'The American' Wins Labor Day Box Office

by Mawuse Ziegbe

The Box-Office Top Five

#1 "The American" ($12.9 million)
#2 "Takers" ($11.4 million)
#3 "Machete" ($11.3 million)
#4 "The Last Exorcism" ($7.5 million)
#5 "Going the Distance" ($6.9 million)

"The American" staged a last-minute takeover of the weekend box office after sliding into second place on Friday. According to The Hollywood Reporter, George Clooney's turn as a hitman dodging danger in Italy to carry out one last mission, raked in an estimated $12.9 million, besting "Machete" at the close of its first weekend in theaters.

After landing in third place on the Friday kickoff of Labor Day weekend, last week's #1 movie, "Takers" also toppled Robert Rodriguez's graphic Mexploitation pic. Featuring hip-hop and Hollywood names like Chris Brown, Hayden Christensen and T.I., the action flick about a smash-and-grab job by suave crew of thieves, snatched up $11.4 million in ticket sales for second place.

After barely edging past "The American" on Friday, "Machete" will wrap up its debut weekend right behind "Takers" with a third-place finish. Featuring Jessica Alba and Danny Trejo, and boasting a much-hyped appearance from Lindsay Lohan, the film pulled in $11.3 million.

"The Last Exorcism" held steady in the top five with $7.5 million. The fourth-place picture, which follows a film crew charged with documenting the creepy developments at a rural exorcism, has made a total of $32.3 million since hitting theaters last week.

Drew Barrymore and Justin Long's date-night pic, "Going the Distance," lagged behind stronger debuts like "The American" and "Machete." The rom-com, featuring the two real-life, off-and-on lovers playing a couple working to keep a long-distance romance afloat, rang up $6.9 million in ticket sales to land in fifth place during its opening weekend.


'The American' Wins Labor Day Box Office
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The American seems to be a good movie. It's a George Clooney-starrer that is a must-see movie.