THE BOX OFFICE REPORT: AUGUST 26

A very sluggish weekend at the box office leads to a very sluggish Box Office Report. I blame Hollywood and their weak attempts at a new release this weekend…

1. The Expendables 2 - $13.5 ($52.3 total)

Stallone and fellas keep the #1 spot as it was the only film to cross the $10 million mark, which is really quite pitiful. Last year it was The Help that was one of two films to cross that mark (Columbiana opened with just a hair over $10 million) and this year it’s the R-rated action flick starring all of our favorite action stars from the past. I’m a bit surprised that it’s not at least pacing the same as the original film, released in 2010. The first crossed the century mark, finishing its run at $103 million. This one doesn’t look like it has a prayer of even sniffing that type of money and for my money, which was spent on both films, this one is the better film. GET OUT AND SEE THIS MOVIE!

2. The Bourne Legacy – $9.3 ($85.5 total)

Somehow, this movie keeps making money and it might actually get to that much-desired century mark. I’ve already told you what I think of it and looking back, I might have even been nice about it!

3. ParaNorman – $8.5 ($28.3 total)

Wait, so you’re telling me that Tim Burton had nothing to do with this movie? I still don’t believe you..

4. The Campaign – $7.4 ($64.5 total)

I’m still waiting for a rave review of this movie. I’ve heard a lot of “it’s funny in parts” and “if you can get past such-n-such…” but the reason for its lack of success (at least compared to its stars’ past) is that it just doesn’t look that funny, at least in the light of great comedies from 2012 like 21 Jump Street and Ted.

5. The Dark Knight Rises – $7.2 ($422.2 total)

Sixth weekend in and it’s back in the Top 5. Gotta love the power of the Batman!

6. The Odd Life of Timothy Green – $7.1 ($27.1 total)

I challenge all of you to remember this film in a year. I don’t think you can do it…

7. Premium Rush – $6.3 (first week)

And we finally get to the highest grossing film of the new releases… Joseph Gordon-Levitt wasn’t enough to elevate this campy-looking bicycle movie above the fray, even in August. As much as I like the guy, I couldn’t take myself to hit this one up in the theater. It might be a fun Friday-night rental around Christmas time when the Snugglers are going down smoothly (you don’t know what a Snuggler is? Well do you like hot chocolate? Ok, how about you throw in some Peppermint Schnapps? Enjoy!) but there’s tons of movies I’d put in line before seeing this one. Turns out, I’m not alone in that thought.

8. 2016 Obama’s America -$6.2 ($9.1 total)

This was the surprise film of the weekend, as the indie drama expanded into over 1,000 theaters for the first time. The plot summary, really simply, is “A documentary that examines the question, “If Barack Obama wins a second term, where will we be in 2016?”…

Okay…

I don’t know, I guess I just don’t understand movies like this. Am I alone in this one?

9. Hope Springs – $6.0 ($45.0 total)

Someone finally sprayed Tommy Lee Jones and Meryl Streep with the water bottle.

10. Hit & Run – $4.7 ($5.9 total)

And the other big release (I refuse to acknowledge The Apparition, as it didn’t even crack the Top 10) of the weekend was the super low budgeted comedy from Dax Shepard. The film only cost $2 million to make so it has become profitable, but with Bradley Cooper starring, you know the hopes were much higher for this one. But it just doesn’t look that funny… and people didn’t even give it a shot. I’m not surprised…

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Next weekend starts early as Lawless hits theaters on Wednesday (personal note – I can’t wait to check that one out… Shia-aside, you’re telling me that I can see Oldman and Pearce as bad guys and Tom Hardy as the reluctant hero in a Prohibition-era moonshining movie? I’m there so fast, I might even get out to it on Wednesday night if everything goes right).

On the opposite side of the spectrum is something called Oogieloves in The Big Balloon Adventure which I’ve seen ads for and was floored to see the likes of Christopher Lloyd in. Doc! What are you doing?!?!

Also, there’s another crappy looking horror movie called The Possession coming out. It’ll flounder too. But Lawless won’t and I feel like it’s going to take over the #1 spot next weekend, even though it’s not going to be huge numbers. My guess is something around the $20 mark for the first five days… but I guess we will have to wait and see!

Until next week!