We must open the book.
It’s frightening, I know. Its pages likely hold profane secrets—secrets so terrible that we hesitate to mention them. And yet, because it’s Monday, we must. We must crack open the cover and peer deeply into this ominous tome, steeling ourselves for the horrific truths found therein.
Yes, it’s time to crack open the official accounting ledger for the weekend’s box office, count the receipts and discover that … yes, just as I feared. Evil Dead reigns supreme.
The diabolical offspring of 1981’s cult classic The Evil Dead, this horror flick raced to the top o’ the charts with all the alacrity of a demon-driven ankle-level camera. It hacked and stabbed and chainsawed its way to an estimated $26 million—more than the original and its two sequels (1987’s Evil Dead 2 and 1993’s Army of Darkness) earned during their combined theatrical runs. I can’t be sure, but I imagine that Evil Dead’s possession of the No. 1 slot this week leaves the execs at Sony Pictures cackling with fearsome glee.
Evil Dead’s cadre of demons obscured a spirited battle for second place between G.I. Joe: Retaliation and that crazy caveman clan of The Croods. G.I. Joe was last week’s champ, but the actioner lost nearly 50% of its audience, bringing its estimated total to $21.1 million. Meanwhile The Croods, in its third week of release, lost a very meager 21% of its box-office, likewise sinking to an estimated $21.1 million. Check back this afternoon, when we’ll hopefully know who won the weekend’s silver medal.
Speaking of old holdovers, the 20-year-old Jurassic Park chased down and swallowed a whopping $18.2 million in its 3-D re-release—not too shabby for a flick practically encased in amber. Clearly, Steven Spielberg’s cautionary dino-tale ain’t extinct yet.
Olympus Has Fallen rounds out the Top 5 with a $10 million weekend.
Final figures update: 1. Evil Dead, $25.8 million; 2. G.I. Joe: Retaliation, $20.9 million; 3. The Croods, $20.7 million; 4. Jurassic Park, $18.6 million; 5. Olympus Has Fallen, $10.2 million.
Recent Comments