Weekend Estimates: Eagle Eye Wins Big, Fireproof Surprises
September 28, 2008
As expected, the weekend belonged to Shia LaBeouf and Eagle Eye.
The thriller posted a strong $29.2 million debut, according to studio estimates on Sunday, giving it the fourth-biggest September weekend (see list).
Nights in Rodanthe also opened solidly, as it picked up an estimated $13.57 million.
The surprise of the weekend was Fireproof, which earned an estimated $6.5 million in just 839 theaters -- the best return for a movie playing in under 1,000 theaters since Hannah Montana back in February.
The performance was a triumph of grassroots marketing to religious communities, which is something several studios have tried in the past with mixed results.
This time, it paid off spectacularly for Samuel Goldwyn.
Filed under: Weekend Estimates, Eagle Eye, Nights in Rodanthe, Fireproof