‘WAR’ BOLDLY ENTERS FRAY
‘Compton’ wins the weekend, but the Kendricks’ faith-based film beats forecasts.
“Straight Outta Compton” continued its streak at No. 1, but it was the faithbased family drama “War Room” that shook up the weekend box office by debuting at No. 2.
“War Room,” from Sony Pictures Entertainment’s TriStar label, had been expected to open at $4 million to $5 million. Instead, it launched with an estimated $11 million in ticket sales at 1,135 theaters in the U.S. and Canada — about one-third the number of screens for “Straight Outta Compton.”
Made for about $3.5 million, “War Room” is the latest from the Kendrick brothers, Alex and Stephen. It is Sony’s fifth collaboration with the duo, who also were behind the 2008 Christian hit “Fireproof,” which cost just $500,000 to make but collected $33.5 million at the domestic box office.
“The Kendrick brothers
are visionaries in this arena,” said Rory Bruer, Sony’s head of domestic distribution. “They have the pulse on what audiences want to see.”
Those audiences, which skewed female (60%) and older than 25 (85%), gave the film an A-plus rating, according to polling firm CinemaScore.
The film centers on a real estate agent in a troubled marriage who finds counseling from a client, an older religious woman who suggests converting a closet into a “war room” where the agent can pray, get right with God and save her family.
“It just had everything going for it,” Bruer said. “It was really kind of catching that wave where by the time we released it ... it just really was so far beyond even our expectations.” He noted the per-screen average of almost $10,000, more than double that of any other film in wide release.
The box-office haul shouldn’t have been entirely surprising given the success of faith-based films in the past, including “Noah,” “Son of God” and “God’s Not Dead.” According to ticketing website Fandango, “War Room” scored 70 out of 100 points on its “movie buzz indicator,” trailing slightly behind “Straight Outta Compton.” The metric gauges audience interest based on data from social media, online and mobile traffic, and advance ticket sales.
The success of “War Room” reflects the relationship the studio has developed with the faith-based audiences across the country, said Rich Peluso, senior vice president of Sony Pictures. Peluso released a statement that said the partnership with the Kendricks has proved effective because they are “intimately connected to faith leaders,” they integrate themes that resonate with these leaders and they make movies that serve as “both entertainment and a useful tool to change lives and hearts.”
The N.W.A biopic “Straight Outta Compton” fell 50% in its third weekend but still added $13.2 million to its cumulative gross. The Universal Pictures film has collected an estimated $134.1 million in the U.S. and Canada, making it the highestgrossing musical biopic ever, surpassing the $119.5-million total for “Walk the Line.”
“No Escape,” which began rolling out Wednesday, debuted at No. 4 with $8.3 million in ticket sales Friday through Sunday. The Weinstein Co. acquired the action thriller, which stars Owen Wilson and Pierce Brosnan, for a mere $5 million.
“We were hoping to get to higher double digits over the five-day, but I think we are positioned pretty well heading into Labor Day weekend,” said Erik Lomis, head of distribution for the Weinstein Co.
Warner Bros.’ new Rrated Zac Efron film, “We Are Your Friends,” made a disappointing $1.8 million. The coming-of-age DJ drama had been tracking to pull in $10 million to $12 million. Warner Bros. paid just $2 million to acquire it.