 |
 |
 |
..
News
..
Awards
Scoreboard
..
..
Top
Ten Lists
..
Top
Ten Chart
..
The
Top 20 Chart
..
Gary
Dretzka
..
Leonard
Klady
..
David
Poland
..
Ray
Pride
..
Patricia
Vidal
Weekend Finals
Wither Daredevil? Weather Daredevil!
There’s nothing like a little precipitation to change your entertainment options. And when the media has dubbed the snowfall battering the Eastern seaboard “the storm of the century,” movie going is apt to suffer.
Fox box office leader Daredevil weighed in with a boffo 4-day President’s holiday estimated gross of $47.2 million. According to company distribution president Bruce Snyder, opening day business prompted estimates in the mid-$50 million range but adjustments had to made when snow moved in Sunday. Monday business will likely see drops of 40% to 60% from Sunday for most titles in the marketplace.
Weather wrecks havoc on box office estimates and comparative tracking that generally varies in the range of 2% to 5%, and has mushroomed to more than 10% this weekend. Everyone, myself included, was putting the emphasis on estimated box office.
Still, fueled by the debut of the masked comic book avenger, overall ticket sales should (barring flash floods and fires in the more temperate areas of the nation) exceed $170 million and set a record for this holiday period. Box office is up by 5% and clearly would have gone to double digits under normal seasonal conditions. It’s best to remember there is no force majeur clause in the exhibition industry.
The only other wide premiere was Buena Vista’s animated The Jungle Book 2, eyeing fourth position with $14.7 million. The sequel to the venerable 1969 movie did well but far from outstanding business even considering inclement film going conditions.
The downpour had its greatest impact on the myriad movies hoping to capitalize on Tuesday’s announcement of the Oscar ballot. While a number of titles had double and triple figure boosts, the upturns are somewhat deceptive as many also added considerably to their screen count. In terms of momentum, the bad weather could not have occurred at a worse possible moment.
Chicago with 13 nominations added about 250 theaters and experienced an 18% boost (all percentage comparisons are 3-day to 3-day) while its screen average declined by 4%. Similarly, The Hours virtually double its screen count to 1,003 and ballooned by 60% though it average ebbed by 12%. Curiously About Schmidt, which only garnered two acting nominations, saw its average increase 9%, overall box office rise 6% and its screen count decline by 32 theaters.
On a pound for pound basis, the films truly benefiting from the Oscar experience are The Pianist and The Quiet American, two movies that now have a second life, unlike Antwone Fisher and Narc.
Among the holdover titles, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days held incredibly well for a second place $22.1 million gross and very resilient 15% drop from its opening salvo. Also strong was Final Destination 2 which has managed to avoid the usual sharp drops associated with sequels and the horror genre. It slipped by 27% and has grossed $36.8 million after 18 days in release.
Limited and regional debuts ranged from fair to poor. Rainforest’s Afrocentric Lockdown bowed on 81 screens and generated a disappointing $2,850 average while IDP’s French import He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not appeared to be heading toward a respectable $108,000 from 13 venues. Demonstrating comparable strength were Sony Classics’ All the Real Girls with $42,100 from six screens and Thinkfilm’s Gerry grossing $26,800 from two sites.
Title % Change Theaters Daredevil 45,033,454 - 3471 45,033,454 How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days 20,708,870 -21% 2923 49,414,670 Chicago 14,503,231 18% 2268 82,606,872 The Jungle Book 2 14,109,797 - 2808 14,109,797 Shanghai Knights 12,796,818 -44% 2755 35,947,063 The Recruit 7,278,557 -30% 2336 39,410,773 Final Destination 2 6,242,586 -33% 2238 36,137,621 Kangaroo Jack 5,035,455 -35% 2535 58,954,899 Deliver Us From Eva 4,415,505 -40% 1139 12,281,586 The Hours 3,858,532 58% 1003 26,531,638 Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers 3,597,077 -13% 1422 325,446,438 About Schmidt 3,473,958 2% 1240 53,013,946 Catch Me If You Can 2,543,976 -24% 1135 159,759,570 Biker Boyz 2,473,937 -47% 1330 19,306,932 Darkness Falls 2,357,057 -45% 1539 29,877,615 The Gangs of New York 1,984,766 98% 1503 72,440,262 The Pianist 1,673,171 47% 328 10,873,988 The Quiet American 1,431,507 130% 157 2,922,946 Adaptation 1,311,426 50% 672 18,561,778 Just Married 972,179 -57% 625 54,016,654 The Lion King (Large Format) 637,331 -20% 66 12,306,208 Talk to Her 623,988 28% 255 5,579,238 Confessions of a Dangerous Mind 604,662 -62% 577 15,432,398 National Security 540,323 -67% 500 35,501,244 My Big Fat Greek Wedding 531,331 -53% 533 240,742,368 The Guru 514,788 32% 98 1,728,002 Harry Potter: Chamber of Secrets 404,116 8% 441 260,492,052 Two Weeks Notice 318,321 -35% 660 92,360,421 Rabbit-Proof Fence 315,047 -26% 139 4,332,013 25th Hour 269,143 -51% 126 12,455,669 Far from Heaven 258,434 22% 113 14,124,878 Frida 254,184 34% 117 23,752,326 Antwone Fisher 247,151 -62% 168 20,178,570 City of God 239,368 -15% 30 1,275,136 Lockdown 222,580 - 77 222,580 Space Station 219,815 5% 43 32,527,950 Bowling for Columbine 217,764 20% 172 17,630,990 A Guy Thing 206,469 -49% 477 15,408,822 The Hot Chick 192,894 277% 200 34,314,919 Maid in Manhattan 181,047 -27% 357 92,828,756 Die Another Day 145,409 -77% 202 160,499,070 Russian Ark 119,510 21% 16 794,913 Drumline 118,344 -49% 133 55,489,662 He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not 109,918 20 109,918 Star Trek: Nemesis 96,618 153% 211 42,976,787 The R.M. 86,852 -24% 16 367,216 8 Mile 83,220 -31% 90 116,574,895 The Wild Thornberrys 81,188 -60% 312 39,095,287 The Ring 77,691 -38% 105 128,854,703 Comment ma mere accoucha … 74,555 -37% 41 215,700 Khushi 72,487 -62% 30 261,917 The Crime of Padre Amaro 71,681 52% 42 5,433,078 Lost in La Mancha 70,062 14% 13 234,504 Seraphin, un homme et son peche 51,443 -32% 33 6,282,151 Friday After Next 48,752 -27% 55 33,050,459 Shackleton's Antarctic Adventure 47,205 41% 9 14,000,311 Sweet Home Alabama 46,863 -44% 72 127,214,072 All the Real Girls 46,791 7 46,791 Nicholas Nickelby 38,945 -54% 24 1,367,187 Narc 37,733 -74% 79 10,320,953 Max 35,982 -57% 33 474,667 Analyze That 27,965 -67% 83 32,122,249 Gerry 26,285 - 2 26,285 Shanghai Ghetto 24,307 -35% 6 477,796 Half Past Dead 23,942 -34% 39 15,567,860 Standing in the Shadow of Motown 19,893 -18% 24 1,574,521
Weekend Estimates - February 14-17, 2003
Title Daredevil - 3471 47.2 How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days -15% 2923 50.8 Chicago 18% 2268 80.7 The Jungle Book 2 - 2808 14.7 Shanghai Knights -42% 2755 36.2 The Recruit -28% 2336 39.6 Final Destination 2 -27% 2238 36.8 Kangaroo Jack -32% 2535 59 Deliver Us from Eva -40% 1139 12.4 Lord of the Rings: Two Towers -4% 1422 325.7 The Hours 60% 1003 26.6 About Schmidt 6% 1208 53.2 Biker Boyz -46% 1330 19.1 Darkness Falls -41% 1539 29.8 Catch Me If You Can -23% 1135 159.5 The Gangs of New York 144% 1503 72.6 The Pianist 48% 557 10.8 The Quiet American 130% 157 2.7 Adaptation 55% 672 18.4 Just Married -57% 621 54.1 National Security -57% 500 35.6 Confessions of Dangerous mind -55% 577 15.6 The Lion King (Large Format) -8% 66 12.3 The