Brian Damage
10-30-2006, 12:17 PM
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The familiar sound of terror and torture coming from movie theaters across North America belonged to "Saw III," as the horror franchise took hold of the Halloween box office for the third time in as many years.
According to studio estimates issued on Sunday, the chiller sold about $34.3 million worth of tickets since opening October 28. The three-day sum compares to an opening of $31.7 million for "Saw II" a year earlier, and $18.3 million for "Saw" in 2004.
Martin Scorsese's surprise smash "The Departed" held at No. 2 for a third week with $9.8 million, taking the total for the gangster thriller to $91.9 million. Last weekend's champ, the feuding-magician saga "The Prestige," fell to No. 3 with $9.6 million, giving it a 10-day haul of $28.8 million.
After a soft debut last weekend, Clint Eastwood's World War Two drama "Flags of our Fathers" slipped one place to No. 4 with $6.4 million; its total rose to $19.9 million.
As with the other "Saw" movies, the latest revolves around an ailing serial killer, Jigsaw (played by Tobin Bell), with a penchant for inventing ingenious methods of torture. It was released by Lionsgate, a unit of Lions Gate Entertainment Corp.
"The Departed" was released by Warner Bros. Pictures, a unit of Time Warner Inc. "The Prestige" was released by Touchstone Pictures, a unit of Walt Disney Co. "Flags of Our Fathers" was released by Paramount Pictures, a unit of Viacom Inc.
According to studio estimates issued on Sunday, the chiller sold about $34.3 million worth of tickets since opening October 28. The three-day sum compares to an opening of $31.7 million for "Saw II" a year earlier, and $18.3 million for "Saw" in 2004.
Martin Scorsese's surprise smash "The Departed" held at No. 2 for a third week with $9.8 million, taking the total for the gangster thriller to $91.9 million. Last weekend's champ, the feuding-magician saga "The Prestige," fell to No. 3 with $9.6 million, giving it a 10-day haul of $28.8 million.
After a soft debut last weekend, Clint Eastwood's World War Two drama "Flags of our Fathers" slipped one place to No. 4 with $6.4 million; its total rose to $19.9 million.
As with the other "Saw" movies, the latest revolves around an ailing serial killer, Jigsaw (played by Tobin Bell), with a penchant for inventing ingenious methods of torture. It was released by Lionsgate, a unit of Lions Gate Entertainment Corp.
"The Departed" was released by Warner Bros. Pictures, a unit of Time Warner Inc. "The Prestige" was released by Touchstone Pictures, a unit of Walt Disney Co. "Flags of Our Fathers" was released by Paramount Pictures, a unit of Viacom Inc.