The anti-Obama movie "2016" is making a splash at the box office, although there are industry reasons why this is so.

What is surprising, however, is that the film is playing at 1/3 fewer theaters across North American than other, more marketable action pictures.

Deadline:

Because of Friday's very weak box office, there won't be any clarity behind the Top 10 film rankings until Saturday morning. As predicted Millenium/Lionsgate's The Expendables 2 will finish in first place Friday and this weekend. It's followed by Universal's The Bourne Legacy in second place and the Rocky Mountain Pictures' documentary 2016 Obama's America in third place after starting out Friday #1.

That's  stunning because it's playing in a 1/3 less theaters across North American than the other wide release actioners. (See below for more details). However, its hot pre-sales have made the pic frontloaded, and its ranking will fall steeply by end of Sunday. But its new cume after this weekend could make it the #1 conservative documentary (ahead of Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed's $7.7M). The success of the anti-Obama pic comes on the eve of the Republican National Convention August 27-30. This is turning into the weakest weekend of  Summer 2012 especially for new movies (with the exception of the anti-Obama pic).

Conservatives should make it a point to bring someone to the film who might be open to a re-interpretation of the Obama mythos. Otherwise, the film will be preaching to the choir if only conservatives see it.

Here's the film's website that tells you where it's playing.

Hat Tip: Ed Lasky