September might still be regarded as a box office dead zone, but four new entries clogged the marketplace this week. (Hey, anything that might siphon screens away from All About Steve is fine by us.) So how did Tyler Perry's latest fare against an animated apocalypse and two female-driven thrillers? Let's find out:
1. Tyler Perry's I Can Do Bad All By Myself
Gross: $24,030,000 (new)
Screens: 2,255 (PSA: $10,656)
Weeks: For a Tyler Perry film that didn't leverage Madea's name in the title (though TV ads certainly milked the character for all she's worth), I Can Do Bad is a triumph: Perry's third-highest opening weekend ever, behind Madea Goes to Jail and Madea's Family Reunion.
2. 9
Gross: $10,856,000 (cume: $15,264,000)
Screens: 1,661 (PSA: $6,536)
Weeks: 1
Since it's 9-9-09 opening this past weekend, 9's taken in a little over $15 million -- not bad for a dark, PG-13 animated film. Still, we can't help but feel bad for any Nine fans who were accidentally suckered into 9's dark tale. There's still months to go before that Daniel Day-Lewis/Kate Hudson pairing for the ages!
3. Inglourious Basterds
Gross: $6,546,000 (cume: $104,309,000)
Screens: 3,215 (PSA: $2036)
Weeks: 4 (Change: -43.7%)
It's a big week for the Basterds: The film crossed the $100 million mark this weekend, and in the next few days, it should surmount Pulp Fiction to become Quentin Tarantino's highest-grossing film ever.
4. All About Steve
Gross: $5,800,000 (cume: $21,812,000)
Screens: 2,265 (PSA: $2,651)
Weeks: 2 (Change: -48.4%)
In a year where so many great films dropped 60% in their second weekends, there's something a little infuriating about the fact that All About Steve managed a sub-50% drop. That Sacramento allure must be difficult to shake.
5. The Final Destination
Gross: $5,500,000 (cume: $58,258,000)
Screens: 2,732 (PSA: $2,013)
Weeks: 3 (Change: -55.5%)
6. Sorority Row
Gross: $5,268,000 (new)
Screens: 2,665 (PSA: $1,977)
Weeks: 1
7. Whiteout
Gross: $5,100,000 (new)
Screens: 2,745 (PSA: $1,858)
Weeks: 1
Whiteout and Sorority Row both went after the same market this weekend, but neither could unseat three-week-old The Final Destination. It doesn't take a Leah Pipes to explain this to an Audrina Patridge: 3-D is here to stay.