Lionsgate Raises The Bar in the Horror Film Genre Posted: Jan 13, 2006

Hostel, the new horror film from Lionsgate and Screen Gem’s, killed at the box office last weekend, bringing in an estimated $20.1 million to make it #1 at the domestic box office. Although the film, directed by Eli Roth and presented by Quentin Tarantino, is frighteningly shocking to many, audiences certainly didn’t shy away from it at the theaters. It showed on 2,195 screens across America for a $9,157 per screen average.

Hostel is not the only recent horror film success for Lionsgate. Along with Hostel this past weekend, Saw II opened at number one on Halloween weekend 2005. Saw II brought in $31.2 million in its opening weekend and is on its way to a domestic box office total gross of about $87 million. The overwhelming success of both of these films certainly shows that Lionsgate knows what it takes to make a horror film a success at the box office.

Saw II will debut on DVD on February 14, just in time for your Valentine’s day dose of terror and bloodbath. The original Saw’s $18 million opening weekend was surpassed by its sequel as well as the newest horror film Hostel, but Saw was able to gross an impressive $55 million at the North American box office in fall 2004.

Hostel shocked some box office expectations by beating out some of the major blockbuster films that debuted this holiday season. “I feel so incredibly lucky that the public responded to a film this intense,” said director Roth. “It’s an honor to be listed in the same box office column with my idols Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson. I’m so grateful to my fantastic producing team, and to the incredible marketing and theatrical team at Lionsgate and Clint Culpepper at Screen Gems for working with me to make this possible.”

“Eli Roth has once again delivered a horror film that is gory enough to delight hardcore horror fans and intelligent enough to attract wider audiences,” said Lionsgate Films Releasing President Tom Ortenberg. “Hostel plays to one of Lionsgate’s sweet spots -- releasing some of the most provocative and disturbing genre pictures in the marketplace. Based on moviegoer reaction, we are delighted to have the first theatrical box office phenomenon of 2006.”

Roth, the films writer, director, and producer, collaborated with executive producers Tarantino, Scott Spiegel and Boaz Yakin, along with the films additional producers Mike Fleiss (Texas Chainsaw Massacre) and Chris Briggs. Hostel tells the story of two adventurous American college buddies who are backpacking through Europe and are lured to an out-of-the-way hostel in Slovakia only to find themselves trapped in an increasingly sinister situation, exposing some of the sickest recesses of human nature. The film stars Jay Hernandez, Derek Richardson, Barbara Nedeljakova and Jana Kaderabkova.