By Dustin Rowles | Box Office Round-Ups | October 21, 2013 |
By Dustin Rowles | Box Office Round-Ups | October 21, 2013 |
There were three new entries at the box office this weekend, and all three fell below expectations, as Gravity continued its incredible run at the box office, adding another $30 million (bringing its total to $170 million), while Tom Hanks’ Captain Phillips had a very nice hold, as well, dropping just 32 percent and adding another $17 million (it’s over $50 million cumulative). Gravity is playing so well right now that I wouldn’t be surprised if it still occupied many of the IMAX and 3D screens come Thanksgiving. If so, I’ll make a second visit.
The news wasn’t as good for the newbies. Benedict Cumberbatch’s The Fifth Estate was dead on arrival. The Julian Assange biopic could only muster $1.7 million over the weekend, and will likely be heading out of theaters by next weekend to make room for Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa (make of that what you will). The teaming of Arnold Schwarzennegar and Sylvester Stallone in Escape Plan would’ve been the biggest movie of 1988, but in 2013, it opened with only $9.8 million. The novelty on these two has completely worn off, as Stallone’s Bullet to the Head and Arnie’s The Last Stand both bombed earlier this year.
Finally, the remake of Stephen King’s Carrie racked up $17 million, which was disappointing in a year in which horror movies have been playing well. The Conjuring opened with $41 million; Insidious Chapter 2 opened with $40 million; The Purge opened with $34 million; and Mama opened with $28 million. Horror remakes typically have not played that well overall, but most of them at least have had decent opening weekends. That wasn’t so much the case for Carrie, which will likely end its run with around $45 million, which places it right in the middle of the pack for Stephen King movies.
Believe it or not, there have also been a whopping 39 films made based on (or inspired by) Stephen King titles, which is insane, especially considering how many more are in the pipeline, as well as the fact that Stephen King is still churning potential adaptations.
Here is how Stephen King’s oeuvre ranks, adjusted for inflation.
1. The Green Mile — $213,101,900
2. The Shining — $133,524,800
3. Carrie (1976) — $129,487,300
4. Misery — $118,459,300
5. Pet Sematary — $118,123,600
6. Stand by Me $115,004,100
7. 1408 — $85,378,300
8. The Running Man — $79,229,800
9. The Lawnmower Man — $63,118,700
10. Secret Window $63,102,500
11. Sleepwalkers — $60,019,800
12. Creepshow — $58,365,500
13. Cujo — $54,804,500
14. The Shawshank Redemption — $54,346,600
15. The Dead Zone — $53,795,400
16. Christine — $52,792,300
17. Carrie (2013) $46 million (est. at the end of its run)
18. Dolores Claiborne — $45,699,500
19. Dreamcatcher — $45,624,900
20. Firestarter — $41,480,400
21. Children of the Corn — $35,381,800
22. Hearts in Atlantis — $34,868,600
23. Pet Sematary II — $33,608,300
24. Tales From the Darkside: The Movie — $31,491,400
25. The Mist — $30,340,800
26. Cat’s Eye — $30,080,100
27. Needful Things — $29,931,200
28. The Rage: Carrie 2 — $28,532,200
29. Silver Bullet — $28,414,900
30. Stephen King’s Thinner $28,274,700
31. Graveyard Shift — $22,344,300
32. The Dark Half — $20,914,800
33. Maximum Overdrive — $16,350,100
34. Apt Pupil — $15,420,800
35. Children of the Corn II — $13,759,600
36. Lawnmower Man 2: Beyond Cyberspace —$4,447,800
37. The Mangler — $3,341,600
38. The Night Flier — $218,200
39. Stephen King’s Riding the Bullet — $177,000