'Other Guys' Arrest Audiences, 'Step Up' Gets Served, 'Inception' Lingers
by Brandon Gray
The Other Guys --- August 8, 2010
The Other Guys saw a lot of action in its opening over the weekend, busting more moves than fellow debut Step Up 3-D, while Inception continued to be the exception with another small decline. Overall weekend business, though, was relatively soft for the time of year and was down ten percent from last year, when G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra was unleashed.
Capturing an estimated $35.6 million on approximately 4,900 screens at 3,651 locations, The Other Guys opened well above the average for its cop comedy sub-genre, and it nearly doubled the last entry, Cop Out. Backed by a clear, comedic marketing campaign riffing on action conventions, star Will Ferrell batted in his wheelhouse after his Land of the Lost misfire last summer and posted his second highest-grossing start after Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby. In terms of estimated attendance, though, Other Guys was on par with Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, and it was also spot on with Starsky & Hutch. Distributor Sony Pictures' exit polling indicated that the audience was 56 percent male and 55 percent under 25 years old (18 percent was 17 years old and younger).
Inception lost little steam in its fourth weekend, drawing an estimated $18.6 million on close to 4,800 screens at 3,418 locations. The dream heist eased 32 percent, which was the best hold of the weekend among major nationwide releases. Its total grew to $227.7 million in 24 days, rising to sixth place among 2010 releases.
With advertising that rested on the brand name and promise of dance moves popping out in 3D, Step Up 3-D slipped up compared to its predecessors, making an estimated $15.5 million on around 3,000 screens at 2,435 locations. The first Step Up opened to $20.7 million, while Step Up 2 the Streets bagged $18.9 million, and the disparity was much greater in terms of attendance. Step Up 3-D had an exceptionally high 3D-to-2D screen ratio, and its 3D presentations accounted for 81 percent of its business. Distributor Walt Disney Pictures reported that 64 percent of the audience was female and 67 percent was under 25 years old.
Sliding 43 percent, Salt took another generic hit but fell behind The Bourne Identity's traffic through the same point. It snared an estimated $11.1 million, increasing its sum to $92 million in 17 days. Dinner for Schmucks showed little traction in its second weekend, down 55 percent to an estimated $10.5 million to bring its total to $46.7 million in ten days. Compared to recent late July comedies, Schmucks held better than Funny People but tumbled harder than Step Brothers.
Despicable Me stayed in the game with an estimated $9.4 million, off 39 percent for a strong $209.4 million tally in 31 days. On the other hand, Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore retreated 44 percent to an estimated $6.9 million, lifting its total to a mere $26.4 million in ten days. Meanwhile, Charlie St. Cloud sank 62 percent to an estimated $4.7 million for a $23.5 million ten-day sum, and The Kids Are All Right performed modestly again with an estimated $2.6 million for a $14 million total through its fifth weekend.
