Score one for the Buffster. Opening to a pick-your-jaw-up-off-the-floor $40 million, The Grudge was the far and ahead winner this week and the first non-political/religious surprise blockbuster of the year. It doubled the expectations of the studio and most analysts. The film, which barely cost $15 million in production costs, now seems destined to have a sequel. Give them credit. Sony has the best marketing team. Turns out making it look like a sequel to The Ring only helped. One wonders what kind of damage The Ring 2 could have done had the film been produced quicker and released this week as originally planned. Another observation is the box office streak of Grudge's central star, Sarah Michelle Gellar:I Know What You Did Last Summer - $72M
Scream 2 - $101M
She's All That - $64M
Simply Irresistable - $5M
Cruel Intentions - $40M
Scooby Doo - $150M
Scooby Doo 2 - $90M
The Grudge - Estimated Final - $110M
Granted, none of those films performed what they did thanks to her name, but she has a pretty good eye for projects that will make money. Its enough to make her post-Buffy career alive. Mighty impressive when you consider that she's still not exactly a household name. Even more impressive when you consider the recent performanc trend of films starring Ben Affleck, an Oscar winner and an A-lister. His Surviving Christmas, unsurprisingly and much deservingly, tanked with only $4 million in 7th place.
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