'Eight' tops b.o. charts with $25 mil bow
BV has weekend's top dog as 'Eight' grosses $25 mil
Feb 21, 2006
Buena Vista Pictures' "Eight Below," from Walt Disney Pictures, turned up the heat at the boxoffice during the four-day Presidents Day weekend as the PG-rated family film took first place and warmed to a better-than-expected total of $25 million, according to final figures Tuesday. It was the fourth-biggest debut during the holiday frame, marking the distributor's largest opening in February, and was a personal best for director Frank Marshall.
20th Century Fox's "Date Movie" proved to be hot as well. The PG-13 film, directed by Aaron Seltzer and written by Seltzer and Jason Friedberg, attracted and found its targeted teen audience to place second with $21.8 million. Regency Enterprises produced the romantic comedy spoof.
Not to be left out, Sony Pictures' "The Pink Panther" captured the third slot with $20.9 million during the holiday frame -- the first three days of which it was down a scant 17% from its debut. The Steve Martin starrer has generated $46.5 million in 11 days.
The other film to open in wide release during the weekend was Sony's "Freedomland" from Revolution Studios. The Samuel L. Jackson-Julianne Moore starrer placed seventh with a discouraging $6.7 million from 2,361 locations. Revolution topper Joe Roth helmed the R-rated drama.
Universal Pictures' "Curious George" finished strongly, with the 2-D animated family film taking the fourth slot with $15.4 million. The Imagine Entertainment-produced feature has picked up $33.5 million after 11 days.
All in all, family-friendly fare proved to be popular during the Presidents Day weekend. Four films aimed at family audiences -- "Eight Below," "Pink Panther," "Curious George" and Universal's "Nanny McPhee" -- generated an estimated $66.4 million among them, comprising a stout 49% of the total for the frame's top 12 films.
The estimated cume for the top 12 films in the four-day session is $135.8 million, down 1% from last year. The Hollywood Reporter forecasts the total for all films this session to be in the mid- to high-$150 million area, or near last year's $157.6 million.
The boxoffice wealth was spread wider this year than last. Among the top-ranked films during the weekend, three grossed more than $20 million each and six topped more than $10 million. Last year, three films grossed more than $10 million, two of which grossed more than $30 million each.
Depending on the final tally, it will be either the third- or fourth-biggest Presidents Day weekend to date. The 2003 frame holds the record with $164.3 million, followed by 2002 with $163.5 million.
In limited release during the weekend, Fox Searchlight's "Night Watch," one of the highest-grossing films in Russian boxoffice history, debuted in three U.S. cities. The R-rated horror film, which revolves around vampires and a battle between the forces of darkness and light, grossed an estimated $110,171, averaging a stellar $36,724 per theater. Timur Bekmambetov helmed the Russian film, which expands further Friday.
Tartan Films' "Battle in Heaven" opened in two houses and took in an estimated $26,352. The unrated Spanish-language drama from director Carlos Reygadas averaged a strong $13,176 per theater.
Buena Vista Pictures distribution president Chuck Viane said he was thrilled to be No. 1 with "Eight Below."
"It's an amazingly strong weekend for general audience movies," he said.
Viane said the better-than-expected grosses for "Eight Below" mainly were a result of a larger-than-expected nonfamily contingent. "The evening shows played very strongly among the nonfamily audience, much stronger then one would have suspected," he said. "We got through to a number of different audiences, with parents, children and animal lovers."
The breakdown for the weekend's top-grossing film was 56% family, the rest nonfamily.
Viane also credited "Eight Below's" marketing campaign as well as the filmmakers and stars. "It looked very fresh, and director Frank Marshall and stars Paul Walker and Jason Biggs worked really hard promoting this film," he said, noting the compelling story line centered on the will to survive and the rescuing of stranded sled dogs.
Executives at Fox also were upbeat about the receipts generated by "Date Movie."
"It's fabulous; it's a sensational opening," Fox senior vp and general sales manager Chris Aronson said. "The parody genre is a genre unto itself and is well known by its target audience." While "Airplane" took on disaster movies and "Scary Movie" did horror, "Date Movie" takes on romantic comedy, he said.
"Our target audience was 25 and under, and the marketing group executed an excellent campaign and got that audience to turn out," Aronson said. A large 79% of the audience was under 25 and skewed slightly female. The estimated budget for "Date Movie" was in the high teens.
As for "Freedomland's" debut, "We would have liked to have done more," Sony Pictures Releasing president Rory Bruer said. "It's a movie that everyone at Columbia and Revolution worked very hard on and are very proud of."
"Freedomland" leaned slightly female, and 53% of the audience was under 35.
Bruer was more upbeat when it came to "Pink Panther."
"It would have been a terrific hold on its own merits, but with all the competition this weekend, it makes it an amazing hold," he said.
Also in the rankings was New Line Cinema's "Final Destination 3" in the fifth spot for its sophomore frame with $11.5 million, down 40% from a week earlier. The horror thriller has grossed $37.2 million to date.
Warner Bros. Pictures' "Firewall" coded $10.4 million to grab the sixth slot, off a moderate 24% from its debut. The Harrison Ford starrer has breached $28.7 million so far.
Other films opening in limited release included Triumph Releasing's "The Second Chance" -- a PG-13 drama set in the South that was directed by Steve Taylor -- which generated an estimated $250,000 from 87 engagements.
Freestyle Releasing's "Winter Passing," a comedy-drama starring Ed Harris, Zooey Deschanel, Will Ferrell and Ameila Warner, took in an estimated $38,000 from seven sites. The Adam Rapp-directed film averaged $5,430 per theater.
IFC Films' "CSA: The Confederate States of America" grossed an estimated $23,303 from one location. Directed and written by Kevin Willmott, the comedy-drama documentary, about what the U.S. would be like if the South had won the Civil War, has picked up an estimated $26,370 so far.
The national boxoffice for the week ending Thursday essentially was tied with last year's comparable seven-day period ($165 million vs. $166.4 million). The year-to-date boxoffice total is ahead 2% compared with 2005 ($967.5 million vs. $948.1 million). Because of the slight increase in ticket prices, estimated year-to-date admissions are down nearly 3% from last year at this time.
20th Century Fox's "Date Movie" proved to be hot as well. The PG-13 film, directed by Aaron Seltzer and written by Seltzer and Jason Friedberg, attracted and found its targeted teen audience to place second with $21.8 million. Regency Enterprises produced the romantic comedy spoof.
Not to be left out, Sony Pictures' "The Pink Panther" captured the third slot with $20.9 million during the holiday frame -- the first three days of which it was down a scant 17% from its debut. The Steve Martin starrer has generated $46.5 million in 11 days.
The other film to open in wide release during the weekend was Sony's "Freedomland" from Revolution Studios. The Samuel L. Jackson-Julianne Moore starrer placed seventh with a discouraging $6.7 million from 2,361 locations. Revolution topper Joe Roth helmed the R-rated drama.
Universal Pictures' "Curious George" finished strongly, with the 2-D animated family film taking the fourth slot with $15.4 million. The Imagine Entertainment-produced feature has picked up $33.5 million after 11 days.
All in all, family-friendly fare proved to be popular during the Presidents Day weekend. Four films aimed at family audiences -- "Eight Below," "Pink Panther," "Curious George" and Universal's "Nanny McPhee" -- generated an estimated $66.4 million among them, comprising a stout 49% of the total for the frame's top 12 films.
The estimated cume for the top 12 films in the four-day session is $135.8 million, down 1% from last year. The Hollywood Reporter forecasts the total for all films this session to be in the mid- to high-$150 million area, or near last year's $157.6 million.
The boxoffice wealth was spread wider this year than last. Among the top-ranked films during the weekend, three grossed more than $20 million each and six topped more than $10 million. Last year, three films grossed more than $10 million, two of which grossed more than $30 million each.
Depending on the final tally, it will be either the third- or fourth-biggest Presidents Day weekend to date. The 2003 frame holds the record with $164.3 million, followed by 2002 with $163.5 million.
In limited release during the weekend, Fox Searchlight's "Night Watch," one of the highest-grossing films in Russian boxoffice history, debuted in three U.S. cities. The R-rated horror film, which revolves around vampires and a battle between the forces of darkness and light, grossed an estimated $110,171, averaging a stellar $36,724 per theater. Timur Bekmambetov helmed the Russian film, which expands further Friday.
Tartan Films' "Battle in Heaven" opened in two houses and took in an estimated $26,352. The unrated Spanish-language drama from director Carlos Reygadas averaged a strong $13,176 per theater.
Buena Vista Pictures distribution president Chuck Viane said he was thrilled to be No. 1 with "Eight Below."
"It's an amazingly strong weekend for general audience movies," he said.
Viane said the better-than-expected grosses for "Eight Below" mainly were a result of a larger-than-expected nonfamily contingent. "The evening shows played very strongly among the nonfamily audience, much stronger then one would have suspected," he said. "We got through to a number of different audiences, with parents, children and animal lovers."
The breakdown for the weekend's top-grossing film was 56% family, the rest nonfamily.
Viane also credited "Eight Below's" marketing campaign as well as the filmmakers and stars. "It looked very fresh, and director Frank Marshall and stars Paul Walker and Jason Biggs worked really hard promoting this film," he said, noting the compelling story line centered on the will to survive and the rescuing of stranded sled dogs.
Executives at Fox also were upbeat about the receipts generated by "Date Movie."
"It's fabulous; it's a sensational opening," Fox senior vp and general sales manager Chris Aronson said. "The parody genre is a genre unto itself and is well known by its target audience." While "Airplane" took on disaster movies and "Scary Movie" did horror, "Date Movie" takes on romantic comedy, he said.
"Our target audience was 25 and under, and the marketing group executed an excellent campaign and got that audience to turn out," Aronson said. A large 79% of the audience was under 25 and skewed slightly female. The estimated budget for "Date Movie" was in the high teens.
As for "Freedomland's" debut, "We would have liked to have done more," Sony Pictures Releasing president Rory Bruer said. "It's a movie that everyone at Columbia and Revolution worked very hard on and are very proud of."
"Freedomland" leaned slightly female, and 53% of the audience was under 35.
Bruer was more upbeat when it came to "Pink Panther."
"It would have been a terrific hold on its own merits, but with all the competition this weekend, it makes it an amazing hold," he said.
Also in the rankings was New Line Cinema's "Final Destination 3" in the fifth spot for its sophomore frame with $11.5 million, down 40% from a week earlier. The horror thriller has grossed $37.2 million to date.
Warner Bros. Pictures' "Firewall" coded $10.4 million to grab the sixth slot, off a moderate 24% from its debut. The Harrison Ford starrer has breached $28.7 million so far.
Other films opening in limited release included Triumph Releasing's "The Second Chance" -- a PG-13 drama set in the South that was directed by Steve Taylor -- which generated an estimated $250,000 from 87 engagements.
Freestyle Releasing's "Winter Passing," a comedy-drama starring Ed Harris, Zooey Deschanel, Will Ferrell and Ameila Warner, took in an estimated $38,000 from seven sites. The Adam Rapp-directed film averaged $5,430 per theater.
IFC Films' "CSA: The Confederate States of America" grossed an estimated $23,303 from one location. Directed and written by Kevin Willmott, the comedy-drama documentary, about what the U.S. would be like if the South had won the Civil War, has picked up an estimated $26,370 so far.
The national boxoffice for the week ending Thursday essentially was tied with last year's comparable seven-day period ($165 million vs. $166.4 million). The year-to-date boxoffice total is ahead 2% compared with 2005 ($967.5 million vs. $948.1 million). Because of the slight increase in ticket prices, estimated year-to-date admissions are down nearly 3% from last year at this time.
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