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‘Social Network’ tops weekend box office with $23M
Movie
The Social Network
"The Social Network" explores the moment at which Facebook, the most revolutionary social phenomena of the new century, was invented -- through the warring perspectives of the super-smart young men who each claimed to be there at its inception. The result is a drama rife with both creation and destruction; one that audaciously avoids a singular POV, but instead, by tracking dueling narratives, mirrors the clashing truths and constantly morphing social relationships that define our time. Drawn from multiple sources, the film captures the visceral thrill of the heady early days of a culture-changing phenomenon in the making -- and the way it both pulled a group of young revolutionaries together and then split them apart.
Associated Press
LOS ANGELES
Movie fans are spending some face time with a story about the founders of Facebook.
“The Social Network,” director David Fincher’s drama about the quarrelsome creation of the online juggernaut, debuted as the No. 1 weekend film with $23 million.
Distributor Sony hopes for a long shelf life for the film, which has earned Academy Awards buzz and rave reviews. Rory Bruer, Sony’s head of distribution, said “The Social Network” has a good shot at becoming a $100 million hit.
“It really is a great start for us. This is a movie that is resonating everywhere. The reviews are the best I’ve seen at our studio in my career,” Bruer said. “It’s just one of those movies that critics and audiences alike are embracing, and I think it’s going to have a tremendous life.”
The weekend’s other new wide releases had weak starts. Paramount’s horror flick “Case 39,” starring Renee Zellweger, opened at No. 7 with $5.35 million, while Overture Film’s vampire tale “Let Me In,” based on the novel “Let the Right One In,” debuted at No. 8 with $5.3 million.
The Warner Bros. animated adventure “Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole,” held up well, retaining the No. 2 spot in its second weekend with $10.9 million and raising its total to $30 million.
The previous weekend’s top earner, 20th Century Fox’s “Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps,” slipped to third place with $10.1 million, lifting its total to $35.9 million.
“The Social Network” traces the history of Facebook from Harvard University, where computer whiz Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg) and best friend Eduardo Saverin (Andrew Garfield) launched the site, through its meteoric rise.
With 55 percent of the audience 25 or older, the film joined other adult dramas now driving the box office, including the “Wall Street” sequel and Ben Affleck’s “The Town,” the Warner Bros. thriller that was No. 4 with $10 million, with a three-week total of $64.3 million.
Overall business was down, with domestic movie revenues totaling $97 million, off 9 percent from the same weekend last year, when “Zombieland” led with $24.7 million, according to Hollywood.com.
Studios are banking on its wave of dramas for older crowds to carry the business until an onslaught of family flicks, big comedies and action tales arrives in November and December.