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TUESDAY AM: These are 4-day numbers for what was the biggest Presidents Weekend in Hollywood history – $226 million and up 35% over last year… I don’t know which is worse: that moviegoers flocked to horrific Friday The 13th 2009 from New Line/Warner Bros because it’s Friday the 13th. Or that they also saw a machete-wielding psycho killer with a loved one on Valentines Day. It’s turning into the best-ever R-rated 4-day opening – amazing for a retread. Hollywood anticipated high $30sM for the 4-day holiday, but the film reach $43.7M from 3,105 theaters. On Friday, it opened to a huge $19.3 million, then expectedly fell 26% Saturday to $14.2M. With Sunday estimates, that’s a $40.7M three-day weekend. Sensing there was more mayhem in the murder franchise, Michael Bay asked New Line to give his production company a chance to revive it. Then he brought Paramount into the mix to handle international. The pic did well because of young females and young males, with older males not far behind.
New Line/Warner Bros had the weekend’s top two films. Holdover He’s Just Not That Into You grabbed 2nd place with $5 million (-50%) Friday and $9.4M Saturday (+91% thanks to a Valentines Day bump) for what was a $19.6M three-day weekend and a $22.4M four-day holiday. And 20th Century Fox’s thriller Taken was in 3rd place with $4.6M Friday and $9M Saturday (+95%) for a $19M three-day weekend and a $21.8M four-day holiday.
I’d been curious how Disney’s Confessions Of A Shopaholic would fare in this lousy economic times. Would females see the film as wish fulfillment or just wishful thinking? What looked to be a sure-fire hit when it was conceived some time ago now looks like a so-so performer. For one thing, it’s the 3rd female-skewed appeal movie released in the last 6 weeks, and it follows by just one week last weekend’s strong No. 1 film, He’s Just Not That Into You. But while that film had a marquee ensemble cast, Shopaholic stars relative unknown Isla Fisher but also director P.J. Hogan (from that hit, My Best Friend’s Wedding). Given the subject matter, this pic was hard to predict. On Friday, it opened only 4th among the Top 10 with $4.4 million from 2,507 dates then fell to 5th on Saturday with $6.4M. It finished the three-day weekend with $15.1M and ended the four-day holiday with $17.8M.
Focus Features’ animated Coraline continues to show the strength of 3-D by jumping into 5th place with $4M Friday and $6.6M Saturday for what was a $14.8M three-day weekend and an $18.8M four-day holiday. Sony’s low-cost runaway hit, Paul Blart: Mall Cop, went over $100M Friday and is in 6th place with an $11M three-day weekend and a $13.7M four-day holiday.
Movie analysts weren’t expecting much for The International from Columbia/Sony. They told me it was aptly named and would under-perform domestically because this Clive Owen thriller with banks as the bad guys had shown only weak interest among older males. So it wasn’t a surprise that The International opened to only $2.6 million Friday and $4.4M Saturday from 2,364 venues and dropped to 7th place. It reached just $9.4M for the three-day weekend and $10.7M four-day holiday.
Here’s the Top 10:
1. Friday the 13th (NL/WB) OPENER [3,105 Theaters] $40.7M Wkd, $43.7M 4-day Holiday
2. HJNTIY (NL/WB) Week 2 [3,175] $19.6M Wkd, $22.4M Hol, Cume $58M
3. Taken (Fox) Week 3 [3,109] $19M Wkd, $21.8M Hol, Cume $80.6MM
4. Confessions of a Shopaholic (Disney) OPENER [2,507] $15.1M Wkd, $17.8M Hol
5. Coraline 3-D (Focus) Week 2 [2,320] $14.8M Wkd, $18.8M Hol, Cume $39M
6. Paul Blart: Mall Cop (Sony) Week 5 [2,965] $11M Wkd, $13.7M Hol, Cume $112.5M
7. The International (Sony) OPENER [2,364] $9.4M Wkd, $10.7M Hol
8. The Pink Panther 2 (Sony) Week 2 [3,245] $8.6M Wkd, $10.8M Hol, Cume $24M
9. Slumdog Millionaire (Fox Searchlight) Week 14 [1,634] $7.3M Wkd, $8.8M Hol, Cume $88M
10. Push (Summit) Week 2 [2,313] $6.9M Wkd, $8M Hol, Cume $20.5M
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Booger eaters
Mouth breathers
Chronic masturbators
Ladies and Gentlemen, meet the target demographic for the new “Friday the 13th” iteration.
I am not very surprised.
I think FRIDAY will do amazing business on Friday and then slow down the rest of the week, but still be very solid.
SHOPAHOLIC seemed liked it would do decent and it has.
why must you always talk bad about horror? the executives are smart to realize that icons like Michael, Freddy, and Jason will always draw big. and people like me will fork over $6 or $7 to see it upon opening.
it only makes creative and marketing sense to release a Friday the 13th movie on Friday the 13th. who cares if it happens to be Valentine’s Day weekend, V-Day is the 14th. maybe tomorrow all the couples that saw Jason tonight will see Shopaholic (really, why?) tomorrow.
I’m surprised “Shopaholic” is making that much. It looks awful.
I sat in on press previews of Friday the 13th and The International.
One of those movies was not good at all. Murders occurred in a predictable manner with lots of blood. Lead characters were used to deliver large amounts of exposition. One cliche was used TWICE, and the second time was so awful that the theater groaned. One moment drew unintended laughter. Except for the human slaughter, there was little else to keep your attention.
The other movie that I saw was Friday the 13th. Friday the 13th should not have been the better of the two, but for movies of its type, Friday the 13th wasn’t bad at all. Those who want more diversity in casting should note that Asian-Americans and African-Americans are now among the victim fodder viscerally slaughtered by Jason. Those consumed by prurient interest should note that Willa Ford water-skis topless, Julianna Guill has an extended explicit scene, and America Olivo has amazing breasts.
Olivo went to Julliard for this?
Hey PJ,
I’m a chronic masturbator and I’m definitely not watching Friday the 13th.
I feel like the Pink Panther should have opened this weekend instead — look at it — you’ve got 2 R rated movies and a film geared towards women and a 4 day holiday weekend. I’m just shocked that it’s doing so badly, the preview looked hilarious.
I saw Coraline in 3D == I seriously wanted to walk out, it was so boring and this is really not a movie for kids or for families — kidnapping, body mutalations, cannabalism.
Nikki, the original “Friday the 13th” series weren’t exactly amazing or well-done movies… the original was a ripoff of “Halloween.” They weren’t good movies but fun if you dig cheesy gore flicks — this movie is no different.
The remake is stronger in terms of budget, look and perhaps even a bit of plot — but this is a throwback to the 1980s style slasher pics in every sense of the word. Not to mention a lot of middle-aged folks who saw the original ’80s films were drawn to the remake. If that’s what draws people back in theaters other than those horrid “Saw”/torture porn genres Hollywood’s been fond of lately, then by all means bring back Jason. Either way, it’s a win-win for New Line/WB’s coffers — they get two #1 movies for two straight weeks with the unlikely duo of the Friday remake and “He’s Just Not That Into You.”
Saw Shopaholic early evening show. Couple of laughs but mostly blah, blah, blah. And the clothes sucked. Sorry, I usually don’t go for high fashion but I remember almost having an orgasm over that outfit in “Devil Loves Prada” with the tall, tall black boots.
Chanel Boots
But there was nothing in this film that I would ever consider wearing. What the hell was that big blue thing around Kristin Scott Thomas’ neck in the family home scene?? Yea, I remember it – it was so horrific it’s burned into my brain. Ouch – whiplash! Love the Brit though.
Saw it tonight and it’s bad. Plays okay with a sold-out crowd, but even then, the crowd wasn’t as into it as they should be. The writers of FREDDY VS. JASON dropped the ball here; this film should be a lot more entertaining than it is.
Marcus Nispel and Daniel Pearl working together again and I couldn’t get the TCM remake out of my head. It’s very similar in look and tone.
Beginning is good, fails from the title card. Does a lousy job of creating a viable community around the closed camp which I think is what’s truly missing from here.
Why Finke likes to bash horror films and their fans is beyond me. Repugnant or not, they’re here to stay and a lot of us horror fans are well-educated, well-adjusted and are getting laid on a nightly basis, thank you very much.
Now I know how the gays feel when some backwards-ass fundamentalist opens their yap.
If you liked the Bourne Identity movies you should see TAKEN – it is GREAT!! Like The Professional, Transporter, etc. Unexpected excitement.
Friday the 13th is aggressively bad. A total machete slash to the face of anyone who has nostalgic memories of the franchise’s early years. The water-heads in my showing seemed to love it, though, during the rare moments when they weren’t texting or conversing with each other in tween-speak to see what was actually happening onscreen.
Reader wrote: I’m surprised “Shopaholic” is making that much. It looks awful.
Saw a matinee at the Regent in Westwood with my wife. It was enjoyable light fare and likely to restore P.J. Hogan to the boxoffice status he had around the time of MY BEST FRIEND’S WEDDING.
I saw F13th. it’s a very good movie. it deserves to win. I hope it could open at 40$.
My expectations for F13 were raised after seeing My Bloody Valentine 3d two weeks ago (which surprisingly was entertaining, well-acted, and suspenseful). Friday had me bored to tears… Everything was predictable, from the Abercrombie cast (and you couldn’t wait for them to die) to the boring death scenes…
“Or that they eventually tire of these horror retread remakes.” Uhh, if that were true, this movie wouldn’t exist would it? I’m not a defender of this kind of film normally, but maybe they’re flocking to see it because “Shopaholic” looks dreadful, as does everything else playing (Coraline excluded). Not everything has to be Oscar bait or a chick flick, Nik.
My bloody valentine in 3D was surprisingly great and everyone who hasn’t seen it in 3D must do so.
Isn’t Friday’s success — great for the movie industry in general? So why trash at how much money it makes, especially in this recession filled times.
I think Pink Panther should have opened this weekend instead of last — it would have been up against 2 R rated pics.
Saw Coraline — I thought that was horrible and not a movie for kids — I really wanted to walk out, even if it was in 3D — anyone else feel the same way?
SAW FRIDAY THE 13th WITH SOLD OUT CROWD, people applauded after the opening titles which doesn’t come up until 20 mins, everyone was having FUN! THIS IS HONESTLY the first remake since THE HILLS HAVE EYES that really delivered! Everyone cheered and applauded at the end, Everyone I know wants to take their dates to see Friday the 13th for Valentines after dinner! IT’s the PERFECT date movie! HORROR IS HOT RIGHT NOW!!!
Good for everyone involved in Friday the 13th..Come on Nikki, it’s not like Mall COP egads!
Nikki, Nikki… why must you continually trash the horror genre on your page? If horror films aren’t your bag, then fine, but let’s not forget it’s been the horror genre that’s kept Hollywood going during down times.
Granted, this FRIDAY THE 13TH flick is terrible, but it’s movies like this that are keeping the industry afloat in a time when other industries are going bankrupt.
This is a business Nikki, you know that. And good business dictates studios make films people want to see. And right now, people are still going to see horror films in droves.
It’s always great fun to see Snooty middle-aged clueless movie critics skewered by a horror movies success.
Ain’t Schaudefreude ****ing great.
PJ,
As a fan of the Friday the 13th series, I’m deeply offended that you would suggest I’m a “booger eater”. I may be a chronic masterbater and mouth breather, but I have never eaten one of my boogers before.
What’s with all the hate on horror? Can anyone honestly say that Confessions of a Shopaholic or The International look better than Friday the 13th? Horror is one of the only genres still taking risks. If you’d rather see a lame, by-the-numbers chick flick or a watered down, boring thriller, be my guest. I’ll take Friday the 13th any day.
F13 is what it is and doesn’t disappoint. Was actually funny too – not some grim horrorfest. Perfect blend of laffs, killing and tits. It”ll make BIG bank…
‘Friday the 13th’ will nose dive after Friday…BIG TIME…and won’t even have the lasting staying power as ‘Sex in the City.’ I doubt the Saturday night date crowd celebrating Valentine’s Day really are itching to see that movie. ‘Shopoholic’ and ‘He’s Not That Into You’ will do well that day. But I could be wrong. Afterall, ‘Mall Cop’ is blockbuster status.
Didn’t it make sense to release ‘My Bloody Valentine’ this weekend and ‘Friday the 13th’ on March 13th? Oh, Hollywood logic where ‘The Reader’ is a better film then ‘The Dark Knight.’
And I wish ‘The International’ would have done better. I really liked the museum action scene, the cinematography, and the film’s global financial themes. Plus that dynamite ‘slaves-to=debt’ monologue from the Italian politician.
None of the films really “compel” me to see them. So I wonder who these people are that are going? Bored? Teens? Excess cash? (Who’s got excess cash these days?)