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8 articles from 2002

14 May 2002 | From Studio Briefing | See recent Studio Briefing news

Spider-Man once again defied the laws of box-office gravity over the weekend, climbing past the $200-million mark on Saturday, far faster than any film in history, on its way to a total three-day gross of $223 million, final results indicated Monday. "It's staggering, really mind-blowing to see a movie get there so quickly," Exhibitor Relations chief Paul Dergarabedian told the Associated Press. While some analysts forecast that the film could pass the $300-million level by next weekend, others cautioned that it faces a severe challenge from Star Wars: Episode II -- Attack of the Clones, which is scheduled to open on Thursday. "We're just happy to be where we are by the time they open," Sony distribution chief Jeff Blake told AP. Sales for the top 12 movies totaled $115.3 million, up 62 percent over the comparable weekend a year ago.

The top ten films over the weekend, according to final figures compiled by Exhibitor Relations (figures in parentheses represent total gross to date): 1. Spider-Man, Sony, $71,417,527, 2 Wks. ($223,040,031); 2. Unfaithful, 20th Century Fox, $14,065,277, (New); 3. The New Guy, Sony, $9,007,833, (New); 4. The Scorpion King, Universal, $4,925,070, 4 Wks. ($80,934,290); 5. Changing Lanes, Paramount, $3,815,035, 5 Wks. ($57,308,319); 6. The Rookie, Disney, $2,626,800, 7 Wks. ($68,233,433); 7. Murder By Numbers, Warner Bros., $2,427,318, 4 Wks. ($27,462,731); 8. Ice Age,20th Century Fox, $1,576,006, 9 Wks. ($171,020,941); 9. Panic Room, Sony, $1,505,704, 7 Wks. ($93,091,300); 10. Life or Something Like It, 20th Century Fox, $1,410,110, 3 Wks. ($13,202,385).

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

Arachnophilia prevailed at the box office over the weekend as Sony/Columbia's Spider-Man took in an estimated $72 million, to set two more records: fastest film to cross the $200-million mark (nine days) and biggest receipts during a second weekend (topping the $66.9 million earned by the second week of Star Wars: Episode I -- The Phantom Menace in 1999). Through Sunday, the film has earned about $223.6 million. All eyes are now on next weekend's box office when Spidey faces Star Wars: Episode II -- Attack of the Clones. (Every preceding Star Wars movie has gone on to become the biggest money-maker of the year.) Opening in second place, the counter-programmed Unfaithful from 20th Century Fox/New Regency produced a strong $14.2 million, while Sony/Revolution's low-budget gross-out comedy The New Guy debuted with $9.5 million. Overall, the box office was up 61 percent to $114.4 million from the comparable week a year ago, when the second week of The Mummy Returns topped the list with $33.7 million.

The top ten films for the weekend, according to studio estimates compiled by Exhibitor Relations: 1. Spider-Man, $72 million; 2. Unfaithful, $14.2 million; 3. The New Guy, $9.5 million; 4. The Scorpion King, $4.4 million; 5. Changing Lanes, $3.5 million; 6. Murder by Numbers, $2.3 million; 7. The Rookie, $2.1 million; 8. Panic Room, $1.5 million; 9. Ice Age, $1.4 million; 10. Life or Something Like It, $1.3 million.

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7 May 2002 | From Studio Briefing | See recent Studio Briefing news

Although several analysts had forecast on Monday that the final box-office tally for Sony-Columbia's Spider-Man would come in below the studio's weekend estimate of $114 million, final results put the figure at $114.85 million. It was by far the biggest opening ever -- far outdistancing Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, which established the previous record when it debuted with $90.3 million last fall. Although it cost well over $100 million to produce -- expensive special-effects scenes that included the World Trade Center had to be reshot -- Columbia Chairman Amy Pascal said Monday that she expected it to begin generating a profit before the end of the week. Spider-Man ticket sales accounted for more than three-quarters of the weekend box office, which totaled $152.4 million (for the top 12 films). It was up 53 percent over the comparable weekend a year ago.

The top ten films over the weekend, according to final figures compiled by Exhibitor Relations (figures in parentheses represent total gross to date): 1. Spider-Man, Sony, $114,844,116, (New); 2. The Scorpion King, Universal, $9,046,660, 3 Wks. ($74,259,075); 3. Changing Lanes, Paramount, $5,338,222, 4 Wks. ($52,086,342); 4. Murder By Numbers, Warner Bros., $3,624,487, 3 Wks. ($23,893,720); 5. Life or Something Like It, 20th Century Fox, $3,182,255, 2 Wks. ($10,922,247); 6. The Rookie, Disney, $3,120,594, 6 Wks. ($64,899,264); 7. Deuces Wild, MGM, $2,704,682, (New); 8. Ice Age, 20th Century Fox, $2,369,504, 8 Wks. ($169,030,520); 9. Jason X, New Line, $2,303,345, 2 Wks. ($10,250,489); 10. Panic Room, Sony, $2,088,101, 6 Wks. ($90,964,111).

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

Hollywood execs had something to marvel about this morning (Monday) as they got word that Sony-Columbia's Spider-Man debuted with $114 million, shattering the previous opening-weekend record of $90.3 million set by Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone last year. Columbia chief Amy Pascal told the Associated Press that the result was beyond "our wildest expectations or dreams." Sony distribution chief Jeff Blake added, "That $100 million opening weekend has always been sort of a great white whale of the movie business. To have Spider-Man capture it is just thrilling." Even executives at rival studios expressed astonishment at the result. DreamWorks distribution chief Jim Tharp told Bloomberg News, "It's absolutely amazing. ... Sony did a great job opening this movie." The film also set numerous box-office records overseas, Britain's Screen International reported, earning an additional $13.3 million in 17 countries. Mark Zucker, who heads the studio's international distribution unit, told the trade paper that the decision to synchronize the North American release with rollouts in several Asian, Eastern European and Middle East countries was partly designed to thwart pirates.

The top ten films for the weekend, according to studio estimates compiled by Exhibitor Relations: 1. Spider-Man, $114 million; 2. The Scorpion King, $9.6 million; 3. Changing Lanes, $5.6 million; 4. Murder by Numbers, $3.8 million; 5. The Rookie, $3.3 million; 6. Life or Something Like It, $3.28 million; 7. Deuces Wild, $2.7 million; 8. Ice Age, $2.5 million; 9. Jason X, $2.4 million; 10 (tie). Hollywood Ending, $2.2 million; 10 (tie). Panic Room, $2.2 million.

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

The weekend before the release of Spider-Man was dominated for a second time by Universal's The Scorpion King, which took in $18 million and built its gross-to-date to $61.3 million. Paramount's Changing Lanes remained in second place with $9 million. Two new films had mediocre debuts. New Line's Jason X earned $6.6 million to wind up in third place, while Fox's Life or Something Like It, starring Angelina Jolie, took in $6.2 million to finish fifth.

The top ten films over the weekend, according to final figures compiled by Exhibitor Relations (figures in parentheses represent total gross to date): 1. The Scorpion King, Universal, $18,038,270, 2 Wks. ($61,313,785); 2. Changing Lanes, Paramount, $9,008,285, 3 Wks. ($44,574,642); 3. Jason X, New Line, $6,649,006, (New); 4. Murder by Numbers, Warner Bros., $6,362,457, 2 Wks. ($18,362,833); 5. Life or Something Like It, 20th Century Fox, $6,219,234, (New); 6. The Rookie, Disney, $5,607,222, 5 Wks. ($60,767,811); 7. Ice Age, 20th Century Fox, $5,020,786, 7 Wks. ($165,830,108); 8. Panic Room, Sony, $4,210,107, 5 Wks. ($87,736,590); 9. High Crimes, 20th Century Fox, $3,111,550, 4 Wks. ($35,093,925); 10. The Sweetest Thing, Sony, $2,904,173, 3 Wks. ($21,280,807).

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

Universal's The Scorpion King lost little of its sting in its second week as it remained at the top of the box office with an estimated $17.6 million. Although the figure represented a 51-percent drop from the opening weekend, the result was nevertheless viewed as impressive -- five times more than the average $3.4 million for an April opener since 1997 and nearly seven times more than what Variety would call an April "sophomore sesh" ($2.6 million). Paramount's Changing Lanes did not change at all, remaining in second place with about $9 million. Twentieth Century Fox's Life or Something Like It, starring Angelina Jolie, opened in third with $6.65 million, slightly above New Line's Jason X, which debuted with $6.5 million. The horror film was hurt, analysts said, by the strong draw of Scorpion, whose target audience, like Jason's, was young males. Overall, the box office was up an estimated 27 percent from the same weekend last year to $69.8 million.

The top ten films for the weekend, according to studio estimates compiled by Exhibitor Relations: 1. The Scorpion King, $17.6 million; 2. Changing Lanes, $9 million; 3. Life or Something Like It, $6.65 million; 4. Jason X, $6.5 million; 5. Murder by Numbers, $6.3 million; 6. The Rookie, $5.4 million; 7. Ice Age, $4.6 million; 8. Panic Room, $4.2 million; 9. High Crimes, $3 million; 10. The Sweetest Thing, $2.9 million.

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

The question that's being raised by many critics about Life or Something Like It is whether the draw of Angelina Jolie can overcome an inane movie. Noting that the plot centers around Jolie's character being told by a psychic that she has only a week to live, John Anderson observes in Newsday: "Ultimately, what we have is a character faced with the possibility that her life is meaningless, vapid and devoid of substance, in a movie that is definitely meaningless, vapid and devoid of substance." Joe Morgenstern in the Wall Street Journal notes, however, that many movies have scenes that might be considered slack. "Every now and then, though, a movie comes up with a scene of surpassing stupidity, and then builds from that defining moment to a climax of perfect ineptitude. Life or Something Like It is such an achievement." A.O. Scott in the New York Times begins his review this way: "How is Angelina Jolie like an Altoids mint? Give up? Me, too. But if this strikes you as an intriguing riddle -- or for that matter, as a question of serious import -- then help yourself to Life or Something Like It, a chalky, stale comedy of second chances that opens today nationwide." And if you think the Altoids line is a reach, consider this observation by Roger Ebert in the Chicago Sun-Times: "This is an ungainly movie, ill-fitting, with its elbows sticking out where the knees should be." The movie does wind up getting one good review in a major newspaper. Kevin Thomas in the Los Angeles Times calls it "an adroit crowd-pleaser" and says that Jolie and costar Edward Burns "exude charisma and the right chemistry."

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26 April 2002 | From wenn.com | See recent WENN news

Screen beauty Angelina Jolie has dismissed the media fascination with her buxom breasts. Jolie, who has just adopted a baby boy Maddox with husband Billy Bob Thornton, flashed her breasts in the TV movie Gia and got naked for last year's flop Original Sin. Angelina says, "I only do what the movie requires. Everybody seems to remember me as naked in Gia, but I said, 'No frontal below the waist,' and anything from behind is only going to be from a distance. My nudity in Gia was really just my breasts. And I don't see them as being that f**king stunning. I never think of myself as a pin-up when I take my clothes off." And Angelina was pleased to keep her clothes on in her latest movie Life Or Something Like It. She adds, "It's a comedy. I don't think we needed to show any graphic sexuality."

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8 articles from 2002