Weekend Box Office
1) Disney's a Christmas Carol - $31 million
2) Michael Jackson's This Is It - $14 million
3) The Men Who Stare at Goats - $13.3 million
4) The Fourth Kind - $12.5 million
5) Paranormal Activity - $8.6 million
6) The Box - $7.8 million
7) Couples Retreat - $6.4 million
8) Law Abiding Citizen - $6.1 million
9) Where the Wild Things Are - $4.2 million
10) Astro Boy - $2.5 million
Robert Zemekis' 3D performance capture retelling of the classic Charles Dickens' story, Disney's a Christmas Carol, starring Jim Carey as the immortal villain Scrooge took the top spot this weekend in it's first week of release grossing an estimated $31 million at the box office. The film, which cost an estimated $200 million to make, was released on 3,683 screens for an average of $8,417 per screen. While last weeks number one film, Michael Jackson's This Is It, fell nearly 40% earning an additional $14 million this week in the box office. Playing on an estimated 3,481 screens, the film earned $4,022 per screen making its total gross upwards of $57 million in only it's second week of release.
The Men Who Stare at Goats starring Oscar Winners George Clooney and Kevin Spacey along with Ewan McGregor and Jeff Bridges made an impressive $13.3 million this week earning the third spot on the chart in it's first week of release. The film, which was released on 2,443 screens earned $5,448 per screen making back nearly half of its $25 million budget in it's first week of release. Also new this week, the alien abduction film The Fourth Kind did quite well opening on 2,527 screens with an average of $4,955 per screen for a total of $12.5 million, which was good enough to take the forth place on the chart. Rounding off the top five this week was last week's number two movie, the low-budget juggernaut Paranormal Activity. The film took in another $8.6 million this week bringing it's total gross to around $97.4 million domestically, an impressive total for a film that only cost about fifteen-thousand dollars to make.
However, not all of the new films in release this week were successful as Warner Brothers' The Box, from Donnie Darko director Richard Kelly and starring Cameron Diaz, failed to resonate with audiences. The film, which was released on 2,635 screens for an average of $2,981 per screen only made an estimated $7.8 million, which caused it to fall just short of cracking this week's top five. On the other hand, a few smaller films are making big waves this week such as Precious a film based on the novel "Push" by Sapphire. The film, which was produced by Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry, made an average of $100,000 per each of the 18 screens that it was shown on for an impressive opening weekend total of $1,800,000. Also showing an impressive debut for a limited release this week was That Evening Sun starring veteran actor Hal Holbrook, which was only released in one theater yet still racked in around $8,900.
Next weekend will see three new films enter into wide release with director Roland Emmerich's latest disaster film 2012, leading the pack. Also in wide release next week is Wes Anderson's animated version of author Roald Dahl's celebrated children's book The Fantastic Mr. Fox starring George Clooney and Meryl Streep and the British '60s pop-music film Pirate Radio starring Phillip Seymour Hoffman and directed by Richard Curtis. Opening in limited release next week is The Messenger starring Ben Foster and Woody Harelson as US soldiers with the worst duty imaginable, Emmy Rossum in the teen coming-of-age story Dare and an ensemble of intriguing actresses including Carla Gugino and Connie Britton in Women in Trouble. Check back in seven days to see who comes out on top at the box office next week.
Disney's a Christmas Carol was released November 6th, 2009 and stars Jim Carrey, Steve Valentine, Daryl Sabara, Sage Ryan, Amber Gainey Meade, Ryan Ochoa, Bobbi Page, Ron Bottitta. The film is directed by Robert Zemeckis.
Michael Jackson's This Is It was released October 28th, 2009 and stars Michael Jackson, Alex Al, Alexandra Apjarova, Nick Bass, Michael Bearden, Irina Brecher, Daniel Celebre, Mekia Cox. The film is directed by Kenny Ortega.
Comments (28)
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Newkill3000
Maniac, something like The Lovely Bones, I wouldn't be so quick to call pure sh*t. I've read the synopsis. It sounds pretty good. Plus, even though I'm the only person that hated the Lord of the rings trilogy, after watching Braindead, I've always been a Peter Jackson fan.
2 years agoby @newkill200Flag
Moviemaniack1993
Ok Newkill maybe your right. Maybe it will be a well adapted story. You know what else will be a well adapted story? The Lovely Bones. And I can guarantee that you will call that film pure sh*t and you will love Ninja Assassin.
2 years agoby @moviemaniack1993Flag
Newkill3000
Same thing can be said for 2012. I mindless movie but great special effects. I'm not going to be quick to judge Ninja Assassin. It'll probably be a well adapted story, unlike any ninja movie ever created.
2 years agoby @newkill200Flag
kingbrady
ninja assassin will be a nice choroegraphed film thats it....i made a comment just now on the Avatar tv spot in regards to A Christmas Carol and IMAX 3D the snowing scenes in the film was amazing, its far superior than regular 3D, the movie is obviously what we seen before lol but the look of the film was very nice
i recommend these 3D movies in IMAX over regular 3D its a big difference, it was like that with Monsters vs Aliens as well
2 years agoby @kingbradyFlag
JonSpidey07
u are right Newkill200
I have no interest in Ninja Assassin, it looks too much like a videogame
2 years agoby @jonspidey07Flag
Newkill3000
Yeah, your right. Plus I forgot about New Moon, and I'm pretty sure 2012 will do very well. Hope Ninja Assassin gets good business.
2 years agoby @newkill200Flag
kingbrady
newkill in regards to Thanksgiving its still 3 weeks away this movie is gonna be died down by then, i dont think itwill do well at that time, they shouldve released it Nov 27
2 years agoby @kingbradyFlag
Newkill3000
Oh, yeah, I hear the novel's very dark. I agree those trailers were bad. They just marketed this the wrong way.
2 years agoby @newkill200Flag
Diaigma
Good point.
It's unfortunate that ACC has become a "kiddy" fest, something to be commercialized for the holidays, but if you happen to read the actual novella, its quite dark and mature themed. It's not a happy tale at all, until the end. Seriously. If you lived a crummy life, would you want to go back and see it all again? What a hell that would be.
The trailers were absolutely terrible, I might add :P
Well. I'm off to see it now. I'll have a review up later.
2 years agoby @diaigmaFlag
Newkill3000
I think the reason it isn't performing to well is from watching the trailer for it. It looks pretty dark themed. I doubt parents want to take their kids to see something like this.
2 years agoby @newkill200Flag
cnote
This movie was surprisingly good...I liked it
2 years agoby @cnoteFlag
Newkill3000
When it hits December, I doubt it will do well. Everyone's going to be gearing up for Avatar. This movie's best bet to make good amount is Thanksgiving.
2 years agoby @newkill200Flag
Stiles
To echo most of the rest of you, why release a Christmas film in the first week of November?
More time to make money I guess.
2 years agoby @stilesFlag
Diaigma
About what I expected.
People are simply not ready to go see a Christmas movie.
The stores and markets like to get you thinking about it weeks before you have turkey (or ham), so I didn't expect this film to rake in very much its first weekend.
However, it will stay in theaters all through the holidays.
And it will be IMAX's star attraction this season.
The closer it gets to Christmas, more people will go see it + steady weekly grossings = Titanic scenario. No. It will not make as much as Titanic, but I can see it making at least a steady 10 to 15 M a week for the next two months.
2 years agoby @diaigmaFlag
kingbrady
next week will be 2012 at #1 and A christmas carol #2....however i am actually surprised at #3, men who stare at goats made that much
2 years agoby @kingbradyFlag
fanboy
well Christmas Coral was a disappointment ( in numbers at least, haven't seen it yet), but hopefully 2012 will be good, not just a action movie with no plot which reminds me of some movie that came out recently........hmmm cant think of it at the moment. But perhaps some of you know what movie i am talking about
2 years agoby @fanboyFlag
Moviemaniack1993
I think the problem A Christmas Carol had (despite mediocre reviews and the forewarning that it may be too scary for little children) was that it was released November 6th. I mean come on. It was one week after Halloween. Fred Claus had this SAME problem two years ago and it did not even hit the number one spot like it was expected to. Why? Because people are just not in the Christmas spirit/mode a WEEK after Halloween. This would have fared so much better on Thanksgiving or the weekend after. Oh well. Maybe next year we can have a Christmas movie released along with Saw VII!!
2 years agoby @moviemaniack1993Flag
Brainiac
and yeah i expected Christmas Carol to do alot better, i work at a theater/restaurant that caters to families and kids and it was so dead this weekend that i didn't need to come in for my shift today.
2 years agoby @thebdFlag
Flipsyde933
Expected Christmas Carol to make more but i guess its not too bad. Going to see 2012 next weekend, wonder if it will be #1.
2 years agoby @flipsyde933Flag
Brainiac
talk about too early, its 2009 and 2012 is coming out. that movie should seriously be held back until 2011. thats my opinion.
and 31 mil is just domestic, worldwide i bet it at least doubled that, and it will be in theaters until Christmas probably when i would expect its box office to go up a lil with it actually being christmas then.
wait seriously, it cost 200 mil to make. i thought Avatar was supposed to be ridiculously expensive at 300 mil, that doesn't seem that crazy if A Christmas Carol cost 200.
2 years agoby @thebdFlag
ed_wood
The Box was kind of a let down, but the rest of this weekends movies were really good. Goats is just a really funny movie and Fourth Kind was a big surprise. Looking forward to Ninja Assassin at the end of the month.
2 years agoby @ed-woodFlag
Newkill3000
Jon Spidey, I guess that means you have no interest in Ninja Assassin.
2 years agoby @newkill200Flag
JonSpidey07
what are ya talking about too early for 'Christmas Carol'?
they always release X-Mas films in November
the movie was good but pretty slow in some parts
I expected alot more from 'Fourth Kind' and 'The Box'
oh well, there wont be alot to check out for the rest of the month except '2012' and 'New Moon'
2 years agoby @jonspidey07Flag
Batman Rules !!!
mmm 200million $ film only made 31. Thats terrible
2 years agoby @the-fallenFlag
Newkill3000
Man, I remember when Jim Carrey was funny. I miss those days. Wow, it seems that foreign countries liked Jackson more than the U.S., where's it's not doing so well. I heard Men Who Stare at Goats was hilarious. Can't wait to see it. Too bad that i'm hearing a lot of bad mouth about The Box. I'll still check it out. 2012 looks like nothing but sh*t and great special effects.
2 years agoby @newkill200Flag
Cripple
Men who stare at goats was really great. Perfect combo of comedy and drama
2 years agoby @crippleFlag
CelluloidDreams
Too early for "Disney's a Christmas Carol" .... Sooooo I went to see:
"The Men Who Stare at Goat"! ....Umm Ok ....about a C- to a D-!
Neither as quirky as it thinks it is nor as witty as it wants to be, "The Men Who Stare at Goats" is a low grade military send-up.
2 years agoby @2movieguysFlag
iatehisliver
happy to see that Michael Jacksons This Is It will outgross hannah montanan i expected a christmas carol to open bigger well next week 2012 will dominate
2 years agoby @iatehisliverFlag