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Posted March 3, 2013 by Seth Paul in News
 
 

Box Office Weekend: Jack the Giant Slayer Climbs the Beanstalk But There’s Not Much Gold at the Top

Jack the Giant SlayerOriginally slated for release last year, Jack the Giant Slayer opened in first place with (for any other film) a strong $28 million estimate…but whether it is due to the delays or other factors, it faces a serious uphill battle, with middling reviews and a budget bigger than its CG giants at a whopping $195 million. However, it has yet to see overseas release, where special-effects laden films have a tendency to do well, so it is still too early to say whether director Bryan Singer’s latest film is a hit or a miss.

Faring much better are second to fourth place finishers Identity Thief (estimated $9.7 million) which broke the $100 million barrier, newcomer 21 and Over (estimated $9 million) whose script is drawing unfavorable comparisons to The Hangover (never mind both films were written by the same team) but still seems likely to profit on its $13 million budget, and The Last Exorcism Part II (estimated $8 million), which has already profited over its $5 million costs, despite lackluster reviews.

The rest of the list showcased no new entries in theaters, though overall box office revenue dropped yet again. Snitch languished with an estimated $7.7 million, leading to $24.4 million in total take with no reported budget numbers (and a safe bet the film cost more than that). Safe Haven earned an estimated $6.3 million, doubling the film’s costs and proving material from Nicholas Sparks is still bankable, if not quite as strong as previous films like The Notebook. Escape from Planet Earth broke even with an estimated $6.3 million, the only family-targeted film in the top ten still not enough to bring families out in droves to the Cineplex. Silver Linings Playbook, on the other hand, still drew in a handsome estimated $6 million as it enters its sixteenth week in the box office and $115.5 million in domestic totals alone.

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Lastly, A Good Day to Die Hard failed to connect with audiences domestically, its estimated $4.5 million leading to only $59.6 million on a $92 million budget, but overseas has made $161.5 million, meaning the series still has life despite its reviews. Dark Skies, though coasting into the final spot with an estimated $3.6 million, once again shows that your movie can withstand terrible reviews and still be a winner if it costs less than $10 million to make (Dark Skies having cost $3.5 million).

Weekend Box Office (March 1st – 3rd)

  1. Jack the Giant Slayer…$28 million
  2. Identity Thief…$9.7 million
  3. 21 and Over…$9 million
  4. The Last Exorcism Part II…$8 million
  5. Snitch…$7.7 million
  6. Safe Haven…$6.3 million
  7. Escape from Planet Earth…$6.3 million
  8. Silver Linings Playbook…$5.9 million
  9. A Good Day to Die Hard…$4.5 million
  10. Dark Skies…$3.6 million
Seth Paul

Seth Paul

When not failing to write novels and screenplays, box-office guru Seth writes humorous comedy tracks for films under the name "The One Man Band" that can be found at Rifftrax.com. Although, he has recently succeeded in writing the novella "Jack Alan and the Case of the Not-Exactly Rocket Scientists," available as an eBook on Amazon. He is also the English voice of Zak in "Zak McKracken: Between Time and Space."