Weekend Box Office Report: September 20-22, 2013

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

Prisoners captures the top!

It seems as though moviegoers were looking for some intensity in their entertainment, putting PRISONERS at #1 this weekend with an opening of $21.4 million!

The R-rated Hugh Jackman/Jake Gyllenhaal kidnapping thriller carried strong film festival buzz and found critical praise (79% on Rotten Tomatoes) plus some early awards chatter, especially for Jackman's desperate dad. Paying crowds who made it through the grueling drama (clocking in around 2-and-a-half hours) gave it a 'B+' CinemaScore, then rushed home and hugged their kids.

Last week's winner, the scary sequel INSIDIOUS: CHAPTER 2, came in second with another $14.5 million (a 64% slide from its opening). While it probably won't reach the heights of director James Wan's summer spooker THE CONJURING ($271 million worldwide), a $60 million 10-day total for the second INSIDIOUS is still a frightfully good return on a $5 million investment.

Luc Besson's mobster comedy THE FAMILY got bumped to third place with $7 million, but the comedy INSTRUCTIONS NOT INCLUDED surged two spots as it added another $5.7 million (it's currently the fifth highest-grossing foreign language release, just behind PAN'S LABYRINTH).

Apparently the pairing of "LOST" star Josh Holloway and "bad boy" singer Chris Brown wasn't exactly the team-up everyone was waiting for, judging by the fifth place opening of BATTLE OF THE YEAR. The underdog dance-competition drama staggered with $5 million, and while the crowds that did show up gave it an 'A-' CinemaScore, the movie face-planted with critics (6% on Rotten Tomatoes).

WE'RE THE MILLERS and LEE DANIELS' THE BUTLER are still holding on, but things are getting dark for RIDDICK as he slinks further down the chart. Still, the third screen appearance of Vin Diesel's sinewy space survivor has collected $74 million globally (on a $38 million budget), so perhaps we'll see the goggled anti-hero on another merc-mangling adventure after all?

A 3D version of the classic THE WIZARD OF OZ was released onto 318 great and powerful IMAX screens, and the extra-dimensionalized trip over the rainbow landed in ninth place with $3 million (and the highest per-screen average in the Top 10).

Disney's PLANES still has a bit of fuel, but PERCY JACKSON: SEA OF MONSTERS, ELYSIUM and ONE DIRECTION: THIS IS US have drifted off the chart. In limited release, Ron Howard's true racing story RUSH started with decent numbers ($40k per-screen), although nowhere near the $60k per-screen of the comedy ENOUGH SAID, one of actor James Gandolfini's final roles. The new Mark Ruffalo/Gwyneth Paltrow romcom THANKS FOR SHARING got the cold shoulder with $608k on 269 screens.

Next weekend brings more food weather in the animated sequel CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS 2, plus some blended romance and comedy in BAGGAGE CLAIM and Joseph Gordon-Levitt's DON JON. Ron Howard's RUSH expands nationwide, while METALLICA: THROUGH THE NEVER gets started in an IMAX exclusive release.

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