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28 November 2005 | From Studio Briefing | See recent Studio Briefing news

Instead of clearing out their overloaded shelves of DVDs by returning the product to distributors, many retailers were blowing them out at bargain prices to holiday shoppers over the weekend. Home Media Retailing reported Sunday that Wal-Mart was selling some 40 titles, including Minority Report and Road to Perdition, for just $3.44. At The Warehouse, Shark Tale, Shrek, The Ring, Casino, Meet the Fockers and other Universal and DreamWorks titles were going for $5.99. Customers could buy such recent hits as The Incredibles, Kingdom of Heaven, Napoleon Dynamite and Robots for $8.99 at Circuit City. Even new arrivals War of the Worlds and The Polar Express could be had for $14.99 at CompUSA, the trade publication observed.

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11 November 2005 | From Studio Briefing | See recent Studio Briefing news

Twentieth Century Fox did not experience the box office slump that the movie industry did overall in the last quarter. Far from it. In reporting its quarterly results, News Crop said that profits from its movie unit jumped nearly 25 percent in the quarter thanks largely to the performance of Fantastic Four and Transporter 2 at the box office and Robots and Hide and Seek on DVD. The studio helped boost revenue at News Corp to $5.7 billion, up 10 percent from the comparable quarter last year. However, the company reported a loss of $433 million due to a $1-billion write-down of its TV licenses, said to be a routine accounting charge. Meanwhile, an eBay member with the screen-name wabanhood has agreed to fork over $57,100 to have lunch with News Corp chairman Rupert Murdoch. The money will go to Murdoch's chosen charity, the Jerusalem College of Technology.

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3 May 2005 | From Studio Briefing | See recent Studio Briefing news

The Walt Disney Co. was over the moon Monday about the success of its The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, which opened in first place at the box office over the weekend with $21.1 million in ticket sales. It was the only film that performed solidly, as Sony's XXX: State of the Union, starring Samuel L. Jackson and Ice Cube, which some analysts had predicted would become the first big summer smash instead landed in third place with only $12.7 million. Slipping to second place was Universal's The Interpreter, with $13.8 million. Ticket sales for the top 12 films fell 14 percent to $80.9 million from the comparable weekend a year ago, marking the 10th weekend in a row of lower results. 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 Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Disney, $21,103,203, 1 Wks. ($21,103,203); 2. The Interpreter, Universal, $13,833,815, 2 Wks. ($43,152,385); 3. XXX: State of the Union, Sony, $12,712,272, 1 Wks. ($12,712,272); 4. The Amityville Horror, MGM, $7,862,157, 3 Wks. ($54,816,999); 5. Sahara, Paramount, $5,708,332, 4 Wks. ($56,885,831); 6. A Lot Like Love, Disney, $5,084,727, 2 Wks. ($14,561,119); 7. Fever Pitch,20th Century Fox, $3,532,813, 4 Wks. ($36,317,491); 8. Kung Fu Hustle, Sony Classics, $3,317,955, 4 Wks. ($12,653,318); 9. Robots, 20th Century Fox, $2,269,605, 8 Wks. ($123,300,061); 10. Guess Who, Sony, $2,151,446, 6 Wks. ($65,434,348).

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2 May 2005 | From Studio Briefing | See recent Studio Briefing news

"Don't Panic" might well have been not only the watchword of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, but also cautionary advice to nervous stockholders in the Walt Disney Co., which distributed it. Despite mixed reviews, the film, based on a BBC radio series and a book that sprung from it, took in an estimated $21.7 million at the box office, making it the top film of the weekend. Other films did not fare nearly so well. Universal's The Interpreter, starring Nicole Kidman and Sean Penn, dropped just 37 percent to take second place with $14.2 million. But the film that was expected to take top honors, Sony's XXX: State of the Union, starring Samuel L. Jackson and Ice Cube, tanked with just $13.7 million, about half what box-office analysts had predicted. The poor performance was largely responsible for pushing the total for the top 12 films to $84.8 million, down 10 percent from the previous weekend, making it the 10th weekend in a row of lower results.

The top ten films for the weekend, according to studio estimates compiled by Exhibitor Relations: 1. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, $21.7 million; 2. The Interpreter, $14.2 million; 3. XXX: State of the Union, $13.7 million; 4. The Amityville Horror, $8.1 million; 5. Sahara, $6 million; 6. A Lot Like Love, $5.2 million; 7. Kung Fu Hustle, $3.8 million; 8. Fever Pitch, $3.75 million; 9. Robots, $2.65 million; 10. Guess Who, $2.2 million.

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26 April 2005 | From Studio Briefing | See recent Studio Briefing news

Universal's The Interpreter, starring Nicole Kidman and Sean Penn, performed far better than expected at the box office over the weekend, but it was not enough to keep overall ticket sales below last year's for the ninth week in a row. The political thriller directed by Sydney Pollack took in $22.8 million, pushing last week's winner, MGM's The Amityville Horror, into second place with $3.7 million. Paramount's Sahara slipped to third place with $9 million. Today's (Tuesday) USA Today observed that analysts expect the losing streak to end next weekend with the openings of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and XXX: State of the Union.

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 Interpreter, Universal, $22,822,455, (New); 2. The Amityville Horror, MGM, $13,707,999, 2 Wks. ($43,316,733); 3. Sahara, Paramount, $9,027,885, 3 Wks. ($48,947,382); 4. A Lot Like Love, Disney, $7,576,593, (New); 5. Kung Fu Hustle, Sony Classics, $6,749,572, 3 Wks. ($7,483,773); 6. Fever Pitch, 20th Century Fox, $5,509,381, 3 Wks. ($31,510,601); 7. Sin City, Miramax/Dimension, $3,726,675, 4 Wks. ($67,263,575); 8. Guess Who, Sony, $3,513,837, 5 Wks. ($62,388,926); 9. Robots, 20th Century Fox, $3,417,363, 7 Wks. ($120,285,570); 10. King's Ransom, New Line, $2,137,685, (New).

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25 April 2005 | From Studio Briefing | See recent Studio Briefing news

Sydney Pollack's The Interpreter, starring Nicole Kidman and Sean Penn left box office analysts speechless over the weekend as it debuted with far higher results than expected. The Universal film opened in first place with $22.8 million. The second-place finisher also surprised; it was MGM's The Amityville Horror, which dropped only 40 percent from its opening weekend last week to $14.2 million. (Ordinarily horror films drop more than 50 percent in their second week.) Paramount's Sahara also performed strongly as it fell just 31 percent from a week ago to $14.2 million. Ashton Kutcher's offer to appear in an underwear ad if his latest movie, A Lot Like Love opened in first place did not entice a sufficient number of female fans. The Disney romantic comedy opened in fourth with $7.7 million. The first week of Sony Pictures Classics' Kung Fu Hustle in wide release earned $7.3 million, finishing fifth. Total box office ticket sales for the top 12 films were about flat with last year at $83.4 million, according to Bloomberg News, but Daily Variety reported that the entire box office was 6 percent behind the comparable weekend in 2004. The trade publication quoted Disney distribution chief Chuck Viane as saying, "The business continues to be softer than people have been expecting. It just seems the public has a very [lackadaisical] approach to going to the movies."

The top ten films for the weekend, according to studio estimates compiled by Exhibitor Relations: 1. The Interpreter, $22.8 million; 2. The Amityville Horror, $14.2 million; 3. Sahara, $9 million; 4. A Lot Like Love, $7.7 million; 5. Kung Fu Hustle, $7.3 million; 6. Fever Pitch, $5.45 million; 7. Sin City, $3.7 million; 8. Guess Who, $3.5 million; 9. Robots, $3.3 million; 10. King's Ransom, $2.4 million.

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19 April 2005 | From Studio Briefing | See recent Studio Briefing news

The box office appeared royally spooked over the weekend -- and not just because The Amityville Horror turned up in first place with $23.5 million, but also because the entire slate of films in release dipped significantly for the eighth week in a row. For the season, box office revenues are off more than 4 percent from a year ago, even though ticket prices are up. (Actual attendance is down 7 percent.) Part of the problem is attributable to the fact that no studio has produced a hit comparable to last year's The Passion of the Christ. However, Exhibitor Relations chief Paul Dergarabedian observed in an interview with today's (Monday) Los Angeles Daily News: "We can't blame everything on Passion eight weeks out. Moviegoers have definitely lost interest a little bit, and the marketplace as a whole has been in a depression."

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 Amityville Horror, MGM, $23,507,007, (New); 2. Sahara, Paramount, $13,071,283, 2 Wks. ($36,417,478); 3. Fever Pitch, 20th Century Fox, $8,518,883, 2 Wks. ($23,662,931); 4. Sin City, Miramax/Dimension, $6,687,810, 3 Wks. ($61,301,949); 5. Guess Who, Sony, $4,875,712, 4 Wks. ($57,548,885); 6. Beauty Shop, MGM, $3,742,462, 3 Wks. ($31,220,578); 7. Robots, 20th Century Fox, $3,606,520, 6 Wks. ($115,761,012); 8. Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous, Warner Bros., $2,980,158, 4 Wks. ($41,676,315); 9. The Pacifier, Disney, $2,410,620, 7 Wks. ($103,727,286); 10. The Upside of Anger, New Line, $2,069,066, 6 Wks. ($15,119,417).

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18 April 2005 | From Studio Briefing | See recent Studio Briefing news

It may not have been the sort of film that the ghosts of MGM founders Marcus Loew, Samuel Goldwyn and Louis B. Mayer would approve of as MGM's last wide release as an independent studio, but The Amityville Horror has proved to be a big hit -- grossing $23.3 million in its first weekend, some $6 million more than it cost to make. Last week's winner, Paramount's Sahara, starring Matthew McConaughey, dropped a modest 27 percent, placing second with $13.1 million. Fox's Fever Pitch, the romantic comedy starring Jimmy Fallon and Drew Barrymore, slipped to third place with $8.8 million. Miramax/Dimension's Sin City dropped to fourth place with $6.7 million. Overall, this year's box office continued to trail last year's for the eighth consecutive week, with ticket sales for the top 12 movies estimated at $73.9 million, down 13 percent from a year ago. In an interview with the Associated Press, Exhibitor Relations chief Paul Dergarabedian remarked: "This is a major slump. ... I think the industry is holding its collective breath for the turnaround. What is going to be the movie that reverses this down trend? Thankfully, summer looks really good." The summer movie season officially starts in two weeks.

The top ten films for the weekend, according to studio estimates compiled by Exhibitor Relations: 1. The Amityville Horror, $23.3 million; 2. Sahara, $13.1 million; 3. Fever Pitch, $8.8 million; 4. Sin City, $6.7 million; 5. Guess Who, $4.9 million; 6. Beauty Shop, $3.8 million; 7. Robots, $3.55 million; 8. Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous, $2.9 million; 9. The Pacifier, $2.4 million; 10. The Upside of Anger, $1.9 million.

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12 April 2005 | From Studio Briefing | See recent Studio Briefing news

The box office drought continued over the weekend as Sahara, a film that reportedly cost $130 million to make, debuted as the No. 1 film with only $18.1 million in ticket sales. Even at that, the movie earned a bit more than what some analysts had predicted. Finishing in second place was Miramax/Dimension's Sin City, which took in $14.2 million in its second week, to bring its total to $50.8 million -- $5 million more than its budget. Twentieth Century Fox's Fever Pitch, about a Boston man who splits his love between a woman and the Red Sox, placed third with $12.4 million. (It was a solid hit only in Boston, where it accounted for nearly half of all tickets sold.) With a total box office of less than $80 million, down 19 percent from the same week last year, the box office went into its seventh consecutive week of minus results. Today's (Tuesday) Hollywood Reporter noted that the total gross was lower than any weekend during the first eight months of 2004.

The top ten films over the weekend, according to final figures compiled by Exhibitor Relations (figures in parentheses represent total gross to date): 1. Sahara, Paramount, $18,068,372, (New); 2. Sin City, Miramax/Dimension, $14,154,696, 2 Wks. ($50,762,939); 3. Fever Pitch, 20th Century Fox, $12,400,125, (New); 4. Guess Who, Sony, $7,018,395, 3 Wks. ($51,021,623); 5. Beauty Shop, MGM, $6,808,532, 2 Wks. ($26,124,657); 6. Robots, 20th Century Fox, $4,652,252, 5 Wks. ($111,040,714); 7. Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous, Warner Bros., $4,184,319, 3 Wks. ($37,532,083); 8. The Pacifier, Disney, $3,116,340, 6 Wks. ($100,566,320); 9. The Ring Two, DreamWorks, $2,867,390, 4 Wks. ($72,279,279); 10. The Upside of Anger, New Line, $2,500,503, 5 Wks. ($12,256,474).

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11 April 2005 | From Studio Briefing | See recent Studio Briefing news

The weekend box office performed pretty much the way most analysts had predicted it would -- that is, lifelessly. Paramount's Sahara opened right on target with an estimated $18.5 million, not bad, except for the fact that the film reportedly cost $130 million to make. Close behind was Miramax/Dimension's Sin City, which dropped 52 percent from its opening week to $14.1 million, just edging out the debut of 20th Century Fox's Fever Pitch, which recorded $13 million. Two films tied for fourth in the estimates, MGM's Beauty Shop and Sony's Guess Who, with each taking in about $7.1 million. Making a big splash in limited release was Kung Fu Hustle, which opened on only seven screens in New York and Los Angeles with $293,025 -- an average of $41,861 on each screen. The film is due to expand to more than 2,000 screens on April 22. Overall, the box office was down 18 percent from the comparable weekend a year ago as it earned about $80.3 million. It was the seventh consecutive weekend of lower totals than last year.

The top ten films for the weekend, according to studio estimates compiled by Exhibitor Relations: 1. Sahara, $18.5 million; 2. Sin City, $14.1 million; 3. Fever Pitch, $13 million; 4 (tie). Beauty Shop, $7.1 million; 4 (tie). Guess Who, $7.1 million; 6. Robots, $4.65 million; 7. Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous, $4.1 million; 8. The Pacifier, $3 million; 9. The Ring 2, $2.9 million; 10. The Upside of Anger, $2.6 million.

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5 April 2005 | From Studio Briefing | See recent Studio Briefing news

Not only did Miramax/Dimension's Sin City outperform predictions by several box office analysts over the weekend, it also outperformed studio estimates. Final figures released by Exhibitor Relations Monday showed that the film earned $29.1 million, $1 million more than had been estimated. On the other hand, MGM's Beauty Shop earned $12.8 million, compared with Sunday's $13.5 million estimate. Sony's Guess Who was less than $100,000 behind Beauty Shop, to place third The overall box office was down versus last year for the sixth consecutive week.

The top ten films over the weekend, according to final figures compiled by Exhibitor Relations (figures in parentheses represent total gross to date): 1. Sin City, Miramax/Dimension, $29,120,273, (New); 2. Beauty Shop, MGM, $12,801,465, ($16,647,604 -- From Wednesday); 3. Guess Who, Sony, $12,716,557, 2 Wks. ($41,040,531); 4. Robots, 20th Century Fox, $9,825,372, 4 Wks. ($104,420,872); 5. Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous, Warner Bros., $8,134,453, 2 Wks, 31,127,190); 6. The Pacifier, Disney, $5,800,206, 5 Wks. ($96,117,665); 7. The Ring Two, DreamWorks, $5,689,130, 3 Wks. ($68,046,127); 8. The Upside of Anger, New Line, $4,025,000, 4 Wks. ($8,603,771); 9. Hitch, Sony, $2,906,879, 8 Wks. ($171,266,743); 10. Ice Princess, Disney, $2,749,671, 3 Wks. ($18,753,334).

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4 April 2005 | From Studio Briefing | See recent Studio Briefing news

Exceeding expectations, Miramax/Dimension's Sin City attracted an estimated $28.1 million in ticket sales over the weekend, making it the No. 1 choice at the box office. Robert Rodriguez's adaptation of the Frank Miller graphic novel trounced second place Beauty Shop, which had been expected to become a top contender, but instead could only muster $13.5 million ($17.3 million since its Wednesday opening). Last week's winner, Sony's Guess Who, slipped to third place with $13 million. Twentieth Century Fox's animated Robots remained in fourth in its fourth week with $10 million (pushing its box office total past the $100-million mark to $104.6 million). Overall, the box office fell 14 percent to $98.3 million from the same weekend a year ago.

The top ten films for the weekend, according to studio estimates compiled by Exhibitor Relations: 1. Sin City, $28.1 million; 2. Beauty Shop, $13.5 million; 3. Guess Who, $13 million; 4. Robots, $10 million; 5. Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous, $8.4 million; 6. The Pacifier, $6.1 million; 7. The Ring Two, $5.8 million; 8. The Upside of Anger, $4.1 million; 9. Hitch, $3 million; 10. Ice Princess, $2.6 million.

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29 March 2005 | From Studio Briefing | See recent Studio Briefing news

The interracial comedy Guess Who took first place in the Easter weekend box office competition, earning $20.7 million in its debut. The film, starring Ashton Kutcher and Bernie Mac, beat out another comedy, Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous, starring Sandra Bullock, which opened with $14 million. The overall box office was down 7 percent from the Easter weekend last year, when it occurred two weeks later.

The top ten films over the weekend, according to final figures compiled by Exhibitor Relations (figures in parentheses represent total gross to date): 1. Guess Who, Sony, $20,671,446, (New); 2. Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous, Warner Bros. $14,043,215, (New) ($17,098,519 -- From Thursday); 3. The Ring Two, DreamWorks, $13,616,573, 2 Wks. ($57,901,866); 4. Robots, 20th Century Fox, $12,914,900, 3 Wks. ($87,302,429); 5. The Pacifier, Disney, $8,087,395, 4 Wks. ($85,833,272); 6. Hitch, Sony, $4,283,334, 7 Wks. ($166,444,518); 7. Hostage, Miramax, $4,138,040, 3 Wks. ($26,201,432); 8. Ice Princess, Disney, $3,732,867, 2 Wks. ($13,342,028); 9. Be Cool, MGM, $2,830,732, 4 Wks. ($52,336,105); 10. Million Dollar Baby, Warner Bros. $2,587,313, 15 Wks. ($94,133,270).

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28 March 2005 | From Studio Briefing | See recent Studio Briefing news

The Easter weekend, rarely a big box-office holiday, was no exception this weekend, as the top film, the debuting Guess Who, earned just $21 million, and the No. 2 film, Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous, opened with $14.5 million ($17.6 million including Thursday's receipts), according to studio estimates. Last year, Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ led the box office with $15.2 million in its seventh week. In limited release, Woody Allen's Melinda and Melinda expanded into 95 theaters and took in $790,000.

The top ten films for the weekend, according to studio estimates compiled by Exhibitor Relations: 1. Guess Who, $21 million; 2. Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous, $14.5 million; 3. The Ring 2, $13.8 million; 4. Robots, $13 million; 5. The Pacifier, $8.5 million; 6. Hitch, $4.3 million; 7. Hostage, $4.1 million; 8. Ice Princess, $3.7 million; 9. Be Cool, $2.85 million; 10. Million Dollar Baby, $2.6 million.

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22 March 2005 | From Studio Briefing | See recent Studio Briefing news

The Ring Two has become the latest film to defy the best judgments of film critics and box-office analysts by producing blockbuster business in its debut. The film, which received mostly negative reviews and was expected to earn $20-25 million, wound up with $35 million, according to final figures released Monday by Exhibitor Relations. It was more than twice what the original English-language version earned in 2002. The animated family film Robots, which had been expected to top the box office for a second week, instead slipped to No. 2 with $21 million. Disney's The Pacifier remained strong in its third week with $12.5 million, while the studio's Ice Princess faced tough sledding in competing with a plethora of family films and ended up with just $6.8 million in its debut, to place fourth.

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 Ring Two, DreamWorks, $35,065,237, (New); 2. Robots, 20th Century Fox, $21,025,937, 2 Wks. ($66,067,739); 3. The Pacifier, Disney, $12,530,486, 3 Wks. ($72,270,940); 4. Ice Princess, Disney, $6,807,471, (New); 5. Hitch, Sony, $6,480,230, 6 Wks. ($159,325,368); 6. Hostage, Miramax, $5,989,221, 2 Wks. ($19,503,139); 7. Be Cool, MGM, $5,871,979, 3 Wks. ($47,275,015); 8. Million Dollar Baby, Warner Bros., $4,021,437, 14 Wks. ($89,943,692); 9. Diary of a Mad Black Woman, Lions Gate, $2,402,875, 4 Wks. ($47,667,768); 10. Constantine, Warner Bros., $2,325,359, 5 Wks. ($70,382,151).

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21 March 2005 | From Studio Briefing | See recent Studio Briefing news

A sequel to the animated hit Robots now appears to be a certainty. Not only are the basic computer models for the lead characters ready to be uploaded again, but producer William Joyce has indicated in an interview with syndicated columnist Cindy Pearlman that a script for a sequel will likely improve on the much criticized original. "We had to spend a lot of time introducing audiences to the robot world in the first film," Joyce said. "Now that they know the world, we can just hit the ground running."

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21 March 2005 | From Studio Briefing | See recent Studio Briefing news

Running rings around the original, DreamWorks' The Ring Two opened with an estimated $36 million over the weekend -- more than twice the $15 million that the original Ring took in in its debut in October 2002. (It went on to gross $129 million.) The success of the film, which stars Naomi Watts, extends the dominance of the horror genre at the box office this year. It was also the best opening for a horror movie since The Grudge opened with $39.1 million last October. Meanwhile, 20th Century Fox's animated family film Robots performed strongly in its second week with ticket sales of about $21.8 million, down a modest 39 percent from its opening. Its 10-day total stands at $66.9 million. Another family film, Vin Diesel's The Pacifier, also continued to show strength, registering $12.5 million in its third weekend, off 31 percent from last week. Opening in fourth place was Disney's female "tween"-oriented Ice Princess with $7 million. Opening only at a single theater in New York, Woody Allen's Melinda and Melinda grossed an outstanding $74,048. Meanwhile, Martin Scorsese's The Aviator, although not placing among the top ten, did become the first of the Oscar-nominated best picture nominees to cross the $100-million mark. The winner, Clint Eastwood's Million Dollar Baby, saw its gross climb to $90 million after landing in 8th place with $4.1 million.

The top ten films for the weekend, according to studio estimates compiled by Exhibitor Relations: 1. The Ring Two $36 million; 2. Robots, $21.8 million; 3. The Pacifier, $12.5 million; 4. Ice Princess, $7 million; 5. Hitch, $6.6 million; 6. Be Cool, $5.8 million; 7. Hostage, $5.79 million; 8. Million Dollar Baby, $4.1 million; 9. Diary of a Mad Black Woman, $3.5 million; 10. Constantine, $2.3 million.

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16 March 2005 | From Studio Briefing | See recent Studio Briefing news

Robin Williams has suggested that his feud with The Walt Disney Company's Michael Eisner and Jeffrey Katzenberg in 1995 may have kept him from working in animated films ever since. Williams, who was paid scale for his work as the genie in Disney's Aladdin in 1992, charged that the two had lied to him and broken a promise not to use his voice in merchandise associated with the movie. In an interview with Louis B. Hobson of the Calgary Sun, Williams, who provides the voice of Fender in 20th Century Fox's Robots, remarked, "Let's see. Eisner is still at Disney and Jeffrey is over at DreamWorks, which could explain why I wasn't in Finding Nemo or Shrek. Robots is a Fox movie. It's a more comfortable pairing."

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15 March 2005 | From Studio Briefing | See recent Studio Briefing news

Twentieth Century Fox's Robots invaded the box office over the weekend, and although it didn't exactly represent the kind of shock and awe that some analysts had predicted, the $36 million that it took in nevertheless turned out to be the second-highest gross for any film opening in March, behind another Fox animated hit, 2002's Ice Age, which took in $46.3 million. Several analysts noted that, unlike the previous film, Robots had to compete against another successful family film, Disney's The Pacifier, starring Vin Diesel, which recorded $18.2 million in its second weekend. MGM's Be Cool, with John Travolta, cooled down considerably in its second weekend, but its $10.3 million was nevertheless enough to land it in third place, slightly ahead of Miramax's Hostage, starring Bruce Willis, which debuted with $10.2 million. Sony's Hitch rounded out the top five with $8.8 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. Robots, 20th Century Fox, $36,045,301, (New); 2. The Pacifier, Disney, $18,152,357, 2 Wks. ($54,477,697); 3. Be Cool, MGM, $10,250,128, 2 Wks. ($38,375,714); 4. Hostage, Miramax, $10,214,734, (New); 5. Hitch, Sony, $8,786,575, 5 Wks. ($149,840,901); 6. Million Dollar Baby, Warner Bros., $5,153,356, 13 Wks. ($84,054,207); 7. Diary of a Mad Black Woman, Lions Gate, $4,876,399, 3 Wks. ($44,019,656); 8. Constantine, Warner Bros., $3,838,380, 4 Wks. ($66,518,726); 9. Man of the House, Sony, $1,770,456, 3 Wks. ($16,523,056); 10. Cursed, Miramax/Dimension, $1,564,363, 3 Wks. ($17,759,198).

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14 March 2005 | From Studio Briefing | See recent Studio Briefing news

If it hadn't been for Vin Diesel, Robots would have overrun the box office over the weekend. Twentieth Century Fox's animated feature debuted with an estimated $36.5 million, but analysts agreed that it would have taken in a good deal more if it had not been forced to compete with Diesel's hit family flick The Pacifier, which earned some $18.1 million, down about 40 percent from last week. In 10 days, the movie has grossed $54.4 million. The John Travolta starrer Be Cool dropped 56 percent from its debut weekend last week to place third with $10.3 million, placing it just ahead of the premiering Hostage, starring Bruce Willis, which took in $9.8 million. Perhaps the biggest disappointment was the poor showing of the toned-down version of Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ, which opened in about 1,000 virtually empty theaters with just $239,850. That works out to an average of 10 tickets sold per theater per day. By contrast, the indie film Millions from director Danny Boyle grossed $73,000 in its debut in just 5 theaters.The top ten films for the weekend, according to studio estimates compiled by Exhibitor Relations: 1. Robots, $36.5 million; 2. The Pacifier, $18.1 million; 3. Be Cool, $10.3 million; 4. Hostage, $9.8 million; 5. Hitch, $8.7 million; 6. Million Dollar Baby, $5.1 million; 7. Diary of a Mad Black Woman, $5 million; 8. Constantine, $3.7 million; 9. Man of the House, $1.8 million; 10. Cursed, $1.6 million.

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