Weekend Estimates: Oblivion Rises High
April 21, 2013
Given the news over the past week, and the shutdown of Boston on Friday, there was some uncertainty over how much sci-fi action moviegoers would have an appetite for this weekend. Sunday's studio estimates provide the answer: quite a lot. Oblivion will open with about $38.2 million according to Universal, which is on the high end of expectations. That's enough to put it firmly in the top ten April weekends, in between Rio and Hop, but a long way behind Clash of the Titans, which debuted with $61.2 million in 2010 and is probably the closest comparison film to Oblivion among recent April openers.
While no other films opened wide this weekend, The Place Beyond the Pines expanded wide and will move up to 6th place in the chart with a solid $4.7 million from 1,542 locations. A $3,078 theater average suggests it might stick around for a bit, but is unlikely to expand much further. It will have earned $11.4 million by the end of the weekend.
Three films opened in over 100 theaters this weekend and two of them will post impressive returns. Filly Brown is perhaps the top of the bunch with $1.36 million from 188 theaters, for an average of $7,250 -- the third-best among films reporting so far. Faith-based drama Home Run is nearly as impressive, and will post a slightly higher total of $1.62 million for the weekend, with a somewhat lower theater average of $4,260. Horror flick The Lords of Salem wasn't in the top tier, but did decent business too with $622,000 from 355 venues for an average of $1,752.
In really limited release, French film In the House opened in three theaters this weekend as is expected to earn a shade over $35,000 in total for an average of $11,738. That's enough to top this week's theater average chart, ahead of Oblivion's $10,085 or so.
Bruce Nash bruce.nash@the-numbers.com
Filed under: Weekend Estimates, Oblivion, Filly Brown, The Place Beyond the Pines, The Lords of Salem, Home Run, Dans la maison