Tom Hanks and Ron Howard’s latest Dan Brown adaptation, “Inferno,” went up in flames at the weekend box office, handing Tyler Perry’s “Boo! A Madea Halloween” a surprise victory.
Perry’s latest Madea movie remained No. 1 for the second straight week, topping the North American box office with an estimated $16.6 million. That was enough to scare away the third installment of the “Da Vinci Code” franchise. According to studio estimates Sunday, “Inferno” bombed with $15 million, about half of what more bullish predictions anticipated.
Sony Pictures and “Inferno” could take solace in stronger overseas business. In two weeks of international release, it’s earned nearly $150 million. The studio also stressed that the $75 million budget for “Inferno” was half that of “The Da Vinci Code” or “Angels and Demons.”
“Certainly we thought of the film as for the international market. We knew that’s where the sweet spot was going to be,” said Rory Bruer, domestic distribution chief for Sony. “We got a few bad breaks, the biggest being this historical World Series.” (Friday night’s Game Three between the Chicago Cubs and the Cleveland Indians drew 19.4 million viewers, a 12-year-best, and Saturday night’s Game Four was watched by 15.1 million.)
But Perry’s long-running character has fared better than each, at least in North America. The Halloween-themed “Boo,” released by Lionsgate, has made $52 million in 10 days, making it Perry’s biggest hit since 2009’s “Madea Goes to Jail.”
Source: New York (AP)
