Summer Close Out

The season ends at the cineplex this Labor Day weekend with a whimper as usual...marking the return of Sandra Bullock playing in yet another rom-com...All About Steve (reviews); Gamer (reviews) looks lame--even with Gerard Butler leading the way; Extract (reviews) is the latest comedy from Mike Judge (Office Space); Chris Pine is back in theaters... twice-- in the horror leftover Carriers (reviews) and Star Trek (reviews) as it begins its 2nd limited run in IMAX



Pamela McClintock of Variety:

Labor Day weekend pits geeks against gals as Lionsgate opens Gerard Butler actioner "Gamer" in 2,502 theaters and 20th Century Fox goes out with Sandra Bullock-Bradley Cooper comedy "All About Steve" in 2,251.

The third new wide entry is Miramax's Mike Judge comedy "Extract," starring Jason Bateman and Ben Affleck. Laffer opens in 1,611 runs.

Meanwhile, Paramount's "Star Trek" is making a comeback as a re-release in 93 Imax locations and 175 select theaters.

Horror pic "Carriers," a leftover title from Paramount Vantage, also opens in 100 runs.

National Geographic Films opens "Amreeka," about a refugee from the West Bank who comes to the U.S., in four runs in New York and Los Angeles.

Warner Bros./New Line holdover "The Final Destination," buoyed by 3-D grosses, could make trouble for the new entries. Horror pic opened to $27.4 million the previous weekend, tops for the franchise.

Through Wednesday, domestic cume on the movie was $33.5 million.

Most box office observers expect the top crop of pics to land in the teens for the four days.

"Gamer" is looking strongest among males under 25.

But Judge's fanbase is also comprised of younger men, giving "Gamer" some competition. Of the new openers, "Extract" faces the biggest challenge, according to tracking.

"All About Steve" will try to play off two summer hits, Bullock-Ryan Reynolds romantic comedy "The Proposal" and "The Hangover," starring Cooper. "Steve," also starring Thomas Haden Church, was produced by Bullock.

Women over 25 are the strongest quadrant for "Steve," according to tracking.

Box office observers aren't quite sure how the weekend will play out in terms of overall traffic. Labor Day weekend isn't usually a big box office draw, and this year many kids are already back in school.

Adam Markovitz of EW thinks that on a slow weekend; give a slight edge to Gerard Butler's action flick..

And as Summer '09 bids goodbye...It should be noted that it was a Record summer at international box office...

Next Week-The creepy looking 9 opens Wednesday; Tyler Perry's latest I Can Do Bad All By Myself hits; Kate Beckinsale experiences Whiteout conditions; And the body count rises as a killer stalks Sorority Row....