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    “The Butler” Did It; Lee Daniels’ Film Tops Weekend Box Office With $25M

    By SHOOT StaffUpdated:No Comments626 Views
    This film image released by The Weinstein Company shows Oprah Winfrey as Gloria Gaines, left, and Forest Whitaker as Cecil Gaines in a scene from "Lee Daniels' The Butler." (AP Photo/The Weinstein Company, Anne Marie Fox, File)

    By Sandy Cohen, Entertainment Writer

    LOS ANGELES (AP) --

    “Lee Daniels’ The Butler” is serving up success at the box office.

    Starring Forest Whitaker as a longtime White House butler and Oprah Winfrey as his boozy wife, the Weinstein Co. biopic debuted in the top spot with $25 million, according to studio estimates Sunday. But the weekend’s three other major new releases, including the action romp “Kick-Ass 2,” failed to find traction with fans.

    “We expected to do well, but we didn’t expect to do this well,” said Erik Lomis, president of distribution and home entertainment for Weinstein Co., adding that “The Butler” is the company’s first No. 1 debut since 2009’s “Inglourious Basterds.”

    Even with a full slate of newcomers, last week’s top movies claimed the second and third spots in the box-office race. The Jason Sudeikis-Jennifer Aniston Warner Bros. comedy, “We’re the Millers,” held onto second place in its second week of release with $17.78 million, while last week’s No. 1, Sony’s “Elysium,” dropped to third with $13.6 million.

    “It was tough if you were any other film opening other than ‘The Butler,'” said Paul Dergarabedian of box-office tracker Hollywood.com.

    “Kick-Ass 2,” Universal’s tale of everyday teenagers who dress up as superhero crime-fighters, opened in fourth place with $13.56 million. Open Road’s Steve Jobs biopic, “Jobs,” debuted in seventh place with $6.7 million. And Relativity’s “Paranoia,” which stars Harrison Ford, Gary Oldman and Liam Hemsworth, didn’t crack the top 12.

    “Maybe it should have been Oprah Winfrey’s ‘Jobs,'” Dergarabedian said. “It would have had a better shot.”

    Apart from Winfrey’s unmatched marketing power, “The Butler” also marked the mogul’s return to the big screen for the first time since 1998’s “Beloved.”

    “She was a significant factor” in the film’s success this weekend, Lomis said. “Her publicity machine really kicked into high gear, and the entire cast, Lee Daniels and Forest Whitaker, they delivered a quality film and a great campaign.”

    The summer typically belongs to superheroes and big-action fare, which is why Weinstein chose to release “The Butler” now.

    “It’s different from pretty much everything else in the marketplace,” Lomis said. “That really seemed to help.”

    But the power of Oprah cannot be underestimated.

    “It’s stronger than anything else,” Dergarabedian said. “An Oprah Winfrey endorsement virtually guarantees you a hit.”

    Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Hollywood.com:

    1. “Lee Daniels’ The Butler,” $25 million.
    2. “We’re the Millers,” $17.78 million ($10.6 million international).
    3. “Elysium,” $13.6 million ($23.4 million international).
    4. “Kick-Ass 2,” $13.56 million ($6.3 million international).
    5. “Planes,” $13.14 million ($7.3 million international).
    6. “Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters,” $8.37 million ($21.8 million international).
    7. “Jobs,” $6.7 million.
    8. “2 Guns,” $5.57 million ($2.1 million international).
    9. “The Smurfs 2,” $4.6 million ($20 million international).
    10. “The Wolverine,” $4.42 million ($10.8 million international).

    Category:News



    Review: Director Ben Taylor’s “Joy”

    Thursday, November 21, 2024

    Toward the end of Netflix's "Joy," the muffled cry of a newborn baby prompts a man and woman in a hospital to embrace out of pure bliss. They aren't the parents, but they had as much to do with the birth as the mom and dad.

    This charming and winning movie charts the decade-long true story of how the world's first IVF baby was born in England in 1978 — a 5-pound, 12-ounce girl who paved the way for millions more. It's an upbeat, very English affair, mixing sober discussion of endometriosis with chocolate biscuits.

    The couple embracing that day were pioneering scientist Robert Edwards and Jean Purdy, a young nurse and embryologist. Together with surgeon Patrick Steptoe, the trio succeeded with in vitro fertilization, a method of treating infertility. Edwards would go on to win the Nobel Prize.

    "Joy" has been birthed at a time when science is under threat in America — even IVF — so it's downright inspiring to see plucky, smart scientists working hard to change the world. "What we're doing, it matters," says Steptoe, played with quiet economy by Bill Nighy.

    "Joy" is the personal stories of the three scientists — mostly through the eyes of Purdy, a polite lab-coated warrior. "If I hear a commotion, I'm not very good at staying out of it," she says. Perfectly played by Thomasin McKenzie, Purdy is both vulnerable and strong, learning through the process to be a better human. James Norton plays Edwards with charm, self-doubt and calm spirit.

    Jack Thorne's script nicely explains the massive pressure the trio faced. IVF may have become common and uncontroversial over the last decades, but back in the late '70s it was experimental and shunned. The Anglican church called it a sin, the newspapers labeled it Frankenstein-ish and other... Read More

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