Summer box office ends on high note

'Final Destination,' 'Basterds' hold on to top

By PAMELA MCCLINTOCK

'The Final Destination' topped a moderate Labor Day weekend, while Warners led studio summer market share.

The long Labor Day weekend saw decent traffic at the multiplex, ending a record-breaking summer at the domestic B.O. that saw a number of titles overperform.

Summer revenues topped out at an estimated $4.31 billion through Monday, up 4% over summer 2007, the previous recordholder at $4.16 billion. Admissions were essentially even with summer 2008.

"Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen," "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" and "Up" topped the summer chart. Final numbers for the summer will be released Tuesday.

Labor Day weekend saw four films gross north of $10 million. Holdovers "The Final Destination" and "Inglourious Basterds" landed at Nos. 1 and 2, respectively, followed by new entries "All About Steve" and "Gamer."

"Final Destination" grossed an estimated $15.4 million from 3,121 theaters for the four-day holiday frame, bringing the film's cume to $50.6 million in its first 10 days. Overseas cume through Sunday was $31.1 million for a worldwide total of $81.7 million.

Weinstein Co.'s "Inglourious Basterds" grossed an impressive $15.1 million from 3,358 for the four days. Estimated cume through Monday was $95.2 million, making it Quentin Tarantino's second-highest domestic grosser after "Pulp Fiction."

"Basterds" was the top pic Sunday. International cume through Sunday was $83.3 million for a worldwide haul of $178.5 million. That's still short of the $213.9 million grossed by "Pulp Fiction" at the worldwide box office.

Among the three new wide entries, Sandra Bullock-Bradley Cooper comedy "All About Steve" fared the best, placing No. 3 for the frame and grossing an estimated $13.9 million from 2,251 theaters. Film came in on the higher end of expectation on the strength of adult females.

Both Bullock and Cooper upped their box office standing this summer: Bullock with Disney's romantic comedy "The Proposal," and Cooper with "Hangover."

Lionsgate's Gerard Butler actioner "Gamer" scored as well as could be expected over summer's last weekend, grossing an estimated $11.2 million from 2,502 runs. Film hit the sweet spot with males under 25.

Miramax's Mike Judge laffer "Extract" had a tougher time, grossing an estimated $5.3 million from 1,611 runs to place No. 10 for the sesh.

The Weinstein Co.'s "Halloween II" fell a steep 65% in its second sesh to an estimated $7.1 million from 3,088 runs for a cume of $27.1 million in its first 10 days.

A pair of Sony pics continued to enjoy a strong hold. Sci-fi thriller "District 9," which came in No. 5, grossed an estimated $9 million from 3,139 runs over the four-day frame to jump the $100 million mark in its fourth outing. Cume through Sunday was $103.3 million.

Sony's Meryl Streep-Amy Adams starrer "Julie and Julia" grossed $7 million from 2,528 theaters for a cume of $80.6 million in its fifth sesh.

Focus Features' "Taking Woodstock" continued to struggle, grossing an estimated $1.9 million from 1,295 runs for a cume of $6.4 million in its first 10 days.

New entries on the specialty side included "Carriers," the final release from Paramount Vantage. Pic grossed an estimated $87,300 from 100 runs for a lackluster per-screen average of $873.

Fox Searchlight's "500 Days of Summer" grossed an estimated $2.4 million from 935 runs for a cume of $28.4 million in its eighth weekend.