‘The Wild Things Are’ Atop the Box Office

Published by Jeff Leins on October 19, 2009

Warner Bros’ moody Where the Wild Things Are landed on top of the box office with $32.7 million, beating analyst expectations and competition from the Gerard Butler/Jamie Foxx movie Law Abiding Citizen.

The children’s book adaptation may be PG, but it certainly didn’t play like a kids movie on the screen or in the numbers. 43% of the audience was over the age of 18 and only 27% were families, according to a Variety analysis.

The studio managed to overcome skeptical word of mouth after a test footage leak and whisperings of editing battles with director Spike Jonze.  After years of post-production (filming started in April 2006), Jonze was able to turn the $80 million production into a product suitable for release and recommended by 68% of critics on Rotten Tomatoes.

Law Abiding Citizen finished in second, but still over expert predictions.  With the star power of Gerard Butler (in his third movie this year) and Jamie Foxx (remember when he won an Oscar?), the thriller made $21 million.  Overture has made a habit of pairing two named actors for disappointing results.  Their previous high was Righteous Kill, the awful reunion of Al Pacino and Robert De Niro.

Viral horror sensation Paranormal Activity expanded to 760 theaters this weekend and tacked on another $19.6 million to its $33M gross. The “found footage” film was made for $11,000-$15,000.

The other newcomer was The Stepfather, another low-budget horror remake for an otherwise stagnant genre.  It made $11.6 million.

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs stuck around in sixth with $8 million. The $108.2 million passes its budget and is the highest grosser for Sony Animation.

In specialty markets, New York, I Love You opened in 119 select locations for $380,776.  The film might have been a performer if the Yankees weren’t in the playoffs.

3-Day U.S. Weekend Actuals:
1. Where the Wild Things Are $32.7 million
2. Law Abiding Citizen $21 million
3. Paranormal Activity $19.6 million
4. Couples Retreat  $17.2 million
5. The Stepfather $11.6 million
6. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs  $8 million
7. Zombieland  $7.6 million
8. Toy Story/Toy Story 3D  $3 million
9. Surrogates  $1.9 million
10. The Invention of Lying  $1.9 million