Weekend Estimates: Wall Street Opens Up

September 26, 2010

Twenty-three years after the opening of the original, Wall Street 2 marked the successful return of Gordon Gecko this weekend with a good (though hardly blockbusting) $19 million opening. Intervening years of inflation and radical changes in theatrical distribution make a comparison between the openings of the two movies virtually meaningless, but it is noteworthy that the first Wall Street was more a of cultural icon than a box office hit. It earned $43,848,100 - very respectable for the time, but less than, for example, Outrageous Fortune, Dragnet or La Bamba, which were all also released in 1987. Wall Street 2 looks headed for similar respectability. Whether it'll catch the national mood in the same way is more doubtful.

Speaking of respectability, Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole 3D posted an opening weekend estimated at $16.335 million. With little competition coming up, this is a movie that could enjoy a long box office run, but it's got a long way to go before it becomes profitable. You Again posted a soft opening estimated at $8.3 million, but it will be helped financially by having a much lower budget.

The Virginity Hit was the big miss of the weekend, earning just $300,000 from 700 theaters.

In limited release, Waiting for Superman posted an impressive $35,000 per theater average in four theaters, and is an early contender for Best Documentary Oscar. You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger posted an excellent $27,000 average, eerily similar to the open average for last year's Whatever Works. Buried and Howl also posted good enough numbers (around $10,000 per theater) to support further expansion.

Filed under: Weekend Estimates, You Again, Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole, Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps, Buried, Waiting for Superman, Howl, You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger, The Virginity Hit