Friday Box Office: ‘Possession,’ ‘Lawless’ Take Top Spots

The Sam Raimi-produced horror flick The Possession and the Shia LaBeouf Prohibition drama Lawless have claimed the top two spots at the North American box office on Friday, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Both movies have posted strong numbers, indicating that these new releases may fare well over the Labor Day weekend.

Director Ole Bornedal’s exorcism-oriented horror effort reportedly earned between $4 and $5 million in one day, putting its estimated weekend haul at around $17 million. Given that the feature’s budget was an estimated $14 million, this is certainly good news for Lionsgate.

Filmmaker John Hillcoat’s Lawless, meanwhile, has amassed an estimated $3 million in ticket sales on Friday. Overall, the film is expected to gross between $14 and $16 million by the time the holiday weekend is said and done.

This week’s other new release, the family-oriented fare Oogieloves in the Big Balloon Adventure, is expected to debut outside of the Top 12. As of August 30, the film has only managed to make around $225,000. The film’s budget was an estimated $20 million, which means it still has a long way to go to break even. Given the popularity of kids’ movies on home video, there’s a very strong possibility the film will recoup its money down the road.

Box Office Mojo reports that last weekend’s number one movie, The Expendables 2, brought home an additional $2 million on Friday, bringing the action flick’s domestic total to around $59 million. Although the sequel received quite a bit of critical praise upon its release, it’s still lagging behind its predecessor in box office numbers. Worldwide, the film has presently made $126 million.

The Avengers, which expanded into additional theaters ahead of its September 25 release on DVD and Blu-ray, brought in an estimated $365,000, bringing its North American total to $618. On a global scale, the picture has generated a staggering $1.5 billion in ticket sales. Disney and Marvel also stand to make a mint on the feature as soon as it hits home video.