Last week our Black Box Office Report was on hiatus, as the staff was scattered to the far corners of the world — and in some cases, snowed in.
We’re back now, and we’ve brought some friends along! So before we go into everyone else’s business, let’s talk about what’s going on here.
We’re thrilled to announce new partnership with QCityMetro.com, a leading independent community news outlet that talks to and about Charlotte, North Carolina. All eyes are on Charlotte for the CIAA tournament every year, and we’re right on time to represent! Our relationship allows us to talk about movies, as well as other cultural points of interest.
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Friends from the QC will also notice an occasional review or shout-out in The Charlotte Observer.
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We’re also delighted to announce our new partnership with NollywoodUncut.com. Nollywood Uncut is a fast-rising site dedicated to the movie, music and social scene in Nigeria (and, where applicable, Ghana). As the site’s title suggests, their perspective and editorial style is raw and direct, so this is a cultural exchange that will really give you an idea of the wide range of opinions in Africa’s biggest entertainment scene, Nollywood. Besides the views and reviews of editor and publisher Bola Aduwo, Nollywood Uncut also features regular contributions from people on the scene like blogger Miss TiLii and actress Monalisa Chinda.
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Don’t forget to keep an eye out for showings of “For Love Of Liberty: The Story of America’s Black Patriots”. If you’ve missed the recent screening events, last week’s snowstorm proved to be the perfect setting for sitting down and learning about Black soldiers who have made the ultimate sacrifice for their country. Check herefor PBS airtimes in your city.
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Now let’s get into what happened at the movies this weekend. “Valentine’s Day”, which features Jamie Foxx and Queen Latifah, was the #1 movie of the weekend. If estimates are correct, it’s made its money back (a reported $52 million budget) and despite critical response (check ours HERE), millions of you went.
In our opinion, though, the BEST movie to make its debut on Friday was “My Name Is Khan”, starring Indian superstar Shah Rukh Khan. And it looks like many of you agreed with us – it made it’s debut at 120 theaters to make $1,860,000. If your theater was one of the places showing this film, you’d have made $15,500, which is more than the per theater average for “Valentine’s Day” ($14,300 in 3,665 theaters)!
The second most popular film in theaters this weekend was Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, which made an estimated $31,100,000 over the weekend. It’s going to be interesting to see what happens to this film over the coming weeks, as the book series is popular. Will there be more of these films? Time will tell. We wouldn’t be surprised to start seeing more Rosario Dawson in the trailers and posters. Well, we would be surprised, actually, we just wouldn’t be mad.
Here’s the rest of the box office story:
1 Valentine’s Day Warner Bros. $52,410,000
2 Percy Jackson & The
Olympians: 20th Century Fox $31,100,000
3 The Wolfman Universal $30,626,721
4 Avatar 20th Century Fox $22,000,000
5 Dear John Sony $15,300,000
6 Tooth Fairy 20th Century Fox $5,600,000
7 From Paris With
Love Lionsgate $4,740,000
8 Edge Of Darkness Warner Bros. $4,585,000
9 Crazy Heart Fox Searchlight $4,000,000
10 When In Rome Disney $3,429,000
11 The Book Of Eli Warner Bros. $3,275,000
12 The Blind Side Warner Bros. $2,210,000
13 My Name Is Khan Fox Searchlight $1,860,000
Movies coming to theaters on Friday:
BIG BUDGET FILMS
Blood Done Sign My Name (PG-13 for profanity, mature themes and intense violence) Historical drama recounting the role civil rights activist Reverend Ben Chavis (Nate Parker) played in his backwoods North Carolina town during the trial of a Ku Klux Klan-sympathizer (Nick Searcy) for the murder of a black Vietnam vet (A.C. Sanford). Cast includes Ricky Schroeder, Lela Rochon and Omar Benson Miller.
The Ghost Writer (PG-13 for profanity, sexuality, nudity violence and drug use) Roman Polanski directed this adaptation of Robert Harris’ best seller about a ghostwriter (Ewan McGregor) who uncovers secrets which put his life in jeopardy while doing research for the memoirs of a former British prime minister (Pierce Brosnan). With Olivia Williams, Kim Cattrall, Timothy Hutton, Jim Belushi, Tom Wilkinson and Eli Wallach.
Shutter Island (R for profanity, nudity and disturbing violence) Martin Scorcese directed this adaptation of Dennis Lehane’s thriller, set in 1954, about a U.S. Marshal (Leonardo DiCaprio) with a new partner (Mark Ruffalo) sent to investigating the escape of a murderer (Emily Mortimer) from a hospital for the criminally-insane located on a remote island. Ensemble includes Ben Kingsley, Michelle Williams, Max von Sydow, Patricia Clarkson and Jackie Earle Haley.
INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS
The Art of the Steal (Unrated) Courtroom documentary about the legal battle for control of the Barnes Foundation which contains a priceless collection of Modern and Post-Impressionistic paintings.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBhMmrLI73Q
The Girl on the Train (Unrated) Cross-cultural drama, about a battered Jewish woman (Emilie Dequenne) who creates a media circus by falsely claiming to be the victim of an anti-Semitic attack by Arab teenagers. With Catherine Deneuve, Michel Blanc and Nicolas Duvauchelle. (In French with subtitles)
The Good Guy (R for sexuality and pervasive profanity) Romantic comedy about a Wall Street whiz (Scott Porter) who comes to regret taking a nerdy protégé (Bryan Greenberg) under his wing when the geeky ingrate goes after his beautiful girlfriend (Alexis Bledel).
Happy Tears (R for profanity, drug use, sexuality and brief nudity) Sibling rivalry drama revolving around the family skeletons and painful childhood memories unearthed when two sisters (Demi Moore and Parker Posey) move back home to care for their senile, septuagenarian father (Rip Torn). With Ellen Barkin, Christian Camargo and Billy Magnussen.
Lourdes (Unrated) Faith-based drama about a wheelchair-bound woman (Sylvie Testud) with multiple sclerosis who makes a pilgrimage to the famed grotto at Lourdes in search of a miracle at the sacred shrine where the Virgin Mary appeared to St. Bernadette back in 1858. (In French, English, German and Italian with subtitles
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WgPjwPAI_00
Phyllis and Harold (Unrated) Director Cindy Kleine relied on a montage of home movies and interviews to cobble together this documentary deconstructing her own parents’ disastrous, 59-year marriage.
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