..Gary
Dretzka
..Leonard
Klady
..Emanuel
Levy
..David
Poland
..Doug
Pratt
..Ray
Pride
Weekend Estimates
Ardor Dominates With Newcomers Peeking Over the Sill
The juggernaut that is The Passion of The Christ continued apace as it once again ascended to the top of the weekend box office with an estimated $33.1 million. The frame also boasted a solid debut for the psychological thriller Secret Window and disappointing results for the second installment of the Cody Banks series.
The continued strength of The Passion once again translated in a box office boost from 2003. It now appears that the film will experience 35% to 40% weekly drops with an anticipated bump around Easter. However, there's no immediate indication that it will heal undue heat from competing films in the marketplace and that should result in a final domestic tally of more than $350 million.
In hindsight the two unseen factors in the picture's success have been its ability to draw in untraditional and infrequent film goers and the degree to which its been able to spark repeat business. Though the exact composition of its repeaters hasn't been fully identified, the echo audience appears to be composed of both the usual suspects as well as an older crowd.
Incoming action was spearheaded by Secret Window, a familiar Stephen King yarn headlining Johnny Depp that opened to roughly $18.6 million to rank second overall. Though largely pilloried critically, the film bowed to pretty much anticipated business. The same could not be said of Cody Banks: Destination London that was eyeing $10 million but grossed just shy of $8 million to slot fifth in the lineup.
The first Cody with Frankie Munoz opened one year ago to $14.1 million and trailed the second weekend of Bringing Down the House at $22 million and was just ahead of the $13.5 million bow of The Hunted. The current weekend is headed toward about $115 million for a 12% improvement on 2003 and a decline of 18% from seven days earlier.
The other big news of the weekend was Warner Bros.' bow of Nascar: The Imax Experience that rallied an estimated $1.5 million from 68 engagements. It marked the biggest opening - literally and figuratively - for an original Imax production in both box office and in the number of theaters. Since the studio bowed Matrix Revolutions day-and-date, it's quickly moved into an on-going commitment to large screen ventures with upcoming dates for such conventional releases and the third Harry Potter and Catwoman.
The WB had less stellar returns for its launch of the David Mamet thriller Spartan that grossed an estimated $1.9 million from a medium wide release in 832 theaters. Not unexpectedly the film fared best in urban markets where critical response tended to be more positive. The studio also sneaked its grisly thriller Taking Lives over the weekend to generally good response and got a better than usual distaff response to the vehicle starring Angelina Jolie.
Once again specialized film debuts were light, limited and unspectacular. The Israeli drama Broken Wings opened in five locations to about $23,000 while the Turkish, Cannes-prized Distant grossed $12,000 at two Manhattan venues. Thinkfilm also had a two screen bow for its Scottish oddball comedy-drama Wilbur Wants to Kill Himself that generated about $13,000.
Second weekend business on both Starsky & Hutch and Hidalgo also held reasonable well ranking third and fourth on the roster with respective box office of $16.2 million and $11.8 million. And the last films standing from the Oscar race - The Return of the King, Monster, Mystic River - shifted into final theatrical phase with erosions of roughly one-third following respective award bumps following the broadcast.
Weekend Finals - March 12-14, 2004
Title Weekend The Passion of the Christ 32,130,978 -40% 3221 264,510,209 Secret Window 18,237,568 3018 18,237,568 Starsky & Hutch 16,018,291 -43% 3185 51,500,921 Hidalgo 11,861,620 -37% 3065 35,635,388 Cody Banks: Destination London 8,014,005 2973 8,014,005 50 First Dates 5,425,736 -29% 2586 106,701,379 Twisted 3,081,612 -40% 2208 21,134,984 Confessions of Teenage Drama Queen 2,472,097 -39% 1801 24,942,380 Lord of the Rings: Return of the King 2,021,501 -33% 1307 371,147,794 Spartan 2,011,435 832 2,011,501 Nascar: The Imax Experience 1,467,406 68 1,467,406 Miracle 1,413,069 -44% 1205 61,859,933 Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights 1,396,187 -53% 1239 12,382,121 Mystic River 1,386,460 -30% 927 87,163,685 Monster 1,385,802 -35% 1012 32,112,739 Barbershop 2: Back in Business 967,842 -45% 835 61,343,779 Eurotrip 635,909 -61% 605 16,944,239 Something's Gotta Give 433,640 7% 439 124,002,367 Cold Mountain 412,645 -50% 475 94,645,048 You Got Served 331,763 -44% 329 39,401,647 Touching the Void 327,103 -12% 136 2,597,916 Cheaper by the Dozen 321,945 12% 336 136,665,723 Le Dernier Tunnel 296,295 62 296,295 Girl with a Pearl Earring 286,017 -27% 182 10,428,710 Welcome to Mooseport 285,946 -62% 481 14,005,914 The Fog of War 279,029 -36% 205 3,314,317 The Triplets of Belleville 269,351 -13% 134 5,993,340 The Butterfly Effect 267,437 -49% 312 56,909,473 In America 266,019 -27% 171 14,955,863 The Barbarian Invasions 257,517 -30% 154 7,792,102 Along Came Polly 248,040 -32% 312 87,062,135 Monsieur Ibrahim 241,976 51% 52 667,790 The Haunted Mansion 175,956 -22% 226 75,239,459 Master and Commander 175,263 -13% 198 93,143,778 The Blue Butterfly 148,399 -28% 67 1,145,552 Good Bye, Lenin! 140,799 122% 16 314,758 The Dreamers 139,644 -32% 109 2,159,579 The Last Samurai 126,668 -24% 281 110,788,675 Bugs! 123,937 29% 21 5,480,869 Lost in Translation 120,027 -50% 111 44,477,523 My Architect 117,947 -13% 37 1,671,442 Osama 117,338 8% 31 755,525 Big Fish 109,447 -28% 134 66,257,002 Peter Pan 105,560 -26% 203 48,120,270 Calendar Girls 97,978 -22% 106 30,467,462 The Young Black Stallion 95,866 -31% 39 5,908,329 21 Grams 94,646 -41% 84 16,162,920 City of God 93,685 -34% 50 7,203,574 The Cooler 86,705 -22% 84 8,179,538 Catch That Kid 85,923 -65% 178 16,351,546 Space Station 82,240 3% 16 48,062,579 House of Sand and Fog 63,070 -35% 76 12,820,497 Pulse: A Stomp Odyssey 57,784 -6% 11 5,888,051 Latter Days 52,964 108% 13 359,599 Broken Lizard's Club Dread 49,957 -93% 123 4,920,886 The Company 45,217 25% 34 1,920,148 Bad Santa 45,134 -69% 77 60,030,347 Teacher's Pet 40,969 352% 176 6,426,692 The Best Two Years 38,809 -35% 24 392,109 Brother Bear 38,236 -39% 98 85,145,349 The Big Bounce 35,752 618% 122 6,471,394 Paycheck 34,413 -52% 76 53,749,830 Snow Walker 28,993 -17% 16 81,325 Love, Sex, and Eating the Bones 26,761 -18% 8 69,754 The Reckoning 25,821 43% 25 52,208 Kitchen Stories 24,957 32% 12 150,385 Broken Wings 24,862 5 24,862 The Cat in the Hat 24,763 -21% 55 101,091,659 Miaou! 23,882 -62% 34 256,770 Against the Ropes 23,857 -87% 277 5,792,410 Gothika 23,692 -28% 63 59,624,069 The Return 21,719 5% 9 214,318 Greendale 20,019 68% 5 52,931 The Corporation 19,169 -31% 7 709,246
Estimates - March 12-14, 2004
Title The Passion of the Christ -38% 3221 265.5 Secret Window - 3018 18.6 Starsky & Hutch -42% 3185 51.7 Hidalgo -37% 3065 35.6 Agent Cody Banks: Destination London - 2973 7.8 50 First Dates -29% 2586 106.7 Twisted -35% 2208 21.4 Confessions of Teenage Drama Queen -39% 1801 24.9 Lord of the Rings: Return of King -31% 1307 371.2 Spartan - 832 1.9 Nascar: Imax Experience - 68 1.5 Miracle -44% 1205 61.9 Monster -33% 1012 32.2 Mystic River -31% 927 87.2 Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights -60% 1239 12.2 Barbershop 2: Back in Business