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

December 30, 2007 Weekend Estimates Limited Releases Domestic Market Share Bring in the Junew ... National Treasure: Book of Secrets maintained top spot in the last weekend of 2007 with an estimated $35.8 million. The frame experienced double digit expansion with more than a few surprises as several new titles entered the fray in wide and limited release. Alvin, Will Smith and, unexpectedly, Juno contributed mightily to a positive tilt in weekend movie going. A trio of freshmen titles debuted Christmas Day with varying results. Alien vs. Predator - Requiem offered a soupcon of counter-programming and ranked sixth overall for the weekend with an OK $9.9 million while the kid friendly The Water Horse generated a disappointing $9.1 million. The targeted-wide release of the uplifting drama The Great Debaters stepped out with an encouraging $6 million. The situation was equally torrid among limited openers hoping to qualify for Oscars and such and strategically roll out in 2008. The star driven The Bucket List rang up close to a $20,000 theater average at 16 venues while the highly touted There Will Be Blood grossed a staggering $182,600 from two screens. A pair of unusual imports also had potent bows. The adult animated Persepolis (France's Oscar submission) was impressive with an $85,100 box office in seven situations and the chiller The Orphanage (the top grosser in Spain this year) did $232,000 in a first foray at 19 sites. Overall weekend revenues topped $183 million to best Christmas weekend by 15% and better the 2006 tally by 14%. With just a day left in the year initial estimates peg 2007 to show an improvement somewhere between 5% and 6%. Admissions appear to be perhaps 1% improved but could well be flat with 2006 owing to considerable growth for high ticket large format items that include such recent films as I Am Legend and Beowulf. The closing days of the year might best be dubbed as to have and have not. The plus side certainly embraces Alvin and the Chipmunks which had been viewed as commercially challenged but is now expected to push close to $200 million domestically. And despite a commercial rally, the high profile Charlie Wilson's War's commercial verdict is likely to be determined by international response. The flip side has one unequivocal casualty in Walk Hard and a likely major write off with Sweeney Todd. The latter film despite critical support hasn't been able to overcome public resistance to a musical that tilts toward Grand Guignol extremes in grisly blood letting. The session saw such features as The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, The Kite Runner and Atonement holding up well in niche exposure. In a year where few prestige entries have been able to strategize platforms to the end, caution rather than boldness has set in and one can expect more of the same with this week's newcomers. One notable exception is Juno that added 693 playdates to bring it to 998 theaters this weekend and maintain a very sturdy $10,000 plus engagement average. The film's initial surge boils down a sleight-of-hand in addressing teen pregnancy with candor and humor that has appeal to both sophisticated and blue collar audiences. It could well emerge as an even bigger success than Little Miss Sunshine. - Leonard Klady Weekend Estimates - December 28-30, 2007 Title Distributor Gross (average) % change * Theaters Cume National Treasure: Book of Secrets BV 35.8 (9,340) -20% 3832 124.2 Alvin and the Chipmunks Fox 29.4 (8,440) 4% 3484 141.8 I Am Legend WB 27.6 (7,600) -18% 3636 194.7 Charlie Wilson's War Uni 11.7 (4,550) 21% 2575 34.5 Juno Fox Searchlight 10.1 (10,130) 195% 998 25.5 Alien vs. Predator: Requiem Fox 9.9 (3,810) x 2611 26.8 The Water Horse Sony 9.1 (3,300) x 2772 16.8 P.S. I Love You WB 9.0 (3,640) 39% 2464 23.3 Sweeney Todd Par 7.8 (6,280) -16% 1249 26.6 Enchanted BV 6.6 (2,930) 57% 2262 110.8 The Great Debators MGM 6.0 (5,150) x 1171 13.3 The Golden Compass New Line 4.3 (2,230) -8% 1935 58.7 Walk Hard Sony 3.7 (1,380) -12% 2650 12.2 Atonement Focus 3.0 (9,720) 55% 310 11.1 No Country for Old Men Miramax 2.1 (2,220) 14% 960 41 The Kite Runner Par Vantage 1.8 (4,800) 54% 377 5.4 Bee Movie Par   .66 (1,390) 62% 475 124.2 This Christmas Sony .53 (1,160) -43% 457 49 The Savages Fox Searchlight .51 (4,590) 134% 111 1.7 Weekend Total ($500,000+ Films) $179.60 x x x % Change (Last Year) 14% x x x % Change (Last Week) 15% x x x Also debuting/expanding The Bucket List WB .32 (19,810) x 16 0.93 Diving Bell and the Butterfly Miramax .26 (5,980) 113% 28 0.87 The Orphanage Picturehouse .23 (12,260) x 19 0.23 There Will Be Blood Par Vantage .18 (91,300) x 2 0.31 Persepolis Sony Classics 85,100 (12,160) x 7 0.16 Honeydripper Emerging 9,600 (2,400) x 4 0.01 Top Domestic Grossers - To December 27, 2007* Title  Distributor  Gross Spider-Man 3 Sony 336,635,065 Shrek the Third Par 323,109,978 Transformers Par 319,292,119 Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End BV 309,481,737 Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix WB 292,004,738 The Bourne Ultimatum Uni 227,799,909 300 WB 210,702,543 Ratatouille BV 206,445,654 The Simpsons Movie Fox 183,135,014 Wild Hogs BV 168,602,747 I Am Legend WB 167,075,237 Knocked Up Uni 148,835,304 Rush Hour 3 NLC 140,630,871 Live Free or Die Hard Fox 134,529,403 Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer Fox 131,921,738 American Gangster Uni 128,724,010 Night at the Museum * Fox 125,041,114 Bee Movie Par 123,576,570 Superbad Sony 122,351,411 I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry Uni 120,068,788   Domestic Market Share - December 27, 2007 Distributor (releases) Gross (Millions) Mkt Share  Paramount (20) 1469.9 16.20% Warner Bros. (30) 1291.9 14.20% Sony (28) 1226.4 13.50% Buena Vista (19) 1198.8 13.20% Universal (19) 1059.1 11.60% Fox (22) 887.4 9.80% New Line (14) 474.5 5.20% Lions Gate (20) 369.2 4.10% MGM (25) 350.5 3.80% Miramax (13) 118.8 1.30% Focus (9) 112.8 1.20% Fox Searchlight (14) 106.4 1.20% Picturehouse (7) 56.9 0.60% Par Vantage (8) 54.3 0.60% Other * (301) 315.9 3.50% 9092.8 100.00%