Clint Eastwood clearly isn’t done yet. Gran Torino cracked $10k per theater and won the weekend going away. I had it doing better than most projections, but I definitely didn’t see the win coming. Let’s break it down.
#1 movie predicted correctly: 0 Weeks In A Row
1. Gran Torino
I’m actually happy it won, though of course I look like a dunce now. This little dandy has made $40m on a budget of a little less than that. So it could end up a modest financial winner, depending on how the international market responds to an an angry American.
Result: 29.0 million (My rank: #2, $14.7m off)
2. Bride Wars
I was dialed in on the money. It’s pretty much Fool’s Gold all over again, though somehow it’s a worse film I think.
Result: 21.5 million (My rank: #1, $.8m off)
3. The Unborn
A very nice result for The Unborn, clearly the horror fans were starved. It was either that or the poster.
Result: 21.0 million (My rank: #3, $7.8m off)
Where the hell did Bedtime Stories go? Marley and Me has made $120m so far, and I can’t imagine dog trainers are too expensive these days.
Result: 11.3 million (My rank: #5, $.3m off)
Button needs a big night at the Globes. And then a big night at The Oscars. Then maybe we can talk about banking on DVD… but as it stands now it’s a financial debacle for Paramount.
Result: 9.4 million (My rank: #6, $.9m off)
It must have gotten moderately poor word of mouth because it dropped 58% this weekend. Either that or word of Sandler showing up at The People’s Choice Awards slipped out.
Result: 8.5 million (My rank: #4, $3.3m off)
7. Valkyrie
This is still getting ads. But in funnier news did anyone see the Frost/Nixon parody on SNL? Classic stuff, and it includes a Pete Travers burn too.
Result: 6.6 million (My rank: #7, $1.3m off)
8. Yes Man
Nobody nails the back end like The Oracle. Hmmm, strike that last comment.
Result: 6.1 million (My rank: #8, $0.3m off)
This little film had the second highest per theater average in the top ten. The only problem? Only 724 theaters.
Result: 5.6 million (My rank: #, $m off)
10. Seven Pounds
You gave it your all Seven Pounds. But when the smoke clears you’re both an artistic and financial victim. If Carrey, Sandler, and Will Smith can’t rock the box office what chance does anyone have? It’s a strange new world.
Result: 3.9 million (My rank: #9, $1.2m off)
