Lee Daniels’ highly anticipated film rested comfortably atop the box office by bringing in an estimated $25 million on the film’s debut weekend.
“Lee Daniels’ The Butler” – starring Forest Whitaker and Oprah Winfrey –is a story based on the life of Eugene Allen, a White House butler who served eight presidents.
The film outsold other big-budget new releases, such as “Kick-Ass 2” and “Jobs.” “Kick-Ass 2” landed in fourth place with $13.6 million and Jobs in seventh with $6.7 million.
“We’re The Millers,” came in second place with $17 million.
Erik Lomis, president of distribution and home entertainment for Weinstein Co., credited Winfrey for the success of the film.
“She was a significant factor,” Lomis told the New York Daily News. “Her publicity machine really kicked into high gear.”
He said “The Butler” also benefitted from the lack of similar movies in theaters “It’s different from pretty much everything else in the marketplace,” Lomis added. “That really seemed to help.”
“Lee Daniels’ The Butler” cost roughly $30 million to make and movie industry insiders say the film could pass the $100 million mark.
Information from The New York Daily News contributed to this report.
