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With its trailer placement having excited
crowds all summer long (having seen 28
Days Later on its first Monday night, the
packed crowd even started to cheer once
the preview started), it is no surprise
the duo gave in to what it did.
The flick averaged $4,588 per-screen on
Friday, meeting the first night sales of
Scream 2, which grossed $14.4 million and
$4,621 per-site. Scream 3, on the other
hand, took in $13.3 million and $3,839
per-screen. Freddy even eclipsed the first
day returns of Jackass ($9.7 million -
$3,873 per-screen) with that comedy also
carrying pent-up demand and a first night
rush factor.
With every hardcore horror fan likely to
have hit the 10 pm and beyond showtimes
opening night, Saturday and Sunday should
without a question see some pretty decent
declines, with its $30 million chances
relying on how terribly frontloaded Freddy
is. If Jason receives the same box office
treatment as Jackass, a tally in the area
of $30 - 32 million could result.
Despite a lack of
success over the recent years, Kevin
Costner swung back on Friday with his
western adventure, Open Range. The drama
debuted with $4.3 million in ticket sales,
averaging a potent $2,057 per-screen in
2,075 theaters. The figure scored about on
par with Clint Eastwood's Space Cowboys
three summers ago, which grossed $5.4
million on opening day but a solid $1,922
per-screen average. For the weekend, Open
Range is headed for a 3-day take of
roughly $13 - 14 milion.
Even lacking Ashton
at her side, Brittany Murphy still scored
nice results for MGM's Uptown Girls, which
withdrew $4.1 million on Friday and $1,641
per-screen. The opening day figure came
within reach of various other teenage
girls-oriented films, including Ever After
($3.3 million - $1,887 per-screen), Never
Been Kissed ($4.3 million - $1,745
per-screen), A Walk to Remember ($4.5
million - $1,889 per-screen, and The Beach
($4.7 million - $1,847 per-screen). For
the weekend frame, expect Uptown Girls to
come in with around $11 - 12 million.
Proving that a cast
of unknowns and a skateboarding premise
can't fly in its own right, Warner Bros.
saw extremely slow results for their
slacker comedy, Grind, which grossed $1.1
million on Friday, averaging a poor $483
per-screen in 2,253 theaters. The figure
pretty well matched opening day sales of
Paramount's flop, Extreme Ops, which
retrieved $866,000 and $481 per-site,
along with Samuel L. Jackson's
action/comedy, Formula 51 ($921,000 - $496
per-screen). For the weekend, Grind is on
course for roughly $3 million. |
