Brad Pitt Drives “Basterds” to $100 mil This Week

Quentin Tarantino’s “Inglourious Basterds” has just crossed the $95 million mark and is heading toward $100 million before the end of the week.

This makes the Brad Pitt blockbuster the first $100 million movie for The Weinstein Company, which been in business for four years. By comparison, respected mini studio Focus Features ‘ releasing films since 2002 and home to the great Ang Lee ‘ still lacks a film that’s broken that magic number. (Although, the Coen Brothers‘ “A Serious Man” may be their breakthrough, you never know.)

For Pitt, “Basterds” is his 7th $100 million-plus film in this decade. The others include the three “Oceans” movies, “Benjamin Button,” “Troy” and “Mr. & Mrs. Smith.” Brad’s done a lot better in the 00s than in the 90s, when it wasn’t clear whether he could “open” a film. His list of flops in that decade is long, including “Sleepers,” “Devil’s Own,” “Fight Club,” “Snatch,” “The Mexican,” “Seven Years in Tibet,” and “Meet Joe Black.”

Brad’s success shows a couple of things: that it takes longer for actors to hit their stride than actresses, and that he’s improved not only as an actor but in choosing the right projects.