‘The Possession’ Earns $21.3 Million At North American Box Office
Americans were looking to get their scare on over the Labor Day weekend as indicated by the box office performance of the Sam Raimi-produced horror flick The Possession. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the Ole Bornedal-directed exorcism tale, which stars Kyra Sedgwick and Jeffrey Dean Morgan, earned an estimated $21.3 million during its first weekend in theaters. The number is a bit higher than earlier studio predictions, which had the movie enjoying around $17 million in ticket sales.
The fact that The Possession enjoyed such a lucrative weekend is sure to cause a wave of happiness to wash over the boys and girls at Lionsgate, who reportedly spent $14 million on the flick. Given that the film’s opening is now considered to be one of the best in history for the holiday weekend, the movie is well on its its way to becoming a pretty big hit for the studio. It’s probably safe to assume that a sequel is already being pieced together.
According to Internet Movie Database, the film is about a young girl who “buys an antique box at a yard sale, unaware that inside the collectible lives a malicious ancient spirit. The girl’s father teams with his ex-wife to find a way to end the curse upon their child.” All sorts of exorcism-related shenanigans will apparently ensue. Presently, The Possession has a Rotten Tomatoes score of 35 percent.
This weekend’s other major release, the Shia LaBeouf period drama Lawless, secured the number two at the North American box office with a three-day total of $9.67 million. Box Office Mojo reports that number helps bring its five-day total to around $11 million. Hanging out in the third place position was The Expendables 2, which generated an addition $8.8 million in ticket sales.
Oogieloves in the BIG Balloon Adventure, meanwhile, earned an honor of its own. The family-oriented feature now has the distinction of being the lowest grossing movie to have been released in over 2,000 theaters.
