Doom and Gloom at the Box Office

(andPOP) - The Rock came out on top, guns ablaze, after the weekly box office battle, but Hollywood doesn't much like the taste of doom.

Based on the popular video game, Doom debuted as the top movie with only $15.4 million, according to Hollywood Reporter. It was, alas, a crappy October weekend where ticket sales are concerned. Box office intake is down 27% from the same weekend last year, when The Grudge opened with surprising success.

Though Universal Pictures expects to get a good return on Doom, the studio had hoped for a bigger opening weekend. Nikki Rocco, the head of distribution, said, "I'm very concerned about the marketplace. There are so many movies out, so much to choose from, yet the marketplace continues to fall, and not just by little amounts."

Dreamer: Inspired by a True Story, a family movie starring Dakota Fanning and a horse, finished in second place with about $9.3 million. Charlize Theron's Oscar-baiting drama North Country opened at #5 with $6.5 million. Stay, a thriller starring Ewan McGregor and Naomi Watts, stayed well behind the rest of the pack, debuting with a mere $2.15 million - not even enough to crack the top 12.

Wallace & Gromit held up well in third place, and Comingsoon.net reports that The Fog has earned back its production budget of $18 million in less than ten days.
Limited release films definitely did better. Shopgirl made $236,000 and Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang $174,000 in only eight theatres. Both movies will expand to more theatres over the next couple of weeks.

Meanwhile, the foreign box office is looking perkier (although Doom disappointed on strange soil with only $904,472). There are apparently school holidays going on in European markets, and family films are extremely well-received. Reuters reports that the weekend box office was led by Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit and Tim Burton's Corpse Bride. Wallace's international total comes to about $64.7 million. Corpse Bride made an estimated $9.7 million from 19 countries, opening at #1 in both France and Mexico. The early international total is $11.7 million.

And, of course, the long-running Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is closing in on $252.1 million. Let us break out into Willy Wonka song now.