After receiving a rare F CinemaScore from moviegoers, Brad Pitt's independent crime drama Killing Them Softly opened nationwide to a soft $7 million from 2,424 theaters, coming in No. 7.

Directed by Andrew Dominik, the violent crime drama becomes only the eighth movie ever to receive the failing grade. Killing Them Softly and George Clooney's Solaris are the only nonhorror titles among the bunch.

Pitt's Plan B production company produced the $15 million Killing Them Softly, based on George V. Higgins' 1974 book Cogan's Trade, with Inferno Entertainment and Megan Ellison's Annapurna Pictures, which put up some of the financing. The Weinstein Co. is distributing domestically.

The movie stars Pitt as professional enforcer Jackie Cogan, who is charged with investigating a robbery at a mob-protected poker game. It also stars Ray Liotta, James Gandolfini and Sam Shepard.

"It is a daring and bold movie and deserved a wide release," Weinstein Co.'s head of distribution Erik Lomis said. (Via.)

There's some more discussion about the "crib death" of one of the year's best movies at Hollywood Elsewhere (thanks to Aaron Mesh for the heads up). Meanwhile, Box Office Mojo has the rest of this weekend's box office, and notes that Skyfall is about to hit $246 million, Lincoln is nearing $84 million, and The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2 is closing in on $255 million.