Top 10 for October 27-29, 2006 Summary: Final numbers are in.
Halloween weekend proved to be potent for Lionsgate's horror flick Saw III, as the gore fest -- not screened for critics -- obliterated the competition with $33.6 million debut, the biggest Halloween opening ever. Budgeted at a very modest $10 million, the latest in LG's cashcow franchise averaged an incredible $10,613 in 3,167 theaters, also posting the best debut of the three films. 2004's Saw debuted with $18.2 million ($55.18m total), while 2005's Saw II bowed with $31.7 million on its way to $87m domestically. All three films made their debuts over the Halloween weekend.
Holding steady in second was Warner's critically acclaimed drama The Departed, adding another $9.8 million to its coffers. In four weeks the $90 million budgeted Martin Scorsese film has grossed an impressive $91 million, and should break $100 million by next weekend. The film is on pace to far surpass Scorsese's highest grossing film, 2004's acclaimed biopic The Aviator with $102.6 million domestically.
Last week's champ The Prestige transported from first to third place, slipping 35% to $9.57 million. Budgeted at $40 million the Buena Vista release has grossed $28.8 million in ten days, and has been aided by solid word of mouth. Look for the film to reach $50 million by the end of its domestic run.
Paramount-DreamWorks' WWII drama Flags of Our Fathers slipped 38% in its sophomore frame, despite adding 314 theaters, to an estimated $6.3 million. Budgeted at a sizeable $90 million, the Clint Eastwood directed picture has grossed a disappointing $19.9 million.
Rounding out the top five with the smallest drop this weekend was Sony's computer-animated comedy Open Season with $6.1 million. Holding better than any film released in the past five weeks, the $85 million budgeted Sony Animation picture has grossed $77.3 million, and has a shot at reaching $95-100 million by the end of its domestic run.
In limited release, Focus Features' South African apartheid thriller Catch a Fire opened with a very disappointing $2 million in 1,306 theaters, averaging just $1,552. Much better was the Brad Pitt drama Babel which debuted in seven theaters in New York and Los Angeles, grossing $389,351 for an eye-popping $55,621 average.
The top ten films grossed $83.3 million, up 1% from last year's comparable frame when Saw II debuted at No. 1 with $31.7 million.
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