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HOSTEL is a terrifying and disturbing place, except at the North American box office. Lionsgate's and Screen Gems' riveting horror thriller opened to an estimated $20.1 million this weekend, ranking #1 at the domestic box office, it was announced today by Lionsgate Films Releasing President Tom Ortenberg. The shockingly intense film, directed by Eli Roth (Lionsgate's CABIN FEVER) and presented by Quentin Tarantino, galvanized audiences on 2,195 screens across America for a $9,157per screen average.

HOSTEL is Lionsgate's second #1 horror film at the North American box office in the past three months. SAW II opened to $31.2 million on Halloween weekend 2005 on its way to a domestic box office gross of approximately $87million. It will debut on DVD on February 14. Lionsgate noted that HOSTEL outperformed the $18 million opening weekend of the original SAW, which went on to gross $55 million at the North American box office in fall 2004.

"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 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."

Added Roth, "I feel so incredibly lucky that the public responded to a film this intense. 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."