It’s another too-close-to-call weekend at the American box office as low-budget horror The Last Exorcism and heist thriller Takers both arrived in cinemas touting an approximate $21 million opening. Exorcism sneaked ahead with $21.3 million, with Takers on $21 million, but that could all change when the final figures actually arrive tomorrow. Still, given that the horror only cost $1.8 million to make, it’s already a success.
The only other new entry wasn’t really new at all, except for eight minutes of fresh footage, but Avatar’s limited re-release only managed to arrive in 12th place, leaving us all to wonder how Fox will ever make its money back on the fil… Oh, yeah… right. Biggest film ever. And considering it’s already out on DVD, it’s not a small achievement.
In third place we find The Expendables with $9.5 million, just ahead of Eat Pray Love, which made $7 million. And bringing up the rear in the top five, The Other Guys, which clung on to its spot with $6.6 million and is about to crack $100 million.
The rest of the chart was filled with the frankly awful Vampires Suck (down 56% percent from its first week of release), which took $5.3 million. Inception actually rose back up the charts, landing at seventh with $5.1 million, while Nanny McPhee Returns held on to eighth with $4.7 million. The Switch was ninth ($4.6 million) and Piranha 3D continued to show it doesn’t have much of a swim bladder, sinking to 10th with $4.3 million.
For the scary truth about the charts, head to Box Office Mojo.