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

January 29, 2006 Weekend Estimates Domestic Market Share - 2006 Who's That Knocking ... The remake of When a Stranger Calls definitely rang the bell for audiences with an estimated $22.2 million. The frame’s only other national bow was the inter-racial romance Something New that aroused little passion with a $4.9 million gross to rank seventh in the lineup. Otherwise the weekend was marked by expansions of movies that figured prominently in last week’s Oscar announcements. Distributors buckled down for movie going erosion as the Super Bowl weekend arrived. Weekend business was arcing toward roughly $108 million or a 16% decline from the prior weekend. However, it also represented a 6% boost from 2005. For those with long memories, the original When a Stranger Calls with Carol Kane and Charles Durning opened in 1979 and scared up great business and a totally forgettable sequel. Contemporary audiences know it primarily from small screen rotation and the decision to green light a new interpretation marks another shrewd move for the profitable grindhouse fare representative of Screen Gems. Despite generally positive reviews Something New failed to draw black or white and appears destined for red (ink). Audiences have historically been cool to inter-racial tales with exceptions such as The Bodyguard emphasizing other elements of their stories. The new offering wasn’t helped by the absence of stars or its cool, levelheaded approach to the issue. The Academy Award best picture slate pumped new energy into most of the nominees. Though favorite Brokeback Mountain took a small hit, the film remains on track to gross more than $100 million if it takes top honors next month. Munich staved off commercial extinction with its major award nominations and both Capote and Good Night, and Good Luck were afforded the opportunity for major national exposure in theaters though none of the latter trio generated potent screen averages. Lions Gate is mounting a more aggressive than anticipated campaign for Crash with full page ads noting its DVD availability. Industry pundits are surprised the company hasn’t four-walled courtesy theatrical engagements in Los Angeles and New York and scuttlebutt is that financier Bob Yari is on the hook for ads but not new bookings. Ironically, if the film proves to be a spoiler, Yari isn’t one of the designated accepting producers per a guild ruling. Other films riding Oscar mania include Walk the Line, TransAmerica and Mrs. Henderson Presents. The session also featured the first significant exposure of the Oscar M.I.A. Three Burials of Meliquades Estrada (following an Oscar qualifying run) that showed good initial response with about $250,000 from 35 engagements. Still it’s difficult to gauge whether its strength tilts toward the art house or appeal to Hispanic crowds. Other debuting fare in the niches generated modest to poor returns. The oft-delayed A Good Woman surfaced at 35 theaters with an indifferent $100,000 and the latest from Utah-based HaleStone - Suits on the Loose - demonstrated little expansion potential with $33,500 from 26 sites. Slightly more potent was the indie production Tamara with $32,600 from 14 venues. - by Leonard Klady Weekend Estimates - January 27-29, 2006 Title Distributor Gross (average) % change Theaters Cume When a Stranger Calls Sony 22.2 (7,400) - 2999 22.2 Big Momma's House 2 Fox 13.1 (4,030) -53% 3261 45.2 Nanny McPhee Uni 9.9 (4,610) -32% 2145 26.6 Brokeback Mountain Focus 6.3 (3,030) -3% 2089 60.4 Hoodwinked Weinstein Co. 5.2 (1,800) -30% 2907 44 Underworld: Evolution Sony 5.1 (1,770) -55% 2870 52.7 Something New Focus 4.9 (1,680) - 2907 4.9 Annapolis BV 3.5 (2,170) -55% 1607 12.9 Walk the Line Fox 3.4 (2,140) 11% 1577 110.7 Glory Road BV 3.0 (1,420) -43% 2141 39 The Chronicles of Narnia BV 2.9 (1,710) -35% 1716 281.8 Last Holiday Par 2.6 (1,340) -46% 1920 36.3 The Matador Weinstein Co. 2.3 (2,570) -36% 905 8.6 Capote Sony Classics 2.2 (1,810) 219% 1225 17.9 Match Point DreamWorks 2.0 (3,870) -28% 509 16.6 Munich Uni 1.9 (1,650) 13% 1140 43.16 Good Night, and Good Luck WIP 1.7 (1,800) 823% 929 26.9 Fun with Dick and Jane Sony 1.6 (1,190) -54% 1361 108.7 The New World New Line 1.4 (1,780) -42% 803 10.2 King Kong Uni 1.3 (1,470) -46% 869 215 End of the Spear Rocky Mountain 1.2 (1,520) -51% 817 9.9 Mrs. Henderson Presents Weinstein Co. 1.0 (3,880) 234% 260 3.2 Memoirs of a Geisha Sony .87 (1,140) -44% 765 55.3 Syriana WB .71 (1,010) -47% 705 48.3 Hostel Lions Gate .59 (1,050) -67% 564 47 TransAmerica Weinstein Co. .53 (5,250) 12% 101 1.68 Weekend Total ($500,000+ Films) $117.00 - - - % Change (Last Year) - 6% - - - % Change (Last Week) - -16% - - - Also debuting/expanding Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada Sony Classics .25 (7,090) - 35 0.29 Roving Mars BV .24 (8,960) -41% 27 0.76 Imagine Me and You Fox Searchlight .12 (2,180) 135% 56 0.19 A Good Woman UTV .10 (2,950) - 35 0.1 Suits on the Loose HaleStone 33,500 (1,290) - 26 0.03 Tamara Intl Film Exchange 32,600 (2,330) - 14 0.03 Who Gets to Call It Art Palm 7,800 (3,900) - 2 0.01 Domestic Market Share: January 1 - February 2, 2006 Distributor (releases) Gross Percentage Sony (6) 133.4 16.70% Buena Vista (9) 128.3 16.10% Fox (7) 120.6 15.10% Universal (5) 110.7 13.90% Weinstein Co. (6) 54.1 6.80% Warner Bros. (5) 47.1 5.90% Lions Gate (2) 46.9 5.90% Focus (3) 46.1 5.80% Paramount (4) 37.3 4.60% Fox Searchlight (2) 17.5 2.60% DreamWorks (3) 15.7 2.20% New Line (3) 10.1 1.30% Rocky Mountain (1) 8.6 1.10% Sony Classics (6) 6.5 0.80% Other * (37) 14.7 1.80% * none greater than 0.4% 639.8 100.00%