Shutter Island Tops Box Office for Weekend

Shutter Island topped both the US and Canada movie box offices this past weekend making just over $40 million. Shutter Island is a psychological thriller directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Leonardo DiCaprio.

Shutter Island released on Friday February 19th was originally scheduled to be released back on October 2nd, 2009. Paramount Pictures management postponed it stating there were marketing considerations. Evidently when Shutter Island was screened earlier interest was really slanted toward males and not females, although the overall reviews were pretty good.

Some the marketing for Shutter Island was changed prior to this releases and those changes have proven to be very successful. Looking at the details of who really bought a ticket for Shutter Island this weekend they were just about half male and half female among movie-goers aged 25 and older. This more even distribution for Shutter Island helped drive the success at the box office.

Shutter Island opening weekend was one of the best for its star Leonardo DiCaprio. Prior to Shutter Island his best opening weekends were with "Catch Me If You Can" and "The Departed" at $30 Million and $26.9 million respectively. Shutter Island was produced by Phoenix Pictures at a cost of about $75 million to make.

The top films at the box office this weekend with gross receipts include:

1. Shutter Island $40.2 million
2. Valentine's Day $17.2 million
3. Avatar $16.1 million
4. Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief $15.3 million
5. The Wolfman $9.8 million

Shutter Island opened this weekend on almost 3,000 movie cinemas and pulled in on average $13,440 per screen. This was certainly a personal best for Martin Scorsese also. Shutter Island also is scheduled to open in the UK on March 12th and promises to be just as successful there as it has been in the US.

Set in Boston Harbor in 1954, Shutter Island, tells the story of U.S. marshals Teddy Daniels and Chuck Aule portrayed by Leonardo DiCaprio and Mark Ruffalo respectively. Our protagonists arrive on Shutter Island to investigate the disappearance of an inmate, I mean patient, from the Ashecliffe Hospital for the Criminally Insane. This secluded island can only be gotten to by ferry, and that mode of transportation is hindered by a major hurricane arriving.

As their investigation continues the story twists and turns as we begin to define what is reality and what is Teddy's perception of reality. That is part of what makes Shutter Island such a fascinating film. It is also what has many people still debating exactly how did Shutter Island end and what does it mean?

Sources:

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i5a7bc96eb52f8d10a1062acb5d1272c9

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/8527917.stm