Weekend Estimates: Perry Tops Chart with $24 Million

September 13, 2009

Tyler Perry topped the charts once again this weekend as I Can Do Bad All By Myself scored a solid $24 million opening, according to Lionsgate's Sunday estimate. While that's not a record for Perry, it is the best he's managed with a Fall release so far. His strategy of releasing two movies a year in what are generally down periods at the box office -- February/March and September/October -- has paid off again with his fifth number one opening. Focus Features' 9 came in second with an estimated $10.9 million over the weekend for a total of $15.3 million after five days.

The other two wide releases both bombed. Sorority Row picked up $5.3 million for Summit and Whiteout earned $5.1 million for Warner Bros. Neither result is a particular surprise, given the time of year, but missing a $2,000 per theater average will be a disappointment.

Overall, the market was down steeply from Labor Day weekend, and initial estimates suggest that ticket sales as a whole will be behind this weekend in 2008 by about 6%.

Filed under: Weekend Estimates, I Can Do Bad All By Myself, Sorority Row, Whiteout