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SUNDAY AM: Despite winter storms, the post holiday climate proved favorable for movie openers this weekend. Hollywood legend Clint Eastwood’s Gran Torino finally went wide into 2,808 theaters in its 5th week of release, and the actor/director showed he can make not just an Oscar-buzzed film but also a wildly popular offering. His Warner Bros pic made $9.6M million Friday and $12M Saturday, so it should end Sunday with close to $29M which would make this double the weekend debut of his biggest hits. Its new cume is nearly $40M. The No. 2 and No. 3 pics were both horror films. Fox should be ashamed of itself for making Bride Wars, as well as Anne Hathaway and Kate Hudson (also a producer) for starring in such a sexist piece of nonsense. (Feel free to disagree. But you’re wrong.) The movie, which pits two BFFs against each other because their weddings are scheduled on the same day, opened to $8M from 3,226 venues Friday and $8.4M Saturday for what will be a $21.5M weekend. And Rogue Pictures/Universal’s scarer The Unborn playing in 2,356 runs debuted with $8.2M Friday and $7.6M Saturday for a $21.1M weekend. Studio insiders claim The Unborn‘s negative cost was only $16M. TriStar/Sony’s African-American melodrama Not Easily Broken adapted from the book by renowned pastor T.D. Jakes managed to come in #8 despite only 724 plays with a solid $2 million Friday and $2.2M Saturday for a $5.6M weekend. The studio claims the film was produced for $5M and earned back more than its negative cost in its first three days.
The rest of the Top 10 had few surprises:
4. Marley And Me (Fox), 3,478 Locations, $11.3M weekend, $123.7M cume
5. Benjamin Button (Paramount), 2,947 Locations, $9.4M weekend, $94.3M cume
6. Bedtime Stories (Disney), 3,511 Locations, $9M weekend, $97.6M cume
7. Valkyrie (MGM/UA), 2838 Locations, $6.6M weekend, $71.5M cume
9. Yes Man (Warner Bros), 2,955 Locations, $6.1M weekend, $89.3M cume
10. Seven Pounds (Sony), 2,456 Locations, $3.9M weekend, $66.8M cume
Other Oscar-Touted Films…
Slumdog Millionaire (Fox Searchlight), 601 Locations, $3.7M weekend, $34M cume
Doubt (Miramax), 1,287 Locations, $2.4M weekend, $22.9M cume
Milk (Focus), 295 Locations, $1.3M weekend, Cume $19.1M cume
The Reader (Weinstein Co), 507 Locations, $1.3M weekend, $5.4M cume
Frost/Nixon (Imagine/Universal), 205 Locations, $912K weekend, $7.7M cume
Revolutionary Road (Par Vantage), 135 Locations, $1.4M weekend, $3.1M cume
The Wrestler (Fox Searchlight), 60 Locations, $873K weekend, cume $2.8M
Defiance (Paramount Vantage), 2 Locations, $66K weekend, $307K cume
Editor-in-Chief Nikki Finke - tip her here.
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It’s incredible that Eastwood could be pushing a $30m opening at his age. Talk about staying power.
GRAND TORINO IS A MASTER PIECE THAT IS WAITING TO BE ADMIRED BY THE BEST IN THE INDUSTRY. THIS FILM WILL LIVE ON FOR A VERY LONG TIME AND HOPEFULLY CLINT WILL GET HIS RECOGNITION BY THE ACADEMY WHEN THOSE SNUB NOSE HIPPOCRATES OPEN THERE EYES.
GRAN TORINO HAS TO BE ONE OF THE BEST FILMS IN THE LAST 25 YRS.
WAY TO GO CLINT. YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO BE “THE GREATEST” CELLULOSE HERO.
wow horror rules!!!
can’t wait for the next friday the 13th movie!
If Tom Cruise is such a great actor, why didn’t he master a German accent for the part in Valkyrie? Especially from those characters who were entrenched in the Hitler machine.
Too distracting for me to go see.
How many 78 yr old actors could open a movie with over $30 million in business! NO ONE other that Eastwood! The film is terrific and will be a BIG favorite among anyone would likes Clint! Its a MUST see!I must say I LOVED it!
Chuck
Funny that the majority of critics find Bride Wars horrible and mysogynistic but the majority of women (taken from forum comments, reviews and conversations) found it to be entertaining fluff. Just goes to show ya that feminists have as little problem dismissing the opinions of the majority of their “sisters” as some men do. This small cadre of white women have distorted a good cause. Sometimes even the brightest and strongest woman can be silly, whimsical and, yes, vapid. It’s in all of us, men and women. So, sorry Ms. Finke, you are wrong. The rest of the women are right.
Clint was definitely worth the price of admission! Not for kids due to language but definitely had people laughing at the way Americana still is in some places. God Bless Walt Kowalski!
This is an outstanding movie, Clint goes out is true style.
Oh lighten up. Bride wars is intended purely for entertainment.
Sexist?
What kind a of a bubble are you living in, anyway?
Great! GT was the best film of 2008!
You can call Bride Wars a crappy movie, but sexist?? Where do you get that? No, not all women are like that, but there are definitely some out there. I know several women who have been OBSESSED with their weddings pretty much since birth, and would probably behave similarly.
I am glad to see Clint Eastwood raking in another big success. His next film should be about fighting Islamo-fascists.
Along with Nicole Kidman, Kate Hudson is one of the all-time worst actresses. Overrated as a groupie in that movie a while back as well. She sure doesn’t have her mother’s charisma and – like Kidman- I’m willing to bet she’s never had an acting lesson in her life.
The jury is still out on Hathaway, who – having attended Vassar College- appears at least to have some intelligence.
Wow! Gran Torino is one of the greatest movies every made. Clint Eastwood gave an awesome performance. Everyone needs to see this piece picture as soon as possible. Gran Torino and Eastwood should be a shoe in to walk away with best picture and best actor.
Fox should be ashamed of themselves for making Bride Wars because it’s sexist but Gran Torino is OK with you?
I haven’t seen a movie (Gran Torino) with so many racist and sexist comments since Raging Bull, but it was a great movie.
Hey, It’s “art”: respect it for what it is.
Maybe you just don’t like Fox for some reason.
By the way, Clint Eastwood is a registered Republican if that alters your perspective a bit.
You can bet Hathaway is not too thrilled that this movie is being released right now.
Fox should be ashamed of itself for making Bride Wars, as well as Anne Hathaway and Kate Hudson (also a producer) for starring in such a sexist piece of nonsense.
I Agree also the movie is awful.
As far as Clint Eastwood’s Gran Torino I am going to see it today everyone I know who has seen it
liked it I am glad its number #1.
“Feel free to disagree. But you’re wrong.” …and you are “right” ???
asonishing and revealing line Nikki. so why not get a studio job approving or disapproving projects if your tastes are so “right” ?
its just movies Nikki.
personally i dont intend to see because its nt my cup o tea but how does that give you the knowlwedge to say others are “wrong” ?
Nikki Finke has no right what-so-ever to make her judgmental statements like she did re: “Bride Wars”. It’s precisely this sort of smarminess that de-values and degrades civil discourse. No longer do we believe what this person has to say as we might have earlier.
I think that Gran Torino’s multiplier might not be as good as a normal film because of the NFL playoffs. Those should keep a lot of guys in the house, and I’m seeing a final weekend tally of $27 million.
If you want, check out my box office blog: The Box Office Junkie
This was one of the best Clint Eastwood movies ever, and to top it off, he not only starred but produced.
You could see the old Dirty Harry type of Eastwood in it, then a gradual turn towards a more caring individual.
My wife was in tears at the end!
OSCAR!!!!!
OSCAR!!!!!
OSCAR!!!!!
Clint is one of the best and last true talented actors in the profession.
When has Fox ever been ashamed of anything they’ve put out? They’re making Alvin and the Chipmunks 2, for the love of God.
Nice to see that audiences still respect Eastwood, and that he still respects the audience.
As for Bride Wars… well, that’s what I call a “What Were They Thinking?” kind of a film. How did the writer pitch it: “We get two popular female stars, and make them act like two loathsome, selfish, dim-witted, psychos over a situation that can be solved in about 2 minutes.”
It probably did well because a lot of people thought of it as counter programming to Torino and the Unborn, without paying much attention to the negative buzz. That won’t last beyond the opening weekend though.
Gran Torino is one hell of a film. Clint should live for another hundred years so he can make 50 more films.