers are tacking onto their successful Burn After Reading. The film grabbed the 5th place and another $6.1 million on 2,649 theaters. Entering its third weekend of release domestically, the release has grossed $45.5 million. Not bad for a film with a budget of only $37 mil.
Now, it’s time to talk about some September misses.
MGM and The Weinstein Company recently decided to part ways and Igor likely contributed to it. While the film isn’t a failure at this point, it’s not making a case to being a success either. The film took in another $5.5 mil on 2,341 theaters this weekend and now has $14.3 mil overall in 10 days of release. Since the budget is set at $30 mil, it still has a few weeks to go. The question remains on whether it can stay in the top 10 for a few weeks though.
Overture Films likewise has issues with their thriller Righteous Kill. As I said last week, they were hoping on teaming Robert De Niro and Al Pacino again being a point of interest for audiences to hit the theaters. Unfortunately for the indie distributor, that just doesn’t seem to be the case here. The film only pulled in another $3.8 mil in 7th place this weekend and has only $34.8 mil domestically after three weeks. The budget is $60 mil so there’s a question as whether the film will reach that mark before fading.
Lions Gate may be taking the 8th place in only its second weekend of My Best Friend’s Girl but they’re not in that bad shape. The film pulled in another $3.8 mil this weekend and has $14.5 mil overall in ten days of release. Since the budget is at only $20 mil, this shouldn’t be a problem. They’ll have their money back one way or another.
I’m really curious as to what Walt Disney was thinking about with Spike Lee’s Miracle at St. Anna. The film has had a respectable trailer campaign for audiences. It also hit some festivals this past year with successful results.
So why release it only 1,185 theaters?
It would be one thing if this was a move to showcase it as Academy worthy in a November or December strategy. But the film has a budget of $45 million, folks. A budget of that weight should have had more theaters added. I don’t see an expansion in the next few weeks but perhaps Disney has one planned here. With it only showing it in 1,185 theaters in its debuting weekend, the film takes 9th place and $3.5 million.
Last up is Tyler Perry’s The Family That Preys. The film is showing in only 1,604 theaters but managed $3.1 mil in its third weekend of release. Total domestic run is currently at an estimated $32.7 million. No budget has been release but Tyler likes to keep his price tags low for Lions Gate.
 
Rank
Movie
Weekend
Theaters
Average
Total
Budget
1
Eagle Eye
$29.2 mil
3,510
$8,319
$29.2 mil
80
2
Nights in Rodanthe
$13.5 mil
2.704
$5,018
$13.5 mil
----
3
Lakeview Terrace
$7.0 mil
2,467
$2,837
$25.7 mil
20
4
Fireproof
$6.5 mil
839
$7,764
$6.5 mil
500,000
5
Burn After Reading
$6.1 mil
2,649
$2,329
$45.5 mil
37
6
Igor
$5.5 mil
2,341
$2,349
$14.3 mil
30
7
Righteous Kill
$3.8 mil
3,011
$1,263
$34.8 mil
60
8
My Best Friend’s Girl
$3.8 mil
2,636
$1,442
$14.5 mil
20
9
Miracle at St. Anna
$3.5 mil
1,185
$2,954
$3.5 mil
45
10
Tyler Perry’s The Family That Preys
$3.1 mil
1,604
$1,970
$32.7 mil
----
 
 
A lot of films come out next weekend. No clear favorites come to mind. Perhaps, Nick and Nora attract teen audiences but it could just be Eagle Eye winning again as well.
 
Friday October 3, 2008 Releases:
Wide
Beverly Hills Chihuahua (3,000+ theaters)
Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist (2,300 theaters)
How to Lose Friends and Alienate People (1,700 theaters)
An American Carol (1,600 theaters)
Flash of Genius (1,000+ theaters)
 
Limited
Religulous
Rachel Getting Married
Kidnap
Ballast
The Express

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COMMENTS AND RESPONSES

Showing items 1 - 10 of 15
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Whiskeymovie 9/28/2008 2:52:24 PM
Wanted to check Eagle Eye out this weekend, but had too much damn homework. As a matter of fact, I think the last movie I saw in theaters was Tropic Thunder. Maybe tomorrow I can catch a Mat.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> On a side note, quicktime has a trailer up for Repo: The Genetic Opera, and it looks sick. I highly recommend checking it out if you like twisted trippy like Southland Tales. And there must be more bible fisters out there than I thought to make Fireproof number 4. But good for them. It just shows you can make a movie on a low budget and get a good return on your investment. Praise Jeebus.
hanso 9/28/2008 2:54:30 PM
Well I finally made it back to the movies. Gotta say Eagle Eye was cool. I liked it. Wiseguy52 you were right my friend. It was a welcomed film after what's been showing lately. Shia haters be damned! Go check out this flick. Sorta like Enemy of the State and the cast all around was good. I really enjoyed it. I could've done without the ******spoiler******* SciFi AI villain though*****. Nothing interests me next week, all rentals if you ask me. TDK finally out the top 10. There goes the Titanic rec. Damn.
RaithManan 9/28/2008 3:43:24 PM
Not so fast Hanzo my friend...DARK KNIGHT will get another crack once its re-released in January and that clearly means its getting Oscar considerations and generally movies that get re-released while getting Oscar buzz wind up making additional box-office cash as evidenced last year with "NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN" and "THERE WILL BE BLOOD". However, with DARK KNIGHT coming out in December on DVD, not too sure how that strategy will work successfully, unless WB plans on delaying DARK KNIGHT til after its re-release which actually may be a smarter idea to simply delay its DVD release. Then again, I have yet to catch DARK KNIGHT on IMAX so that will be an incentive for me to go out and see it again. Or unless they plan on releasing a director's cut of the movie which will most of us know that much was left on the cutting room floor. And while I haven't been to the movies lately, with being busy working and tinkering with story ideas for a simple mock SUPERMAN story...now that they made the decision to suddenly wipe the slate clean which killed our mock BATMAN 3 story, which had an early appearance of Lois Lane coming to Gotham to get more on the exclusive recent events shortly after The Joker's reign of terror and maybe a cameo by Luthor and the seeds of LexCorp. Now I can't wait for Dazzler to go postal because we all know how she feels about Shia. She probably might try to be mean and want to squeeze Shia's injured hand for all the love she shows....which isn't very much.
hanso 9/28/2008 5:30:32 PM
REDSKINS u bitches!!!!!!
evilbeagle 9/28/2008 6:22:01 PM
Didn't make it to the movies this weekend, but my Chiefs beat the Denver Mules which was better than any movie I could have watched! Nothing interests me over the next week either. I would like to catch Eagle Eye. I'm stoked to watch Iron Man again this week. Only saw it once in the theater, and I'm eager to see it again.
almostunbiased 9/28/2008 6:56:00 PM
I wanted to see both Eagle Eye and Miracle, and of course I saw neither. Haven't seen a movie in a couple months in the theaters. I hate being busy all the time. It seems if I don't see it the first weekend then I never do. I guess I'll look forward to netflix of both.
conman 9/28/2008 10:30:44 PM
I saw another new release this weekend - Choke - and am very surprised it was not in the Top 10. Not because the movie was good (it really wasn't) but because I live in a fairly small city and it was released here. Tyler Perry's film however was not here. Here's to The Dark Knight. I saw it 5 times in theater and loved each experience. One question - did it slowly decline of off the Top 10 or was this its a sudden fall? I really haven't kept track recently.
BlatchSkree 9/28/2008 11:32:01 PM
I didn't do any movies this weekend cause the hawks won the grand final and i got wasted. go hawks. 1st premiership in 17 years. great effort. I will go back to the movies next weekend now that footy season is over.
Dazzler 9/29/2008 4:21:36 AM
Damn Shita Lablah made it big again! And I thought for sure staying away from the movie would hurt him! (In my mind anyway). Still no way I am ever seeing this movie. Miracle at St. Anna really sucked ass btw. I thought how could a WWII action movie be stupid. Spike has lost touch with movie making. No way I will see his movies ever again. Really long ass boring pointless movie. In the beginning he was trying for a saving private ryan feel with the action but it was short lived. The main black soldiers seemed pretty stupid when it came to the fighting. I can't believe that was historical fact. The majority of the movie was in a rinky dink town trying to create drama which did not work at all. Ending was obvious as soon as all the characters came into play. The statue was little more than a lucky rabbit's foot with no real play in the movie. I am not even sure where the miracle was in this movie really. Just a quick rewrite for the movie. Heavy army action in the beginning, middle and ending of movie. A problem to solve or military goal to overcome that ends with statue head being key like falling on the head of a Nazi at a pivotal point. A better message about racism at that point in history or a turning point.
ultrazilla2000 9/29/2008 5:45:32 AM
Don't let your obvious jealousy of him keep you away Dazzler, the movie was awesome with a nice semi SciFi twist halfway through. Shia did a great job, and totally made up for his role in Indiana Joke.
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