Those standings could very well change when the three-day figures are actually released on Monday, since the margin of difference between these two very dissimilar films is so small. So depending on how Sunday afternoon and evening actually shake out, we might see The Vow repeating its first place performance from last weekend.
According to the current studios estimates, though, Safe House is in first place with a haul of $24.0 million. That figure is a 40% decline from the film's debut in second place last weekend and brings its ten-day total of $78.3 million. So by the end of next weekend, it looks like Safe House will be the fourth Washington-starrer to break $100 million domestically, following The Pelican Brief, Remember the Titans, and American Gangster. It's also good news for co-star Ryan Reynolds, who had a few commercial underperformers in 2011. Since Safe House was marketed most completely around Washington, it's a bigger win for him.
Thanks largely to stars Rachel McAdams and Channing Tatum, the romantic drama The Vow opened bigger than anyone was expecting a week ago. The film, which centers on a couple's attempts to find their love again after the wife is rendered an amnesiac by a car accident, grossed an estimated $23.6 million. Its new ten-day total of $85.5 million, already becoming the biggest grosser for Screen Gems, surpassing Dear John, also starring Tatum.
In third place we find Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, the sequel to 2007's thoroughly mediocre yet still surprisingly successful Ghost Rider. Though most proections had this new film, again starring Nicolas Cage,
would dominate the weekend box office, but it seems that audiences just
weren't as interested as expected in another round of ghost riding,
despite new directors Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor. The film is estimated to have earned $22.0 million, a figure bolstered by the 3D ticket prices.
The other new high profile wide release, This Means War, meanwhile, opened to an estimated $17.5 million, putting it in fifth place, behind Journey 2: The Mysterious Island,
which brought its ten-day total to $53.2 million. While one might
reasonably expect a warmer reception for a slick action vehicle starring Reese Witherspoon, Chris Pine, and Tom Hardy, it isn't
the disappointment that many are making it out to be. That can likely
be chalked up to schadenfreude amongst the detractors of director McG. Fox initially planned to release the film on Friday, then weeks ago switched to Tuesday Valentine's opening. In response to tracking concerns, the studio then fell back to Friday, but incorporated some Tuesday sneak previews that generated an additional $1.6 million.
In ninth place you'll find The Secret World of Arrietty, the latest Disney release of an animated feature
from Japanese animation masters Studio Ghibli. Ninth might not sound
great, but its a victory for the film, which has already grossed $126.3
million globally. Demonstrating the every-growing American cache of
producer Hayao Miyazaki, The Secret World of Arrietty opened to $6.4 million.
The 3D re-release of Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace tumbled 65% from last weekend in sixth place and Chronicle brought its total to $50.9 million in seventh place.
And here the estimates for the top ten movies of February 17th-19th:
1. Safe House $24.0 million $78.3 million
2. The Vow $23.6 million $85.5 million
3. Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance $22.0 million New Release
4. Journey 2: The Mysterious Island $20.0 million $53.2 million
5. This Means War $17.5 million $19.1 million
6. Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace 3D $7.8 million $33.7 million
7. Chronicle $7.5 million $50.9 million
8. The Woman in Black $6.6 million $45.2 million
9. The Secret World of Arrietty $6.4 million New Release
10. The Grey $3.0 million $47.9 million
The coming weekend sees the releases of Navy Seal action-thriller Act of Valor, Wanderlust starring Paul Rudd and Jennifer Aniston, Tyler Perry's Good Deeds, and Gone starring Amanda Seyfried.
