The box office results for the weekend of February 4th – 6th continues the string of lackluster grosses. Only one flick reaches double figures. Meanwhile, the Oscar contenders still hold their respective spots. Here are the studio estimates:
1. The Roommate ($15.6 million)
2. Sanctum ($9.2 million)
3. No Strings Attached ($8.4 million)
4. The King’s Speech ($8.3 million)
5. The Green Hornet ($6.1 million)
6. The Rite ($5.5 million)
7. The Mechanic ($5.3 million)
8. True Grit 2010 ($4.7 million)
9. Black Swan ($3.4 million)
10. The Dilemma ($3.4 million)
Analysis
Even though “The Roommate” easily won the weekend, it’s definitely not something to brag about. Costing just $16 million, the first critically-panned (more like destroyed) flick of 2011 will surprisingly be able to find profits during its theatrical run. Despite people saying the reviews are more entertaining than the physical product, this should be able to reach the $30 million mark domestically.
Now seeing a flick that has James Cameron’s name attached to it will usually yield a big box office. Not this time my friends. “Sanctum” was banking on the cache of Cameron, hoping that audiences will want to see his heralded 3D technology on display once again. What all parties involved forgot was to be sure the 3D gimmick is attached to a movie people would want to see. The callous plot failed to attract the masses and the critics were not amused by this for the most part. International grosses will be the only element keeping this domestic flop above water.
“True Grit (2010)” currently has the longest run in the top ten with 7 weeks. The Coen Brothers’ Oscar nominee is now up to $154 million domestically.
Flop Alert: “The Rite.” Without any overseas totals to help pad the stats, this flick is in danger of barely making back its $37 million budget. Which means, a strong DVD and On-Demand release needs to happen to ensure any type of black ink is used on the balance sheet for this guy. Sleeper Hit: “No Strings Attached.” Having already doubled its $25 million budget, and avoiding any sharp decline from week-to-week, Paramount has a legit hit that could hang around over the next couple weeks. Valentine’s day weekend may give this one a slight boost as well.
This Friday will add some variety to the box office. Whether that translates to overall profits increasing remains to be seen. “The Eagle” will attract the males. “Justin Bieber: Never Say Never” will attract the ladies (sadly). Adam Sandler’s “Just Go With It” will attract the usual crowd. And the animated “Gnomeo and Juliet” will corner the fam-friendly market. Reviews will be right here on opening day kids.
By Joe Belcastro
