The 3D zombie sequel Resident Evil: Afterlife easily topped the North American box office on its opening frame leading a sluggish marketplace that delivered the worst ticket sales in over two years. Grossing more than the next six films combined, the R-rated action pic from Sony's Screen Gems unit debuted to an estimated $27.7M helped, of course, by 3D surcharges. The fourth in the successful line of Milla Jovovich films averaged a muscular $8,648 from 3,203 theaters outgunning the $23.7M of the last film in the series, 2007's Resident Evil: Extinction, which was the previous franchise high. Admissions remained mostly the same with just over three million tickets sold.
Shot in 3D and offering a popular brand and formula, Afterlife attracted fans that have enjoyed the film series and video game over the years. According to studio research, 58% of the crowd was male while those over and under 25 were about even. Over 2,000 of the playdates offered 3D screens including 141 digital IMAX venues charging as much as $18 per ticket. Facing zero competition thanks to a mix of no new wide releases and aging holdovers made the newest Alice flick the only game in town. Afterlife also generated the seventh best September opening ever and was not screened in advance for critics.
Overseas, the zombie pic was a big hit pulling in an impressive $45.5M which was two-and-a-half times bigger than the openings of the last Evil film in the same markets. Leading the way were Japan with a massive $15.5M and Russia with $9.5M. Afterlife was directed by Paul W.S. Anderson who has plenty of experience in bringing video game fun to the big screen having helmed 1995's Mortal Kombat, 2004's Alien vs. Predator, and 2002's original Resident Evil.
Sony and Screen Gems seized second place too with the hit heist pic Takers which held its position with an estimated $6.1M dropping by only 44%. After 17 days, the PG-13 film has taken in an impressive $48.1M and could be headed north of $60M which nobody thought was possible just a few weeks ago.
Following its mild Labor Day debut which was good enough for the top spot, George Clooney's assassin drama The American declined by a disturbing 55% to an estimated $5.9M for a 12-day total of $28.3M. It was the second highest drop for any film in the top ten and was especially large for a film that caters to an older crowd that typically doesn't rush out on the first weekend. Add in the fact that American's Wednesday launch meant its opening weekend gross did not include the opening day tally and the fact that no new films targeting its mature adult audience opened this weekend and the 55% fall becomes quite troubling. It can only be attributed to poor word-of-mouth. A final of $38-40M could result.
The Mexploitation actioner Machete fell a sharp 63% in its second weekend to an estimated $4.2M for Fox. After ten days, the Robert Rodriguez film has cut up $20.8M - about even with the film that inspired it, 2007's Grindhouse, which also dropped by 63% in its sophomore frame with $4.3M and $19.8M in ten days. The double feature ended with $25M and Machete should end a bit above the same amount.
The rest of the top ten was filled with summer holdovers that finished in a tight range within $1M of each other. Final grosses to be reported on Monday may see some rankings change. Fifth place went to the R-rated romantic comedy Going the Distance which dropped a moderate 44% in its second weekend to an estimated $3.8M. The ten-day total for Warner Bros. is only $14M and a $22-24M final is likely. Will Ferrell's latest hit The Other Guys fell just 32% to an estimated $3.6M bumping Sony's cume to $112.7M.
A pair of Lionsgate titles followed. The fright flick The Last Exorcism grossed an estimated $3.5M, off 53%, and has scared up $38.2M to date. Sylvester Stallone's action flick The Expendables inched closer to the century club with an estimated $3.3M, down 51%, for a $98.5M total.
Spending its ninth weekend in the top ten, the sci-fi thriller Inception slipped 34% to an estimated $3M giving Warner Bros. $282.4M thus far. Surpassing $290M should be easy but reaching $300M seems unlikely without some sort of re-release. Eat Pray Love placed tenth with an estimated $2.9M, down 40%, and a $74.6M sum for Sony which had four films in the top ten.
| # | Title | Sep 10 - 12 | Weeks | Cumulative | Distributor | ||||
| 1 | Resident Evil: Afterlife | $ 27,700,000 | 1 | $ 27,700,000 | Sony | ||||
| 2 | Takers | 6,100,000 | 3 | 48,105,000 | Sony | ||||
| 3 | The American | 5,896,000 | 2 | 28,333,000 | Focus | ||||
| 4 | Machete | 4,200,000 | 2 | 20,823,000 | Fox | ||||
| 5 | Going the Distance | 3,835,000 | 2 | 14,000,000 | Warner Bros. | ||||
| 6 | The Other Guys | 3,600,000 | 6 | 112,694,000 | Sony | ||||
| 7 | The Last Exorcism | 3,450,000 | 3 | 38,190,000 | Lionsgate | ||||
| 8 | The Expendables | 3,250,000 | 5 | 98,490,000 | Lionsgate | ||||
| 9 | Inception | 3,015,000 | 9 | 282,425,000 | Warner Bros. | ||||
| 10 | Eat Pray Love | 2,900,000 | 5 | 74,633,000 | Sony |
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