Weekend Box Office Report: August 9-11 2013

By Kip Mooney • On • In News News 0

BOX OFFICE REPORT "” August 9-11, 2013(estimates from BoxOfficeMojo.com)

TOP 5

1. Elysium ($30.4 million)2. We're the Millers ($26.5 million)3. Planes ($22.5 million)4. Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters ($14.6 million)5. 2 Guns ($11.1 million)

 

Elysium couldn't match the originality of District 9, and it couldn't match its opening weekend, either. Neill Blomkamp's follow-up to that sci-fi thriller only managed an estimated $30.4 million, compared to District 9's $37.3 million. Even Matt Damon's star power couldn't best the South African Prawns. It's a bit of disappointment for studio TriStar, but it was a busy (crowded) weekend.

We're the Millers, which opened late Tuesday night, made $26.5 million over the weekend, and has already surpassed its budget, earning $38 million since its first showings. That's another victory for R-rated comedy this year, joining the ranks of Identity Thief and The Heat. 

But sometimes no matter how well you present a turd, people still know it's a turd. Planes, the Disney-only production "from above the world of Cars," opened to just $22.5 million. That's lower than even the oft-forgotten Meet the Robinsons ($25.1 million in 2007). But don't worry. Disney's already promised two sequels for 2014 and 2015. 

Sea of Monsters likely killed the Percy Jackson franchise that was a non-starter with 2010's The Lightning Thief ($88.7 million domestic total). It's made $23.4 million since late Tuesday, but there's no way to spin that as a positive opening, especially when you factor in the 3-D up-charges.

Outside the top 5: - This Weekend's Indie Champ: In a World, Lake Bell's comedy set in the competitive world of movie-trailer voiceovers. It averaged $23,667 on each of its three screens.

- It was a busy weekend at the arthouse as well, as Woody Allen's Blue Jasmine, romantic drama The Spectacular Now and racing flick Snake and Mongoose each averaged more than $14,000.

- Yet another Indian import that you didn't hear about did fantastic box office. The action comedy Chennai Express took in more than $2.4 million on less than 200 screens. We need more of these, Hollywood! 

Next week: Another busy weekend, with only one clear winner. Kick-Ass 2, the sequel to the raucous comic-book flick from 2010, should win overall with $25 million. The Butler will do well with urban audiences, taking in $18 million. That's more than I can say for the Steve Jobs biopic Jobs and the "tech-thriller" Paranoia. I'll say $10 million for the former, and only $8 million for the latter. It reminds me of 2011's Abduction, another dreadful-looking thriller starring a heartthrob from a big franchise that causes audiences to stay away.

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About Kip Mooney

Kip Mooney
Like many film critics born during and after the 1980s, my hero is Roger Ebert. The man was already the best critic in the nation when he won the Pulitzer in 1975, but his indomitable spirit during and after his recent battle with cancer keeps me coming back to read not only his reviews but his insightful commentary on the everyday. But enough about a guy you know a lot about. I knew I was going to be a film critic—some would say a snob—in middle school, when I had to voraciously defend my position that The Royal Tenenbaums was only a million times better than Adam Sandler’s remake of Mr. Deeds. From then on, I would seek out Wes Anderson’s films and avoid Sandler’s like the plague. Still, I like to think of myself as a populist, and I’ll be just as likely to see the next superhero movie as the next Sundance sensation. The thing I most deplore in a movie is laziness. I’d much rather see movies with big ambitions try and fail than movies with no ambitions succeed at simply existing. I’m also a big advocate of fun-bad movies like The Room and most of Nicolas Cage’s work. In the past, I’ve written for The Dallas Morning News and the North Texas Daily, which I edited for a semester. I also contributed to Dallas-based Pegasus News, which in the circle of life, is now part of The Dallas Morning News, where I got my big break in 2007. Eventually, I’d love to write and talk about film full-time, but until that’s a viable career option, I work as an auditor for Wells Fargo. I hope to one day meet my hero, go to the Toronto International Film Festival, and compete on Jeopardy. Until then, I’m excited to share my love of film with you.

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