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Blade II (2002)

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10 articles from 2002

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

Paramount's Changing Lanes, starring Ben Affleck and Samuel L. Jackson, maneuvered past its competition over the weekend to top the box office in its debut with $17.1 million. Paramount distribution chief Wayne Lewellen told Bloomberg News that the opening "was on the higher end of where we expected it to be." Sony/Columbia's Panic Room, which had held the top spot during the previous two weekends, dropped to second place with $10.6 million. (The film also opened strongly overseas, according to Screen International, taking the top spot in seven out of eight countries, including Spain, where it recorded the biggest April opening ever in that country.) The gross-out comedy The Sweetest Thing, starring Cameron Diaz, premiered in third place with $9.4 million. Lions Gate's Frailty, the only other new film on the top-ten list, earned $4.2 million, for ninth place. Sales for the top 12 films totaled $81.8 million, up 8.5 percent from the same weekend a year ago, according to Exhibitor Relations.

The top ten films over the weekend, according to final figures compiled by Exhibitor Relations (figures in parentheses represent total gross to date): 1. Changing Lanes, Paramount, $17,128,062, 1 Wks. (New); 2. The Panic Room, Sony, $10,618,796, 3 Wks. ($73,4223,33); 3. The Sweetest Thing, Sony, $9,430,667, 1 Wks. (New); 4. Ice Age, 20th Century Fox, $8,577,478, 5 Wks. ($151,625,634); 5. The Rookie, Disney, $8,076,763, 3 Wks. ($45,282,993); 6. High Crimes, 20th Century Fox, $7,485,414, 2 Wks. ($25,020,697); 7. Clockstoppers, Paramount, $4,652,393, 3 Wks. ($28,044,474); 8. Blade II, New Line, $4,315,697, 4 Wks. ($73,873,818); 9. Frailty, Lions Gate, $4,208,655, 1 Wks. (New); 10. National Lampoon's Van Wilder, Artisan, $4,110,802, 2 Wks. ($13,700,813).

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15 April 2002 | From Studio Briefing | See recent Studio Briefing news

The ending was sweet for Paramount's Changing Lanes, which several critics faulted for its multiple twist endings. The movie, starring Ben Affleck and Samuel L. Jackson, opened in first place at the box office with an estimated $17.6 million. Panic Room, which had led the box office for the previous two weekends, slipped to second place with about $11.3 million. The latest gross-out comedy The Sweetest Thing, grossed $10 million in its debut, and the low-budget horror film Frailty contradicted its title as it opened with $4.2 million to tie for eighth place, an eye-catching figure for an independent film. Meanwhile, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial earned an additional $1.53 million (for twelfth), to put its gross at $432.7 and make it the third highest-grossing movie of all time (behind Titanic's $600.8 million and Star Wars' $461 million). Together, the top 12 films took in $84.1 million, up 12 percent above the same weekend a year ago.

The top ten films for the weekend, according to studio estimates compiled by Exhibitor Relations: 1. Changing Lanes, $17.6 million; 2. Panic Room, $11.3 million; 3. The Sweetest Thing, $10 million; 4. Ice Age, $8.7 million; 5. The Rookie, $8.1 million; 6. High Crimes, $8 million; 7. Clockstoppers, $4.8 million; 8 (tie). Frailty, $4.2 million; 8 (tie). National Lampoon's Van Wilder, $4.2 million; 10. Blade II, $4.1 million.

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

Three new films debuted unimpressively at the box office over the weekend, with only 20th Century Fox's High Crimes producing a double-digit figure. The Ashley Judd-Morgan Freeman thriller opened in second place with $14 million. It was beaten by the second week of Sony-Columbia's Panic Room, which took in $18.2 million. National Lampoon's Van Wilder managed to attract just $7.3 million in its bow, while Disney's Big Trouble tanked with $3.5 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. Panic Room, Sony, $18,224,157, 2 Wks. ($58,525,734); 2. High Crimes, 20th Century Fox, $14,005,550, (New); 3. Ice Age, 20th Century Fox, $13,565,070, 4 Wks. ($140,658,250); 4. The Rookie, Disney, $11,703,657, 2 Wks. ($34,946,630); 5. Blade II, New Line, $7,476,255, 3 Wks. ($67,448,831); 6. National Lampoon's Van Wilder, Artisan, $7,302,913, (New); 7. Clockstoppers, Paramount, $7,284,214, 2 Wks. ($22,448,547); 8. E.T. the Extra Terrestrial, Universal, $3,568,325, 3 Wks. ($30,734,920); 9. Big Trouble, Disney, $3,545,204, (New); 10. A Beautiful Mind, Universal, $2,592,030, 16 Wks. ($164,988,611).

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8 April 2002 | From Studio Briefing | See recent Studio Briefing news

The box-office turned out to be a contest between two thrillers, with last week's winner, Panic Room, starring Jodie Foster, remaining in the top spot with an estimated $18.5 million, and High Crimes, starring Ashley Judd, debuting in second place with about $15 million. Two comedies that critics generally agreed failed to generate many laughs didn't generate much business either. National Lampoon's Van Wilder failed to capitalize on the National Lampoon brand, opening in fifth place with $7.5 million, while Big Trouble lived up to its name with just $3.7 million. Showing surprisingly strong legs, the G-rated, computer-animated Ice Age took the third spot with $14.3 million, bringing its four-week gross to $141.4 million, while another G-rated film, The Rookie, held strong with $11.7 million. Meanwhile, the re-release of E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, which had been expected to pass Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace as the third-highest grosser of all time, fell $800,000 short of doing so, as it earned just $3.3 million, winding up in ninth place. Overall, the top 12 films earned $95.7 million, 17 percent above the same weekend a year ago.

The top ten films for the weekend, according to studio estimates compiled by Exhibitor Relations: 1. Panic Room, $18.5 million; 2. High Crimes, $15 million; 3. Ice Age, $14.3 million; 4. The Rookie, $11.7 million; 5. National Lampoon's Van Wilder, $7.5 million; 6. Clockstoppers, $7.3 million; 7. Blade II, $7.2 million; 8. Big Trouble, $3.7 million; 9. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, $3.3 million; 10. A Beautiful Mind, $2.8 million.

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2 April 2002 | From Studio Briefing | See recent Studio Briefing news

Movie patrons for Sony/Columbia's Panic Room were as numerous as Easter eggs over the weekend as the film set a record for the holiday with a $30.1-million gross. The animated film Ice Age remained frozen in second place with $18.1 million, to bring its three-week total well past the $100-million mark. Disney's G-rated baseball flick The Rookie scored strongly with $16 million, to finish third, while New Line's Blade II, with a weekend gross of $16 million, lost 60 percent of its audience in its second week. Two Oscar winners got big boosts. Halle Berry's Monster's Ball saw ticket sales increase 30 percent as it nabbed $2.1 million in its 14th week, while best-film winner A Beautiful Mind remained in the top ten with $3.9 million after 15 weeks.

The top ten films over the weekend, according to final figures compiled by Exhibitor Relations (figures in parentheses represent total gross to date): 1. Panic Room, Sony, $30,056,751, (New); 2. Ice Age, 20th Century Fox, $18,135,449, 3 Wks. ($116,862,514); 3. The Rookie, Disney, $16,021,684, (New); 4. Blade II, New Line, $13,021,698, 2 Wks. ($54,921,131); 5. Clockstoppers, Paramount, $10,108,333, (New); 6. E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, Universal, $6,163,305, 2 Wks. ($24,294,365 -- Reissue) ($420,190,415 -- Total); 7. Death to Smoochy, Warner Bros., $4,266,463, (New); 8. A Beautiful Mind, Universal, $3,884,455, 15 Wks. ($160,844,681); 9. We Were Soldiers, Paramount, $3,723,298, 5 Wks. ($67,601,100); 10. Showtime, Warner Bros., $3,532,984, 3 Wks. ($33,300,131).

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

For the third weekend in a row, the top movie at the box office earned more than $30 million -- something that has never happened before in March, according to box-office trackers Exhibitor Relations. This weekend's leader was the Jodie Foster-starrer Panic Room, which premiered with $30.2 million. Disney's G-rated The Rookie, starring Dennis Quaid, debuted in third place with $15.8 million. The low-budget kids thriller Clockstoppers, directed by Star Trek: The Next Generation's Jonathan Frakes, opened in fifth with a so-so $10.1 million, but the Robin Williams movie Death to Smoochy was dead on arrival with just $4.3 million. Continuing to surprise, the animated Ice Age remained in second place with about $18.6 million, to bring its three-week total to $117.3 million. It thereby becomes the first movie to open in 2002 to earn more than $100 million.

The top ten films for the weekend, according to studio estimates compiled by Exhibitor Relations: 1. Panic Room, $30.2 million; 2. Ice Age, $18.6 million. 3. The Rookie, $15.8 million; 4. Blade II, $13.2 million; 5. Clockstoppers, $10.1 million; 6. E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial, $6.1 million; 7. Death to Smoochy, $4.3 million; 8. A Beautiful Mind, $4 million; 9. We Were Soldiers, $3.53 million; 10. Showtime, $3.5 million.

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29 March 2002 | From wenn.com | See recent WENN news

Wesley Snipes drew plenty of blood while filming vampire sequel Blade II - unfortunately most of it was his own. The musclebound actor managed to injure himself in a variety of interesting ways while filming the box office smash. He says, "I got stabbed through the hand, tore a meniscus cartilage in my knee. Got cut in the nose. It was rough. Rough and rugged." Snipes, 39, says he would be interested in doing a third Blade film after the huge success of the current movie in American cinemas, but draws the line at a fourth. He says, "Maybe three's the charm. Maybe let him spin off into something else. I think it'd be a great idea to have him visit other superhero films. So I'll go and visit the X-Men. Or me and Spider-Man might hook up for a minute. Why not?"

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26 March 2002 | From Studio Briefing | See recent Studio Briefing news

Final box office figures on Monday came in significantly below studio estimates, indicating that more people stayed home on Sunday to watch the Oscars than the studios had anticipated. The vampire movie Blade II, which led the box office, took in $32.5 million, $600,000 less than had been expected. Ice Age garnered $30 million, more than $1 million below what had been predicted. The same was also the case with the E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial re-release. Nevertheless, ticket sales for the top 23 films rose to $118.3 million, 70 percent above the same weekend last 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. Blade II, New Line, $32,528,016, (New); 2. Ice Age, 20th Century Fox, $30,056,721, 2 Wks. ($87,292,481); 3. E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (Reissue), Universal, $14,223,110, ($414,027,110); 4. Showtime, Warner Bros. $8,145,446, 2 Wks. ($26,803,761); 5. Resident Evil, Screen Gems, $6,705,076, 2 Wks. ($28,937,585); 6. We Were Soldiers, Paramount, $5,728,150, 4 Wks. ($61,638,534); 7. The Time Machine, DreamWorks, $5,324,159, 3 Wks. ($48,158,947); 8. Sorority Boys, Disney, $4,127,903, (New); 9. A Beautiful Mind, Universal, $4,081,270, 14 Wks. ($154,704,651); 10. 40 Days and 40 Nights, Miramax, $2,719,233, 4 Wks. ($34,176,683).

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25 March 2002 | From Studio Briefing | See recent Studio Briefing news

The Wesley Snipes vampire movie Blade II took a $33.1 million bite out of the weekend box office in its debut, while the computer-animated Ice Age remained a cure for the common cold March by earning $31.1 million in its second week, according to estimates released by Exhibitor Relations on Sunday. The reissue of Steven Spielberg's E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial added yet another $15.1 million to the total take, which, at about $121 million, was likely to set a record for March, the box-office tracking firm said. The figure was 74 percent greater than a year ago.

The top ten films for the weekend, according to studio estimates compiled by Exhibitor Relations: 1.Blade II, $33.1 million; 2. Ice Age, $31.1 million; 3. E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial, $15.1 million; 4. Showtime, $8.2 million; 5. Resident Evil, $6.6 million; 6. We Were Soldiers, $5.8 million; 7. The Time Machine, $5.2 million; 8. A Beautiful Mind, $4.3 million; 9. Sorority Boys, $4.2 million; 10. 40 Days and 40 Nights, $2.7 million.

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22 March 2002 | From Studio Briefing | See recent Studio Briefing news

Critics are generally giving the vampire movie Blade II less biting reviews than they gave the original Blade. But that's not saying a whole lot. Liam Lacey in the Toronto Globe and Mail writes, for example: "Though superior to the original Blade, the superiority is mostly in the myriad ways the 'suck-head' enemies can be blown up, melted and dismembered." Noting that "it's not quite the bloodbath" that the first Blade presented, Lou Lumenick in the New York Post adds that the movie "seems mainly aimed at hard-core comic book and action fans who check their brains at the popcorn stand." Joe Morgenstern in the Wall Street Journal begins his review by calling the film "mass-market junk" and remarking: "You may wonder why I'm giving it space on the front page of this august section." But the film is receiving quite a number of enthusiastic reviews as well. Elvis Mitchell in the New York Times calls the movie "a rocking, dexterous piece of genre-busting." Roger Ebert describes it as "a really rather brilliant vomitorium of viscera." And Stephen Hunter in the Washington Post, while conceding up-front that "there is no possible adult justification for the picture," goes on to say, "It is pure pagan glee, a raptor's flesh fest, a zesty paprika of cannibal stew, stylized toward almost total abstraction, beyond describing, beyond imagining except by its makers. And that is why it's so good."

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10 articles from 2002