Sony and Screen Gems’ horror remake Prom Night slashed its way to the No. 1 spot at the weekend box office with an estimated $22.7 million from 2,700 theaters and scored the best opening for a horror film so far this year.
Variety reports the horror flick, which stars Brittany Snow and Johnathon Schaech, was able to open big despite there being a soft marketplace for the horror genre. Some of the box office success for the film could be due to the teen friendly PG-13 rating and the fact the film features more suspense than gore.
Prom Night was produced by Neal Moritz and is loosely based on the 1980 film – which starred horror’s “scream queen” Jamie Lee Curtis. The film was directed by Nelson McCormick from a script by J.S. Cardone. The plot follows a sadistic killer who turns prom night into a living hell for a group of high school students.
Sony prexy of domestic distribution Rory Bruer said the film’s success was due to the teen dominated audience.
In Variety, he stated: “I don’t know anybody that does it better. They know this genre so well, and you certainly have to give them props for contemporizing a classic. It hit the sweet spot, helped by the fact that it’s prom season. All our ducks were in a row,”
The Keanu Reeves-Forest Whitaker cop drama Street Kings (Fox Searchlight and New Regency) claimed the No. 2 spot with an estimated $12 million from 2,467 runs, according to Rentrak. Sony’s gambling drama 21 showed no signs of folding with a No. 3 placing and an estimated $11 million from 2,736 runs.
The R-rated Street Kings had modest expectations from Fox Searchlight and New Regency. The film tells the story of corruption in the L.A. Police Dept., and played heavily to young males.
In Variety, Fox senior VP of distribution Chris Aronson stated: “It is a quality ensemble picture.. It provides a window into the battle that is on the streets of America.”
Weekend box office totals came in 19.6% behind totals from the same time last year – when Disturbia brought in $22.2 million on its opening weekend. Prom Night managed to match Disturbia’s opening, but the rest of weekend films did less business which helped drive year-to-date revenues down by 3.45%, according to Media by Numbers.
Miramax’s Smart People placed No. 7 for its opening weekend and grossed an estimated $4.2 million from 1,106 runs. The drama/comedy film features Dennis Quaid, Sarah Jessica Parker and Ellen Page. It follows a college professor whose normally staid existence is upturned.
Overture’s The Visitor saw a strong start thanks to solid reviews. The film opened in only four theaters, but grossed an estimated $88,383.
Universal’s period comedy Leatherheads (which features George Clooney and Renee Zellweger) placed No. 5 on the weekend box office tally and dropped 51% in its second week. The film took in an estimated $6.2 million from 2,771 theaters. It has grossed an estimated $21.9 million from the domestic box office.
Fox-Walden’s family friendly Nim’s Island dropped 32% in its second week and placed at No. 4 on the weekend box office tally. The film grossed an estimated $9 million from 3,518 runs and has made an estimated $25.3 million at the domestic box office.
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