September 7, 2003
September 1, 2003
August 24, 2003
August 17, 2003
August 10, 2003
August 3, 2003
July 27, 2003
July 20, 2003
July 13, 2003
July 6, 2003
June 29, 2003
June 22, 2003
June 15, 2003
June 8, 2003
June 1, 2003
May 27, 2003
May 18, 2003
May 11, 2003
May 4, 2003
April 26, 2003
April 13, 2003
April 6, 2003
March 30, 2003
March 23, 2003
March 16, 2003
March 9, 2003
March 2, 2003
February 23, 2003
February 23, 2003
February 17, 2003
February 9, 2003
February 2, 2003
January 26, 2003
January 20, 2003
January 12, 2003
January 5, 2003


..Gary Dretzka
..Leonard Klady
..Emanuel Levy
..David Poland
..Doug Pratt
..Ray Pride





Weekend Estimates
Market Share

Top Domestic Grosses

Mexico Found in Translation…

The audience said "see, see" to Once Upon a Time in Mexico but remained cautious about Matchstick Men as weekend movie going expanded slightly with the arrival of some high profile movies. There were also excellent bows for the chiller Cabin Fever and the critically lauded Lost in Translation in its limited launch.

The highly charged Once Upon a Time in Mexico was the clear weekend favorite with an estimated $25 million bow. Three appears to be a definite charm for filmmaker Robert Rodriguez with the latest edition of his El Mariachi character and the summer bow of Spy Kids 3-D. The new film definitely tapped into both an action and Hispanic crowd and that might prove to be an edge in the coming weeks as the majors unleash a flood of new films.

It was a decidedly more con verdict for Matchstick Men's $13 million debut. Though promoted vigorously it was a disappointing return for its pedigree and is likely to get lost in the shuffle as its displaced by newer films in the coming weeks and struggles to a $40 million to $50 million gross.

Conversely, the graphic horror and black comedy of Cabin Fever resulted in a better than anticipated $8.7 million opening. Though it will likely experience rapid commercial erosion, the smart campaign by Lions Gate will translate into heady profits for the company along the lines of recent horror hits Jeepers Creepers 2 and Freddy vs. Jason and bodes well for New Line's revived Texas Chainsaw Massacre next month.

Overall weekend sales should climb to about $87 million for a healthy 35% boost from the prior weekend. It was also a 6% increase from 2002 when Barbershop proved surprisingly strong with $20.6 million and Stealing Harvard eked out $6 million.

Following its rapturous response at the Toronto Festival, Focus's Lost in Translation had a potent $880,000 box office that translated into a $36,600 average at 24 theaters. The company is already touting Bill Murray's performance for Oscar consideration but even with an abbreviated awards season, it's a long road to the Kodak Theater. There remain very big question marks about the film's ability to cross over and echoes of last year's critical favorites Punch-Drunk Love and Adaptation linger in the memory.

Among holdover titles, the most resilient titles were targeted toward family audiences including Pirates of the Caribbean, Freaky Friday and last week's freshman Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star. That trio received an assist from sneak previews of Under the Tuscan Sun and The Fighting Temptations Saturday evening. Based on preliminary data both Tuscan Sun and Temptations drew heavily on their core appeal, attracting respectively an older female and African-American crowd. Reps for the pictures concede that its vital for the two pictures to broaden their appeal and both are working with intangible hooks that include quality, entertainment and laughs.

The arena was also rife with limited bows that failed to demonstrate hefty expansion prospects. MAC Releasing aggressively dated the thriller No Good Turn with Samuel Jackson - an adaptation of a Dashiell Hammett short story - in 402 theaters in most major markets save New York and Los Angeles. Its roughly $120,000 likely means a quick push to the ancillaries.

The frame also saw the debut of DreamWorks' specialty label Go Fish with the Japanese anima Millennium Actress. It recorded a passable $18,200 gross from six screens while the distaff Hong Kong actioner So Close via Strand returned $26,500 from 11 locations. Artisan's Adrian Brody vehicle Dummy also eluded the smart set with a $27,800 box office in five theaters.

The box office blow was soften largely as a result of many pictures continuing to play modestly in continuing runs and by a couple of niche titles holding ground in limited exposure. Disney surpassed its annual box office record of $1.24 billion Saturday and, with close to three months left in 2003, should considerably raise the bar for future years.

Among the limited openers, only Strand's Party Monster, a true life saga of success starring Macauley Culkin, displayed any strength. The film expanded from a single screen to eight venues and grossed approximately $130,000.

New Yorker had good response to the wartime drama Taking Sides with a $22,600 box office at two Manhattan sites but Innovation's Home Room, a controversial drama, sputtered with just $3,700 at three theaters. Also disappointing was the Indo-American Where's the Party Yaar? that was eyeing $41,000 from 11 screens.

In general specialized and niche films were feeling the pinch of competition as reflected by weekend returns from such fast out of the gate titles as American Splendor and Thirteen. Splendor added 184 engagements but only experienced a 24% b.o. increase while its theater average dipped below $3,000. Thirteen, in its fourth weekend, added 50 playdates but dipped 30% and its average also fell below $3,000. With fewer than 500 prime playdates for alternative fare and the award season contenders about to be unleashed, this sector of the film business is likely to experience the fiercest and most unforgiving season in memory.

- by Leonard Klady


Weekend Finals - September 12-14, 2003

Title
Distrib
Weekend
% Change
Theaters
Cume
Wks
1
New
Once Upon a Time in Mexico
Sony
23,424,118 - 3282 23,424,118
1
2
New
Matchstick Men
WB
13,087,307 - 2711 13,087,307
1
3
New
Cabin Fever
Lions Gate
8,633,585 - 2087 8,633,585
1
4
1
Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star
Par
5,042,028 -24% 2083 12,871,357
2
5
3
Pirates of the Caribbean
BV
4,506,400 -15% 2029 287,884,372
10
6
4
Freaky Friday
BV
4,061,689 -20% 2567 101,971,030
6
7
2
Jeepers Creepers 2
MGM
3,019,860 -54% 2784 31,865,481
3
8
8
Seabiscuit
Uni
2,754,615 -26% 2102 113,606,750
8
9
5
S.W.A.T.
Sony
2,708,563 -41% 2062 112,791,312
6
10
7
Open Range
BV
2,706,853 -36% 2063 53,482,017
5
11
10
Uptown Girls
MGM
1,403,912 -43% 1425 35,496,283
5
12
9
Freddy vs. Jason
New Line
1,387,720 -57% 1577 80,539,099
5
13
6
The Order
Fox
1,140,136 -74% 1975 6,845,194
2
14
11
American Wedding
Uni
1,137,375 -48% 1011 102,486,890
7
15
New
Lost in Translation
Focus
925,087 - 23 925,087
1
16
22
American Splendor
Fine Line
840,774 45% 272 3,871,437
5
17
12
The Medallion
Sony
835,165 -62% 990 21,252,540
4
18
13
The Italian Job
Par
791,525 -55% 980 104,733,456
15
19
20
Finding Nemo
BV
636,935 1% 624 334,702,727
16
20
18
Whale Rider
Newmarket
632,224 -29% 492 19,100,089
15
21
14
My Boss's Daughter
Miramax
587,885 -66% 1044 14,876,383
4
22
15
Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over
Miramax
522,100 -52% 1044 109,631,985
8
23
16
Bad Boys II
Sony
521,844 -49% 525 137,255,889
9
24
21
Thirteen
Fox Searchlight
482,965 -23% 158 2,572,863
4
25
19
Dirty Pretty Things
Miramax
444,286 -48% 443 6,508,955
9
26
17
Le Divorce
Fox Searchlight
439,403 -54% 432 8,409,849
6
27
23
The Magdalene Sisters
Alliance/Miramax
359,867 -37% 297 3,610,892
9
28
29
Bruce Almighty
Uni
274,665 -2% 252 241,686,320
17
29
27
Step Into Liquid
Artisan
261,810 -22% 90 2,604,144
6
30
24
The Secret Lives of Dentists
Manhattan
240,852 -46% 156 3,090,198
7
31
30
League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
Fox 
206,106 -22% 260 65,883,617
9
32
25
Lara Croft: The Cradle of Life
Par
204,835 -51% 382 64,966,533
8
33
26
The Matrix Reloaded
WB
193,196 -50% 286 280,644,783
18
34
31
Winged Migration
Sony Classics
183,623 -27% 137 8,783,694
22
35
28
Swimming Pool
Focus
182,943 -41% 173 9,781,267
11
36
36
Daddy Day Care
Sony
153,828 -3% 204 103,551,400
19
37
32
28 Days Later
Fox Searchlight
144,640 -40% 212 44,777,706
11
38
34
Bend It Like Beckham
Fox Searchlight
144,635 -24% 164 32,196,445
28
39
New
No Good Deed 
MAC Releasing
129,042 - 402 129,042
1
40
New
The Book of Mormon Movie
Morman Movie
114,573 - 29 114,573
1
41
35
Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle
Sony
107,812 -42% 176 100,685,880
12
42
37
La Grande Seduction
Alliance
100,445 -33% 62 5,749,183
10
43
33
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines
WB
100,361 -48% 120 149,543,038
11
44
40
The Hulk 
Uni
92,120 -20% 128 132,042,005
12
45
42
Johnny English
Uni
89,640 -12% 129 27,888,885
9
46
43
Legally Blonde 2
MGM
86,100 -15% 188 90,039,088
11
47
41
2 Fast 2 Furious
Uni
79,065 -23% 118 127,015,815
15
48
47
Gaz Bar Blues
Alliance
76,289 0% 23 197,713
2
49
39
Party Monster
Strand
68,719 -49% 7 296,665
3
50
49
Ghosts of the Abyss
BV
68,434 15% 22 14,506,018
23
51
44
Space Station
Imax
58,882 -35% 21 43,484,113
74
52
45
Kuch Naa Kaho
Eros
58,784 -36% 32 187,444
2
53
46
Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas
DreamWorks
58,775 -34% 152 26,367,627
11
54
38
Camp
IFC
54,062 -55% 64 1,566,968
8
55
58
Passionada
IDP
47,421 34% 33 487,110
5
56
48
The Legend of Johnny Lingo
Innovation
44,921 -25% 43 340,693
3
57
60
Grind
WB
41,448 25% 140 5,111,630
5
58
51
Spellbound
Thinkfilm
40,424 -22% 38 5,530,123
20
59
52
Where'd the Party Yaar?
Music Masala
35,941 -26% 11 93,807
1
60
New
So Close
Strand
31,702 - 11 31,702
1
61
59
Capturing the Friedmans
Magnolia
31,649 -10% 34 3,051,619
15
62
New
Dummy
Artisan
30,120 - 5 30,120
1
63
56
Rugrats Go Wild
Par
28,450 -23% 71 39,378,921
13
64
55
Hawayein
Megastar
27,523 -27% 5 377,794
5
65
54
Northfork
Par Classics
27,175 -35% 45 1,323,116
10
66
64
Masked and Anonymous
Sony Classics
27,122 -2% 17 390,842
9
67
50
And Now Ladies & Gentlemen
Par Classics
26,638 -53% 35 643,962
7
68
57
T-Rex: Back to the Cretaceous
Imax
26,036 -28% 8 45,977,326
256
69
77
Sept. 11 - 11'09"01
Empire/Odeon
24,958 40% 11 103,909
9
70
70
Taking Sides
New Yorker
22,915 4% 5 56,383
2
71
75
Nowhere in Africa
Zeitgeist/Mongrel
21,864 14% 18 6,718,474
28
72
61
I Capture the Castle
IDP
19,368 -41% 24 1,131,676
10
73
New
Millenium Actress
DreamWorks
18,732 - 6 18,732
1
74
73
30 Years to Life
Innovation
18,602 -11% 3 99,023
63
75
69
Haunted Castle