Sep 8th 2009Box Office Results

Box Office Analysis Week 36

‘Final Destination’ Clings to Labor Day Lead

With the usual smattering of modest Labor Day releases, Summer 2009 came to a quiet close. While overall business was up 40 percent from the corresponding (non-holiday) weekend last year, it was the least-attended Labor Day weekend in over a decade.

Falling 55 percent but still leading the weekend, The Final Destination pulled in an estimated $12.4 million, lifting its total to $47.6 million in ten days. The horror sequel had a steeper drop than its predecessors as well as My Bloody Valentine 3-D from earlier this year. Nonetheless, it surpassed the final gross of Final Destination 2 and will soon top the other Final Destination movies, though it has a ways to go in terms of attendance.

Featuring Sandra Bullock and Bradley Cooper hot off the successes of The Proposal and The Hangover, respectively, All About Steve bagged an estimated $11.2 million on approximately 2,300 screens at 2,251 sites. The opening was a bit better than My Super Ex-Girlfriend but less than The Heartbreak Kid among similar movies. Both of those pictures were disappointments, and that’s the norm for this sort of negative romantic comedy. In the advertising, Cooper as the titular Steve spends most of the time rolling his eyes and blandly sneering at Ms. Bullock’s loopy character. While it wasn’t flattering to either actor, the movie was presented as a lark and fared about as well as could be expected by that standard.

What Labor Day weekend would be complete without some cheesy action picture grasping for some late summer scraps? Gamer attempted to fit that bill but posted a low score of an estimated $9 million on around 2,700 screens at 2,502 sites. The premise of people forced to play a deadly game show has been mined to middling effect in past titles like Death Race, Rollerball and The Running Man, and Gamer failed to stand out in its look and feel, despite its video game avatar hook.

The weekend’s other nationwide debut, writer-director Mike Judge’s Extract, drew a soft estimated $4.2 million at 1,611 sites. Mr. Judge’s Office Space also opened to $4.2 million, but that was back in 1999 and would be the equivalent over $6 million adjusted for ticket price inflation. Office Space, which became an audience favorite after its theatrical release, was highlighted in Extract’s marketing, but Extract’s premise was not clearly presented and came off as random stoner and workplace antics.

Inglourious Basterds retreated 44 percent to an estimated $10.8 million, and its booty rose to $91 million in 17 days, ranking as Quentin Tarantino’s second most-attended picture behind Pulp Fiction. Holding well with an estimated $7 million, District 9 crossed the $100 million mark on Sunday, its 24th day, and became the 19th picture of the year to reach that level. G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra was also still in play with an estimated $5.1 million, down 34 percent for $139.4 million in 31 days.

Halloween II (2009) bled 66 percent in its second weekend, grossing an estimated $5.6 million for $25.7 million in ten days, or less than Halloween (2007)’s three-day start. Its fall was also slightly steeper than its predecessor. Lacking traction, Taking Woodstock also took a bath in its second weekend, plunging 57 percent to an estimated $1.5 million for a $6 million tally.

Yet again, Julie & Julia, (500) Days of Summer and The Hangover had the best holds among nationwide releases. Julie & Julia dipped 26 percent to an estimated $5.2 million, bringing its tally to $78.8 million in 31 days. With a new advertising push behind it, (500) Days of Summer eased ten percent to an estimated $1.8 million, and its total climbed to $27.9 million. Off 13 percent, The Hangover made an estimated $1.16 million for a $271.9 million tally in 94 days.

Meanwhile, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen hit the $400 million milestone on Saturday, its 74th day of release.

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