Weekend Box Office Report: 'Insurgent' Surges to $54 Million, 'Gunman' Bombs

Weekend Box Office Report: 'Insurgent' Surges to $54 Million, 'Gunman' Bombs

The Gunman took in $5 million in 2800 theaters, placing it in the same general category as the oft-reviled Mortdecai ($4.2 million in 2600 theaters).

That was the sixth major bomb of the year, defined as being among the worst 100 openings of all-time among releases in 2500 or more theaters, joining Blackhat, Unfinished Business, Hot Tub Time Machine 2, Strange Magic, and the aforementioned Mortdecai. For the record, Blackhat was the worst of the group, having grossed less than four million simoleons in more than 2500 theaters.

The worst-ever film in this category is either a chick-flick called Won't Back Down, which grossed $2.6 million in 2515 theaters, or Rainn Wilson's The Rocker, which grossed slightly more overall, but less per theater. The Rocker is the only film in history to open in more than 2500 theaters and average less than $1000 per screen, but Won't Back Down was released four years later, thus benefitting from ticket price inflation. In terms of tickets sold per theater, Won't Back Down is the champ, at about 130. Assuming five screenings per day, the film must have played to an average of nine viewers, with some screenings undoubtedly coming in much lower.

Nostalgia: I once attended a 1966 screening of a film called Stop The World, I Want To Get Off in which I was the only member of the audience. I suppose, based on that experience, that films occasionally play to completely empty theaters.