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11 articles from 2002

1 October 2002 | From Studio Briefing | See recent Studio Briefing news

Although it earned some $2 million less over the weekend than Disney had estimated, the studio's Sweet Home Alabama, starring Reese Witherspoon, nevertheless took in an astonishing $35.6 million, a record for a September opener. Another comedy, Jackie Chan's The Tuxedo from DreamWorks, opened in second place with $15 million. MGM's Barbershop, which had held the top spot during the previous two weeks, dropped to third place with $10 million, while IFC's My Big Fat Greek Wedding, in its 24th week, dropped only 3 percent to $9.4 million to take the fourth spot. With Fox Searchlight's The Banger Sisters placing fifth, the box office was in the unusual position of sporting comedies in each of the five top spots. In an interview with today's (Tuesday) Los Angeles Daily News, Exhibitor Relations chief Paul Dergarabedian observed, "Most films in the top five are there for a short time, then they leave. What is happening here is that among the top five, there are two movies [Barbershop and Wedding] that just won't leave, and they are really bolstering the comedy dominance."

The top ten films over the weekend, according to final figures compiled by Exhibitor Relations (figures in parentheses represent total gross to date): 1. Sweet Home Alabama, Disney, $35,648,740, (New); 2. The Tuxedo, DreamWorks, $15,051,028, (New); 3. Barbershop, MGM, $10,007,996, 3 Wks. ($51,312,650); 4. My Big Fat Greek Wedding, IFC Films, $9,434,602, 24 Wks. ($136,628,662); 5. The Banger Sisters, Fox Searchlight, $5,426,857, 2 Wks. ($18,821,609); 6. The Four Feathers, Paramount, $3,556,687, 2 Wks. ($12,377,402); 7. One Hour Photo, Fox Searchlight, $3,021,854, 6 Wks. ($26,107,155); 8. Ballistic: Ecks Vs. Sever, Warner Bros., $2,738,311, 2 Wks. ($11,589,220); 9. Signs, Disney, $2,363,791, 9 Wks. ($221,155,028); 10. Swimfan, 20th Century Fox, $1,554,112, 4 Wks. ($26,676,405).

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24 September 2002 | From Studio Briefing | See recent Studio Briefing news

Opening on just 26 screens the Japanese anime film Spirited Away earned $450,000, ($17,000 per screen). The Rotten Tomatoes website said Monday that the movie had received not a single negative review from 55 print, broadcast and online critics and was in fact the best-reviewed film of the year so far. Coincidentally, it observed, the new Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever received not a single positive notice and was the worst-reviewed film of the year.

The top ten films over the weekend, according to final figures compiled by Exhibitor Relations (figures in parentheses represent total gross to date): 1. Barbershop, MGM, $12,817,223, 2 Wks. ($38,393,266); 2. The Banger Sisters, Fox Searchlight, $10,037,846, (New); 3. My Big Fat Greek Wedding, IFC Films, $9,748,969, 23 Wks. ($124,052,987); 4. Ballistic: Ecks Vs. Sever, Warner Bros., $7,010,474, (New); 5. The Four Feathers, Paramount, $6,857,879, (New); 6. One Hour Photo, Fox Searchlight, $4,631,662, 5 Wks. ($21746002); 7. Signs, Disney, $3,500,717, 8 Wks. ($217,941,210); 8. Swimfan, 20th Century Fox, $3,486,197, 3 Wks. ($24,445,584); 9. Stealing Harvard, Sony, $3,303,778, 2 Wks. ($10,606,755); 10. Trapped, Sony, $3,210,765, (New).

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23 September 2002 | From Studio Briefing | See recent Studio Briefing news

A string of new releases failed to clip Barbershop from the top of the box office, as the urban comedy earned an estimated $13.3 million, well ahead of the No. 2 film, The Banger Sisters, which debuted with about $10.3 million. My Big Fat Greek Wedding slipped to third place, but still outdistanced most of the new competition as it earned $10 million in its 23rd week. Two newcomers appeared locked in a virtual tie for fourth place: Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever, which earned about $7.11 million and The Four Feathers, which took in about $7.10 million. The thriller Trapped, which was not previewed for critics, tanked with an estimated $3.2 million.

The top ten films for the weekend, according to studio estimates compiled by Exhibitor Relations: 1. Barbershop, $13.3 million; 2. The Banger Sisters, $10.3 million; 3. My Big Fat Greek Wedding, $10 million; 4. Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever, $7.11 million; 5. The Four Feathers, $7.10 million; 6. One Hour Photo, $4.7 million; 7. Stealing Harvard, $3.5 million (tie); 7. Signs, $3.5 million (tie); 9. Swimfan, $3.45 million; 10. Trapped, $3.2 million.

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17 September 2002 | From Studio Briefing | See recent Studio Briefing news

The urban comedy Barbershop has ended MGM's losing streak earlier than expected. The $20.6-million take for the film surprised analysts who expected that MGM would have to wait until the November 22 release of the James Bond movie Die Another Day before it would see the top-spot at the box office. As it turned out, the take for Barbershop was the fourth biggest for September in history. "This was very much a surprise," Exhibitor Relations chief Paul Dergarabedian told today's (Tuesday) Los Angeles Daily News."You can't predict it. Something like this just comes along and surprises everybody." Commented MGM COO Chris McGurk: "We thought it was going to be successful but, no, we didn't think it would do over $20 million."

The top ten films over the weekend, according to final figures compiled by Exhibitor Relations (figures in parentheses represent total gross to date): 1. Barbershop, MGM, $20,627,433, (New); 2. My Big Fat Greek Wedding, IFC Films, $10,772,146, 22 Wks. ($110,443,668); 3. One Hour Photo, Fox Searchlight, $8,006,660, 4 Wks. ($14,567,429); 4. Swimfan, 20th Century Fox, $6,051,863, 2 Wks. ($19,682,646); 5. Stealing Harvard, Sony, $6,041,521, (New); 6. Signs, Disney, $5,405,275, 7 Wks. ($213,032,514); 7. City by the Sea, Warner Bros., $4,862,445, 2 Wks. ($16,654,735); 8. XXX, Sony, $3,308,202, 6 Wks. ($135,393,339); 9. Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams, Miramax, $2,742,641, 6 Wks. ($77,397,043); 10. Austin Powers in Goldmember, New Line, $1,854,216, 8 Wks. ($209,634,700).

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16 September 2002 | From Studio Briefing | See recent Studio Briefing news

It was a battle between ethnic comedies at the weekend box office, and it was won by MGM's Barbershop, which took in an astonishing $21 million, according to studio estimates, despite being released on just 1,605 screens. My Big Fat Greek Wedding, playing on 1,754 screens, earned $11 million, to remain in second place on its 22nd weekend and push its total gross past $100 million to $110.7 million. The Robin Williams thriller One-Hour Photo, which expanded to 1,212 screens, landed in third place with $7.7 million. Stealing Harvard, the only other new film to enter the box office race, took in $6.1 million on 2,366 screens. MGM, still trying to get back its old roar, also got good news about the performance of its coming-of-age comedy Igby Goes Down, starring Kieran Culkin. Opening in just 10 theaters in New York and Los Angeles, the film earned $319,180, or nearly $32,000 per theater.

The top ten films for the weekend, according to studio estimates compiled by Exhibitor Relations: 1. Barbershop, $21 million; 2. My Big Fat Greek Wedding, $11 million; 3. One Hour Photo, $7.7 million; 4. Stealing Harvard, $6.3 million; 5. Swimfan, $6.1 million; 6. Signs, $5.3 million; 7. City by the Sea, $4.8 million; 8. XXX, $3.3 million; 9. Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams, $2.4 million; 10. Austin Powers in Goldmember, $1.8 million.

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13 September 2002 | From Studio Briefing | See recent Studio Briefing news

Will My Big Fat Greek Wedding finally be able to translate its "I do's" into "I did" at the box office this weekend and finally make it to No. 1? In fact, it has been No. 1 since last Sunday (on Wednesday, the latest day for which figures were available, the film earned $927,000 against $703,000 for City by the Sea and $533,000 for Swimfan) but the weekend box office is what the industry talks about, and the film, which lost out last weekend to Swimfan, is again the favorite to win the top spot -- after 21 weeks of trying. "It's absolutely a textbook case for a film benefiting from word of mouth," Exhibitor Relations chief Paul Dergarabedian told CBS MarketWatch on Thursday. Once again, the film has light competition. The only two films debuting wide appear to pose even less of a challenge to Wedding than last week's newcomers.

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12 September 2002 | From Studio Briefing | See recent Studio Briefing news

IFC Film's My Big Fat Greek Wedding added another $1.1 million to its gross on Tuesday and remained at the top of the midweek box office, substantially ahead of second-place City by the Sea from Warner Bros., which earned $818,000. Last weekend's box-office winner, 20th Century Fox's Swimfan, placed third with $692,000. Wedding's gross now stands at $97,717,000.

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11 September 2002 | From Studio Briefing | See recent Studio Briefing news

Wedding watchers noted Tuesday that IFC Films' My Big Fat Greek Wedding remained the number-one film at the box office on Monday as it earned an additional $782,000 to bring its total gross to $96.6 million. Warner's City by the Sea moved up to second place with $711,000, while Swimfan, the number-one film at the box office this past weekend, fell to third place with $592,000.

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10 September 2002 | From Studio Briefing | See recent Studio Briefing news

My Big Fat Greek Wedding made a comeback at the box office Sunday, returning to the top spot for the day but failing to take in enough to offset the big earnings of the teenage thriller Swimfan on Friday and Saturday. Swimfan earned $11.3 million in its weekend debut, while Wedding grossed $10.4 million in its 21st week, according to Exhibitor Relations. However, on Sunday Wedding led with $2.8 million to Swimfan's $2.3 million. The top 12 films took in just $59.1 million, off 3.5 percent from the comparable week a year ago. It was the eighth straight weekend of box office decreases.

The top ten films over the weekend, according to final figures compiled by Exhibitor Relations (figures in parentheses represent total gross to date): 1. Swimfan, 20th Century Fox, $11,326,601, (New); 2. My Big Fat Greek Wedding, IFC Films, $10,372,316, 21 Wks. ($95,824,732); 3. City by the Sea, Warner Bros., $8,935,426, (New); 4. Signs, Disney, $7,851,871, 6 Wks. ($205,696,958); 5. XXX, Sony, $5,206,740, 5 Wks. ($130,708,185); 6. Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams, Miramax, $3,020,007, 5 Wks. ($73,936,549); 7. Austin Powers in Goldmember, New Line, $2,721,316, 7 Wks. ($20,7051,562); 8. FearDotCom, Warner Bros., $2,352,359, 2 Wks. ($10,545,479); 9. Spider-Man/Men In Black 2 (Double Feature), Sony, $2,111,862, (New); 10. Blue Crush, Universal, $1,878,325, 4 Wks. ($37,296,385).

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9 September 2002 | From Studio Briefing | See recent Studio Briefing news

It was supposed be the weekend that My Big Fat Greek Wedding was finally going to become the top film at the box office after 21 weeks of struggle. Alas, another low-budget movie, the critically panned Swimfan, turned out to be a Wedding spoiler as the teen thriller grossed an estimated $12.4 million to Wedding's $10.6 million (bringing its gross to $96 million). City by the Sea, starring Robert De Niro, which had received mixed reviews, opened in third place with $9.1 million. After a two-week return to the top spot, the supernatural thriller Signs dropped to fourth, with $8 million. It was enough to bring its total gross past the $200-million mark and make it the second-biggest hit of the summer, behind Austin Powers in Goldmember.

The top ten films for the weekend, according to studio estimates compiled by Exhibitor Relations: 1. Swimfan, $12.4 million; 2. My Big Fat Greek Wedding, $10.6 million; 3. City by the Sea, $9.1 million; 4. Signs, $8 million; 5. XXX, $5.5 million; 6. Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams, $3 million; 7. Austin Powers in Goldmember, $2.8 million; 8. fear dot com, $2.3 million; 9. Spider-Man/Men in Black 2 (double feature), $2 million; 10. Blue Crush, $1.8 million.

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6 September 2002 | From Studio Briefing | See recent Studio Briefing news

Critics, for the most part, are throwing tepid water on Swimfan, which serveral are describing as a teenage Fatal Attraction. (Stephen Holden in the New York Times calls it "slavishly imitative of its source.") Although the film is being released on a weekend when moviegoing traditionally reaches a lowpoint, other films released during the peak of the summer fared worse. Jami Bernard in the New York Daily News writes that the film "is surprisingly serious for a teen movie in which people die or become otherwise incapacitated. It preaches against the perils of infidelity like a humorless sex-ed class." Collin Levey writes in the Wall Street Journal: "For teenagers or preteens, Swimfan may be a decent reason to skateboard to the mall and shell out their allowance for a helping of trashy fun. For grown-ups, the experience is likely to be somewhat different." On the other hand, Manohla Dargis writes in the Los Angeles Times that nobody connected with the making of the movie "seems to really like kids. Here's hoping the kids feel the same."

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11 articles from 2002