SPIELBERG SADDLES UP FOR BOX OFFICE DOMINATION
After a week in which David Cameron joined the debate on the future of UK cinema, it was perhaps apt that a film about a naïve Brit sharing an intimate relationship with a horse topped the box office over the weekend. Taking a massive three-day haul just under £3.9M, WAR HORSE galloped ahead of all competition, with a smashing average just under £8K from 495 sites that had all the critical neigh-sayers eating their words in what turned out to be a one horse race. Meanwhile, obligatory war-mongering equestrian Tory joke aside, biopic THE IRON LADY clocked in at second place with a healthy total just under £1.5M and a £3K average to see the film into a solid second week of business, despite some negative word of mouth and big guns competition from Messrs Spielberg, Morpurgo and co.
Also opening this weekend in sixth place was colossal US misfire THE DARKEST HOUR 3D, which in 387 sites continued its poor run with a disappointing take just over £700K, and an average of £1,909, to ensure an abrupt box office demise for the apocalyptic tale. More edgy fare in the form of feelbad sex n’ sorrow opener SHAME performed well meanwhile, with a total of £474K from a limited 121 sites and an average of $4160, to spell an orgasmic week of business ahead for the tough opener. Less impressive however was a 53-site opening for Wall St recession thriller MARGIN CALL, which at £100K in takings and an average of £1926, indicates a bit of a failure, albeit not quite of sub-prime proportions for the sleeper US hit. A good film, shot down by the big guns out there.
Filling out the remainder of the top ten were some usual suspects with SHERLOCK 2 at third, GHOST PROTOCOL at fourth and GIRL at fifth place, taking around £1.4M, £1.4M and £1M respectively. In its third, slightly expanded week meanwhile, buzzy silent spectacular THE ARTIST took a smashing £679K from its 114 sites, to average £6,065, and score the second highest average in the top ten after WAR HORSE. At seventh place, the film has taken a decent £1.8M to date and should build on this in the coming weeks as the awards come flooding in.
Stateside saw a surprise smash for gritty Marky Mark thriller CONTRABAND which took an estimated £24.1M and a phenomenal $8,418 average from 2,863 sites to clock first place in the traditionally busy Martin Luther King holiday weekend. Following a stonking take for 3D reissue LION KING 3D last year, it was perhaps unsurprising that a conversion for another 90s Disney classic, beloved inter-species romance BEAUTY AND THE BEAST 3D, also fared extraordinarily well at second place. With a $18.5M take, to beat out high profile opener JOYFUL NOISE, the animation should follow LION KING into a blissful few weeks of box office gold in the school holiday season ahead. Finally, coming under MISSION IMPOSSIBLE 4 at third place, Queen Latifah/Dolly Parton stand off comedy JOYFUL NOISE, took a decent, if uninspiring $11.3M from its 2,735 sites, to average $4,148 in its opening weekend.
With awards season now well underway, this Friday sees a veritable feast of gong-friendly numbers opening, including Ralph Fiennes’ striking modern Shakespearean adaptation CORIOLANUS, Clint Eastwood’s heavyweight biopic J. EDGAR and Madonna’s second crack at feature directing with W.E. More popcorn friendly fare also looms in the form of vampires, werewolves n’ bondage gear fourquel UNDERWORLD: AWAKENING 3D, Sodeberg’s knockabout action adventure HAYWIRE and schlocky Jonah Hill comedy THE SITTER. Take your pick…
P. Ridd
