After a dismal outing over the Labor Day holiday weekend, thebox officestarted to show signs of life again, withThe Perfect Guyfending offThe Visitin a very close race.The Perfect Guytook in $26.7 million over the weekend, withThe Visitjust behind it in second place with $25.6 million. Since these estimates are so close to each other, it’s possible these results could change when the actual box office figures are announced on Monday, but, for nowThe Perfect Guyhas the top spot, according to the estimates atBox Office Mojo.
BothThe Perfect Guy($12 million budget) and The Visit ($5 million) have already turned a profit after just one weekend, butThe Perfect Guy’s win is more impressive since it opened in far fewertheatersthanThe Visit.The Perfect Guyopened in 2,221 theaters, earning an robust $12,022 per-screen average.The Visit, on the other hand, opened in 3,069 theaters, with a solid $8,371 per-screen average. Ironically,The Perfect Guywasn’t received too well from the nation’s critics, with just 31% onRotten Tomatoes, butThe Visitfared much better, with a 62% RT rating.
The Visitmarks directorM. Night Shyamalan’s return to the big screen, and his low-budget roots, after a string of big-budget failures such asThe Happening,The Last AirbenderandAfter Earth. On the other hand,The Perfect Guyis directed byDavid M. Rosenthal, who makes his major studio debut after directing indie’s such as Falling Up,Janie JonesandA Single Shot. Both movies are thrillers, although both of these stories are vastly different.The Visitfollows two young siblings visiting their grandparents for the first time, although something doesn’t seem right about this elderly couple.The Perfect Guyfollows a woman who gets involved in a steamy affair with a man who turns out to be quite dangerous.
Last weekend’s surprise winner,War Room, dropped to third place with $7.4 million, dropping just 21.9% from last weekend. Distributor TriStar added 161 more theaters this weekend, bringing thefaith-baseddrama’s theater count up to 1,647. The film has earned $39.1 million from just a $3 million budget, and we’ll have to wait and see if TriStar decides to expandWar Roomeven more in its fourth weekend. The film is the latest hit from directorAlex Kendrick, whose filmsCourageous,Fireproofand Facing the Giants have gone under the radar to bring in impressive box office numbers.A Walk in the Woods($4.6 million, $19.8 million domestic) andMission: Impossible Rogue Nation($4.1 million $188.1 million) round out the top five. This weekend marksMission: Impossible Rogue Nation’s seventh straight weekend in the top 5.
Rounding out the top 10 isStraight Outta Compton($4.09 million, $155.7 million domestsic),No Escape($2.8 million, $24.1 million domestic),The Transporter Refueled($2.7 million, $13.3 million domestic), new release 90 Minutes in Heaven ($2.1 million) and Un Gallo Con Muchos Huevos ($1.9 million, $6.6 million domestic).The Transporter Refueleddropped a staggering 63.3% in its second weekend, earning an abysmal $786 per-screen average from 3,434 theaters. 90 Minutes in Heaven, on the other hand, pulled in a $2,461 per-screen average from 878 theaters. After its surprising debut in the top 10 last weekend, Un Gallo Con Muchos Huevos added 221 theaters bringing the theater count up to 616. The Spanish-languageanimated movieearned a solid $3,084 per-screen average.
Pixar’sInside Outreturned to the top 10 last weekend, with the studio bringing it back in wide release for the Labor Day holiday weekend, but it dropped down to 14th place with $1.4 million from 2,002 theaters, a decrease of 965 from last weekend. The animated blockbuster has taken in a massive $351.4 million from a $175 million budget. There won’t be many more opportunities to seeInside Outin theaters, since Disney will release the hit movie on Blu-ray and DVD November 3. The Disney blockbuster currently ranks as the third-highest grossing movie of the year, behindJurassic World($648.9 million) andAvengers: Age of Ultron($458.3 million).
A slew of movies opened in limited release this weekend, most of which performed quite well.Sleeping with Other People, starringJason Sudeikis,Alison BrieandAdam Scott, earned $103,125 from five theaters, with a fantastic $20,625 per-screen average. Meet the Patels pulled in $75,597 from five theaters, earning an impressive $15,119 per-screen average.Time Out of MindstarringJena MaloneandRichard Gereearned $15,216 from three theaters, for a $5,072 per-screen average. A Brilliant Young Mind earned $36,000 from three theaters for a $12,000 per-screen average.
Next week will bring three new movies in wide release, Warner Bros.' crime dramaBlack Mass, Paramount’s thrillerCaptiveand 20th Century Fox’sThe Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials. There are also a slew of notable films arriving in limited release, such asEverest, which debuts only in IMAX theaters next weekend before expanding nationwide on September 25, Lionsgate’sSicario, which will also expand to a nationwide release on the 25th, Bleecker Street’sPawn Sacrifice, The Weinstein Company’sAbout Rayand Cinedigm’s War Pigs. While we wait for the box office estimates on Sunday, check out our predictions for this weekend’s top 10 below.
