Sony’s small budget faith-based drama War Room, a film about the power of prayer, pushed three-week champion Straight Outta Compton out of the top spot, winning the final weekend of the summer box office season.
Although the latest film by Alex and Stephen Kendrick received generally negative reviews from mainstream critics, the film struck a chord with Christian moviegoers in its second week in theaters, and edged out Compton, earning an estimated $9.3 million by the end of Sunday, and is expected to earn $12.3 million by the end of Labor Day, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The $3 million production, which was projected to become a box office sleeper, kept up with Straight Outta Compton last weekend, which grossed $8.8 million over the slow, extended holiday, and has now earned around $150 million domestically in four weeks.
The domestic box office estimates from September 4-6, according to Rentrak:
1. War Room — $9,350,000 for a total of $24,663,458.
2. Straight Outta Compton — $8,848,840 for $147,784,545.
3. A Walk in the Woods — $8,250,000 for a total of $10,250,000.
4. Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation — $7,150,000 for $180,386,692.
5. The Transporter Refueled — $7,130,000 for $7,130,000.
6. No Escape — $5,445,000 for $18,446,079.
7. The Man From U.N.C.L.E. — $3,445,000 for $39,379,148.
8. Un Gallo con Muchos Huevos — $3,400,000 for $3,400,000.
9. Sinister 2 — $3,377,000, totalling $23,716,893.
10. Inside Out — $3,146,000, which has now grossed $348,219,280.
Ant-Man and Minions both earned $2.8 million, and $2.7 million, respectively, over Labor Day weekend.
Check out the trailer for War Room below: