‘Prisoners’ posts $7-million box-office take on opening day

The Hugh Jackman-Jake Gyllenhaal kidnapping thriller “Prisoners” got off to a strong start Friday, taking in just over $7 million on opening day, more than a third of the way toward what’s been projected to be a $20-million box-office gross for the weekend, according to figures released by Warner Bros.

“Prisoners” is facing negligible competition, with the dance contest musical drama “Battle of the Year,” starring R&B singer Chris Brown, as the only other new movie in general release this weekend. It’s estimated to come in second with about $5 million, collecting $1.5 million on Friday, a Sony Pictures Entertainment spokesman said.

“Prisoners,” which cost $46 million, has scored an enthusiastic 73 out of 100 on the Metacritic.com review aggregate website, based on 43 reviews, with a perfect 100 from five publications including the Los Angeles Times, Variety, the Hollywood Reporter, Entertainment Weekly and the New York Observer.

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“Like the kidnapping at the tortured heart of ‘Prisoners,’ once this chilling thriller about a parent’s worst nightmare grabs you, it refuses to let go,” Betsy Sharkey wrote for The Times. “Reality informs ‘Prisoners’ at every turn. French Canadian director Denis Villeneuve and screenwriter Aaron Guzikowski keep the tightly constructed terror twisting by holding it close.”

“Enough Said,” Fox Searchlight’s romantic comedy starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus and the late James Gandolfini, opened in four theaters and grossed $62,750, a potent per-screen average of $15,688, Fox reported. In its seventh week, Warner Bros.’ comedy “We’re the Millers” remained strong, adding almost $1.4 million on Friday, pushing its total to nearly $135 million to date.

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