Box office report
The Coen brothers helped get the flagging box office back on track over the weekend with their zany star-studded comedy “Burn After Reading.”
The comedy starring Brad Pitt, George Clooney and Tilda Swinton made $19.4 million to top the box office. It was the biggest opening weekend so far for the writing and directing team of Joel and Ethan Coen, according to the Associated Press.
It also helped stop a seven-week drop in ticket sales.
The commercial success of “Burn After Reading” comes a year after the Coen brothers earned acclaim for the pitch-black drama “No Country for Old Men,” which won four Oscars and grossed $73.3 million.
“The Coens have broken into more commercial territory with this film,” Jack Foley, president of distribution for Focus Features, told the AP . “They’ve become more of a household name.”
Three other new releases in theaters also fared well.
Writer-director Tyler Perry’s drama ”The Family That Preys,” starring Kathy Bates and Tulsa-raised Alfre Woodard, debuted at No. 2 with $18 million. Five out of Perry’s six films have opened at No. 1 or 2, Steve Rothenberg, president of domestic distribution for Lionsgate, told the AP.
He told the AP that Perry’s movies typically enjoy an extended run and he expected Perry’s latest drama to do the same.
Overture Film’s “Righteous Kill,” which pairs “Heat” co-stars and veteran actors Robert DeNiro and Al Pacino, opened at No. 3 with $16.5 million. The movie played to a wide range of ages and both genders, Kyle Davies, Overture’s executive vice president of theatrical distribution, told the AP.
“The primary appeal is to see these two legends together,” he said.
The long-awaited remake George Cukor’s 1939 comedic drama “The Women” opened at No. 4 with $10.1 million. The Picturehouse released starred Meg Ryan and Annette Bening.
The total weekend box-office should exceed $100 million, bringing to an end a seven-week streak of dismal ticket sales, Paul Dergarabedian, president of Media by Numbers, told the AP. Last weekend’s dreadful $67.6 million take was the lowest in five years, but Dergarabedian said the variety in theaters made this weekend a success.
“Audiences want a lot of choice,” he told the AP. “Each of these movies had a particular demographic. This was the cinematic equivalent of a magazine rack.”
“The Dark Knight” was No. 7, adding another $4 million to its haul for a total of $517.7 million.
The Batman sequel actually took in more than last week’s No. 1 movie, the remake “Bangkok Dangerous” starring Nicolas Cage, which fell to No. 8 with $2.4 million.
Here is the top 10 list from the AP.
1. “Burn After Reading,” $19.4 million.
2. “Tyler Perry’s The Family that Preys,” $18.0 million.
3. “Righteous Kill,” $16.5 million.
4. “The Women,” $10.1 million.
5. “The House Bunny,” $4.3 million.
6. “Tropic Thunder,” $4.2 million.
7. “The Dark Knight,” $4.0 million.
8. “Bangkok Dangerous,” $2.4 million.
9. “Traitor,” $2.1 million.
10. “Death Race,” $2.0 million.
11. “Babylon A.D.,” $1.7 million.
12. “Mamma Mia!,” $1.7 million.
-BAM
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