TOP 12: Gellar continues to hold a GRUDGE

By: Patrick Sauriol
Date: Sunday, October 31, 2004

According to early estimate returns, Columbia Pictures' THE GRUDGE held on to top spot at the movies this weekend, dropping a little less than 43% from its gross last weekend. After two weekends the horror remake has earned $71.2 million dollars, practically guaranteeing a sequel.

It was also a good weekend for the number two and three films. Universal's biopic RAY opened solidly at the second spot, netting $20 M and change while Lions Gate's SAW came in third with $17 M. RAY will take another couple of weeks to earn all of its money back but SAW is already in the black; the film reportedly cost only $1 M to make, proving once again that bigger doesn't always mean better.

SHARK TALE is now in fourth spot (total $147 M), TEAM AMERICA is down to eighth ($27 M total) and THE FORGOTTEN is down to thirteenth overall ($64 M gross.) The week's other new release, the Nicole Kidman drama BIRTH, flopped with a net of just $1.7 M. The movie may only be playing on 550 screens but it's still producing a low per screen average.

Here are the estimated box office receipts of the top twelve films from October 29 through to October 31 with their weekend gross and the movie's total domestic gross to date. The week's new films are signified in red.


BOX OFFICE FRIDAY OCTOBER 29 to SUNDAY OCTOBER 31, 2004:


1. THE GRUDGE $22,400,000 $71,267,000
2. RAY $20,110,000 $20,110,000
3. SAW $17,400,000 $17,400,000
4. SHARK TALE $8,000,000 $147,357,000
5. SHALL WE DANCE? $6,285,000 $33,939,000
6. FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS $4,131,000 $52,990,000
7. LADDER 49 $3,330,000 $66,198,000
8. TEAM AMERICA: WORLD POLICE $3,100,000 $27,261,000
9. SURVIVING CHRISTMAS $2,600,000 $8,145,000
10. TAXI $2,150,000 $32,744,000
11. BIRTH $1,700,000 $1,700,000
12. I HEART HUCKABEES $1,650,000 $8,385,000


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