Audiences fall for 'Prom' date

Screen Gems horror pic nets $9.6 million Friday

By ANTHONY D'ALESSANDRO

Moviegoers made a date with Screen Gems' "Prom Night" yesterday, shelling out $9.6 million at 2,700 locations -- the highest opening day for an April horror pic.

"Prom's" till bests the $9.1 million grossed by Sony-MGM-Dimension's 2005 slasher redo "Amityville Horror" on its first day. With its eye on the weekend crown, "Prom's" final figure should match or best "Amityville's" $23.5 million.

In second, the New Regency-Fox actioner "Street Kings," distributed by 20th, proved tough, taking in $4.3 million at 2,467 venues - the second best opening day for a Searchlight wide release behind "The Hills Have Eyes" which grabbed $5.6 million in March 2006.

The No. 1 weekend champ over the last two frames, Sony's "21," dropped to third with $3.3 million at 2,736, a 36% dip from a week ago, and a 15-day cume of $54.6 million.

Fox Walden's "Nim's Island" anchored fourth with $2.4 million at 3,518 ports, down 40% from its opening day for an eight-day cume of $18.6 million.

In fifth, George Clooney's "Leatherheads," distributed by Universal, dropped 58% in its second Friday, collecting $1.9 million off 2,771 for a current B.O. to date of $17.6 million.

The day's third new entry, Miramax's dysfunctional family seriocomedy "Smart People," charted outside the top five, with $1.3 million off 1,106.

Overture's "The Visitor" found company with arthouse crowds, posting a $5,268 per theater average or $21,073 from four playdates.

Fox Searchlight's docu "Young @ Heart" about an elderly rock cover band also boasted a hefty theater average among frosh specialty fare with $3,257 or $13,028 from four locations in New York and Los Angeles. Since its Wednesday bow, "Heart" has strummed up just over $24,000.

The Rolling Stones concert pic "Shine a Light" grossed $230,000 from 277 theaters, a 49% decline from a week ago. To date, the Martin Scorsese docu has pulled $2.2 million into Par Classics' coffers.