Box Office: 'Unknown' a surprise No. 1, beating 'Number Four' and 'Big Mommas' [Updated]
Liam Neeson has done it again. Just like in 2008, when his action film "Taken" became an unlikely hit at the box office, the actor's new film, "Unknown," exceeded pre-release projections and took in a healthy $25.6 million in tickets over the four-day weekend, according to an estimate from distributor Warner Bros.
Trailing just behind "Unknown" was "Gnomeo & Juliet," which on its second week in release had $24.8 million in ticket sales over the long weekend. From Friday to Sunday, the film was only down 23.5% from last weekend, benefiting from the lack of new movies competing for familes with young children.
"I Am Number Four," the adaptation of a popular young-adult novel, was expected to top the box office this weekend but instead came in with a soft $22.6 million in ticket sales. The weekend's other new release, "Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son," brought in a modest $19 million. It was topped by Sony Pictures' "Just Go With It," the romantic comedy that was No. 1 over Valentine's Day weekend. The film, starring Adam Sandler, maintained a good hold over Presidents Day weekend, dropping 40% on a three-day basis and collecting $21.7 million through Monday.
All three new pictures were received well by audiences, which gave "Unknown," "I Am Number Four" and "Big Mommas" an average grade of B+, according to market-research firm CinemaScore.
Still, "Unknown" got off to the best start, considering it cost producer Joel Silver's Dark Castle Entertainment a little more than $30 million to make. That's the best-ever opening for a Dark Castle film since it started self-financing movies in 2008.
"Unknown" was fueled by an older audience, 89% of whom were over 25. Warner Bros. is hoping the film follows in the footsteps of "Taken," which opened to a similar $24.7 million over a Super Bowl weekend and ended up with an impressive $145 million domestically.
According to a person close to the production, "I Am Number Four" cost DreamWorks about $59 million to produce, though a person close to distributor Disney said the budget was actually closer to $50 million. Either way, that means "I Am Number Four" is off to a less-than-stellar start. The studio had expected the film to be driven largely by younger moviegoers, but only half of the male-driven audience who went to see "I Am Number Four" this weekend was younger than 35.
"Big Mommas," the third movie in the Martin Lawrence comedy series, fell well behind the opening of 2006's "Big Momma's House 2" and 2000's "Big Momma's House," which debuted to $27.7 million and $25.7 million, respectively, on three-day weekends. Still, the critically lambasted film only cost New Regency Productions $32 million to make, slightly less than the budgets of the two previous films, which were both more than $35 million.
The weekend's tallies fell far short of last year's four-day grosses, although both the Valentine's Day and Presidents Day holidays fell on the same weekend in 2010. Ticket sales were down 29.6% from last February, when the romantic comedy "Valentine's Day" did excellent business, selling $63.1 million worth of tickets.
[Updated at 11:33 a.m.: Justin Bieber’s 3-D film “Never Say Never,” which follows the pop star on a recent concert tour, dropped a relatively modest 55% on its second weekend and took in $16.2 million over the four days.
That’s a significantly smaller drop than similar music films have experienced. 2008’s “Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds” dropped 67% in its second weekend, and “Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience” plummeted 77% after its opening in 2009.
Here are the top 10 movies at the domestic box office, with foreign grosses when available, according to studio estimates and Hollywood.com:
2. “Gnomeo & Juliet” (Disney): $24.8 million in its second weekend, down 24%. Domestic total: $55.8 million. International total: $11.8 million.
3. “I Am Number Four” (DreamWorks/Disney): Opened to $22.6 million. $3.3 million overseas.
4. “Just Go With It” (Sony): $21.7 million on its second weekend, down 40%. Domestic total: $64.3 million. $4.6 million overseas in 19 foreign markets. International total: $13.4 million.
5. “Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son” (New Regency/20th Century Fox): Opened to $19 million. $4.2 million overseas in 10 foreign markets.
6. “Never Say Never” (Paramount Insurge): $16.5 million in its second weekend, down 55%. Domestic total: $51.4 million. $1.3 million overseas in one foreign market.
7. “The King’s Speech” (Weinstein Co.): $7.9 million on its 13th weekend, down 10%. Domestic total: $104.6 million.
8. “The Roommate” (Sony Screen Gems): $4.5 million on its third weekend, down 50%. Domestic total: $33.1 million.
9. “The Eagle” (Focus Features): $4.3 million in its second weekend, down 58%. Domestic total: $15.8 million.
10. “No Strings Attached” (Paramount/Spyglass/Cold Spring): $3.7 million in its fifth weekend, down 47%. Domestic total: $66.6 million. $10.9 million overseas in 32 foreign markets. International total: $21.6 million.]
-- Amy Kaufman
Photos, from top: Liam Neeson stars in "Unknown." Credit: Warner Bros. Alex Pettyfer in a scene from "I Am Number Four." Credit: DreamWorks
Liam Neeson he is Bad i have liked him from way back in next of kin with the Late Great Patrick Swazye..Rock On..
dave;-)
Posted by: David Black | February 21, 2011 at 11:06 AM
I loved the movie 'I am number four.' Didn't even hear about it or know anything about it till a friend took me to see it, now I love it! so much better than any of the Vampire movies that have been out lattly!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: Shelly | February 21, 2011 at 10:52 PM
ALEX PETTYFER dominates every scene of I AM NUMBER FOUR. And TIMOTHY OLYPHANT effortlessly inhabits the guardian/father/mentor. He listens, he demands, he is a warrior, and superb motivator…the man that lurks in the harbor of desire of kids and great Dads everywhere.
• Peppered with humor in an exciting ORIGINAL story, it is an action flick & it a good date-movie for the blossoming love story & without gallons of blood. Compared to UNKNOWN rehasing an old story, I AM NUMBER FOUR is a fresh storyline worth checking out this week; an ACTION FLICK & DATE-MOVIE - RICH TO BOTH AUDIENCES.
Returning to ALEX PETTYFER; Alex has striking movie star good looks…the camera adores him & the director wisely stays with his reactions. In almost every scene, it was tough to take eyes off him, even when joined in scenes by any of the gorgeous females picked to surround him.
Alex has matured in acting ability from Tom Brown's Schooldays [age 13] & Alex Rider: Stormbreaker [age 15]. Working with great British actors in those, Alex clearly did not squander absorbing advice & learning acting choices from them.
• Alex Pettyfer has a lithe sense of quiet movement; capably showing fitting emotion through facial expression, body language, & movement.
The rest of the cast are well positioned for their roles, and hopefully, subsequent sequels. I AM NUMBER FOUR easily shows up 200-mil-plus effects-laden, plummeting paper weights. Let’s hope that Steven Spielberg & Michael Bay stay aboard for a ‘next in the series’ film…soon…while the actors are young enough to continue their roles.
• I AM NUMBER FOUR imprints on watchers like the first Star Wars; resonating with audiences on first viewing, & then returning for second & future showings. Don’t miss I AM NUMBER FOUR on a BIG screen in a movie theater.
Posted by: Robert_PS_CA | February 25, 2011 at 08:26 PM
Alex Pettyfer lost one of the most beautiful girls to hit Hollywood, his career, and all for a movie nobody cares to pay for... I AM NUMBER FOUR - When men such as Alex Pettyfer become divas, they must be set to be examples, even if they are an example of failure. Failure in Hollywood isn't rare, but he was dating Glee actress, Dianna Agron, Nancy Drew herself. Did Pettyfer forget to meet with his therapist? Was Alex off his medication? Dianna Agron isn't one of Charlie Sheen's adult actresses, Pettyfer blew his chances at dating America's version of Cleopatra. Roman Caesars bow down to Agron - Whatever happened to powerful actors who could be dysfunctional like Marlon Brandon, Richard Burton, and Sir Lawrence Olivier? Where have the great men in Hollywood gone? Now Agron is going to end up with some flake like Justin Timberlake. He has ruined every celebrity he has dated in a dress. Now movie fans have pretty boys like Collin Farrell the diva male who has been pouting ever since he failed at trying to carry off the greatest military general of all history, Alexander the Great. Please, you couldn't act as Alexander the Great's blacksmith. You couldn't play Napoleon's door man with all the booze you drink before hitting the set. What do these actors insist on forgetting that acting is a career, a job, a path towards a greater goal?
Thomas Chi
Author
PresidentSarah.Net
Posted by: Thomas Chi | February 25, 2011 at 11:45 PM