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Weekend Finals
Head of Da House … and Senate?
DreamWorks' Chris Rocker Head of State went to the top of the weekend viewing chart with an estimated $13.8 million. However, let's be perfectly clear, this election rendered a plurality, not a majority victory as two other national debuts and one resilient holdover were crowded at the top with roughly $2 million separating first and fourth choice.
It's also worth noting that one year ago the top three films in the marketplace -the $30 million debut of Panic Room, the third weekend of Ice Age and a freshman bow of The Rookie - all registered better than $16 million frames. So, while the current 3-day span experienced a slight 2% boost from seven days ago and should gross roughly $100 million overall, it was a significant 24% less potent than 2002.
And, not to beat a dead horse too much, that's because it's a product driven marketplace. Current tracking indicates that movie going will continue to be soft until the April 11 launch of Anger Management with Adam Sandler and Jack Nicholson.
The trio of new pictures all experienced OK, if unremarkable, debuts. Head of State, co-written, co-produced, starring and directed by Chris Rock, largely found its edge because it was most obviously going for laughs. The mirthful saga of the first black U.S. president (at the opposite end of the spectrum from 1972's The Man starring James Earl Jones) generated a theater average of about $6,400.
Third and fourth spots were a close race between the sci-fier The Core and the military whodunit (see separate review) Basic with John Travolta. Ultimately the precarious journey into the bowels of the earth had a $300,000 edge with an $11.9 million gross. Both films had virtually identical $4,000 averages.
Bombarded with images of a distant war, U.S. audiences have been thirsty for diversionary entertainment and it's fair to say that this has provided better than anticipated box office for most current attractions. It's also resulted in most distributors bemoaning the fact that individual release schedules aren't dotted with more commercially potent movies.
A surprise exception is Touchstone's Bringing Down the House that ranked second in its fourth weekend and just slipped past a $100 million domestic gross. Paramount's How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days also surpassed that figure this weekend and Fox's Daredevil should creep past that milestone in the next week.
Another indication of the fungible nature of current releases is the generally brutal second week fall off in ticket sales. Three of last weekend's debutants experienced 50% plus erosions. Only the family-oriented Piglet's Big Movie managed to hold well on its opening box office.
The last spurt of Oscar interest was also in evidence as films that were passed over or only slightly sprinkled with golden dust faded in the sunset. The Hours - recipient of one statuette - lost playdates and 27% of its gross and the 0 for 10 ratio for Gangs of New York (the record is 0 for 11 for The Color Purple) experienced a 60% box office hit.
The good news quotient included a 19% boost for Chicago and a renewed life for The Pianist. The latter film was able to book an additional 300 venues and saw business increase by 132%. Also get an uptick was Michael Moore's Bowling for Columbine.
Disney was able to get its first significant run on animation winner Spirited Away and generated a decent $1.6 million. The film hasn't been able to draw a more mature audience where its true appeal rests.
Finally, foreign-language Oscar recipient Nowhere in Africa also capitalized on the statuette with new dates and increased box office. The same was true for Talk to Her.
In the specialized arena, Bend It Like Beckham was expanding nicely and maintaining a $10,000 plus screen average. Debuting titles were not as potent. Assassination Tango, starring and directed by Robert Duvall, generated a respectable $60,000 from seven parlors while IDP's Raising Victor Vargas had a sturdy $32,000 from two venues. Lions Gate's non-fiction Stevie was struggling to $10,000 from four screens.
Weekend Finals - March 28-30, 2003
Title Head of State 13,503,484 - 2151 13,503,484 Bringing Down the House 12,481,803 -24% 2910 100,068,024 The Core 12,053,131 - 3017 12,053,131 Basic 11,511,960 - 2876 11,511,960 Chicago 7,210,721 17% 2701 144,652,474 Dreamcatcher 6,638,459 -56% 2945 25,641,912 Agent Cody Banks 6,419,524 -31% 2786 35,166,724 Piglet's Big Movie 4,931,308 -19% 2084 12,730,591 The Hunted 3,616,241 -44% 2244 29,222,759 View From the Top 3,516,872 -50% 2508 12,250,828 Old School 2,413,368 -38% 1407 70,818,475 The Pianist 2,408,543 141% 773 22,898,441 Tears of the Sun 2,006,425 -55% 1764 41,434,588 How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days 1,786,884 -39% 1176 101,051,022 Spirited Away 1,765,491 - 711 7,386,075 Boat Trip 1,691,121 -56% 1803 6,729,131 The Hours 744,712 -26% 506 40,117,829 Bend It Like Beckham 655,741 268% 46 1,171,713 Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers 623,597 -19% 425 335,800,124 Daredevil 622,947 -56% 681 99,488,672 The Quiet American 512,716 -36% 289 10,654,096 About Schmidt 449,835 -47% 375 63,676,882 The Jungle Book 2 440,794 -54% 539 46,253,937 Laurel Canyon 378,654 182% 121 1,102,705 Catch Me If You Can 307,102 -16% 340 163,788,757 Nowhere in Africa 305,959 174% 36 631,851 Cradle 2 the Grave 281,163 -73% 558 34,157,538 Talk to Her 270,004 30% 210 8,216,700 Bowling for Columbine 257,337 73% 121 19,091,371 Shanghai Knights 245,726 -63% 271 58,943,156 The Lion King (Large Format) 239,840 1% 59 15,056,769 Adaptation 234,005 -19% 149 21,878,965 The Gangs of New York 204,731 -64% 167 77,454,139 City of God 178,258 -21% 79 3,048,927 Willard 164,850 -88% 472 6,779,751 Space Station 161,106 -2% 37 34,875,401 Frida 158,551 -6% 114 25,382,634 Just Married 127,741 -20% 174 55,729,416 Final Destination 2 122,551 -55% 167 46,322,277 Rabbit-Proof Fence 112,450 -21% 72 5,772,838 The Wild Thornberrys 112,266 -1% 192 39,766,440 Far from Heaven 109,667 -52% 82 15,776,481 L'Auberge Espagnole 99,685 2% 19 259,372 Spider 97,146 -39% 44 982,883 Two Weeks Notice 92,601 -24% 120 93,137,630 1 + 1 = 11 92,342 - 18 92,342 Maid in Manhattan 77,095 -24% 113 93,815,117 Harry Potter: Chamber of Secrets 74,176 -15% 95 261,835,892 The Life of David Gale 72,595 -72% 110 19,593,740 Spun 64,478 130% 15 132,064 Assassination Tango 64,474 - 17 64,474 The Recruit 62,725 -74% 94 52,154,648 Biker Boyz 62,448 -40% 83 21,793,827 Drumline 60,426 -20% 83 56,266,149 Russian Ark 60,283 -18% 19 1,575,607 Irreversible 59,926 -4% 27 439,076 25th Hour 59,812 151% 107 13,005,625 Gods and Generals 55,364 -66% 81 12,750,401 All the Real Girls 50,639 153% 21 306,254 Kangaroo Jack 50,038 -54% 130 65,794,318 Rivers and Tides 44,816 39% 15 1,240,140 Antwone Fisher 39,582 -34% 78 20,971,081 The R.M. 36,623 -38% 28 716,545 Help! I'm a Fish 36,178 -13% 33 446,361 He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not 34,359 -10% 11 619,773 Raising Victor Vargas 33,166 - 2 33,166 Shackleton's Antarctic Adventure 24,904 -37% 10 14,327,185 The Guru 24,255 -46% 33 2,992,411 Amandla! 23,250 -39% 14 278,836 Deliver Us From Eva 22,999 -77% 34 17,389,494 Blind Spot: Hitler's Secretary 22,161 32% 8 247,320 T-Rex: Back to the Cretaceous 22,101 -18% 4 42,578,506 The Hot Chick 21,804 -43% 39 35,054,114 Gerry 20,623 12% 15 215,119 Star Wars, Episode 1 18,994 -26% 7 310,647,735 Seraphin, un homme et son peche 18,530 21% 12 6,687,765
Weekend Estimates - March 28-30, 2003
Title Head of State - 2151 13.8 Bring Down the House -23% 2910 100 The Core - 3017 11.9 Basic - 2876 11.6 Chicago 19% 2701 144.6 Dreamcatcher -57% 2945 25 Agent Cody Banks -37% 2786 34.5 Piglet's Big Movie -26% 2084 12.3 View From the Top -50% 2508 12.3 The Hunted -47% 2244 29.1 The Pianist 132% 773 22.6 Old School -41% 1407 70.7 Tears of the Sun -55% 1764 41.4 How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days -36% 1176 101.2 Spirited Away -