The Social Network, which topped the box office in its opening weekend with $23 million in ticket sales, has won its second weekend on the big screen, with $15.5 million in sales. This brings the movie’s gross sales in the first two weeks since its opening to just under $50 million.
So why is this important? While there’s been a drop in sales since last week’s ticket sales, clearly the movie, which was produced by Sony Pictures, still has the stamina and buzz to top the box office for a second week in a row. More importantly, the movie has gained Oscar buzz, overwhelmingly positive reviews from critics, and considerable attention from the media. This weekend, New York Times columnist Frank Rich called the movie “brilliant” in a piece about the intersection between Facebook, Twitter and politics.
It looks like Sony is coming close to breaking even in terms of the the movie’s budget, which was was rumored to be in range of $45 million to $52 million. But the movie studio is expecting The Social Network to bring in a total of $100 million, and it’s still unclear if the movie has the wherewithal to bring in that number.
However, with continued marketing campaigns, media attention, and chatter about potential Oscar nominations, The Social Network could be a blockbuster hit.
Photo Credit/Flickr/Evelyn Giggles