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Weekend Finals
Money in the Banks?
The Queen was supreme as Touchstone’s Bringing Down the House held strong in its second weekend to reign as Miss Popularity at the box office with an estimated $22.5 million. It was literally and figuratively the high point in a weekend neither robust nor moribund with OK results for new releases and continuing fare … just fair. The weekend’s other bright spot was the buoyant exclusive preem of Fox Searchlight’s Bend It Like Beckham.
The comic pairing of Steve Martin and Queen Latifah in da House slipped a modest 28% in its sophomore frame and appears to have picked up a sizeable young crowd and that wasn’t great news for MGM’s freshman entry Agent Cody Banks. A shameless if entertaining combination of James Bond and Spy Kids, Banks was envisioned as a franchise series for the studio and actor Frankie Munez. With close to a $15 million debut weekend, the film will be, minimally, inconspicuously profitable thanks primarily to subsequent ancillary revenue. While it’s good news for the perpetually ailing company, it may be shy of the juice necessary for an on-going commitment.
Paramount’s launch of the action-adventure The Hunted followed in third spot with about $13.5 million. Plagued by production glitches, the studio is likely relieved that the Tommy Lee Jones-Benecio del Toro programmer will be a recouper and can shut the books on any notion of a follow up.
Also eyeing a solo flight is New Line’s redo of the 1971 shocker Willard that landed eighth in the lineup with $3.8 million. The original spawned Ben but the old saw about the singularity of lightning seems apt in this instance.
Overall weekend business should climb to close to $110 million, virtually a carbon copy of the immediate prior frame. However, it was a significant 26% decline from 2002 when Fox premiered Ice Age to $46.3 million and second and third place launches of Resident Evil and Showtime both out-grossed this year’s debuting movies.
The movie going landscape for the three-day period was in a word: predictable. Action and genre fare took the biggest hits, comedies held reasonably well and the handful of pictures playing the Oscar card either maintained their position or experienced slight boosts at the box office. Though Chicago’s cume considerably trails The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, the tuner surpassed the fantasy franchise on Thursday as calendar 2003’s top grosser.
On the specialized front, Searchlight’s acquisition of the British comedy-drama Bend It Like Beckham (a reference to the unusual body English of the top _ briefly seen in the movie _ soccer star) arrived with commercial fury. Bowing on six screens in four cities, the female-enabling themed picture should tally up more than $150,000. Internationally, the movie has already grossed a hefty $50 million.
Zeitgeist’s Oscar-nominated Nowhere in Africa expanded to nine theaters and rang in with an impressive $74,000. The German production, a period saga that breezes through two and one-half hours, is heavily favored to take home the foreign-language Oscar.
The revelation (?) that vet director Robert Wise’s endorsement of The Gangs of New York was more manipulated than serendipitous has industry tongues wagging. Among the bruited issues being discussed are: director Martin Scorsese’s tacit silence? (damned if he does, damned if he doesn’t) The Academy’s tightening of campaigning rules? And what new wrinkle Miramax will invent to flaunt the letter of any news rules and regulations?
Weinstein’s aggressive win at any cost stance on awards will likely garner physical kudos but certainly has put a taint on the golden statuette. Scorsese has to be twitching, caught between a feeling of deserving Academy recognition and earning it in a fashion deemed unbefitting the organization’s image.
A source close to the campaign said Weinstein ramped up his efforts and questionable tactics following The Pianist’s best picture wins in England and France. His nose was put particularly out of joint by a recent column by Los Angeles Times columnist Patrick Goldstein in which the writer encouraged Oscar members to vote for the film and not the baggage associated with its director. According to the source, Weinstein considered Goldstein’s words unfair suasion that he had to counter by every means possible.
Miramax will have its wrist slapped with its ticket compliment to be reduced by six as a result of breeches it committed in campaigning. Historically, the Academy has penalized companies for infractions by cutting two tickets to the show and its unclear whether the current decision cited three actions or was deemed so egregious it required a more severe response. Miramax will have to do some last minute shuffling but rest assured Weinstein will be comfortably seated for the event.
Also being pondered is whether publicist Murray Weissman - the engineer of Wise’s words - will resign his seat on the Academy board. He can always invoke that he was only following marching orders.
Weekend Finals - March 14-16, 2003
Title Weekend Theaters Cume Bringing Down the House 22,054,934 -29% 2801 61,287,160 Agent Cody Banks 14,064,317 - 3369 14,064,317 The Hunted 13,482,638 - 2516 13,482,638 Tears of the Sun 8,705,853 -49% 2973 30,721,673 Chicago 7,105,479 4% 2600 124,845,340 Old School 6,670,577 -27% 2452 60,755,809 How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days 4,685,917 -30% 2430 93,724,277 Willard 4,010,593 - 1761 4,010,593 Daredevil 3,030,687 -42% 2054 96,033,651 Cradle 2 the Grave 2,974,489 -53% 2150 31,688,273 The Jungle Book 2 2,533,740 -40% 2064 43,659,830 Shanghai Knights 1,548,917 -42% 1316 57,240,033 The Pianist 1,268,454 -7% 574 18,061,286 The Hours 1,250,613 -15% 814 37,294,195 About Schmidt 1,093,228 -21% 713 61,630,220 Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers 1,014,613 -17% 612 333,623,857 The Quiet American 990,821 -14% 396 8,700,081 The Life of David Gale 901,925 -58% 893 18,810,795 The Recruit 685,848 -50% 640 51,485,299 Gods and Generals 645,309 -53% 706 12,241,468 Final Destination 2 638,273 -38% 616 45,619,162 The Gangs of New York 495,356 -5% 278 76,240,821 Kangaroo Jack 352,060 -54% 615 65,479,341 Adaptation 328,040 -8% 190 21,101,763 The Lion King (Large Format) 311,937 -7% 63 14,291,295 City of God 285,061 18% 97 2,407,724 Catch Me If You Can 255,749 -25% 236 162,856,831 Talk to Her 248,647 -8% 152 7,460,850 Deliver Us From Eva 234,329 -49% 184 17,160,784 Frida 233,326 58% 218 24,828,865 Far from Heaven 226,889 4% 117 15,260,733 Laurel Canyon 215,794 45% 19 433,847 Just Married 209,389 -22% 290 55,285,682 Space Station 199,142 13% 41 34,049,022 Dark Blue 193,491 -47% 560 9,059,588 Rabbit-Proof Fence 170,523 -7% 110 5,408,425 Bend It Like Beckham 161,528 6 191,791 Spider 160,523 10% 47 639,804 Two Weeks Notice 151,826 267% 255 92,803,258 Bowling for Columbine 145,404 -7% 101 18,508,790 Darkness Falls 144,741 -36% 134 32,032,215 Maid in Manhattan 135,382 -30% 156 93,571,332 Biker Boyz 122,096 -33% 193 21,559,289 Harry Potter: Chamber of Secrets 121,361 -33% 205 261,588,213 Irreversible 111,345 85% 26 208,233 The Guru 101,349 -37% 77 2,867,996 Drumline 98,711 -15% 113 56,068,768 The Wild Thornberrys 95,996 29% 212 39,430,443 Nowhere in Africa 87,496 296% 11 120,095 Antwone Fisher 83,494 -30% 115 20,813,967 Russian Ark 81,968 -23% 20 1,374,912 The Safety of Objects 75,934 -12% 43 195,995 The Hot Chick 53,397 -41% 95 34,945,455 He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not 52,958 -17% 22 500,292 Amandla! 42,312 -4% 12 170,716 Shackleton's Antarctic Adventure 38,409 9% 10 14,194,576 25th Hour 36,020 -38% 28 12,895,158 National Security 35,556 24% 32 35,855,967 Die Another Day 34,589 -43% 71 160,876,605 Help! I'm a Fish 33,769 -63% 34 357,736 T-Rex: Back to the Cretaceous 30,865 47% 3 42,441,917 The R.M. 30,376 -29% 20 576,909 Rivers and Tides 29,723 -30% 10 1,124,850 Blind Spot: Hitler's Secretary 28,226 56% 12 182,146 Lost in La Mancha 25,355 -35% 14 529,153 Friday After Next 23,654 -23% 28 33,253,609 The Ring 23,478 -42% 73 129,094,024 The Crime of Padre Amaro 22,136 -38% 34 5,670,884 My Big Fat Greek Wedding 20,903 -71% 74 241,406,779 Seraphin, un homme et son peche 19,755 -46% 17 6,636,665 Weekend Estimates - March 14-16, 2003
Title Bring Down the House -28% 2801 61.8 Agent Cody Banks - 3369 14.8 The Hunted - 2516 13.5 Tears of the Sun -49% 2973 30.6 Chicago 13% 2600 125.5 Old School -26% 2452 60.9 How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days -28% 2430 93.8 Willard - 1761 3.8 Daredevil -39% 2054 96.2 Cradle 2 the Grave -52% 2150 31.9 The Jungle Book 2 -34% 2064 43.9 Shanghai Knights -40% 1316 57.3 The Hours -12% 814 37.3 The Pianist -7% 574 18.1 About Schmidt -14% 713 61.7 Lord of the Rings: Two Towers -8% 612 333.7 The Quiet American -15% 396 8.7 The Life of David Gale -55% 895 18.9 Final Destination 2 -22% 616 45.8 The Recruit -48% 640 51.5 Gods and Generals -48% 706 12.3 The Gangs of New York