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SUNDAY AM: These kinds of movies are so demeaning to women when the wife and a deranged “other woman” catfight over a man. But there’s no denying that female filmgoers love this winning formula. (Remember the big box office of its inspiration, Fatal Attraction?) So it was no surprise to Hollywood that Screen Gems/Sony’s Obsessed starring Beyoncé did so well Friday and Saturday, opening No. 1 to $11.2 million both days in North American grosses from 2,515 theaters for what was an overperforming $28.5M weekend. Amazing, since the studio claims it cost only $20M and was expecting only $18M. This was the 2nd biggest Screen Gems opening ever. Exit polling showed that the extraordinary opening was driven by female moviegoers (58%) and nearly half were under age 25.
Showing that Zac Efron has legs with his tween/teen fanbase, No. 2 went to 17 Again from New Line/Warner Bros with $3.9 million (down 60% from its opening last Friday) from 3,255 dates and $4.8 million Saturday. It did jump up from 3rd place with its weekend tally reaching $11.3M for a new cume of $39.6M.
Rogue/Universal’s pummel pic Fighting with star of tomorrow Channing Tatum (of the upcoming G.I. Joe) and debuted in 3rd place to $4.5 million Friday and $4 milliON Saturday from 2,310 venues for an $11.4M weekend. That was in line with expectations for this formulaic he-man genre. Exit polling showed the audience was 58%/42% male to female, 66%/33% under to over age 25, and ethnically diverse — Hispanic (39%), Caucasian (30%), African American (19%), Asian (9%), and “Other” (3%).
For months, there’s been curiosity about how the DreamWorks/Paramount inspirational pic The Soloist would fare in theaters. This Robert Downey Jr/Jamie Foxx starrer was supposed to be released for Academy Award consideration in 2008, but Paramount delayed its debut in order to keep the spotlight and marketing on its two Oscar hopefuls The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button and Revolutionary Road. (Needless to say, DreamWorks was not amused…) The much-buzzed pic is based on the real life relationship between a Los Angeles Times columnist and a genius violinist who’s also homeless. But The Soloist opened in 4th place with $3.2 million Friday and $4 million Saturday from 2,024 runs for an underperforming $9.7M considering the heavy marketing. But it proved a challenge to convince people the film wasn’t a downer. The audience was led by females over 25, followed by males over 25, with some interest from, surprisingly, males under 25.
Disney’s environmental documentary Earth (2009) opened, appropriately enough, on Wednesday which was Earth Day. It earned $2.9 million Friday and $3.3 million from 1,804 plays for 5th place and an $8.6M weekend and $14.1M cume. It’s a great start for the first documentary from the new Disneynature label. Following 3 animal families with impressive photography, it scored the biggest opening weekend for a nature documentary, even surpassing the $7.2M three-day opening of March Of The Penguins. Because of a Disney ticket offer, 2 million trees now will be planted in the endangered Atlantic Rain Forest.
DreamWorks’ Monsters v Aliens snuck into 6th place with an $8.5M weekend still playing wide in 3,358 venues after 5 weeks for a new giant cume of $174.8M.
It’s surprising how quickly Universal’s journalism thriller State Of Play starring Russell Crowe and based on the BBC miniseries faded in a week after a disappointing opener because the studio really thought this pic would have legs. In the 7th spot, it made only $2 million (-55%) Friday and $3.1 million Saturday from 2,807 theaters for a $7M weekend and new cume of a mere $25.2M. In its 3rd week of release, Disney’s Hanna Montana, The Movie made $6.5M this weekend for a $65.7M new cume for 8th place from 3,231 plays. At No. 9, Universal’s Fast & Furious blockbuster hangs in starting 4 weeks in release for a $6.1M weekend and $145.3M new cume from a still wide release of 3,566 runs. And, rounding out the Top 10, Lionsgate’s Crank 2: High Voltage eked out a $2.5M weekend (-63%) and new $11.6M cume from 2,223 dates starting its 2nd week.Overall, box office looks in the low $90sM — +5% from last year. Starting May 1st, the summer blockbusters!
Editor-in-Chief Nikki Finke - tip her here.
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Nikki,
So are so, so, very right when you say these girlfight flicks demean women and worse is the seemingly legitizing of catfights all over the media making it acceptable behavior amongst teens. And when you can, plese give us the 411 on the sale of National Amusements.
Lord above. Are we really going to boil every movie down to a politically correct head count? Must we always ask why they filmmakers didn’t choose a person of color for the lead of Fighting? Or 17 Again? Or State of Play?
How about complaining about movies being bad, first and foremost. That’s the bigger sin.
And Obsessed is certainly moving white people into a voluntary Stepin Fetchit routine, though instead of being lazy and servile it’s evil and more evil. Tyler Perry made a bundle playing into the wish fulfillment of black women and this movie is the same from the other direction. Screen Games wanted in on that pile of cash and they got their wish. It’s just the rest of us who suffer.
When the working title of a film like “Obsessed” is “Oh No She Didn’t!” (according to IMDB), you can’t seriously take a piece of shit like this seriously.
@ David Axelrod:
“Obsessed” would’ve been released regardless who won last year’s election, so your trying to link this movie with what’s going on in the White House is simply appalling. As is this movie. Idris Elba and Ali Larter (who’s looked much better in “Heroes”) deserved much better. Beyonce, however, should stick to her day job.
It’s sad to see a quality movie like “State of Play” lose traction to movies like “Obsessed” and “17 Again,” but the b.o. is just unpredictable. Hopefully “Play” will get a bigger audience on home video.
Can I just say that State of Play’s numbers warms my heart. Yes, I’m petty but I’m glad that Universal is not getting much from this film and hopefully international numbers will be just as deserving…. you reap what you sow.
Too bad people aren’t seeing “State of Play.” It’s the best movie out there right now. Russell Crowe reminds us all why he’s a movie star. He carries the movie with a strong, charaismatic performance. The story itself is interesting, and it’s one of the best movies ever made about journalism. And Ben Affleck isn’t bad in it either. GO SEE THIS MOVIE!!!!
Nikki, you think auds thought The Soloist looked like a downer? I give them more credit, it looks like the opposite of a downer — it looks like Hollywood pablum, and of course, it is. Canned uplift, not a downer.
Hey J,
When you’re asking the Lord if we are going to continue to have fights over whether a person of color is in a lead, tell him we are until people of color can go to the movies and see themselves in all types of pictures. tell him to hurry up and equalize this mess so we can all stop bitching and ask him if we can have black people in tv shows too. please lord, we beg of you. does cedric the entertainer have to be the only black lead in a pilot? can we watch the oscars and not see just white people in the audience. please lord, please!!
i love how state of play spent on writers what obsessions entire budget was and now beyonce and company have beat it’s cume in one weekend. “If you like then you have to put a ring on it.” BEYONCE GOT THE RING, TAKE THAT MOFOS!!!!!
Universal knew State of Play had problems. They were warned that the script needed work and a number of reviews have aptly pointed that out. They didn’t care that it wasn’t ready to shoot, they just wanted to make their money. Well, too bad for Universal. I’m sure the WGA is gloating as it should be.
In any event, the majority of SOP’s reviews are just so-so with quite a number of negative ones from the big critics. While Rotten Tomatoes overall is in the 80s, the major critics only give it a mediocre 60s. Metacritic’s score is similarly in the mid to low 60s. It’s not a great movie by any means and Crowe is simply not a big BO draw. Pitt, on the other hand, would have had big international BO appeal. He certainly could have brought those numbers up.
I’d like to know who’s spreading the BS about Crowe demanding Pitt not be sued when everyone knows Universal had no grounds to sue. Pitt gets some of the best contracts in the industry and I am sure he still got paid for the movie.
just came home after seeing OBSESSED. Packed house loved this flick. People cheering Beyonce on as she kicks Ali Later’s ass. People who are hating are missing the change in the business. Clint Culpepper just plain get “it” and while they have some misses they are few and far between. sign me up to write my next script for him.
thank you for a real fun saturday night flick.
beyonce you are a star and i am happy for you have a hit movie.
Idris you are hot and woman will be throwing there underwear at you.
Ali you bad girl you. sign me up if you want to stalk my ass.
thank you Obsessed i am not going to be able to sleep tonight.
bobo i agree
my gf dragged me kicking and screaming to obsessed and man after 30 minutes i was sweating. the writer did an amazing job in capturing life. flirt we a colleague at work and an a ca of whip ass can come your way all from innocent flirting or a stare , a smile….man i wanted to kick Ali L. butt. when it was over had to say great job guys that was a fun ride….
Regarding Obsessed: I like how people who whine about so-called “reverse racism” are often the same people silent about racism against blacks – including that found in Hollywood – usually admonishing those who DO acknowledge racism to “get over it” or stop playing the race card.
These folks have nothing at all to say about the racist subtleties and subtexts of 95% of Hollywood movies. You can start with this weekend’s #2 – with it’s White Knight lead fighting all the grungy “urban” people while banging the hot, spicy, Latina (mandatory sweet love scene included) – and work your way on down the list. Go for it.
I live in Seattle, and this weekend the Langston Hughes Film Festival screened a movie involving black thespians that is MUCH better than the Beyonce dreck. The flick is called Medicine for Melancholy. It is really a terrific first film — that got no marketing muscle. The characters are smart, likable and –wait for it — BLACK. The story follows a one-night stand in which the couple discover a shared love of punk rock and Goethe and museums. It made African Americans seem full and human. Hollyweird hates to put out these images, favoring instead the pimp–n-ho concoction, or the Tyler Perry minstrel hour. Sigh.
Black people constitution around 10% of the population of the United States. While I agree they aren’t around 10% of the actors or near that at the Oscars. You shouldn’t expect them to be everything. As long as its relatively normal distribution, i think its ok.
Most people don’t realize, BLACKS ARE ONLY 10% OF THE POPULATION haha. Mexicans should be complaining way more then the Black people are. And Whites don’t have a WHITE ONLY channel. Would be ridiculous to have one, but stil…
Re: Obsessed. I would have written Beyonce’s part as a doctor Like Eric Holder’s wife, or at least she could have already finished college, and maybe persuing a law degree or something. But to have her portrayed as just ‘eyecandy’.
Too much candy all the time is not good for you. She should keep her day job.
She really did not have many speaking lines either; buty she sold the movie because she is truly a stunning beautiful girl. I just did not like her attitude in the movie- as a ‘B’ And that man is fine! The blonde devil was actually the star. She played that part.
Brucie, are you insane? I do think the comments made by Foxx on his Howard Stern wannabe show were unwarranted, but calling Miley Cyrus “pure and innocent” is beyond ridiculous.
Screw the weak-minded debates about misogynistic formulas and racially-minded subtext… the real issue here is the fact that people are choosing to sit inside a dark theater and watch a crappy movie when it’s 75 degrees outside. Sure, my girlfriend and I would love to go see The Soloist, but yesterday was so nice, we went on a picnic instead. If the weather stays this nice, I doubt if I’ll ever get around to seeing a movie this summer.
@ lisa:
You’re getting it confused: Universal and Working Title agreed to Crowe’s $20 million paycheck so that SOP wouldn’t be abandoned. (There are only a few writers who have a $5 million fee, David Koepp being one of them. But Carnahan, Ray, Morgan and Gilroy aren’t part of that.) And to be truthful, he wasn’t that bad — actually pretty good, to be honest. And Affleck was the weakest link but he did a decent job, it would’ve been more interesting to see if Norton had managed to stay on. It was the women (Helen Mirren, Rachel McAdams) who stole the show, however.
As a product of the WGA strike, SOP as a movie had a solid plot and felt like a complete whole. I do think the script could’ve been smoothed down and less complex, but I enjoyed it. And as for people hating journalists more than politicians, why? Isn’t it better for someone like Nikki Finke to give people the whole, complete story than have a company giving a press release showing one side of their story?
Hey China you do have a whites only station it’s called nbc, abc, cbs, fox, fx, cw (so white it’s retarded) hbo, showtime….you just don’t have to call it white because that would be redundant. and to your little theory that we are ten percent of the population. this country was built on our backs dummy, so the idea that we can’t complain about a nation our ancestors built in slavery is STUPID. please go back to college because you’re INSANE!!!
All i can say is 29million!!!
Idris needs to be a movie star. Im sure he will struggle and Crowe will continue to get more movies even though Idris KICKED HIS ASS. Now that’s racism.
The bottom line is… let me rephrase. “State of Play” had every big writer in town on it. So let’s say they only spent 5 million on the script. How much did Obsessed cost? Okay 6 million, 7 million. Now add in Russell Crowes fees. So the entire budget for “State of Sorry Play” was what? Over 40, over 50. It’s cume to date is 24. And the cume on “Obsessed” is 29 for the first weekend. This is a business people and the business shows that those idiots who remade Abott’s great BBC mini-series are losing money as we speak and little Screen Gems who spent nothing is actually making money and they are making money and guess what THERE ARE BLACK PEOPLE IN IT. So the next time a Studio goes wow let’s make an a movie maybe these IDIOTS won’t make as one of the posts here says “He’s Not That Into You” and not put any people of color in it. Why ignore an audience when clearly there is a 29 million dollar audience out there that is Dying to see themselves and who just want to go to the movies. That’s the point of this. THERE I AN AUDIENCE WHO FEELS UNREPRESENTED who packed theaters across the country to see themselves. So that’s what these morons need to be watching. It’s like when “Greys Anatomy” came out. Everyone watched. Every race. There were three black leads and you know what this stupid business did instead of using it as a model it created more shows with all white casts!! This business if filled with not racists…IDIOTS!
Wow, didn’t realize there were so many defenders of STATE OF PLAY, almost makes me think the Universal drones are buzzing around to prop up their limp movie. It was well acted, but ultimately it’s such a forgettable movie with convoluted plot twists. For me, the worst offense was that at times it felt like a PSA for the Importance (with a capital I, of course) of investigative journalism. It could drown in its self importance. There’s a reason people aren’t flocking to this movie and it’s not because of Zac Efron or Beyonce.
i saw ‘obsessed.’ it is, what it is. it’s a cheesy, popcorn flick. i enjoyed it. i did cringe a bit, at the catty gay guy and the mandingo-ish texture of the relationship between ali and idris. that said…i’ve seen much worse things on film.
as far as the comment about the langston hughes festival…c’mon now. you are comparing apples and oranges. i love a good art house film, but there’s nothing wrong with a commercial flick. it’s not ‘hollywood’s’ fault that these images don’t exist. there’s nothing stopping black folks from leaving the multiplex and driving down to the indie theater to support smaller films.
Disagree that “Robert Downey Jr.’s comeback is over”. We got Sherlock Holmes and Iron Men 2 yet to come.
If anything, I think The Soloist is a prime example of how to mishandle a film by releasing it at the wrong time of year. Plus more than ever in recent years, people seem to be flocking to escapist fare instead of serious films, hence my prediction that Wolverine will do just fine despite being leaked online.