|
|
Daily News
|
|
Box Office Report in Stitches
Fox's Minority Report and Disney's Lilo & Stitch run neck-and-neck
for box office crown.
Monday, June 24, 2002
By Vincent Rowe
|
|
As the summer blockbusters continued to roll out his weekend, many industry
insiders predicted that it would be smooth sailing for the Tom Cruise-Steven
Spielberg collaboration Minority Report to land at the top of the box
office charts. And while early estimates have the sci-fi thriller from 20th
Century Fox finishing at number one, the ride proved to be not so smooth.
Fox reported an estimated $36.9 million in receipts for the debut weekend of
Report, but across town Buena Vista reported an estimated $35.8 million
for the opening of their animated family film Lilo & Stitch, giving
Report a run for its money and marking the biggest summer opening for
an animated Disney film since The Lion King ($40.9 million). And with
the numbers still being compiled, some think that the story of an alien who
comes to live with a Hawaiian family may prove to be the champ yet.
Even with some disappointment in their opening, Minority Report marked
a bigger opening than the last two films put out by the star and director. In
December, Cruise's Vanilla Sky opened to the tune of $25 million, while
Spielberg's A.I. Artificial Intelligence garnered $29.4 million for Warner
Bros. earlier last year.
The numbers were even too close to call for Fox execs. "I'm not reporting
their number, I'm only reporting mine, and I have both films in the same area,"
Fox's domestic distribution president Bruce Snyder told The Hollywood Reporter.
"They're both wonderful openings, and I'm thrilled with mine. I've run
the calculations several times and different ways, and this is where it ended
up. It's really to close to call. To me, either picture could end up being No.
1."
Over at Buena Vista, however, execs were a little more confident that their
film would capture the top spot. "We truly believe we were No. 1,"
Disney distrib topper Chuck Viane told Daily Variety. "We're both
public companies, and I'm confident the estimates will be corrected on Monday
morning."
Family films did rule the weekend, however, as Warner Bros.' Scooby-Doo
finished in third place with an estimated $24.4 million in its second weekend.
Despite a 55% drop from its $54 million opening weekend, Scooby is still
roaring as it became the first film of the summer season, and the fourth of
the year, to surpass the $100 million mark with a cume that stands at $100.2
million after 10 days.
Placing fourth, with an estimated $14.8 million, was Universal's The Bourne
Identity. Falling off 46% from last week's debut, the mystery thriller,
starring Matt Damon, brought its cume up to $54.1 million after 10 days.
The fifth spot for the weekend went to Paramount's The Sum of All Fears,
which added another $7.9 million to its totals. The film, which dropped off
41%, now has a box office total of $97.4 million and is expected to cross the
$100 million mark this week.
Sixth place went to the John Woo World War II drama Windtalkers. Now
in its second weekend, the film brought in $6.7 million bumping its total up
to $26.7 million, while the $6 million opening of Warner Bros.' basketball-set
comedy Juwanna Man landed it in seventh place.
The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood continued a strong run with
a $5.7 million weekend haul and an eighth place finish. The film has now earned
$46.4 million. Fox's Star Wars: Episode II-Attack of the Clones' $5.1
million got it ninth place, and the $4.4 million brought in by Sony's Spider-Man
rounded out the top ten finishers. To date, those films have earned $279.8 million
and $390.2 million, respectively.
ThinkFilms' The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys continued its limited
release run as it drew in $237,115 from 76 theaters, for a $3,120 per theater
average, and will expand to 140-150 locales next weekend. Sony Pictures Classics
released Sunshine State in 10 venues to the tune of $93,714 and a promising
$9,371 per theater average, while Peninsula's Dahmer opened at one theater
in both Los Angeles and New York to an estimated $16,977, averaging $8,489 per
theater average.
The overall box office for the week of June 20th sailed well ahead of last
year's same seven-day frame by a full 23%. The year-to-date totals also remain
a full 20% ahead of last year's record numbers. The box office totals also shot
past the $4 billion mark this weekend, a full four weeks quicker than last year.
|
|
|
|
|
 Email
|
 Print
|
|
|
|
|
|