'Gone Girl' still raking in the bucks locally

It's been nine weeks since Cape Girardeau rolled out the red carpet for the premier of mystery-thriller "Gone Girl," but the 20th Century Fox Film doesn't seem to be going anywhere.

For those arriving late to the party, or simply trying to avoid the crowds, Cape West 14 Cine in Cape Girardeau still has regular showings available. Theater manager Kevin Dillon said 10 weekends is a slightly longer run than average, with most "big blockbusters" dropping off at the eight-week mark.

The theater has a film buyer in St. Louis that decides how long films will run, but Dillon said those decisions are typically based on revenue. "Gone Girl" debuted in the United States the first weekend in October across more than 3,000 screens. That opening weekend hauled in a little more than $37.5 million in the U.S. and an estimated $62.6 million worldwide.

While earnings have decreased over time, the film still brought in $1.5 million this past weekend and sits in eighth place in the U.S. weekend box office top 10, based on the most recent numbers made available by media tracking firm Rentrak. Globally, "Gone Girl" has earned more than $300 million.

The film stars Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike as Nick and Amy Dunne, a dysfunctional couple thrown into the national spotlight when Amy goes missing. Cape Girardeau provided the setting for Nick's fictional hometown of North Carthage, Missouri. Filming lasted several weeks last fall, generating more than $7 million and using about 1,400 extras, many of them local.

Dillon said people are still showing up to watch the film, and he attributes this continued interest to all the local ties.

"The people of Cape really came out and supported the movie," he said. "I think everyone had a different reason for watching. Some wanted to see the location recognition, some wanted to see if they knew anybody, some wanted to see if they were in it, and some just enjoyed the book and wanted to see the movie itself. The number of factors increased excitement and awareness."

"Gone Girl" drew sellout crowds its first couple of weekends, and Dillon said theaters were still pretty packed around week five.

For those who delayed watching the film until after the crowds died down, Dillon said there still is time to come see the film, but not much.

"We have a lot of product [films] coming out in the next two or three weeks," he said, pointing to the final film in the popular "The Hobbit" series and the last installment of "Night at the Museum."

To make room for all the new films, Dillon said "Gone Girl" could be just that in a week or two.

srinehart@semissourian.com

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Cape Girardeau, Mo.