Carl DiOrio of THR:
A curious box-office creature, Sony's "The Social Network" appears more tortoise than hare.
The David Fincher-helmed drama about the creation of Facebook posted an estimated $23 million to top the domestic box office during the weekend. Yet the "Social" launch fell in the lower end of projections, despite showing broad demographic bandwidth.
Prerelease interest in the PG-13 pic was keenest among younger males, even though dramas tend to play older. But as things turned out, opening audiences for "Social" were comprised 53% of females, with 55% of patrons aged 25 or older.
The older-skewing profile could be good news for the film's longer-term prospects. Such pics often show sturdy legs, and dramas also tend to stretch grosses over a longer play period.
"It's playing very broadly, and this is a terrific start," Sony distribution president Rory Bruer said. "This is a movie you can't walk down the street without hearing people talking about it, and the film should permeate in the public consciousness for weeks to come for young and old alike."
"Social" stars Jesse Eisenberg ("Zombieland") as youthful Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg, with Andrew Garfield ("The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus") portraying his onetime best friend and business partner and Justin Timberlake cast as Napster creator Sean Parker. Rooney Mara -- recently tapped to star in the American remake of "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" -- plays Zuckerberg's college girlfriend.
Produced for less than $40 million, "Social" will seek to build on its solid early start, bolstered by gathering kudos-season buzz. Almost unanimously positive reviews clearly helped to broaden the film's bow, while non-traditional marketing included a promo page on Facebook-rival MySpace in tacit acknowledgment of the movie's withering portrayal of Zuckerberg.
"For an adult drama, this is a terrific opening," Bruer said. "It's not going to open like a romantic comedy or an action adventure, but it's going to stay around longer."
Elsewhere among the top rankings, the 3D family adventure "Legend of the Guardian: Owls of Ga'Hoole," from Warner Bros. and Village Roadshow, dipped just 33% from its week-earlier opening for a surprisingly strong $10.9 million in the silver-medal position and $30 million in cumulative coin. Fox's Michael Douglas starrer "Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps" declined 47% to fetch $10.1 million in third place in its second weekend with a $35.9 million cume, while the Warners/Legendary heist thriller "The Town" finished fourth with $10 million and a $64.3 million cume through three frames.
Two other new wide releases settled for modest debuts: Paramount Vantage's demonic-possession pic "Case 39" fetched $5.4 million in seventh place, and Overture's vampire thriller "Let Me In" grabbed $5.3 million in eighth.
Collectively, the weekend top 10 registered $83.8 million, or 7% less than top performers in the same frame last year, Rentrak said...
Since the FB Movie did so well--I wonder how you would feel about TLR The Movie??!
Nicole Sperling of EW has more to say....
Next Up: Wes Craven scares up My Soul To Take as Halloween approaches; Katherine Heigl and Josh Duhamel are instaparents at odds in Greg Berlanti's Life As We Know It And Secretariat takes to the track
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