..Gary
Dretzka
..Leonard
Klady
..Emanuel
Levy
..David
Poland
..Doug
Pratt
..Ray
Pride
Weekend Estimates
Stake and Small Fries
Van Helsing unleashed an estimated $54.2 million to go way ahead of the class in the start of Hollywood’s summer movie season. The vampire hunter staked out an additional $53 million in 41 international territories for a $100 million plus global debut that bodes well for eventual worldwide theatrical revenues of $300 million.
The weekend’s other national opener - the maturing Olsen twin comedy New York Minute - neither worked as counter programming nor advanced the duo’s big screen aspirations. It ranked fourth overall with an anticipated $6.2 million. Far more arresting was the limited bow of the documentary Super Size Me that rang up close to $600,000 and theater averages of $14,000.
The frame should tally in at close to $115 million for a nominal 2% boost from the prior weekend and a 12% boost from one year earlier. In 2003, X2 held top spot in its second weekend with $40 million followed by the $27.6 million bow of Daddy Day Care. The 19th ranked picture that weekend was the Quebec opening of The Barbarian Invasions with $460,000 from 134 theaters. It’s gone on to win an Oscar and a worldwide gross approaching $30 million.
While the pricey horror adventure Van Helsing opened more or less to expectations domestically, it exceeded overseas projections. Its estimated $53 million was easily UIP/Universal’s biggest ever opening with first place rankings across the board including the U.K. ($9.7 million), Germany ($7.6 million), Spain ($5.1 million), France ($4.1 million), Australia ($3.6 million), Italy ($3.5 million) and Mexico ($2.9 million). Still, prospects of earning back its costs from theatrical exposure appear unlikely and will give the studio pause about prospects for a second outing now that he’s taken care of Dracula, Frankenstein and The Wolf Man.
Next weekend’s highly anticipated Troy could take a major bite out of Van Helsing not only in North America but in the 49 countries it will open simultaneously.
Expectations for the Olsen’s New York Minute, while modest, were still in the low teens and diplomatically 75% greater than reported Sunday. The Twins have been highly successful in a series of direct-to-video movies and Minute’s ancillary business could well determine how quickly they will return to the big screen arena.
Continuing titles saw Van Helsing eating up 50% of the marketplace and, graded on the curve, 40% drops were a good result. On that plus side, Mean Girls added $14.5 million in its second weekend and a $43 million cume. However, sophomore sessions of Laws of Attraction, Godsend, Envy and Bobby Jones: Stroke of Genius were brutal with none of the quartet remotely approaching an eventual box office of $20 million.
Morgan Spurlock's chronicle of his own month long McDonald’s-only diet in Super Size Me was the sort of hot button stunt that was never going to be reality TV fodder. Clever promotion and marketing translated into an excellent opening weekend expected to be close to $600,000. One could quibble that the film went out too wide in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and D.C. resulting in diminished per screens (averages were double in markets playing exclusive engagements). However, there’s a lot to be said about capitalizing on initial heat and building upon it.
The remaining pictures launched in regional and specialized fashion were a very eclectic mix. The Boston Red Sox Movie, a documentary account on the team’s 2003 almost pennant season, was launched in 17 Bean Town locations to an impressive $88,000. Still, it’s unlikely the film will play to other than true believers.
Also impressive was the revival of the original 1954 Godzilla in its original Japanese incarnation (no Raymond Burr) with 20 minutes of film not previously seen in America. It fired up almost $30,000 in two venues and is stomping toward a theater near you.
Argentina’s Oscar submission Valentin had OK results of about $14,000 from two venues but a trio of openers from the American indie sector was lackluster. Lantern Lane launched Seeing Other People in 16 theaters to about $36,000 while Innovation’s 10-screen bow of A Foreign Affair generated a little more than $11,000. Strand’s The Mudge Boy was also eyeing about $11,000 but playing in six fewer locations.
Weekend Finals - May 7-9, 2004
Title Van Helsing 51,748,040 3575 51,748,040 Mean Girls 13,676,552 2972 42,073,762 Man on Fire 8,235,535 2846 56,350,858 New York Minute 5,962,106 3006 5,962,106 13 Going on 30 5,816,841 3158 42,880,123 Laws of Attraction 3,678,133 2449 12,091,749 Kill Bill Vol. 2 3,022,066 1952 57,791,775 Godsend 2,793,785 2323 11,366,944 Envy 2,506,209 2445 9,967,996 Home on the Range 1,253,738 1356 47,260,250 The Punisher 1,136,409 1435 32,081,125 Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed 1,009,389 1309 81,038,467 Johnson Family Vacation 1,006,728 818 28,808,339 Ella Enchanted 839,510 1450 20,878,875 The Passion of the Christ 785,369 1423 368,027,248 Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind 565,671 339 31,721,817 Hellboy 548,357 865 58,576,484 Walking Tall 546,422 878 43,752,098 Bobby Jones: Stroke of Genius 528,528 986 2,191,499 Super Size Me 516,641 41 516,641 Nascar: The Imax Experience 421,335 73 10,476,012 Main Hoon Na 416,849 67 1,257,170 The Ladykillers 326,026 385 38,478,694 The Alamo 293,660 389 21,790,818 Connie and Carla 259,960 260 7,641,440 Hidalgo 240,653 233 65,517,285 Barbershop 2: Back in Business 197,410 447 64,269,487 Dawn of the Dead 195,930 311 58,318,120 Monica la mitraille 191,914 97 816,284 Good Bye, Lenin! 172,818 110 3,063,785 Bon Voyage 166,717 70 1,087,275 I'm Not Scared 165,759 63 656,267 Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter, Spring … 155,545 58 706,411 Secret Window 138,226 228 47,622,502 The Girl Next Door 134,084 179 14,209,631 Bugs! 127,184 25 7,575,961 The Prince & Me 123,162 331 27,380,731 Lord of the Rings: Return of the King 103,703 190 376,716,328 Clifford's Really Big Movie 103,457 157 2,675,996 The Boston Red Sox Movie 91,388 17 91,388 Taking Lives 84,450 237 32,435,833 Mickey 80,857 76 165,336 Monsieur Ibrahim 80,363 65 2,360,927 Dogville 75,377 63 1,211,224 Dans une galaxie pres de chez vous 73,713 58 2,037,450 50 First Dates 72,603 95 119,543,649 Pulse: A Stomp Odyssey 68,482 12 6,415,852 Space Station 68,211 18 50,101,526 Young Adam 66,516 36 310,369 The Whole Ten Yards 62,478 131 16,031,170 Touching the Void 62,245 73 4,327,743 Jersey Girl 61,859 168 24,969,974 Starsky & Hutch 57,221 114 87,127,968 L'Incomparable Mademoiselle C 54,230 58 431,852 The Saddest Music in the World 53,613 11 117,956 Along Came Polly 48,784 37 87,977,752 Silmido 46,947 7 254,112 Mystic River 44,481 128 90,050,414 Agent Cody Banks: Destination London 44,456 109 23,451,991 The Life of Brian (reissue) 42,477 11 79,401 My Architect 39,056 27 2,525,454 La Grande seduction 38,133 15 7,665,878 Godzilla (1954) 38,030 2 38,030 Shaolin Soccer 38,946 13 273,049 The Corporation 36,579 14 1,224,767 Seeing Other People 35,030 16 35,030 The Triplets of Belleville 34,981 35 7,245,677 The Barbarian Invasions 34,014 65 8,718,122 Twisted 29,943 49 25,148,216 The Agronomist 28,318 15 132,822 The Fog of War 28,145 34 4,176,016 Confessions of Teenage Drama Queen 27,187 101 29,268,163 Broken Wings 26,524 18 290,018 Intermission 26,277 42 799,715 Cheaper by the Dozen 23,845 67 138,540,694 Ghosts of the Abyss 23,826 9 15,946,671 The Return 22,213 15 352,421 Big Fish 21,638 45 66,774,751 Girl with a Pearl Earring 21,326 22 11,670,971 Wilbur Wants to Kill Himself 20,270 15 140,053 You Got Served 19,669