The FINANCIAL — Paramount's newest thriller from director Martin Scorsese and star Leonardo DiCaprio "Shutter Island" opened as the top film in U.S. and Canadian theaters earning $40.2 million domestically, according to the studio.
Last weekend’s No. 1 movie, “Valentine’s Day,” fell to second place with $17.2 million for Time Warner Inc., researcher Hollywood.com Box-Office said in an e-mailed statement, Bloomberg reports. “Shutter Island,” which stars Leonardo DiCaprio as a detective investigating the disappearance of a patient at an insane asylum, is Paramount’s first release this year. It had a stronger opening weekend than any previous film directed by Scorcese or starred in by DiCaprio, including their three previous collaborations.
“Certainly, Martin Scorcese and Leonardo DiCaprio in their fourth collaboration boost the box office for a picture like this,” said Brandon Gray, editor of Box Office Mojo, the same source reports. “More importantly, ‘Shutter Island’ had an excellent marketing campaign,” and stands a good chance of exceeding $100 million in ticket sales, Gray said.
The robust result for “Shutter Island” validates Paramount’s decision in August to abandon the film’s initial release date of Oct. 2, though a marketing campaign was already well under way. The delay irritated fans and knocked the film out of contention for the 2009 Academy Awards, The New York Times reports. “We have rarely felt more pressure about an opening,” said Rob Moore, Paramount’s vice chairman. “Everyone was standing over us to see if the decision was a good one. Luckily, the result was phenomenal.”
Hollywood was as surprised by the delay — especially since it seemed to push around a power player like Scorsese — as it was by Paramount’s frank explanation, according to the same source. The studio said it simply could not afford to release the movie in the fourth quarter because of an industry-wide slump in DVD sales, among other financial concerns. Neither Scorsese nor DiCaprio has had an opening this big, even when adjusted for inflation. The previous high-water mark for Scorsese was “The Departed,” which sold about $27 million over its first three days in 2006. DiCaprio’s previous record was the 2002 comedic drama “Catch Me if You Can,” which had a $30 million opening.
While "Shutter Island" didn't come close to the $56.4 million that "Valentine's Day" earned over three days last weekend, it did rival the $41 million of "Tyler Perry's Madea Goes to Jail" (2009) for the second-biggest February opening in three years – and as an R-rated film, no less, Miami Herald informs. (Paramount also earned $9.1 million internationally from an assortment of territories, including Spain, Russia and the Netherlands.)
Though a big success in its opening weekend, "Shutter Island" was not inexpensive to produce, the same source reports. The movie cost nearly $100 million to make, according to a person close to the production, although a Paramount spokesperson said that tax incentives from Massachusetts, where the film was shot, brought the final expenditure down to about $75 million.
Here are the top 10 movies at the domestic box office according to Hollywood.com:
1. "Shutter Island" (Paramount): Opened to $40.2 million domestically and just over $9 million internationally from a smattering of foreign territories over the weekend.
2. "Valentine's Day" (Warner Bros./New Line): Grossed $17.2 million in its second weekend of release with a drop of 69% from last weekend's holiday opening. Domestic total: $88 million.
3. "Avatar" (Fox/Dune/Ingenious): $16.1 million in its 10th week of a release as the James Cameron movie hits $688 million domestically. A $51-million gross in foreign territories puts its international box office at $1.78 billion.
4. "Percy Jackson and the Olympians" (Fox/Dune/Ingenious): Grossed $15.3 million for a drop of 51% in its second weekend of release. The film earned $23 million overseas for a domestic total of $58.8 million and a foreign total of $67.8 million.
5. "The Wolfman" (Universal/Relativity): $9.8-million gross and a 69% drop, resulting in a domestic total that reaches $50.3 million for a production that cost more than $100 million.
6. "Dear John" (Sony/Relativity): $7.7 million in its third weekend of release for a drop of 52%. Domestic total: $66.3 million.
7. "The Tooth Fairy" (Fox/Walden): $4.5 million as it enters its second month of release. Domestic total: $49.8 million.
8. "Crazy Heart" (Fox Searchlight): $2.9 million in its 10th weekend. Domestic total: $21.5 million.
9. "From Paris With Love" (Lionsgate/Europa): $2.5 million in its third weekend, a 54% drop from an under-performing second weekend. Domestic total: $21.2 million.
10. "Edge of Darkness" (Warner Bros./GK Films): $2.2 million in its fourth weekend, down 54%. Domestic total: $40.3 million.
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