PREMIUM RUSH leads 2nd weakest box office weekend of the year

1 Oct 2012

SINGAPORE - PREMIUM RUSH leads the box office into the second lowest weekend of the year. It kicks off with US$309,179 on 31 screens for a decent screen average of US$9,974. Opening in second place is THE ASSASSINS (铜雀台) with US$221,553 from 25 screens. This is the third biggest debut for a Mandarin film this year behind WE NOT NAUGHTY (孩子不坏) (US$261,105) and PAINTED SKIN: THE RESURRECTION (画皮 II) (US$227,595).

GF*BF* (女朋友。男朋友) is the latest Taiwanese box office success to open with terrible results in Singapore. The film is up for 7 Golden Horse Film Awards and has a healthy release on 19 screens but only grossed $50,736 for a miserable screen average of US$2,670.  Earlier this year, DIN TAO: LEADER OF THE PARADE (阵头), a Taiwanese box office hit opened with US$64,417 (including sneak previews) to reach a final tally of US$117,507.

However, THE FIERCE WIFE FINAL EPISODE (犀利人妻) has grossed US$399,878 to date and is so far the highest grossing Taiwanese film and 7th highest grossing Mandarin film of 2012. Last year, the Taiwanese film YOU ARE THE APPLE OF MY EYE (那些年，我们一起追的女孩) became a phenomenal hit when it grossed US$2,260,191 to become the top Asian film of 2011 in Singapore.

Missing from Box Office Mojo's ranking is DEAD MINE - the first film from Singapore based Infinite Studios and HBO Asia. It failed to chart in CFEA's Top 10, which means that it might have grossed less than US$40,742 from a probable 5 or 6 screens.

Also not ranked is the Hong Kong romance drama, DIVA (华丽之后), which was screened exclusively at GV Vivocity for 4 days from Sep 27-30 and the Filmgarde exclusive concert film - RAIN THE BEST SHOW 3D on 2 screens.  

Meanwhile, the re-release of IMPERFECT (我们都不完美) with a wider PG13 rating grossed US$5,667 from 4 screens (or 3, according to a Straits Times Life! article). Its total now stands at US$449,960, making it the fourth highest grossing local film to date. Another current local release, MY DOG DOU DOU (我的狗蚪蚪) grossed US$10,452 in its second week for a dismal total of US$63,572 to date.

For the sixth straight week, the top ten box office is seeing a drop from the same period a year ago. Its total box office takings of U$1,183,139 is a 22.99% dip from last year's total of US$1,536,386 when JOHNNY ENGLISH REBORN led the top ten box office for a third consecutive week.

http://www.boxofficemojo.com/intl/singapore/?yr=2012&wk=39&p=.htm