‘The Possession’ Tops the Worst Box Office In Years

Scott Harris September 9, 2012

It was a great weekend for pessimists but not such a great one for movies, as Hollywood’s box office slump continued with the third down week in a row, validating predictions that things could, in fact, get even worse.

Just how bad was it? Last weekend’s champion, “The Possession,” came out on top despite a 46% drop, earning a paltry $9.5 million in the process. James Cameron has more than that in loose change between his couch cushions.

Overall, the combined box office total was the lowest in nearly four years. And the reason seems pretty simple: Fans just don’t find any of the current movies very interesting, as proven by this weekend’s biggest new release, “The Words,” which came in third with only $5 million despite Bradley Cooper’s best efforts.

Still, there is some hope on the horizon, as Disney/Pixar is rolling out their 3D re-release of “Finding Nemo” next weekend. Combined with the premiere of “Resident Evil: Retribution,” the two films should provide a much needed lift to the box office.

And for both Hollywood and bored movie fans, that can’t come soon enough.

Here are the estimated totals for the top ten over the three-day weekend, courtesy of Box Office Mojo:

1. “The Possession” – $9.5m (our review)
2. “Lawless” – $6m (our review)
3. “The Words” – $5m (our review)
4. “The Expendables 2″ – $4.7m (our review)
5. “The Bourne Legacy” – $4m (our review)
6. “Paranorman” – $3.8m (our review)
7. “The Odd Life of Timothy Green” – $3.6m (our review)
8. “The Campaign” – $3.5m (our review)
9. “The Dark Knight Rises” – $3.3m (our review)
10. “2016 Obama’s America” – $3.3m