BOX OFFICE HITS THE DOLDRUMS OF AUGUST

It is that time of year when the box office sinks to its lowest levels. This past weekend it fell below $100 million, and it is likely to remain stalled in the doldrums for the next several weeks. The top 12 films this weekend together grossed just $90.01 million, but that was still significantly better than the $82.83 million that it delivered during the comparable weekend a year ago, when the second week of The Expendables 2 topped the list with $13.42 million. This weekend’s top film was The Weinstein Co.’s Lee Daniels’ The Butler, which collected $16.50 million in its second week, while the Warner Bros. comedy We’re the Millers followed in second place with $13.05 million in its third weekend. Three films made their debut this weekend, but each of them disappointed, among them The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones, which placed third with $9.34 million. Focus Features’ The World’s End followed with $8.79 million. Lionsgate’s horror flick You’re Next, which analysts had figured would become the film to beat, was actually the newcomer that took the worst beating, earning $7.02 million.