WEEKEND BOX OFFICE UPDATE

Tyler Perry's WHY DID I GET MARRIED bowed to $7.7 million last night. Expect low $20's for the weekend, in line with most other Tyler Perry movies. Damn this guy is raking it in.

James Gray's cop thriller WE OWN THE NIGHT did $3.8 million on Friday, for what will probably be a $12 million weekend. Not horrible, not great. With low box office star power (but great actors), this is the kind of mid-budget genre entry that can be a financial success with a $30-40 million domestic gross along with a similar number overseas. Because this is just the sort of movie that will rent/sell like crazy on dvd formats and also prove to be a success in the television rights area. I am seeing it tomorrow; can't wait.

Tony Gilroy's critically acclaimed MICHAEL CLAYTON with George Clooney debuted with $3.3 million on Friday. The adult drama/thriller clearly did not expand to any other demographic than its intended area. It again proves that while Clooney's movies are typically embraced by all/most critics (SYRIANA, GOOD NIGHT AND GOOD LUCK, THREE KINGS, SOLARIS, INTOLERABLE CRUELTY, O' BROTHER WHERE ART THOU, THE GOOD GERMAN, CONFESSIONS OF A DANGEROUS MIND), he's still not a major box office draw. Aside from the OCEANS franchise, which pitted him with all of Hollywood, and THE PERFECT STORM, which was a big-budget, big director (Wolfgang Petersen), big-summer movie, he's the kind of classy actor who will bring in around $50 million on most movies but is looking more for interesting projects than an easy buck. I have loved pretty much everything that he's acted in or written/directed. I will be seeing MICHAEL CLAYTON later today.

Disney's THE GAME PLAN with The Rock did another $2.9 million Friday, and will see better results on Saturday and Sunday with family audiences. By the end of the weekend, it could be at low $60 million domestic already. I bet it ends up in the low $80's when all is said and done. Pissed on by critics, it has filled the ever important family niche that is so loved by Hollywood.

The Farrelly brothers recent comedy THE HEARTBREAK KID with Ben Stiller plummeted 50% from last Friday, to $2.3 million. Its cume is $20.9 million. A major disappointment. It was crushed by critics as well.


ELIZABETH: THE GOLDEN AGE debuted with $2.1 million on a moderate release of 2000 screens. Pretty much dead in the water. It was savaged by critics which will not bode well for long term prospects. It's only hope is for better results overseas where movies of this sort are easier sells most of the time. It probably didn't have a stratospheric budget, but it had to have cost $50-60 million, and with an opening weekend gross of less than $10 million, which is certainly possible, that a'int good. This will be Shekar Karpur's second straight big-budget bomb (he was last in theaters with the slightly underrated THE FOUR FEATHERS). You only get so many chances......

Peter Berg's THE KINGDOM did $1.4 for what will probably be a $5 million weekend. It will be at $40 million at the end of the weekend all in. On the low side of what Universal could have been expecting. And it's a f'ing shame because this film is one of the best of the year, and easily the best war-themed action movie in the last few years. I loved it, have seen it twice, and would like to catch it again. If an overtly entertaining, Iraq war themed thriller like THE KINGDOM can't preform at the domestic box office, than I shudder to think what will happen to upcoming movies like RENDITION, IN THE VALLEY OF ELAH, LIONS FOR LAMBS, and CHARLIE WILSON'S WAR. Hollywood likes to make these sort of films, but audience interest has never been all that great.

Sony's ACROSS THE UNIVERSE, from director Julie Taymor, expanded to 954 screens nationwide and grossed $1.3 million on Friday, for what will be a likely $4-5 million for the weekend. Not bad at all for an art/experimental/musical like this. I still haven't seen it but really want too. If it can get to $20 million domestic (it's at $10.2 million now), then I think that has to be considered a success. It will rent/sell like crazy on dvd.

And can somebody please explain to me who is actually paying to see RESIDENT EVIL: EXTINCTION and GOOD LUCK CHUCK? Their respective totals as of the end of the weekend will be roughly $48 million and $34 million. That'ts pretty f'ing sad if you ask me.