HITS AND MISSES 14-16 SEPTEMBER: PARANORMAN RULES THE ROOST
The top dog this weekend proved to be family fare in the form of ghostly romp PARANORMAN, the first in a trio of deathly kids flicks launching, to be followed by HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA and FRANKENWEENIE in the coming weeks. Is Goth the new kiddie chic? Taking £1.3M, PARANORMAN was closely followed by more adult fare in the form of cops and slags reboot THE SWEENEY at second on $1.1M. Meanwhile, at third, theatrical reboot ANNA KARENINA held well into a second week to take an almost identical £809K total to last weekend’s £871K plunder.
At fourth position, prohibition romp LAWLESS took £788K in its second weekend, at fifth, last week’s top film DREDD 3D dropped to £769K, while at sixth older skewed dramedy HOPE SPRINGS launched to a respectable £722K to have over-60 libidos kicking into overdrive nationwide. At seventh place, BRAVE took £583K in a seventh week of family play, at eighth TOTAL RECALL dropped yet further to £472K in week 3, and finally at ninth THE POSSESSION took £346K and tenth TED took £316K to put the film on £29M to date, guaranteeing the adult comedy will break £30M this week. Impressive.
Of the remaining openers Woody Allen’s latest travelogue romp TO ROME WITH LOVE launched in 110 sites to take £140K, comparing unfavourably to MIDNIGHT IN PARIS’ opening weekend of £495K in 2011. Cycling thriller PREMIUM RUSH crashed to £115K from saturation launch, while a pair of small high-end openers THE SNOWS OF KILLIMANJARO and KEYHOLE both launched softly to £3901 and £966 apiece.
Over in the states, high-octane fifthquel RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION took $21M, down slightly on the $27M launch for the last film in the franchise back in 2010, AFTERLIFE, which probably benefited from the novelty of 3D. Second place went to a 3D reboot for Pixar perennial FINDING NEMO on $17.5M, while at third, sleeper horror hit THE POSSESSION took $5.8M to put the film on a very healthy $41M total to date after just three weeks of play. On the independent circuit, Paul Thomas Anderson’s revered think piece THE MASTER clocked the best limited debut ever, launching in five sites to take a staggering $800K and average $145K ahead of inevitable aggressive expansion as the Oscars loom. Meanwhile, Picturehouse Entertainment’s own upcoming flick LIBERAL ARTS opened respectably to $30K and a $7500 average from a four site launch.
From this Friday look out for pulpy antics in Andrew Dominik’s KILLING THEM SOFTLY and Oliver Stone’s SAVAGES, and belly laughs from smash hit French comedy UNTOUCHABLE, launching London only before province domination next week. Expect chills from haunted house horror HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET as well as a torrent of tears for cancer weepy NOW IS GOOD. On a smaller, less sickly scale also look out for re-releases for classic Jodorowsky trip SANTA SANGRE and Spielbergian action adventure RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK on Imax, as well as a limited launch for bawdy Victorian sex romp HYSTERIA and high fashion bio doc DIANA VREELAND: THE EYE HAS TO TRAVEL. A top notch line up.
PR.
