The new wide releases this weekend were Alex Cross and Paranormal Activity 4. Predicably, Paranormal Activity made $30 million, sextupling its $5 million budget, while BoxOfficeMojo says “though its comparatively underwhelming gross suggests audiences are growing tired of the perennial horror franchise.” Yep, it’s underwhelming audiences all the way to the bank, just like it was designed to.
Meanwhile, Tyler Perry hoped he could expand his output from hokey melodrama to hokey thriller, playing Alex Cross in a film called Alex Cross with a tagline “don’t ever cross Alex Cross.” It’s not quite a lawyer named deeds learning the value of good deeds in a film called Good Deeds, but it’s close. Sadly, it didn’t work. Alex Cross ever had the worst-ever opening ($11.75 million) for a Tyler Perry starrer and the worst opening for a movie featuring the Alex Cross character (previously: Kiss the Girls, Along Came a Spider). I guess the world just wasn’t ready for a film about a homicidal serial killer who targets the wife of the detective sent to catch him. Sometimes you’re just ahead of your time, you know? Maybe the world will catch up in time for the sequel.
OTHER NOTES: Argo fell only 15 percent from its opening weekend, “the best hold ever for a live-action movie in over 3,000 theaters that’s released outside of November and December (when holiday weekends skew results).” Maybe it can win an award for the most conditional record.
[via BoxOfficeMojo]