'Cars' to also-rans: Eat my dust
'Cars' gets in gear
June 9, 2006
Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, dudes and dudettes, start your engines. That introduction can only mean that Buena Vista Pictures' "Cars," from Pixar Animation Studios, is racing into theaters today. The highly anticipated seventh film from the Walt Disney Co./Pixar team is in 3,985 venues -- including a record 210 digital screens -- and is expected to easily take the checkered flag in the top spot.
John Lasseter directed "Cars," a G-rated tale that features talking cars and trucks and a race car named Lightning McQueen. Lending their voices to the colorful cast of CG-animated vehicles are Owen Wilson, Paul Newman, Bonnie Hunt, Larry the Cable Guy, Cheech Marin and racing great Richard Petty.
The debut of "Cars" marks the first release from Disney and Pixar in more than a year and a half, so there is some pent-up demand for the film. Disney/ Pixar's "The Incredibles" opened in November 2004 with $70 million and finished with $261 million.
Since the duo's first collaboration, 1995's "Toy Story," Disney and Pixar have generated quite a boxoffice track record, racking up nearly $1.5 billion in gross domestic receipts alone. The last Pixar film Lasseter directed was 1999's "Toy Story 2," which opened with $57 million and went on to gross $246 million. The company's biggest-grossing film is "Finding Nemo." The crowd-pleasing undersea adventure bowed with $70 million in 2003 and left North American theaters with $340 million.
The wheels are turning in "Cars' " favor as far as the critics go -- getting the thumbs up from the vast majority of reviewers nationwide, according to RottenTomatoes.com.
"Cars" is about a hotshot rookie race car that takes an unexpected detour into the sleepy town of Radiator Springs and realizes during his stay that there are more important things in life than trophies, fame and sponsorships.
The primary competition for "Cars," which is aimed squarely at all four demographic quadrants, is Paramount Pictures' "Over the Hedge," from DreamWorks Animation. "Hedge" is the only other major family film in the top rankings, along with Sony's "RV" to a lesser extent. But both films have been in theaters for a while.
20th Century Fox's "The Omen" and Universal's "The Break-Up" are tracking to converge on the No. 2 spot this weekend. "Omen" debuted with a record single-day gross for a Tuesday with $12.6 million, thanks largely to its 6/6/06 marketing campaign. The horror-thriller, about the rise of the Antichrist in the form of a young boy named Damien, has collected more than $20 million heading into the weekend in 2,723 locales. John Moore directed from a script by David Seltzer, who was the original screenwriter on the 1976 film.
Fox's "X-Men: The Last Stand" and "Hedge" most likely will be hanging around in the third and fourth spots. "X3" has grossed close to $187 million in 14 days, while "Hedge" is in the $120 million area. Sony's "The Da Vinci Code" and Paramount's "Mission: Impossible III" will almost certainly follow.
In a moderate-release counterprogramming strategy, Picturehouse's "A Prairie Home Companion" will debut in 760 locations, the widest release to date for the relatively new indie label, which has mounted an aggressive grassroots campaign for the film, including multiple festival outings. The PG-13 comedy-drama is a fictional story based on the nationally syndicated and long-running radio show from Garrison Keillor, who wrote the screenplay and also stars in the film.
Robert Altman directed "Companion," which boasts a familiar ensemble cast including Woody Harrelson, Tommy Lee Jones, Kevin Kline, Lindsay Lohan, Virginia Madsen, John C. Reilly, Maya Rudolph, Meryl Streep and Lily Tomlin.
"Companion" unfolds on the final night of the show. The film is targeting adult, upscale moviegoers.
John Lasseter directed "Cars," a G-rated tale that features talking cars and trucks and a race car named Lightning McQueen. Lending their voices to the colorful cast of CG-animated vehicles are Owen Wilson, Paul Newman, Bonnie Hunt, Larry the Cable Guy, Cheech Marin and racing great Richard Petty.
The debut of "Cars" marks the first release from Disney and Pixar in more than a year and a half, so there is some pent-up demand for the film. Disney/ Pixar's "The Incredibles" opened in November 2004 with $70 million and finished with $261 million.
Since the duo's first collaboration, 1995's "Toy Story," Disney and Pixar have generated quite a boxoffice track record, racking up nearly $1.5 billion in gross domestic receipts alone. The last Pixar film Lasseter directed was 1999's "Toy Story 2," which opened with $57 million and went on to gross $246 million. The company's biggest-grossing film is "Finding Nemo." The crowd-pleasing undersea adventure bowed with $70 million in 2003 and left North American theaters with $340 million.
The wheels are turning in "Cars' " favor as far as the critics go -- getting the thumbs up from the vast majority of reviewers nationwide, according to RottenTomatoes.com.
"Cars" is about a hotshot rookie race car that takes an unexpected detour into the sleepy town of Radiator Springs and realizes during his stay that there are more important things in life than trophies, fame and sponsorships.
The primary competition for "Cars," which is aimed squarely at all four demographic quadrants, is Paramount Pictures' "Over the Hedge," from DreamWorks Animation. "Hedge" is the only other major family film in the top rankings, along with Sony's "RV" to a lesser extent. But both films have been in theaters for a while.
20th Century Fox's "The Omen" and Universal's "The Break-Up" are tracking to converge on the No. 2 spot this weekend. "Omen" debuted with a record single-day gross for a Tuesday with $12.6 million, thanks largely to its 6/6/06 marketing campaign. The horror-thriller, about the rise of the Antichrist in the form of a young boy named Damien, has collected more than $20 million heading into the weekend in 2,723 locales. John Moore directed from a script by David Seltzer, who was the original screenwriter on the 1976 film.
Fox's "X-Men: The Last Stand" and "Hedge" most likely will be hanging around in the third and fourth spots. "X3" has grossed close to $187 million in 14 days, while "Hedge" is in the $120 million area. Sony's "The Da Vinci Code" and Paramount's "Mission: Impossible III" will almost certainly follow.
In a moderate-release counterprogramming strategy, Picturehouse's "A Prairie Home Companion" will debut in 760 locations, the widest release to date for the relatively new indie label, which has mounted an aggressive grassroots campaign for the film, including multiple festival outings. The PG-13 comedy-drama is a fictional story based on the nationally syndicated and long-running radio show from Garrison Keillor, who wrote the screenplay and also stars in the film.
Robert Altman directed "Companion," which boasts a familiar ensemble cast including Woody Harrelson, Tommy Lee Jones, Kevin Kline, Lindsay Lohan, Virginia Madsen, John C. Reilly, Maya Rudolph, Meryl Streep and Lily Tomlin.
"Companion" unfolds on the final night of the show. The film is targeting adult, upscale moviegoers.
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