I gotta call BS on this one. I think this film, despite being made by no-names on a shoe string budget, was a planned success once it landed in the Hollywood establishment's (i.e. Spielberg) hands. Isnt it funny how they dangled it in front of everyone's nose, saying that "if there was interest" they'd show it in more screens? If you signed up at some website and demanded it in your town? If you tweeted the fuck out of the story? On a equally small marketing budget, they were able to pitch this thing.
Right now its showing at 2500 screens, which isnt a massive release (3500+) but I can tell you the process of creating and distributing 2500 copies of a movie is a big financial and logistical job, and they probably had them all ready to go at the get-go, ready to ship after the first weekend of sold-out theaters.
Not that I'm complaining about the movie itself, mind you. I saw it and liked it. Maybe not the BEST. MOVIE. EVER. reception its getting in a lot of places but a lot better than most horror garbage that gets thrown at us (i.e. plotless gorefests like Saw or teenagers-chased-by-guy-with-knife movies that usually fill out the rest of the category).
