Box Office Report: High Saw Musical 8! (3+V, git it?)

Dude here again. It's that time of year again. The time of year when I forget it's Halloween, and bust out the old Pac-Man costume in a last ditch effort to attend parties and see girls wearing "sexy" versions of Hallowen favorites. My personal favorite? Sexy Boba Fett!

I need help.

This weekend, a massive battle was fought, and singing tweens beat out torture devices. Unless you consider them one and the same. I do. Let's go to the numbers, shall we? (All in millions, remember, and these are the studio estimates. The actuals will be available on Monday).

1. Hich School Musical 3: Senior Year (BV) - $42.0, 3623 screens, week 1, $42.0 total

2. Saw V (LGF) - $30.0, 3060 screens, week 1, $30.0 total

3. Max Payne (Fox) - $7.6, 3381 screens, week 2, $29.6 total

4. Beverly Hills Chihuahua (BV)- $6.9, 3190 screens, week 4, $78.1 total

5. Pride & Glory (WB/NL)- $6.3, 2585 screens, week 1, $6.3 total

6. The Secret Life of Bees (FoxS) - $5.9, 1630 screens, week 2, $19.2 total

7. W. (LGF) - $5.3, 2050 screens, week 2, $18.7 total

8. Eagle Eye (Par/DW)- $5.1, 2558 screens, week 5, $87.9 total

9. Body Of Lies (WB) - $4.0, 2150 screens, week 3, $30.8 total

10. Quarantine (ScrGms) $2.5, 2228 screens, week 3, $28.7 total

So those are the numbers, but what do they mean? Well, it means that Disney clearly knows what they're doing. They struck while the iron was still hot, they know what works, and they brought that damn musical movie in for a huge landing. (3rd highest October opening!) And for the first time since the second film's release, a Saw movie comes in second. Still, they keep making Saw movies, and a $30 million opening is nothing to shy away from.

Pride & Glory, the long-shelved mediocre-reviewed Edward Norton-Colin Farrell police-drama opened nowhere near the other two releases this weekend. One more nail in the coffin that was New Line cinema.

Below the radar, Clint Eastwood's Changeling opened up on 15 screens, and took in $502,000 with the highest per screen average of all releases. Pretty impressive, but I think it's mostly due to star wattage combo of Angelina Jolie and Clint Eastwood. (Although, I'm seeing it because Burn Notice is in it! Yeah, Burn Notice!). Also, Charlie Kaufman's directorial debut Synecdoche, New York opened up on 9 screens and took in $173,000. And some Anne Hathaway movie called Passengers was dumped on just over a hundred screens and took in $185,000.

And since it's Halloween, Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas 3-D was released on just under 300 screens, and took in $372,000. Impressive for a 15 year old movie. Thanks Hot Topic and goth kids around the world for not letting this one die.

There you have my amazing break down. Next week, Zack and Miri make a Porno, some teen horror movie opens, and I count the days until the new James Bond. (After that, it's all about Watchmen. Did you see that trailer from Scream awards?!?)



Until next weekend.......