Buena Vista/Touchstone's R rated drama The Royal Tenenbaums expanded in its fourth week, placing fifth with a very promising ESTIMATED $8.78 million at 751 theaters (+460 theaters; $11,686 per theater). Its cume is approximately $21.0 million.
Directed by Wes Anderson, it stars Danny Glover, Gene Hackman, Anjelica Huston, Bill Murray, Gwyneth Paltrow, Ben Stiller, Luke Wilson and Owen Wilson.
"It's always fun to handle a film like this when you have the opportunity to nurture a film and watch it grow and expand," Buena Vista Distribution president Chuck Viane said Sunday morning. "We're going to go to 900 runs this Friday [Jan. 11].
"I think what you have is a really smart movie and obviously a comedy that has exceptional word of mouth in the community. And it just seems to grow. It's playing extremely well week after week, so it's got its legs. Each week we broaden it to different cities in America. This Friday we'll move to 900 runs and all of that expansion is in new markets rather than more theaters in existing markets."
Pointing to Tenenbaums and last year's O Brother, Where Art Thou? , Viane noted, "If you have the time and patience and a terrific marketing campaign you can take these movies a long way. And I will say, our marketing group has done great. When you have films like this it seems everything comes together."
Columbia Pictures and Initial Entertainment Group's R rated drama Ali dropped two pegs to sixth place in its second week with a quiet ESTIMATED $7.6 million (-48%) at 2,446 theaters (theater count unchanged; $3,107 per theater). Its cume is approximately $50.1 million.
Directed by Michael Mann, it stars Will Smith.
Ali's production cost was reportedly $105 million. Columbia has the picture domestically and Initial Entertainment is releasing it internationally.
Asked where Ali is going domestically, Sony Pictures Entertainment worldwide marketing & distribution president Jeff Blake said Sunday morning, "I think we're heading for at least $80 million. We're one of the top holiday films and still hope to get a second life in the awards season."