Gridiron Gang Scores at the Box Office

Posted on September 18, 2006

The Gridiron Gang won the box office this past weekend, making an estimated $15 million. Empire Online reports that this is a solid opening considering it cost about $30 million to produce. So it was a big win for the Rock and Sony Pictures. The film, directed by Phil Joanou, also stars Xzibit and L. Scott Caldwell.

With Gridiron Gang, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has proved he's able to make the leap from eyebrow-cooking wrestler-turned-actor to actual leading man. He's also managed to make straightforward inspirational tale a box office winner. Admittedly, he had a little help: the true-life tale behind the Gang's crims-turned-American footballers is a killer pitch (in more ways than one), but a $15 million opening is nothing to be sniffed at when the film was produced for around $30 million.
Audiences were apparently less than thrilled with Brian de Palma's Black Dahlia, as were critics. Black Dahlia was followed by Everyone's Hero, which opened with $6.1 million and The Last Kiss, which opened with $4.7 million. The top four films were all new releases, but together they only grossed about $35 million. It was a slow weekend at the movies, that's for sure.

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