Teen Thriller Beats The Devil At Weekend Box Office
The screamfest “I Know What You Did Last Summer” beat the devil at the weekend box office, industry analysts said Sunday.
The thriller about four teenagers who are stalked after trying to cover up a hit-and-run accident had an estimated $16.1 million in debut ticket sales.
“Devil’s Advocate,” starring Al Pacino and Keanu Reeves, was No. 2, earning $12.2 million in its first weekend of wide release, according to estimates from Exhibitor Relations Co. Inc.
“I Know What You Did Last Summer” had the second biggest October opening ever, behind the $16.7 million earned by “Stargate” in 1994.
Another murder-thriller, “Kiss the Girls,” starring Morgan Freeman and Ashley Judd, held its own, coming in at No. 3 after three weeks. It earned $7 million for a total of $39.2 million.
The slew of pre-Halloween thrillers hurt “Devil’s Advocate” despite its heavyweight cast, said Robert Bucksbaum, a spokesman for Reel Source Inc., a newsletter for industry insiders and movie theater owners.
The adolescent to young adult crowd also wielded considerable clout in the case of “I Know What You Did,” he said.
“We’re witnessing the awakening of the sleeping giant, the 15- to 22-year-old date-crowd market,” Bucksbaum said. “This is the same audience that turned out in droves for last year’s ‘Scream’ and ‘Romeo and Juliet.’ And because this is the only film specifically targeted for this audience, that’s why we believe it did so well.”
Brad Pitts’ “Seven Years in Tibet,” dropped to No. 4 in its second week with $6.57 million.
“Playing God,” with David Duchovny as a doctor for bad guys, had a paltry $2 million. It failed to open in the Top 10, edged out by the British comedy “Bean,” playing only in Canada and overseas for now.
“Bean,” starring Rowan Atkinson as a down-and-out museum employee who ends up saving the day, grossed $2.25 million. It is scheduled to open in the United States in November.
“We think it’s going to do really well here, as well,” Bucksbaum said, noting that Atkinson has a strong following from his PBS and HBO specials.