All aboard
3:10 to Yuma proved over the weekend that moviegoers still have an appetite for Westerns as the remake of the 1957 film earned $14 million, bumping Halloween from its perch. While it’s not a huge figure, 3:10’s haul was impressive on a weekend that historically has been slow at the box office.
The up side
Last weekend also marked the ninth consecutive weekend that the total box-office intake outpaced the same weekend in 2006. That the streak continued should come as no surprise as the film that held the top spot on the same weekend last year, The Covenant, managed a paltry $8.8 mil.
Bomb Squad
It hasn’t been a good couple of months for Saturday Night Live stars at the box office. First, the much ballyhooed Andy Samburg bombed with Hot Rod, which opened at just $5.3 million in wide release. And that’s a total that Will Forte would kill for, as his The Brothers Solomon could only scrounge up $508,601 in 700 theaters. With a per-theater average of just $726, those theaters will be looking elsewhere post haste.
Swami Sez
Everyone found his place, but each is a little short on change.
Prediction: Halloween finishes second at $14 million
Result: Second, yes, but about $4.5 million short.
Prediction: 3:10 to Yuma wins the weekend at $17 million.
Result: A winner, indeed, though not as big as forecasted.
And the winner is…
A winner seems pretty easy to predict this weekend. Jodie Foster’s The Brave One opens in 2,700 theaters, 700 more than its closest competitors. The question is: just how much will it make?
Prediction: The Brave One easily outpaces the competition on the way to $15 million.
The battle for second place
After The Brave One, it’s pretty slim pickin’s. The other two wide release movies are Mr. Woodcock, in which Billy Bob Thornton plays a watered-down version of his Bad Santa character, and Dragon Wars, liked so much by its producers that they decided no one deserved an advanced look. So who will win the battle for second place?
Prediction: Neither. 3:10 to Yuma holds each of them off on the way to $8 million.
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