Box Office – Did Poltergeist Rise from the Dead this Memorial Day Weekend?
During what’s being hailed as one of the weakest Memorial Day Weekend box offices in recent memory, the eyes of the horror world turn to the Sam Raimi-produced remake of Insidious. I mean Poltergeist – oops.
In all seriousness, from the moment they announced they were remaking Poltergeist, I can’t have been the only one who wondered why bother since Insidious was already more or less that remake.
Why bother? Well, money, obviously. Since seemingly 90% of all theatrically released horror movies these days are about ghostly or demonic hauntings, why not recycle the granddaddy of all ghost flicks?
Fox’s Poltergeist is due to scare up about $27 million for the four-day Memorial Day Weekend. Won’t have to make too much to claim to the title of being the highest grossing horror movie of the year thus far.
On the negative side, given how middling the word-of-mouth has been, it probably won’t make too much more. But don’t expect to hear the producers complaining since the film’s budget was reportedly only about $35 million.
Poltergeist’s fourth place finish put it behind the disappointing Tomorrowland, the soaring Pitch Perfect 2, and the still furious Mad Max: Fury Road.
Mad Max: Fury Road held strong in its second week, dropping only 47% with another $24 million. That’s a great hold for a tentpole picture in its second week. Heck, that’s a great hold for an R-rated sequel to a 30-year-old franchise. Domestic total is up to $87 million, and with international strong, we may yet get another trip into the Wasteland.
After The Rock rumbles in the non-Roland Emmerich disaster porn epic San Andreas next week, horror returns to the big screen the week after with the prequel Poltergeist Chapter 3. I mean Insidious Chapter 3. They really are similar.
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