Evangelical 'War Room' is tops, but Spanish cartoon animates box office

IT WAS NOT ONLY a slow weekend on the celebrity non-news front, it was a slow weekend at the box office.

Summer blockbusters gave way to niche films over a sleepy Labor Day weekend, with notable performances from the faith-based "War Room" and the Spanish language cartoon "Un Gallo con Muchos Huevos."

"War Room" fought its way to first place in its second weekend in release, earning $12.6 million across the four-day holiday weekend, according to Rentrak estimates on yesterday. The micro-budget family drama, which cost only $3.5 million to produce, has grossed $27.9 million to date.

With those kind of profit margins, Woody Allen's next movie may be about Jesus.

Financial success for faith-based films is not exactly a surprise at this point, but "War Room's" impressive hold from its opening weekend is significant.

Word of mouth was strong for "War Room," said Paul Dergarabedian, Rentrak's senior media analyst. Dergarabedian said according to exit polling, 75 percent of the audience said they would definitely recommend the movie - a substantial and interesting contrast to the dismal critical reception for the film.

"It's just a great story of a film that really filled a void in the marketplace, with a message that the audience could really get behind," he said.

And what is that message?

A family that seemingly has it all but is coming apart at the seams (spoiler alert), find happiness through prayer.

"A Walk in the Woods," (a/k/a "Grumpy Old Men" go "Wild") debuted in third place, behind previous champ "Straight Outta Compton," with $10.5 million from 1,960 screens. The buddy dramedy based on Bill Bryson's memoir starring Robert Redford and Nick Nolte cost a reported $8 million to make and has taken in $12.2 million since its Wednesday opening.

"The Transporter Refueled" sputtered. It opened in fifth with a lackluster $9 million from over 3,400 screens. Costing only $21 million to produce, this franchise outing subbed in a relatively unknown actor, Ed Skrein, for star Jason Statham, who had helped the previous three films succeed.

But, it was the Spanish-language animated film "Un Gallo con Muchos Huevos" ("A Rooster with Many Eggs") that truly stood out among the pack, taking in $4.4 million from just 395 locations over the four-day weekend. Although it doesn't come close to the sensational $10.4 million Labor Day weekend debut of the 2013 film "No se aceptan devoluciones" ("Instructions Not Included"), it does still illustrate the significant power of an underserved audience.

"Latinos represent 17 percent of the population and buy 24 percent of movie tickets. They go to the movies all the time and they go to movies as families. If we can create a film that resonates with families over a holiday weekend, it tends to do well," said Paul Presburger, CEO of distributor Pantelion.

So there, Señor Trump.

* Us Weekly reports Jon Hamm and Jennifer Westfeldt, who have been dating since Tattle returned to the Daily News in 1997, have decided to split.

"With great sadness, we have decided to separate, after 18 years of love and shared history. We will continue to be supportive of each other in every way possible moving forward," the exes said in a statement shared with Us Weekly.

The couple never married and chose not to have kids.

* People mag reports that Anna Duggar, the wife of infidel, porn addict and lap-dance enjoyer Josh Duggar, stepped out in public for the first time since her pervy hubby admitted to stepping out on her.

Anna went to the wedding of Josh's cousin Amy Duggar to Dillon King. She went with her in-laws Jim Bob and Michelle and loads of other Duggars.

"I saw her before the ceremony and just gave her the biggest hug ever," Amy told People of Anna. "That's when I got the most emotional. She told me to have just an amazing day."

Josh and Anna's oldest daughter Mackynzie, 5, was a flower girl. People said Horton Farms, near Bentonville, Ark., (home of Walmart) hosted the "chic wedding."

According to London's Daily Mail, Amy was once the "black sheep" of the Duggar clan, but let's face it, Josh is now an entire black flock.

As for the wedding, it was crazy by Duggar standards. Alcohol was served. There was, ahem, music. Even some dancing - although not everybody got footloose. And Amy's bridal gown not only left her shoulders bare, it showed off a crevice (perhaps even a crevasse) between her breasts, which outside Duggar-land is referred to as cleavage. Inside it's referred to as "Nike." (Code word for "avert your eyes, gentlemen.")

Thankfully, Josh Duggar was not in attendance for the sunny ceremony. Seeing his cousin's shoulders and her ample, curvy torso, he may have made it rain.

- Daily News wire services

contributed to this report.

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