Friday Box-Office: 'Contagion' Set to Top Worst Weekend of the Year

Friday Box-Office: ‘Contagion’ Set to Top Worst Weekend of the Year

September 10, 2011

By Brad Brevet

It’s always nice to win the weekend at the box-office, but sheesh, when it looks this dismal it doesn’t feel like such an achievement. Contagion is assured the #1 spot this weekend after $8 million on Friday and a potential $22 million weekend, but that’s pretty much where the good news ends. Even with that kind of opening weekend, for a film carrying a production budget reportedly around $60 million it’s going to need some really long legs.

In second is the last three weeks’ #1 film, The Help, bringing in $2.6 million and a likely $8.5-9 million weekend as its overall cume approaches $140 million domestically.

In third we find Lionsgate’s Warrior which was only in 1,869 theaters compared to Contagion‘s 3,222, but still, a $1.8 million opening and a weekend that could only hope to top out at $6 million isn’t the greatest of starts.

Of last week’s newcomers, The Debt is still the best performer with $1.4 million on Friday and a likely weekend of $4.5m, while Shark Night 3D manages only $1 million and Apollo 18 settles for $875,000.

Yet, things get worse. Sony’s new film, Bucky Larson: Born to be a Star has bombed, opening on Friday to a grand total of $540,000 from 1,500 theaters. It isn’t as if the signs weren’t obvious from the start, but Nick Swardson’s star didn’t rise as this comedy can only hope for $1.5 million this weekend. Fortunately the budget was only a reported $10 million. Amazing to think the cost to make this film was almost seven times more than it was to make Insidious and almost 589-times more than Bellflower.

I am still in Toronto until next Thursday so my weekend report tomorrow may end up being a bit delayed, so for now here’s Friday’s top ten and I’ll do my best to get the weekend’s numbers online as soon as I can tomorrow.