The Weekend Report: December 18, 2005

December 18, 2005
Weekend Estimates
Domestic Market Share

It's Good To Be The King...
King Kong arrived at the multiplex with an estimated $50 million debut to lead weekend moviegoing. While the big ape wasn’t quite as mighty as anticipated, he nonetheless provided the heft to provided a sizeable upturn in ticket sales. The frame also saw an encouraging bow for the offbeat comedy The Family Stone and for the limited debut of The Producers.
Following on the heels of last weekend’s unexpectedly potent $66 million opening of Narnia, industry anticipation for King Kong was buzzing with talk of a 5-day gross approaching $100 million. However, its $9 million opening day tally had pundits adjusting downward and addressing the possible reasons why it wasn’t conforming to their expectations.
One factor was its three-hour running time that reduced its daily showings but also appeared to curb audience ardor during the pre-holiday shopping furor. A similar fate befell Titanic but that picture rallied as leisure time availability freed up. With generally favorable reviews and strong exit polling, Universal is expecting to weather the continuing onslaught of late year releases and emerge at the top of the cinematic skyscraper.
Overseas Kong bowed to an estimated $80 million in 55 territories in its first five days.
Some of the simian’s stronger bows included Britain at $11 million, Germany with $6 million, Australia posting $3.7 million and Mexico in step with $3.5 million. In Korea it was very strong with $4.3 million but Japan was a disappointment at $2.6 million and one of the very few territories where it finished second … to Harry Potter. In director Peter Jackson’s New Zealand back yard it grossed a towering $1.3 million.
Domestically The Chronicles of Narnia took a 53% tumble to finished second with close to a $31 million gross and passed revenues of $100 million in its 9th day in theaters. Similarly, it experienced drops of about 55% in most major territories with the exception of England where it was off by a comparatively modest 40%.
Weekend revenues climbed to roughly $130 million for a slight 3% upturn from the prior weekend. However, box office was ahead of the comparable 2004 frame by 19% and that has certainly warmed the collective cockles of distributors and exhibitors.
The other major national bow was The Family Stone that ranked third overall with $12.6 million. It was a strong bow for the eccentric comedy and its opening salvo should land it into a comfortable niche as other titles including Fun with Dick and Jane serve up fierce competition. The film also opened day-and-date in about a dozen overseas locales with more modest results include about $150,000 in Mexico and $400,000 in the U.K. Germany was its strongest market with an $800,000 tally.
Among holdover titles, Syriana took a hard 55% hit to finish fifth with an estimated $5.3 million. There was also limited expansion activity on Brokeback Mountain and Memoirs of a Geisha that generated strong response. Brokeback, riding on a string of critic’s awards and Golden Globe nominations expanded from five to 69 engagements and lassoed a hefty $2.3 million box office and $33,770 theater average. Geisha added 44 engagements to its initial eight outings and scored $1.2 million and a $22,500 average.
The big screen adaptation of the Broadway sensation The Producers tested the waters with a six screen bow that generated about $157,000. The film was largely given a critical cold shoulder and despite a more than respectable limited debut, concerns are high that it will have a more difficult time as it expands nationally.
In other regional and niche activity, there was fair response on the Bollywood circuit for Bluff Master of about $140,000. In Quebec, the French Oscar submission Joyeux Noel (Merry Christmas) premiered in 11 situations to a disappointing $42,000. The First World War saga is scheduled to open in the U.S. in March.

- by Leonard Klady

Weekend Estimates - December 16-18, 2005
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Title
Distributor

Gross (average)

% change

Theaters

Cume

King Kong�
Uni

50.0 (14,010)

3568

66

The Chronicles of Narnia
BV

30.8 (8,360)

-53%

3680

112.1

The Family Stone
Fox

12.6 (5,100)

2466

12.6

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
WB

5.7 (1,800)

-44%

3185

252.4

Syriana
WB

5.3 (2,970)

-55%

1775

22.1

Walk the Line
Fox

3.6 (1,340)

-38%

2664

82.5

Yours, Mine and Ours
Par

3.4 (1,240)

-33%

2723

45.1

Brokeback Mountain
Focus

2.3 (33,770)

326%

69

3.3

Just Friends
New Line

1.9 (1,020)

-50%

1882

29.4

Aeon Flux
Par

1.6 (790)

-64%

2058

23.1

Pride and Prejudice
Focus

1.5 (1,330)

-41%

1141

29.2

Memoirs of a Geisha
Sony

1.2 (22,500)

71%

52

2.1

Chicken Little
BV

1.1 (700)

-51%

1602

128.9

The Polar Express Imax (reissue)
WB

1.0 (15,610)

11%

66

168.1

Rent
Sony

.77 (830)

-62%

926

28.3

Weekend Total ($500,000+ Films)

$122.77

% Change (Last Year)

19%

% Change (Last Week)