The "Madea" vs "Inferno" weekend box office battle between Tom Hanks and Tyler Perry was won by the Halloween comedy film. Perry's second offering of the "Madea" movie has grossed $16.7 million over the weekend, more than $1.7 million compared to Tom Hank's "Inferno" which grossed only $15 million. Perry's sophomore outing was shown in 2,229 theaters in the country while Tom's in 3,575.
"Madea" Is The Clear Winner
In the weekend box office "Madea" vs "Inferno" battle, the former is the clear winner considering the fewer number of theaters it was shown. "Inferno" was shown in 1,000 theaters more than "Madea" and yet it earned less by about $1.7 million. The Ron Howard-Tom Hanks movie clearly bombed out of Northern America's theaters.
What The Prognosticators Believed Then
Many prognosticators in the movie industry predicted that "Inferno" will beat "Madea" with around $20 million to $30 million opening. They based their conservative guesses at the opening tally of the "Dante's Inferno" which grossed around $46.2 million when it second film opened in 2009. Rarely has a Tom Hanks film settle for second at the weekend box office. But this time it did, with of all things, a Tyler Perry movie.
There May Still Be Hope For "Inferno"
Although the "Madea" vs "Inferno" weekend box office fight was lost in Northern America, the Ron Howard Tom Hanks movie may yet have its resurgence in the international movie market. Its unhealthy start in the United States and Canada cannot be denied. But "Inferno" has earned approximately $147 million worldwide. The movie has effectively doubled its estimated $75 million budget.
Meanwhile, Tyler Perry's Halloween-themed "Madea" also registered the best percentage in the second-weekend showing, out of all Perry's filmography including non-Madea movies. The current "Madea" movie has now collected more than $52 million after 10 days of being shown in theaters.
