Box Office Report: 'Possession' Winning Friday Race, 'Lawless' No. 2

7:05 PM PDT 8/31/2012 by Pamela McClintock

16
94
0
1
343
Email
Print
Comments

The Lionsgate horror pic is expected to win the long Labor Day weekend with a gross in the $15 million to $17 million range.

The Sam Raimi-produced The Possession is claiming the top spot at the domestic box office as the final weekend of summer gets underway.

'The Possession' Cast on What Makes a Scary Movie (Video)

In Theaters This Weekend: Reviews of 'Lawless,' 'For a Good Time, Call...,' 'The Possession' and More

How 'Lawless' Nabbed New A-Listers Tom Hardy and Jessica Chastain

PHOTOS: Shia LaBeouf, Jessica Chastain Celebrate at 'Lawless' Screening in New York

From Lionsgate and directed by Ole Bornedal, Possession -- inspired by films including The Exorcist -- should win the Friday race with a gross in the $4 million to $5 million range for a four-day opening between $15 million and $17 million, a solid number for the Labor Day frame.

Possession stars Kyra Sedgwick, Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Natasha Calis.

VIDEO: 'The Possession': From Exploding Lights to Burning Props, What Spooked the Cast

John Hillcoat's Prohibition-era drama Lawless, which opened Wednesday, is safely at No. 2 with a projected Friday gross just north of $3 million. That would put the film's four-day number at roughly $14 million for a five-day debut of $16.1 million.

Lawless, from The Weinstein Co., stars Tom Hardy, Shia LaBeouf, Jessica Chastain, Jason Clarke, Guy Pearce and Mia Wasikowska.

STORY: How 'Lawless' Nabbed New A-Listers Tom Hardy and Jessica Chastain

Anti-Barack Obama documentary 2016: Obama's America continues to do strong business and should finish the Labor Day holiday with a domestic total of $20 million or better, making it the No. 5 political documentary of all time. Michael Moore's Bowling for Columbine is No. 4 with $21.6 million.

Kids entry Oogieloves in the Big Balloon Adventure also opened Wednesday but to continues to fare dismally with a two-day cume of $225,558. The independently distributed puppet pic might gross just $1 million for the four-day weekend.

Summer hits The Avengers, Brave and Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted are all upping their theater counts this weekend, hoping for a final burst of summer business.