When you budget a film at just $3 million, it doesn’t take a lot to earn that money back. In the case of Universal’s micro-budgeted horror film The Purge, it took mere hours.
The film is centered on a home invasion and the only major stars in the film are Ethan Hawke and Game of Thrones’ Lena Headey. According to The Wrap, The Purge has already grossed $3.4 million in late Thursday and midnight screenings, according to early estimates from Universal.
It is widely expected that The Purge will top a rather slow weekend at the box office. The film’s main competition is the Owen Wilson/Vince Vaughn comedy The Internship and holdover Fast & Furious 6.
According to Deadline, The Purge is part of an overall deal Universal signed with producer Jason Blum, the man behind Paranormal Activity. The studio has used social media perfectly, relying on online buzz more than TV spots. It’s being screened in 2,536 theaters and was directed by James DeMonaco.
Fandango said that The Purge made up 54 percent of total sales on Thursday and it’s the biggest horror hit on the site for the year.
image: image.net/Universal