Weekend Box Office Report: October 3-5, 2014

Gone Girl has gone to #1!

Ben Affleck might be in some trouble in GONE GIRL, but the movie itself is doing just fine, coming out on top of the box office with an estimated $38 million!

That's a career high opening for director David Fincher — 2002's PANIC ROOM previously led the pack with $30 million (the highest-grossing release in his filmography remains THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON, with $127 million domestically and $333 million worldwide). For Affleck, only PEARL HARBOR and DAREDEVIL scored bigger first weekends than GONE GIRL.

The new R-rated thriller, adapted by writer Gillian Flynn from her own best-selling novel, seemed to present critics with a satisfying mystery (87% on Rotten Tomatoes). But paying crowds were a little more chilly toward it with a 'B' CinemaScore, which could impact word-of-mouth buzz. GONE GIRL carries a reported price tag of $61 million.

Speaking of chills, the new doll spooker ANNABELLE was close behind in second with a $37.2 million opening. The R-rated spinoff of last summer's horror hit THE CONJURING got an early jump on Halloween season with impressive results for a supernatural cheapie (it only cost around $5 million).

Critics weren't really feeling the terror, giving the prequel a 37% average on Rotten Tomatoes. Moviegoers apparently weren't exactly trembling with fear or excitement for the movie either, handing it a 'B' CinemaScore. ANNABELLE will have to contend with DRACULA UNTOLD and OUIJA for major horror releases leading up to Halloween.

Dropping to third was last weekend's winner THE EQUALIZER with another $19 million (44% down from its opening). The Denzel Washington action-thriller has also crossed $100 million worldwide. The stop-motion animated THE BOXTROLLS descended a spot to fourth with $12.4 million in its second weekend, only losing 28% of business and keeping ahead of THE MAZE RUNNER, which slowed to fifth place with $12 million but will dash past $200 million worldwide before it finally gets winded.

Opening in sixth with $6.8 million was the latest in Nicolas Cage's increasingly baffling filmography, the Rapture thriller LEFT BEHIND. The remake of the Kirk Cameron movie from 2000 (itself based on the popular Christian novel series) seemed to have audiences feeling unenlightened with a 'B-' CinemaScore, while critics literally left it behind with an apocalyptic 2% on Rotten Tomatoes.

THIS IS WHERE I LEAVE YOU was in seventh place ahead of DOLPHIN TALE 2, while Marvel's GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY celebrated its tenth weekend in the Top 10 and NO GOOD DEED closed out the list.

Outside the chart, Liam Neeson's A WALK AMONG THE TOMBSTONES was buried along with TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES and LET'S BE COPS. The Hindi action-musical BANG BANG (a remake of the Tom Cruise/Cameron Diaz movie KNIGHT & DAY) brought in $1.2 million on 271 screens, whereas the Reese Witherspoon fact-based drama THE GOOD LIE couldn't crack $1 million on 461 screens.

Next weekend has Luke Evans as the legendary vampire in DRACULA UNTOLD, Robert Downey Jr. goes to court in THE JUDGE, a kid has a tough time in the marquee-busting ALEXANDER AND THE TERRIBLE, HORRIBLE, NO GOOD, VERY BAD DAY, and sexy shenanigans happen in the thriller ADDICTED. Limited releases include the Jeremy Renner thriller KILL THE MESSENGER, the Bill Murray comedy ST. VINCENT and the zombie sequel DEAD SNOW 2: RED VS. DEAD.

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