In its first week at the box office, Larry Charles' RELIGULOUS grossed $4.5 million, well on its way to becoming the top grossing nonfiction film of 2008, and already nearly halfway to the gross of current topper U23D. The film will add just 66 theaters in its second weekend, taking its screen total to 568.
This weekend, the battle between RELIGULOUS and the conservative Michael Moore spoof AN AMERICAN CAROL, should fully tip toward Bill Maher. Last weekend, David Zucker's CAROL managed to just clip RELIGULOUS in total box office, but because it was playing on 3x the screens, RELIGULOUS handily topped CAROL in per screen average. But RELIGULOUS has been beating CAROL in total box office every day since Sunday, again despite it playing on fewer screens, and should surpasses CAROL in total grosses after this weekend.
A more interesting comparison may be between the Charles/Maher's anti-religion piece and the devout Billy Graham biopic BILLY: THE EARLY YEARS OF BILLY GRAHAM, which is being distributed by Rocky Mountain (which made waves earlier this year with the pro-creationist EXPELLED). BILLY is playing on half the number of screens of RELIGULOUS.
This weekend also sees the debut of John Henning and Mike Roth's SAVING MARRIAGE, which examines the fight for gay marriage in Massachusetts. The film is being timed to coincide with the upcoming California ballot initiative Prop. 8, which would strip marriage rights from gay couples following a California Supreme Court decision earlier this year. We talked to co-director Roth last year during Outfest.
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