‘The Butler’ on Top for Third Weekend

Lee Daniels’ The Butler led the four-day holiday weekend box office with $20.20 million thanks in part to a very strong Labor Day performance on Monday. The four-day take for the awards season hopeful from The Weinstein Co. was up a strong 22 percent over the previous weekend’s three-day take. The Butler has grossed $79.47 million through 18 days of release. Thanks to continued strong holding power, it will only be a matter of time before The Butler surpasses the $100 million domestic milestone.

Oprah Winfrey and Forest Whitaker star in Lee Daniels’ The Butler. (Anne Marie Cox/The Weinstein Group.

Sony’s One Direction: This Is Us took second for the four-days. The 3D concert documentary took in $18.47 million for the four-day weekend. While One Direction: This Is Us opened towards the lower end of expectations last weekend, the film’s front-loading towards Friday’s performance isn’t a good sign going forward.

We’re the Millers placed in third with a four-day take of $16.29 million. The four-day take for the Warner Bros. comedy was up 25 percent over the previous weekend. We’re the Millers surpassed the $100 million mark on Friday (the film’s 24th day of release) and has now grossed $113.24 million through 27 days of release.

Meanwhile, the weekend’s other major releases failed to make much noise. Warner Bros.’s Getaway opened below its already modest expectations with a 10th place four-day take of $5.61 million.

In limited release, Lionsgate’s Instructions Not Included surprised in a very big way last weekend. Playing in a modest 348 locations, the low-budget Eugenio Derbez comedy vehicle from Pantelion Films grossed $10.38 million to place in fifth for the four-day frame. That already makes Instructions Not Included the highest grossing film ever for Pantelion Films. Lionsgate will expand the film into additional locations next weekend.

The Weinstein Co.’s The Grandmaster took in $3.18 million in four days (from 749 locations), bringing the film’s 11-day total gross to $3.38 million. Focus’ Closed Circuit finished slightly behind The Grandmaster over the four-day weekend with $3.12 million (from 870 locations). That brings the six-day start for Closed Circuit to a soft $3.63 million.

The weekend’s overall four-day box office total came in at just over $162 million. That easily set a new unadjusted box office record for Labor Day weekend. The previous unadjusted record holder was Labor Day weekend of 2007 with an overall four-day gross of $148.8 million.

Mark Heckathorn

Editor-in-Chief Mark Heckathorn is a journalist, movie buff and foodie. He oversees DC on Heels editorial operations as well as strategic planning and staff development. Reach him with story ideas or suggestions at dcoheditor (at) gmail (dot) com.