Okay, I admit it has been a while since I have made a box office post (or any post for that matter… explanations later in the week for this travesty of updating), but let’s take a long-awaited gander at how the Australian box office fared in the past weekend.
No surprises with top spot as the new action/sci-fi flick In Time starring Just Timberlake stays at top spot in it’s second week, maintaining only a 35 per cent drop to grab $1.547 million. It’s two week total has brough in $4.830 million, which is respectable (if not a little underwhelming), so you could expect a further bump up to the $7 – $8 million mark before it goes.
Second place goes to the only new film this week to break into the top 5, but still not impressive enough to get close to the top spot. Sarah Jessica Parker’s vehicle I Don’t Know How She Does It (and every single guy just collectively sighed) essentially tumbled in it’s opening week (considering how much marketing and spruiking came out for the film, even the star heading down during the Spring Racing Week) with only $919,000.
While the entire box office slumped this week (falling a shocking 35 per cent to earn only $7.5 million in the top 20 films… proof no one is going to the films at the moment), it is a horrible way to enter the box office, and you can expect this to be a quick fare, probably earning around $4 – $5 million before it slinks away.
While I Don’t Know How She Does It, essentially fell over, it is nothing compared to the other opening films that absolutely tanked. Anonymous was destroyed, opening in at 9th place with a paltry $364,000; Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark had a measly opening limited run with $125,000 (over 48 screens); and the new Paul Rudd comedy Our Idiot Brother had a similar response ($81,000 over 41 screens), with both finishing 13 and 15th respectively.
Third place goes to the now annual scare-fare, Paranormal Activity 3 (which after last year’s Saw fiasco so no competition for the horror film during Halloween), which dropped 54 per cent to earn $827,000. The fall was big, but not unsurprising, simply because as soon as October 31 came and went, it was never going to go further. But it’s three week haul still totals up to $6.829 million, and could possibly reach $8 – $9 million by the close (probably closer to $8m though).
Fourth proves that quality films are getting a solid run at cinema screens, as Woody Allen’s new film Midnight in Paris lands with a solid $780,000 after three weeks. While it has a limited run to begin with, now it has been expanded to 141 screens, and brought it’s total up to $3.774 million.
The main reason for it’s success is that everyone is talking about the potential of this storming during the awards season, so could stay around for a few weeks longer, probably not bumping up it’s numbers that strongly (I’m predicting it will end by $5.5 million).
Rounding out the top 5 is the Sodenberg film Contagion, which is having a pretty calm run at the box office itself, eaning $576, 000 at it’s third week at the box office. It’s total is now up to $4.068 million, and has the chance to take up to $7 million before it disappears.
Next week shall probably be another slow one, as the only film that has the potential to make a smash is baseball statistics film Moneyball starring Brad Pitt (the only reason a lot of people would even consider going to see a baseball statistics film) and Jonah Hill.
Other films include The Debt, Fighting Fit, and documentary Fighting Fear, so expect like this week, the top 20 to be peppered with new releases not making that much of a splash.
Box Office information provided by Urban Cinefile; for a full top 20 list, click here
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