Australian moviegoers were faced with a choice between seeing a US thriller starring Hugh Jackman and an English time-travelling comedy drama last weekend.
In the end it was no contest: Sci-fi/rom-com About Time won hands down against Prisoners. Perhaps that’s no great surprise because Prisoners, the first English-language film from Incendies director Denis Villeneuve, is a gritty, dark tale about the kidnapping of two young girls.
Jackman plays the father of one of the victims, a carpenter, who takes matters into his own hands when the suspected kidnapper (Paul Dano) is released for lack of evidence. Jake Gyllenhaal plays the detective in charge of the case.
It took $1.1 million on 206 screens. One exhibitor who was hoping for a stronger opening blames the depressed state of the box-office, opining more people might have turned up if trading were buoyant.
By contrast, Richard Curtis’ About Time is playing more broadly, particularly resonating with females, and likely is seen as more accessible, reflected by its $1.7 million debut on 284, which brings its tally to $2.2 million including previews.
Neither newcomer was a match for Gravity, which defied gravity in its third obit, earning $2.4 million (easing by 25%) to propel its takings to $12.3 million.
Action/comedy 2 Guns plummeted by a typical 38% to $957,000, scoring $3.3 million in 11 days.
About Time’s entry is hastening the demise of Diana, which tumbled by 47% to $285,000 in its second weekend, for a meagre $1.3 million total.
Tim Winton’s The Turning added $81,000 to its coffers in its fourth weekend, advancing to $949,000, with plenty of upside as it opens in regional areas.
WEEKEND BOX OFFICE Oct 17-20
|
|
Title |
Week/ Screens |
Box Office |
% +- |
Total
|
|
1 |
Gravity |
3/492 |
$2,407,063 |
-25 |
$12,269,732 |
|
2 |
About Time |
1/284 |
1,687,625 |
NA |
2,212,558 |
|
3 |
Prisoners |
1/206 |
1,097,492 |
NA |
1,099,241 |
|
4 |
2 Guns |
2/260 |
957,993 |
-38 |
3,329,824 |
|
5 |
Grown Ups 2 |
4/262 |
518,432 |
-47 |
9,989,189 |
|
6 |
Rush |
3/222 |
506,959 |
-31 |
3,406,826 |
|
7 |
The Family |
2/159 |
292,172 |
-44 |
1,001,100 |
|
8 |
Diana |
2/206 |
285,800 |
-47 |
1,336,423 |
|
9 |
Turbo |
5/217 |
275,866 |
-47 |
12,233,663 |
|
10 |
Blue Jasmine |
6/111 |
200,991 |
-35 |
5,385,331 |
Source: Motion Picture Distributors Association of Australia