Just as the largest hurricane on record wiped out the northeast, the expectation for big box office numbers were uncertain. However, after a slow start Wreck-It Ralph and Flight prevailed over the aftermath of Sandy.
Wreck-It Ralph easily claimed the number one spot this weekend with an estimated $49.1 million, making Wreck-It Ralph potentially Disney’s biggest hit without the help of Pixar. Wreck-It Ralph opened in 3,732 2D and 3D theaters making on average $13,000 per site. Though the film was a take on the 80’s era video game culture, most of the audience was under the age of 25. They also gave the film a strong A CinemaScore putting it on track to a $200 million domestic box office total.
Robert Zemeckis’ Flight, though it settled for second place, could be pound for pound the best film in the box office. Flight managed to acumulate an estimated $25 million in only 1,884 theaters nationwide, which means the film made $13,275 at each location. Hollywood standards suggest that in order for a film to be successful it needs to be released in at least 3,000 theatres. Flight proves that if you got the goods you don’t need to put the film in every theater. Denzel Washington’s performance has generated a lot of Oscar talk among an older crowd. The audience awarded an A- CinemaScore and the film is expected to reach $100 million before the end of its run.
Ben Affleck’s Argo relinquished the top spot after just one week. The film dropped to third place making another $10.2 million and bringing its total to $76 million. Argo is well on its way to make more than Affleck’s last film The Town, which totaled $92.2 million in 2010.
The Man with the Iron Fists debuted in fourth place making $8.2 million in 1,868 theaters. The RZA’s fist jab at directing is performing as expected, but is still considered a domestic disappointment. The film was scored a poor C+ CinemaScore by an audience made up of 64 percent males under the age of 30. The Man with the Iron Fists is likely to be in domestic theaters for a few more weeks, but may perform well overseas with its visuals and Kung Fu elements.
Below are the top 12 films in the box office this weekend:
Weekend Box Office
November 2, 2012 – November 4, 2012
| Title | Studio | Weekend | Theaters | Total | Week | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wreck-It Ralph | Walt Disney Pictures |
$49,100,000
|
3,752
|
$49,100,000
|
1
|
||
| Flight | Paramount Pictures |
$25,010,000
|
1,884
|
$25,000,000
|
1
|
||
| Argo | Warner Bros. Pictures |
$10,245,000
|
2,774
|
$75,896,100
|
4
|
||
| The Man with the Iron Fists | Univeral Pictures |
$8,200,000
|
1,868
|
$8,200,000
|
1
|
||
| Taken 2 | 20th Century Fox |
$6,000,000
|
2,639
|
$125,667,400
|
5
|
||
| Cloud Atlas | Warner Bros. Pictures |
$5,250,000
|
1,963
|
$18,262,400
|
2
|
||
| Hotel Transylvania | Sony Pictures Animation |
$4,500,000
|
2,922
|
$137,567,600
|
6
|
||
| Paranormal Activity 4 | Paramount Pictures |
$4,300,000
|
3,006
|
$49,577,200
|
3
|
||
| Here Comes the Boom | Columbia Pictures (Sony) |
$3,600,000
|
2,314
|
$35,572,000
|
4
|
||
| Silent Hill: Revelation 3D | Open Road Films |
$3,300,000
|
2,993
|
$13,895,000
|
2
|
||
| Pitch Perfect | Universal Pictures |
$3,000,000
|
1,502
|
$55,569,500
|
6
|
||
| Fun Size | Paramount Pictures |
$2,280,000
|
3,016
|
$7,439,900
|
2
|
