Weekend box office topped by Contagion over the The Help, Warrior.
Warner Bros. Pictures' Contagion thriller swept the box office this weekend after an $8 million Friday debut, grossing $23.1 million from 3,222 theaters nationwide. The Stephen Soderbergh film averaged a solid $7,180 per theater and stars Matt Damon, Marion Cotillard, Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Winslet and Laurence Fishburne.
Day-by-Day Breakdown over the weekend for Contagion: (Estimates)
- Friday: $8.015 million
- Saturday: $9.45 million
- Sunday: $5.67 million
The Help continued to impress, turning in over $8.6 million from its fifth weekend at the box office. Impressively, the Viola Davis, Emma Stone and Bryce Dallas Howard-starrer has pocked over $137 million domestically, and around $1.7 million overseas, from a $25 million budget.
Lionsgate's critically-acclaimed MMA action drama Warrior opened in 1,869 theaters, making $5.6 million. Starring in the Gavin O'Connor film packed with stellar performances from leading and supporting cast, are Joel Edgerton (upcoming The Great Gatsby, The Odd Life of Timothy Green), Tom Hrdy (Bronson, Inception, upcoming The Dark Knight Rises), Nick Nolte, Jennifer Morrison and Frank Grillo.
In fourth, Focus Features' The Debt showed a 51% change in its sophomore weekend box office run, turning in $4.9 million. Starring in the John Madden film scripted by Matthew Vaughn and Jane Goldman, are Sam Worthington, Helen Mirren, Ciaran Hinds, Tom Wilkinson, Jessica Chastain, Marton Csokas and Jesper Christensen.
Rounding off the top five spots this weekend, Zoe Saldana actioner Colombiana from Sony showed a mild 46% change in its third weekend at play, grossing $4 million from 2,354 runs.
Of note from limited openers was Vivendi's Kevin Hart: Laugh At My Pain which debuted in just 98 theaters, but grossed a hefty $2 million, averaging $20,408 per theater.
As anticipated, Sony's comedy Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star, starring Nick Swardson, Stephen Dorff and Christina Ricci, flopped badly, debuting in 15th place with a paltry $1.45 million from 1,500 theaters.
Check back into the box office for actual movie box office numbers on Monday night-Tuesday morning.