Friday, December 6, 2024

Box Office: Ben Affleck’s “Accountant” Makes $9Mil Plus Friday Night, “Birth of a Nation” Dies Some More

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The box office Friday night tells a sad tale for “Birth of a Nation.” The Sundance favorite, once tipped for Oscars, is dead again. Nate Parker’s historical saga now has just over $10.3 million total after eight days including two Fridays. Last night it scored $890,000, a fall off of 69.3% from last Friday.

What a shame and a mess. “Birth” will come out of the weekend with less than $12 million. At that point Fox Searchlight will like cut the number of screens. This should have a sobering effect on Sundance sales this coming January. And my guess is, unknown makers of hot new films will be vetted very carefully in the future.

One big name director with a lovely film is not getting the support though: Mira Nair’s “Queen of Katwe” is a lox at the box office. No one is going. This movie needs a marketing push, or some kind of divine intervention. I’d hate to see it disappear.

Meanwhile, Ben Affleck has a hit in “The Accountant.” Warners should do $26 million for the weekend. Ledgers will look good as “The Accountant” only cost $44 million– maybe $54 million all in. The Warners/Affleck deal is a winner. And it didn’t take creative bookkeeping!

Roger Friedman
Roger Friedmanhttps://www.showbiz411.com
Roger Friedman began his Showbiz411 column in April 2009 after 10 years with Fox News, where he created the Fox411 column. His movie reviews are carried by Rotten Tomatoes, and he is a member of both the movie and TV branches of the Critics Choice Awards. His articles have appeared in dozens of publications over the years including New York Magazine, where he wrote the Intelligencer column in the mid 90s and covered the OJ Simpson trial, and Fox News (when it wasn't so crazy) where he covered Michael Jackson. He is also the writer and co-producer of "Only the Strong Survive," a selection of the Cannes, Sundance, and Telluride Film festivals, directed by DA Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus.

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