"Saw IV" set to conquer box office
By Carl DiOrio
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Another Halloween, another "Saw" movie.
"Saw IV," the latest entry in the horror franchise, is sure to cut deeply into its box office competition this weekend, but the real question is whether the gory Lionsgate saga can pump some blood into a lifeless marketplace.
Disney's Steve Carell-Juliette Binoche comedy "Dan in Real Life," a counterprogramming ploy, is the only other wide debutant.
The presence of just two wide entrants could help restore a bit of sanity to a field where star-filled films have been crushed amid a surplus of openers and expansions. Among this weekend's notable expansions, Wes Anderson's "The Darjeeling Limited" heads north of 700 engagements after playing in 201 venues last weekend.
As for expectations on the R-rated "Saw IV," some might dismiss the franchise as "torture porn," an ailing horror subgenre. But the third sequel should easily top $25 million, and possibly reach $35 million if overall business improves.
It's worth noting that each new installment has opened more strongly than its predecessor. The franchise kicked off during Halloween 2004 with $18.3 million and eventually rung up $55.2 million domestically. A year later, "Saw II" unspooled with $31.7 million en route to $87 million, and last year "Saw III" debuted with $33.6 million and took in $80.2 million overall.
Like its past two predecessors, "Saw IV" was directed by Darren Lynn Bousman. Central character Jigsaw (Tobin Bell) was killed in "Saw III," and "Saw IV's" plot line picks up thereafter.
Meanwhile, "Dan" should open in the $10 million range. It is expected to skew considerably older than "Saw IV" and possibly attract good date-crowd business. Disney hopes "Dan" will appeal to fans of Carell's work in NBC's "The Office" as well in such features as "The 40-Year-Old Virgin."
Last weekend's No. 1 film, Sony's vampire chiller "30 Days of Night," opened at the low end of expectations with $16 million. The distributor also will be hard-pressed to hang a good hold on the horror film this weekend with "Saw IV" buzzing into the marketplace.
But the "30 Days" bow represented a notable success relative to the dismal debuts of several other openers, such as Fox Atomic's sports spoof "The Comebacks" ($5.6 million) and Miramax's drama "Gone Baby Gone" ($5.5 million).
And then there's New Line's CIA thriller "Rendition," starring Reese Witherspoon and Jake Gyllenhaal, opened last weekend with just $4.1 million. So the less said about its longer-term prospects, the better.
Reuters/Hollywood Reporter
