The voyeuristic thriller Disturbia fended off another weak batch of newcomers to take the top spot at the North American box office for the third straight weekend with $9.1 million.
With very low numbers this weekend–the top-12 movies took in an anemic $62.9 million, down 30 percent from the same weekend last year–the movie business seemed to be on hold in anticipation of a huge summer that begins this week with Spider-Man 3.
“This was an incredibly slow weekend. To have a top movie come in under $10 million just shows how the marketplace is in a holding pattern,” Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Media By Numbers told The Associated Press. “It’ll all be made up next weekend with Spider-Man 3.”
The newcomers Disturbia beat out this weekend included: The paranormal thriller The Invisible, which opened in second with $7.6 million; Nicolas Cage’s premonition actioner Next, which debuted in third place with $7.2 million; The Condemned, starring pro-wrestler Stone Cold Steve Austin, which premiered in ninth place with $4 million; and the comedy Kickin’ It Old Skool, starring Jamie Kennedy, which failed to make the top 10, coming in at No. 11 with $2.8 million.
The Top 12 movies grossed $62.9 million over the weekend, down 30.14 percent from last year’s draw of $90.1 million and down 14.16 percent from last weekend’s total of $73 million. The Top Three films at the box office this time last year were: Sony’s R.V., which opened at No. 1 with $16.4 million in 3,639 theaters, averaging $4,511 per theater; Universal’s United 93, which opened in second place with $11.4 million in 1,795 theaters, averaging $6,395 per theater; and Buena Vista’s Stick It, which opened in third place with $10.8 million in 2,038 theaters, averaging $5,301 per theater. (Click here to read last year’s box office report).
BOX OFFICE TOP 10, ESTIMATES:
(Source: Exhibitor Relations, Inc.)
No. 1: Disturbia (Paramount, PG-13)
• Gross: $9.1 (-30%) million
• Weeks opened: 3
• Theaters: 3,047 (+32)
• Per-theater average: $2,987
• Cume to date: $52.1 million
No. 2: The Invisible (Buena Vista, PG-13)
• Gross: $7.6 million
• Weeks opened: NEW!
• Theaters: 2,019
• Per-theater average: $3,767
No. 3: Next (Paramount, PG-13)
• Gross: $7.2 million
• Weeks opened: NEW!
• Theaters: 2,725
• Per-theater average: $2,642
No. 4: Fracture (New Line, R)
• Gross: $7 million (-36%)
• Weeks opened: 2
• Theaters: 2,443 (unchanged)
• Per-theater average: $2,896
• Cume to date: $21.3 million
No. 5: Blades of Glory (Paramount, PG-13)
• Gross: $5.2 million (-32%)
• Weeks opened: 5
• Theaters: 3,056 (-403)
• Per-theater average: $1,702
• Cume to date: $108 million
No. 6: Meet the Robinsons (Buena Vista, G)
• Gross: $4.8 million (-31%)
• Weeks opened: 5
• Theaters: 2,461 (-542)
• Per-theater average: $1,967
• Cume to date: $88.3 million
No. 7: Hot Fuzz (Rogue, R)
• Gross: $4.7 million (-18%)
• Weeks opened: 2
• Theaters: 1,272
• Per-theater average: $3,758
• Cume to date: $12.4 million
No. 8: Vacancy (Sony, R)
• Gross: $4.2 million (-45%)
• Weeks opened: 2
• Theaters: 2,551 (unchanged)
• Per-theater average: $1,646
• Cume to date: $13.8 million
No. 9: The Condemned (Lionsgate, R)
• Gross: $3.8 million
• Weeks opened: NEW!
• Theaters: 2,310
• Per-theater average: $1,645
No. 10: Are We Done Yet? (Sony, PG)
• Gross: $3.4 million (-34%)
• Weeks opened: 4
• Theaters: 2,701 (-243)
• Per-theater average: $1,259
• Cume to date: $43.8 million
OTHER OPENINGS
Kickin’ It Old Skool (Yari Film Group, PG-13)
• Gross: $2.8 million
• Weeks opened: NEW!
• Theaters: 1,816
• Per-theater average: $1,542
Diggers (Magnolia, R)
• Gross: $32,000
• Weeks opened: NEW!
• Theaters: 18
• Per-theater average: $1,778
Jindabyne (Sony Pictures Classics, R)
• Gross: $30,243
• Weeks opened: NEW!
• Theaters: 6
• Per-theater average: $5,041
