The Hollywood Outsider – Film and Television Podcast | Reviews An award-winning film and television podcast for the fan in all of us
Looks like Adam Sandler found a way to get back on top of the box office. After back-to-back under performing (and just awful) flicks Jack & Jill and That’s My Boy, he decided he was better heard and not seen and BAM! Nailed a #1 opening with animated kid pic Hotel Transylvania. The ‘Dracula runs a spa for other monsters’ flick did better than even the highest predictions with an estimated $43 million and an A- rating from CinemaScore indicates the film should have some strong legs.
Coming in a strong #2 with $21.2m was Looper, the Joseph Gordon-Levitt / Bruce Willis flick involving one younger hitman trying to kill his older, time-traveling self before the mob in the current time takes him out. This is one complicated film and with a B CinemaScore rating, it seems to be confusing many. One thing to note, Looper looks to be the first film where its overseas China Box Office take (est. $24m) eclipses its North America take. Start practicing your Chinese, people.
In other releases, Won’t Back Down opened with a pidly $2.7m. That’s horrible, no other way to look at it. And in very limited release, Picture Perfect surprised everyone with $5.2m from only 335 theaters. Apparently people really want to see a big screen Glee. Last weekend’s top 3 films all dropped decent but not great. End of Watch pulled in $8m for a $26m total. House at the End of the Street slashed (see what I did there?) $7.1m for a $22m total. And Trouble with the Curve is not having Eastwood legs with $7.5m for a $23.6m total. All 3 are disappointments, but only Trouble with the Curve will really lose money.
To hear our take on the upcoming Oct 5th releases, including Taken 2, Frankenweenie and V/H/S, listen to the newest Ep 61 of The HO: