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12 articles from 2002

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Vampire Movie Draws Blood

26 March 2002 | Studio Briefing - Film News | See recent Studio Briefing - Film News news »

Final box office figures on Monday came in significantly below studio estimates, indicating that more people stayed home on Sunday to watch the Oscars than the studios had anticipated. The vampire movie Blade II, which led the box office, took in $32.5 million, $600,000 less than had been expected. Ice Age garnered $30 million, more than $1 million below what had been predicted. The same was also the case with the E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial re-release. Nevertheless, ticket sales for the top 23 films rose to $118.3 million, 70 percent above the same weekend last year.

The top ten films over the weekend, according to final figures compiled by Exhibitor Relations (figures in parentheses represent total gross to date): 1. Blade II, New Line, $32,528,016, (New); 2. Ice Age, 20th Century Fox, $30,056,721, 2 Wks. ($87,292,481); 3. E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (Reissue), Universal, $14,223,110, ($414,027,110); 4. Showtime, Warner Bros. $8,145,446, 2 Wks. ($26,803,761); 5. Resident Evil, Screen Gems, $6,705,076, 2 Wks. ($28,937,585); 6. We Were Soldiers, Paramount, $5,728,150, 4 Wks. ($61,638,534); 7. The Time Machine, DreamWorks, $5,324,159, 3 Wks. ($48,158,947); 8. Sorority Boys, Disney, $4,127,903, (New); 9. A Beautiful Mind, Universal, $4,081,270, 14 Wks. ($154,704,651); 10. 40 Days and 40 Nights, Miramax, $2,719,233, 4 Wks. ($34,176,683). »

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Snipes' Vampire Movie Leads Box Office

25 March 2002 | Studio Briefing - Film News | See recent Studio Briefing - Film News news »

The Wesley Snipes vampire movie Blade II took a $33.1 million bite out of the weekend box office in its debut, while the computer-animated Ice Age remained a cure for the common cold March by earning $31.1 million in its second week, according to estimates released by Exhibitor Relations on Sunday. The reissue of Steven Spielberg's E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial added yet another $15.1 million to the total take, which, at about $121 million, was likely to set a record for March, the box-office tracking firm said. The figure was 74 percent greater than a year ago.

The top ten films for the weekend, according to studio estimates compiled by Exhibitor Relations: 1.Blade II, $33.1 million; 2. Ice Age, $31.1 million; 3. E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial, $15.1 million; 4. Showtime, $8.2 million; 5. Resident Evil, $6.6 million; 6. We Were Soldiers, $5.8 million; 7. The Time Machine, $5.2 million; 8. A Beautiful Mind, $4.3 million; 9. Sorority Boys, $4.2 million; 10. 40 Days and 40 Nights, $2.7 million. »

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Attack Of The Mammoths

19 March 2002 | Studio Briefing - Film News | See recent Studio Briefing - Film News news »

The combination of the first full-length trailer for Star Wars: Episode 2 -- The Attack of the Clones and the animated kids' feature Ice Age proved to be unbeatable last weekend as theaters showing the two attractions earned $46.3 million, far and away the biggest opening ever during a three-day weekend in March. The results far exceeded expectations. Resident Evil, based on the video game, debuted in second place with $17.7 million. It, too, did better than expected. Mitch Horwits, president of Constantin Film, which produced the movie, told Bloomberg News Monday: "This picture actually does deliver for a change on what the gaming community is really interested in." The comedy Showtime with Robert De Niro and Eddie Murphy, which had been the analysts' favorite to win the weekend, premiered in third place with $15 million. Ticket sales for the top 12 films totaled $120.9 million, up 67 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. Ice Age, 20th Century Fox, $46,312,454, (New); 2. Resident Evil, Sony, $17,707,106, (New); 3. Showtime, Warner Bros., $15,011,430, (New); 4. The Time Machine, DreamWorks, $10,795,951, 2 Wks. ($39,936,148); 5. We Were Soldiers, Paramount, $8,488,331, 3 Wks. ($53,326,665); 6. All About the Benjamins, New Line, $4,990,628, 2 Wks. ($17,575,723); 7. 40 Days and 40 Nights, Miramax, $4,358,186, 3 Wks. ($29,856,657); 8. John Q, New Line, $3,622,711, 5 Wks. ($64,377,947); 9. A Beautiful Mind, Universal, $3,380,260, 13 Wks. ($149,205,356); 10. Return to Never Land, Disney, $2,122,386, 5 Wks. ($45,184,951). »

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Nice Ice

18 March 2002 | Studio Briefing - Film News | See recent Studio Briefing - Film News news »

Raising questions about whether the movie or the trailer that preceded it was responsible, the debut of Ice Age destroyed the three-day box-office record for March as it took in an astonishing $47.9 million over the weekend, according to studio estimates. (The previous record was held by Jim Carrey's Liar Liar, which earned $31 million when it opened in 1997.) The first full theatrical trailer for Star Wars: Episode 2 -- The Attack of the Clones, which opens on May 16, was attached to the film, and many analysts surmised that fanatical interest in the Lucas movie helped boost ticket sales for the animated feature. In second place was the critically massacred horror flick, Resident Evil, which took in about $18.2 million. Showtime, a spoof of "buddy cop" films, starring Eddie Murphy and Robert De Niro, opened in third place with an estimated $15.4 million, while last week's box-office champ, The Time Machine, dropped to fourth place with about $10.9 million. Ticket sales for the top 12 films amounted to $124.2 million, up 71 percent from the comparable weekend a year ago, according to box-office trackers Exhibitor Relations.

The top ten films for the weekend, according to studio estimates compiled by Exhibitor Relations: 1. Ice Age, $47.9 million; 2. Resident Evil, $18.2 million; 3. Showtime, $15.4 million; 4. The Time Machine, $10.9 million; 5. We Were Soldiers, $8.8 million; 6. All About the Benjamins, $4.9 million; 7. 40 Days and 40 Nights, $4.6 million; 8. John Q, $3.7 million; 9. A Beautiful Mind, $3.4 million; 10. Return to Never Land, $2.3 million. »

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The Teen Machine

12 March 2002 | Studio Briefing - Film News | See recent Studio Briefing - Film News news »

Demonstrating the clout of teenage males at the box office, DreamWorks's Time Machine, a poorly reviewed film that the studio admittedly had modest expectations for, raked in an outstanding $22.6 million dollars over the weekend. Last week's leader, the Mel Gibson war movie We Were Soldiers, slipped to second place with $14.2 million, while New Line's All About the Benjamins debuted in third place with $10 million. The top 12 films took in $83.1 million, up 33 percent from 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. The Time Machine, DreamWorks, $22,610,437, (New); 2. We Were Soldiers, Paramount, $14,208,525, 2 Wks. ($40,552,286); 3. All About the Benjamins, New Line, $10,007,291, (New); 4. 40 Days and 40 Nights, Miramax, $7,033,952, 2 Wks. ($22,825,390); 5. John Q, New Line, $5,924,783, 4 Wks. ($59,016,204); 6. Return to Never Land, Disney, $4,459,520, 4 Wks. ($41,503,840); 7. Dragonfly, Universal, $4,023,320, 3 Wks. ($24,844,780); 8. A Beautiful Mind, Universal, $3,872,880, 12 Wks. ($144,274,651); 9. Big Fat Liar, Universal, $3,484,315, 5 Wks. ($43,306,710); 10. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, New Line, $2,683,317, 12 Wks. ($291,149,457). »

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Moviegoers Make Time Machine Fly

11 March 2002 | Studio Briefing - Film News | See recent Studio Briefing - Film News news »

Raking in an astonishing $22.5 million during a traditionally slow period at the box office, DreamWorks' The Time Machine defied critics and financial analysts alike over the weekend. (DreamWorks' distribution chief, Jim Tharp, said in a statement that early tracking studies had indicated that the film would open in "the mid-teens.") Another new film, New Line's All About the Benjamins, which opened in only 1,505 locations, also produced a better-than-expected take -- $10.1 million, or an average of $6,711 per theater. Last week's top film, Paramount's We Were Soldiers, slid to second place with about $14.45 million. Overall, the top 12 films at the box office earned about $84 million, up 34 percent from the comparable weekend a year ago.

The top ten films for the weekend, according to studio estimates compiled by Exhibitor Relations: 1. The Time Machine, $22.5 million; 2. We Were Soldiers, $14.5 million; 3. All About the Benjamins, $10.1 million; 4. 40 Days and 40 Nights, $7.1 million; 5. John Q, $6 million; 6. Return to Never Land, $4.7 million; 7. Dragonfly, $4.1 million; 8. A Beautiful Mind, $3.9 million; 9. Big Fat Liar, $3.4 million; 10. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, $2.6 million. »

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Mel Wins The War

5 March 2002 | Studio Briefing - Film News | See recent Studio Briefing - Film News news »

Mel Gibson's We Were Soldiers won the battle of the box office over the weekend, debuting in the top spot with $20.2 million. "We are very happy with the numbers, and its looks to me the picture is going to be around a while," Paramount distribution chief Wayne Lewellen told Bloomberg News. The weekend's only other new film, 40 Days and 40 Nights starring Josh Hartnett, came in second with $12.2 million. The top 12 films grossed $82.1 million, up 9.6 percent from the comparable wekend 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. We Were Soldiers, Paramount, $20,212,543, (New); 2. 40 Days and 40 Nights, Miramax, $12,229,529, (New); 3. John Q, New Line, $8,512,403, 3 Wks. ($51,187,048); 4. Return to Never Land, Disney, $6,854,935, 3 Wks. ($35,688,424); 5. Dragonfly, Universal, $6,618,465, 2 Wks. ($19,216,520); 6. Queen of the Damned, Warner Bros. $5,911,449, 2 Wks. ($23,916,561); 7. Big Fat Liar, Universal, $4,956,960, 4 Wks. ($39,030,420); 8. A Beautiful Mind, Universal, $4,648,985, 11 Wks. ($138,929,921); 9. Crossroads, Paramount, $4,054,557, 3 Wks. ($31,198,202); 10. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, New Line, $3,318,231, 11 Wks. ($28,7573,505). »

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War Is Swell

4 March 2002 | Studio Briefing - Film News | See recent Studio Briefing - Film News news »

Silencing analysts who warned against oversaturating the box office with war films, Paramount's We Were Soldiers, starring Mel Gibson, took in an estimated $20.2 million at the box office in its debut this weekend, far above the $12.5 million taken in by the No. 2 film, Miramax/Working Title's 40 Days and 40 Nights, starring Josh Hartnett. (Soldiers was the fourth war film to open in recent weeks, after Hart's War, Black Hawk Down and Behind Enemy Lines.) Last weekend's box-office leader, Warner Bros.' Queen of the Damned, plunged 80 percent to land in sixth place with just $5.8 million. On the other hand, New Line's John Q. held up nicely, off only 33 percent to $8.4 million in its third weekend, good enough for third place. The top 12 films took in an estimated $81.1 million, up 8 percent over the comparable weekend a year ago. The top ten films for the weekend, according to studio estimates compiled by Exhibitor Relations: 1. We Were Soldiers, $20.2 million; 2. 40 Days and 40 Nights, $12.5 million; 3. John Q, $8.4 million; 4. Dragonfly, $6.8 million; 5. Return to Never Land, $6.5 million; 6. Queen of the Damned, $5.8 million; 7. Big Fat Liar, $4.8 million; 8. A Beautiful Mind, $4.4 million; 9. Crossroads, $4 million; 10. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, $3.1 million. »

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Movie Reviews: 40 Days And 40 Nights

1 March 2002 | Studio Briefing - Film News | See recent Studio Briefing - Film News news »

"40 Days and 40 Nights seems more like a sentence than a title," Joel Siegel remarked on Good Morning America this morning. His sentiment appears to be shared by many of his print colleagues. The film, which stars Josh Hartnett as a young man who decides to give up sex for Lent, is described by Lou Lumenick in the New York Post as "easily the most witless movie released this year." Michael Wilmington in the Chicago Tribune also uses the word "witless" to describe the film, adding that it is "also one of the dumbest romantic comedies in quite a while." But Philip Wuntch in the Dallas Morning News acknowledges that the movie may be "a crowd-pleaser rather than a critic-appeaser." In fact, a smattering of critics also appeared to enjoy it. Joe Morgenstern in the Wall Street Journal predicts that the movie "will make a mint, and deservedly so. It's very funny, terrifically lively and, considering how awful it might have been, surprisingly tender in its portrait of a young guy who learns sensitivity the hard way." And Eleanor Ringel Gillespie gives it this left-handed praise: "It's risqué, lewd, worth of Balzac, 90-plus minutes of pretty hilarious smut." »

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Josh Hartnett's Stripclub Experience

1 March 2002 | WENN | See recent WENN news »

Movie hunk Josh Hartnett checked out a stripclub for the first time while preparing for his new role in 40 Days & 40 Nights. In the film he plays a young womanizer who gives up sex and all things sexual for the Catholic holiday Lent - and Josh admits there's no way he could do that for real. He says, "My friend Maggie Joan Hall was going off to play a stripper in a play in San Francisco so she wanted to go to a strip club and asked me to go with her. We went and we all had a few drinks and the girls we were with really got into it. It was really embarrassing. After that I tried to give all that up - I lasted about two- and-a-half weeks. We're not just talking about sex here - it's all things sex-like, all those feelings when you meet a very special woman." »

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Hartnett Needs A Rest

26 February 2002 | WENN | See recent WENN news »

Hunky star Josh Hartnett will take a break from films after the release of his new movie 40 Days And 40 Nights. The 23-year-old actor is feeling the strain of filming two war epics, Pearl Harbor and Black Hawk Down, and his increased celebrity - so wants a break to remember how lucky he is to be a Hollywood star, before returning with a more light-hearted project. He explains, "I'm going to take some time off after this one. Pearl Harbor and Black Hawk Down were two big movies. I wear uniforms in both. I didn't want to do another epic war drama. I don't want all this to make me flip my lid. I feel lucky. I'm grateful. But I must keep my balance. And try not to be too cynical. There are people wanting to pry into my personal life. Suddenly more interested in how I look, where I'm having lunch. They're not really interested in me. I know they're more interested in the fame thing. The one good experience is, if you make it, filmmakers become more willing to put money behind your movie. That's the great part." »

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Josh Hartnett Gives Up Sex

21 February 2002 | WENN | See recent WENN news »

Josh Hartnett tried to give up sex for his new movie - but it "made him crazy". Hartnett stars in 40 Days And 40 Nights, which is about a man who gives up sex for Lent - and while he tried to take a vow of chastity for the duration of filming, Josh admits it was a nightmare. He says, "I wasn't gonna go 40 days and 40 nights. It made me a little bit crazy. It made me understand some of the feelings, just the deprivation. You're depriving yourself of this one thing, and it becomes all you can think about." »

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12 articles from 2002

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