News for 2/18/2003
Weekend Boxoffice
'Daredevil' Comes in No. 1 at Box Office
LOS ANGELES - Movie-goers took Ben Affleck up on his latest dare. Affleck's "Daredevil," a big-budget gamble on a comic-book character more obscure than "Spider-Man" or "X-Men," paid off nicely with a $43.5 million weekend debut, according to studio estimates Sunday.
It was the second-best February debut ever behind the $58 million opening of "Hannibal" two years ago. "Daredevil" had the biggest haul ever for a movie opening over President's Day weekend, easily surpassing the previous best of $20.3 million for last year's "John Q."
The previous weekend's No. 1 movie, "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days," fell to second place but held strongly with $19 million, pushing its 10-day total to $47.7 million. The Kate Hudson-Matthew McConaughey romance got a boost from Valentine's Day audiences Friday.
Riding the wave of its leading 13 Academy Awards nominations last week, the musical "Chicago" expanded to more theaters and took in $12.6 million, remaining in third place and pushing its two-month total to $80.7 million.
Disney's animated sequel "The Jungle Book 2" opened in fourth place with $11.9 million.
The overall box office shot up, with the top 12 movies taking in $130.1 million, a 22 percent increase over President's Day weekend last year.
In "Daredevil," based on the Marvel Comics hero, Affleck plays a blind attorney with superhuman other senses that allow him to become a deadly crusader for justice by night. The movie co-stars Jennifer Garner, Michael Clarke Duncan and Colin Farrell.
"The first tier of comic books would be `Superman,' `Batman,' `Spider-Man,' `X-Men.' This would probably be a second-tier character, but from the audiences that showed up Friday night, there's a big fan base," said Bruce Snyder, head of distribution for 20th Century Fox, which released "Daredevil."
Playing in 3,471 theaters, "Daredevil" averaged a strong $12,532 a cinema, compared with $4,238 in 2,808 theaters for the weekend's other new movie, "The Jungle Book 2."
Produced on a modest budget of under $20 million, "The Jungle Book 2" follows other recent titles Disney has mined from its vaults for inexpensive animated family flicks, among them "Return to Neverland" and "The Tigger Movie."
"The Jungle Book 2" is expected to at least match the $48 million gross of "Return to Neverland," last year's follow-up to the cartoon classic "Peter Pan," said Disney head of distribution Chuck Viane.
Along with best-picture front-runner "Chicago," other key Oscar contenders benefited from their nominations.
Best-picture nominee "The Hours" expanded to 1,003 theaters, up 454, and took in $3.3 million. The Virginia Woolf-related drama pushed its total to $26 million since opening in limited release in late December.
Also nominated for best picture, "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" grossed $3.45 million, virtually unchanged from the previous weekend even though its theater count fell sharply as it winds down its run. The blockbuster fantasy has taken in $325.3 million.
The dark comedy "About Schmidt" missed out on the best-picture category, but its lead-actor nomination for Jack Nicholson helped boost business. The film took in $3.55 million, up 18 percent from a weekend earlier, and its total gross climbed to $53.1 million.
1. "Daredevil," $43.5 million.
2. "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days," $19 million.
3. "Chicago," $12.6 million.
4. "The Jungle Book 2," $11.9 million.
5. "Shanghai Knights," $11.4 million.
6. "The Recruit," $6.8 million.
7. "Final Destination 2," $6.2 million.
8. "Deliver Us From Eva," $4.4 million.
9. "Kangaroo Jack," $4 million.
10. "About Schmidt," $3.55 million.
News for 2/12/2003
75th Annual Academy Award Nominations
'Chicago' leads the parade
BY ROGER EBERT
'Chicago" waited 27 years to make the transition from stage to screen, but finished strong, winning 13 nominations Tuesday as the 75th annual Academy Awards nominations were announced. After last year's best-picture nod for "Moulin Rouge," the movie's front-runner status signals a rebirth of the movie musical.
"Gangs of New York" received 10 nominations, and "The Hours" won nine, on a list that even honored sentimental favorite "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" by naming the first-person screenplay by its star, Nia Vardalos.
There were surprise omissions (Richard Gere of "Chicago") and inclusions (Queen Latifah of "Chicago"). Meryl Streep's 13th nomination broke Katharine Hepburn's long-standing record of 12, (although she didn't score a double nominated as expected; that honor went to Julianne Moore). And Michael Moore, whose "Roger & Me" inspired the reform of the documentary category, was nominated for "Bowling for Columbine," the year's most popular doc.
Everybody expected "Chicago," "Gangs of New York" and "The Hours" to be named for best picture, and they were. "The Pianist" was not a big surprise, but in a way "Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" was, since it seemed like last year's news. Some felt a dark horse like "Adaptation" or "Far From Heaven" might sneak in.
The big winners: "Chicago," Miramax's Harvey Weinstein and foreign filmmakers, including the exiled Roman Polanski, whose "The Pianist" was cited for best picture, actor and five other categories. Two highly regarded films that were not even nominated by their own countries in the foreign film category won academy favor: Spain's "Talk to Her" brought Pedro Almodovar nominations for best director and original screenplay, and Mexico's "Y Tu Mama Tambien" was named for its screenplay by director Alfonso Cuaron and his brother Carlos.
For Weinstein, the announcements were sweet revenge after a savage New Yorker magazine profile suggested that he was all but washed up. His productions "Chicago" and "Gangs" totaled 23 nominations; Salma Hayek was cited for best actress for "Frida," Michael Caine for best actor for "The Quiet American." Miramax was even a co-participant on "The Hours," and Harvey and brother Bob were co-executive producers of "The Lord of the Rings."
There were some new names on the list. Queen Latifah has one number in "Chicago," but it was a showstopper. John C. Reilly, Hollywood's favorite lousy husband, was named for the same picture, as was the singing, dancing Catherine Zeta-Jones. Christopher Walken, a favorite in the business, was honored for a strong performance as the young con man's father in "Catch Me If You Can." Diane Lane overcame the jinx on movies that open early in the year by being named for "Unfaithful," from last May. The relatively unknown Adrien Brody cracked the best actor circle with "The Pianist." Chris Cooper's work as a gap-toothed swamp rat in "Adaptation" tickled the academy.
And then there were the familiar names Hollywood loves to celebrate. Streep, of course; Jack Nicholson, who got his 12th nomination as a retired insurance exec in "About Schmidt," and Kathy Bates, who popped into a hot tub with him; Paul Newman, nomination No. 10 as a mob boss in "Road to Perdition"; Nicole Kidman, probably the favorite for best actress, in "The Hours"; Julianne Moore and Ed Harris for their supporting work in the same picture; Michael Caine, whose "Quiet American" was almost shelved after 9/11, with his sixth nomination, and Nicolas Cage, who played twin screenwriters in "Adaptation."
Other repeating nominees were Daniel Day-Lewis, who tapped his glass eye with his knife in "Gangs of New York." And sweet Renee Zellweger, who would kill to become a star, in "Chicago."
Martin Scorsese, arguably America's best director, got his sixth nomination for direction, and this time is favored to win. Possible upsetter: first-timer Rob Marshall, whose "Chicago" may sweep everything ahead of it. Otherwise, there's no real competition in this race: Stephen Daldry ("The Hours"), Polanski, Almodovar.
Oscar has a history of nominating nonexisting screenwriters, especially during the blacklist period, but this is the first time the academy nominated someone it knew didn't exist: Donald Kaufman, the fictional twin brother of Charlie Kaufman, who adapted "Adaptation." Nia Vardalos' nomination for the original screenplay of box-office champ "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" is a nod to her one-woman show, which started the whole phenomenon rolling.
In the competition for best animated feature, the Japanese master Hayao Miyazaki was cited for "Spirited Away." The category also includes "Ice Age," "Lilo & Stitch," "Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron" and "Treasure Planet."
The foreign film nominees include Mexico's "The Crime of Father Amaro," which has inspired protests by some Catholic groups; China's Hero"; Finland's "Man Without a Past" by the quirky Aki Kaurismaki; Germany's wonderful "Nowhere in Africa" (which tells the story of refugees from Nazism who settle in Kenya, and is largely in English), and "Zus & Zo," from the Netherlands.
This year, documentarians picked the documentaries, with a committee headed by the distinguished Frida Lee Mock and Michael Apted. Their choices: Moore's "Bowling for Columbine"; "Daughter From Danang," which told the story of an American-Vietnamese girl who searches for her birth mother (the film opens Friday at Facets); "Prisoner of Paradise," about the German Jew Kurt Gerron, forced to make a pro-Nazi film while a death-camp prisoner; the charmer "Spellbound," about spelling bees, and "Winged Migration," a bird's-eye view.
The cinematography category is interesting in that all five nominees re-create or call upon classic techniques. Edward Lachman's work in "Far From Heaven" is intended to look precisely like a studio picture from 1957. The late Conrad Hall's "Road to Perdition" was painterly in its use of a dark palette and precise light sources. Michael Ballhaus, on "Gangs of New York," and Pawel Edelman, on "The Pianist," used sets and matte drawings, along with computer effects, to create period pictures. And Dion Beebe's "Chicago" returned to the classic tradition of the set-bound musical.
Song performances should be interesting this year, especially if the telecast producers can recruit Eminem for "8 Mile"; Bono for "The Hands That Built America," from "Gangs of New York," and Paul Simon for "Father and Daughter," from "The Wild Thornberrys Movie."
This year's Oscarcast begins at 7:30 p.m. Chicago time on ABC (WLS-Channel 7), hosted by Steve Martin. The academy has already announced that the ceremony will be held whether or not America is at war. If we are, look for fireworks as presenters and winners express political views pro and con.
Best picture: "Chicago," "Gangs of New York," "The Hours," "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers," "The Pianist."
Actor: Adrien Brody, "The Pianist"; Nicolas Cage, "Adaptation"; Michael Caine, "The Quiet American"; Daniel Day-Lewis, "Gangs of New York"; Jack Nicholson, "About Schmidt."
Actress: Salma Hayek, "Frida"; Nicole Kidman, "The Hours"; Diane Lane, "Unfaithful"; Julianne Moore, "Far From Heaven"; Renee Zellweger, "Chicago."
Supporting actor: Chris Cooper, "Adaptation"; Ed Harris, "The Hours"; Paul Newman, "Road to Perdition"; John C. Reilly, "Chicago"; Christopher Walken, "Catch Me If You Can."
Supporting actress: Kathy Bates, "About Schmidt"; Julianne Moore, "The Hours"; Queen Latifah, "Chicago"; Meryl Streep, "Adaptation"; Catherine Zeta-Jones, "Chicago."
Director: Rob Marshall, "Chicago"; Martin Scorsese, "Gangs of New York"; Stephen Daldry, "The Hours"; Roman Polanski, "The Pianist"; Pedro Almodovar, "Talk to Her."
Foreign film: "El Crimen del Padre Amaro," Mexico; "Hero," People's Republic of China; "The Man Without a Past," Finland; "Nowhere in Africa," Germany; "Zus & Zo," the Netherlands.
Adapted screenplay: Peter Hedges, Chris Weitz and Paul Weitz, "About a Boy"; Charlie Kaufman and Donald Kaufman, "Adaptation"; Bill Condon, "Chicago"; David Hare, "The Hours"; Ronald Harwood, "The Pianist."
Original screenplay: Todd Haynes, "Far From Heaven"; Jay Cocks, Steve Zaillian and Kenneth Lonergan, "Gangs of New York"; Nia Vardalos, "My Big Fat Greek Wedding"; Pedro Almodovar, "Talk to Her"; Carlos Cuaron and Alfonso Cuaron, "Y Tu Mama Tambien."
Cinematography: Dion Beebe, "Chicago"; Edward Lachman, "Far From Heaven"; Michael Ballhaus, "Gangs of New York"; Pawel Edelman, "The Pianist"; Conrad Hall, "Road to Perdition."
Animated feature: "Ice Age"; "Lilo & Stitch"; "Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron"; "Miyazaki's Spirited Away"; "Treasure Planet."
Art direction: "Chicago," "Frida," "Gangs of New York," "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers," "Road to Perdition."
Sound: "Chicago," "Gangs of New York," "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers," "Road to Perdition," "Spider-Man."
Sound editing: "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers," "Minority Report," "Road to Perdition."
Original score: "Catch Me If You Can," John Williams; "Far From Heaven," Elmer Bernstein; "Frida," Elliot Goldenthal; "The Hours," Philip Glass; "Road to Perdition," Thomas Newman.
Original song: "Burn It Blue" from "Frida," Elliot Goldenthal and Julie Taymor; "Father and Daughter" from "The Wild Thornberrys Movie," Paul Simon; "The Hands That Built America" from "Gangs of New York," Bono, the Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen; "I Move On" from "Chicago," John Kander and Fred Ebb; "Lose Yourself" from "8 Mile," Eminem, Jeff Bass and Luis Resto.
Costume design: "Chicago," "Frida," "Gangs of New York," "The Hours," "The Pianist."
Documentary feature: "Bowling for Columbine," "Daughter From Danang," "Prisoner of Paradise," "Spellbound," "Winged Migration."
Documentary (short subject): "The Collector of Bedford Street," "Mighty Times: The Legacy of Rosa Parks," "Twin Towers," "Why Can't We Be a Family Again?"
Film editing: "Chicago," "Gangs of New York," "The Hours," "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers," "The Pianist."
Makeup: "Frida," "The Time Machine."
Animated short film: "The Cathedral," "The Chubb-Chubbs!," "Das Rad," "Mike's New Car," "Mt. Head."
Live action short film: "Fait D'Hiver," "I'll Wait for the Next One (J'Attendrai Le Suivant)," "Inja (Dog)," "Johnny Flynton," "This Charming Man (Der Er En Yndig Mand)."
Visual effects: "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers," "Spider-Man," "Star Wars: Episode II--Attack of the Clones."
News for 2/10/2003
Weekend Boxoffice
'How to Lose a Guy' Finds Box Office Gold
Critics called it a bad date movie, but "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days" courted movie-goers to the tune of $24.1 million in its first weekend for a No. 1 debut.
The martial-arts action comedy "Shanghai Knights" opened in second place with $19.8 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.
The musical "Chicago," which tripled its theater count to 1,841 cinemas, climbed to No. 3 with $10.7 million, lifting its total to $63.7 million since opening in limited release at Christmas.
The previous weekend's top movie, the spy thriller "The Recruit," fell to fourth place with $9.5 million.
The weekend's other new wide release, the romantic comedy "Deliver Us From Eva" starring LL Cool J, was No. 6 with $7.1 million.
It was a strong weekend overall, with the top 12 movies grossing $103.1 million, up 22 percent from the same weekend last year, when "Collateral Damage," "Big Fat Liar" and "Rollerball" debuted in the top three box-office spots.
"How to Lose a Guy" stars Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey in a romance of deception between a woman trying to get dumped in 10 days to research a magazine column and a man trying to win a bet that he can make a woman fall in love with him in 10 days. The movie generally was written off by reviewers as cutesy and contrived.
"In this case particularly I think they were way too hard on the movie," said Rob Friedman, vice chairman of Paramount's motion-picture group, which released the romantic comedy. "The public just loves this movie. Kate and Matthew are a tremendous winning combination."
"How to Lose a Guy" should hold well with Valentine's Day coming this weekend, when "guys definitely roll over for whatever a girl wants," Friedman said. "I think we'll have more guys seeing the movie this weekend than last."
"Shanghai Knights," Jackie Chan and Owen Wilson's followup to their mini-hit "Shanghai Noon," features the mismatched buddies on a mission in London to thwart villains trying to usurp the British and Chinese thrones.
Three years ago, "Shanghai Noon" took in $19.6 million over the four-day Memorial Day weekend, one of the busiest times at theaters. The sequel slightly exceeded that gross over a three-day weekend during Hollywood's quiet winter season, a sign that the Chan-Wilson franchise picked up new fans through the video release of "Shanghai Noon."
"Shanghai Knights" should end up surpassing the $57 million total gross of the original movie, said Chuck Viane, head of distribution at Disney, which released both flicks.
1. "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days," $24.1 million.
2. "Shanghai Knights," $19.8 million.
3. "Chicago," $10.7 million.
4. "The Recruit," $9.5 million.
5. "Final Destination 2," $8.7 million.
6. "Deliver Us From Eva," $7.1 million.
7. "Kangaroo Jack," $5.9 million.
8. "Biker Boyz," $4 million.
9. "Darkness Falls," $3.8 million.
10. "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers," $3.4 million.
News for 2/3/2003
Weekend Boxoffice
Pacino's 'The Recruit' Debuts at No. 1
LOS ANGELES –– The CIA packed a bit more punch than death in film debuts at the box office. The Al Pacino-Colin Farrell spy thriller "The Recruit" debuted as the No. 1 movie with $16.5 million in its first weekend. It was closely followed by "Final Destination 2," a fright flick about death stalking young people on spring break, which opened with $16.2 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.
The motorcycle-racing adventure "Biker Boyz," with Laurence Fishburne and Derek Luke, premiered in third place with $10.1 million.
The buddy comedy "Kangaroo Jack" was No. 4 with $9 million, while the previous weekend's top movie, the horror tale "Darkness Falls," fell to fifth place with $7.5 million.
In limited release, the romantic comedy "The Guru," starring Heather Graham, Marisa Tomei and Jimi Mistry, opened strongly with $648,000. Playing in 62 theaters, "The Guru" had a strong average of $10,452, compared with a $6,944 average in 2,376 cinemas for "The Recruit," $5,716 in 2,834 theaters for "Final Destination 2," and $5,719 in 1,766 locations for "Biker Boyz."
The overall box office was up compared to a slow weekend a year ago that corresponded with the Super Bowl, which generally dampens moviegoing. The top 12 movies grossed $94.7 million, up 20 percent from the first weekend of February last year.
"This was a really strong weekend for a January, which is usually kind of slow," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations. "To have two films over $16 million is not bad at all."
Pairing Pacino with rising star Farrell broadened the audience for "The Recruit," which drew almost equally among the 18-to-25, 26-to-34 and 35-to-49 age groups, said Chuck Viane, head of distribution for Disney, which released the film.
"Al Pacino always delivers a great performance, and when you put him with Colin Farrell, the combination just whetted the appetite of the public on all sides," Viane said.
The sequel "Final Destination 2" easily out-grossed its predecessor, which opened with $10 million in 2000. Distributor New Line Cinema expects the sequel to at least match the $53 million total gross of the original "Final Destination," said Russell Schwartz, president of domestic marketing.
New Line's "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" took in $5 million over the weekend and edged past the $313.4 million total of "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring." "The Two Towers" has raked in $315.9 million, and New Line expects it to top out domestically at about $350 million, Schwartz said.
1. "The Recruit," $16.5 million.
2. "Final Destination 2," $16.2 million.
3. "Biker Boyz," $10.1 million.
4. "Kangaroo Jack," $9 million.
5. "Darkness Falls," $7.5 million.
6. "Chicago," $7.1 million.
7. "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers," $5 million.
8. "Just Married," $4.9 million.
9. "Catch Me If You Can," $4.8 million.
10. "About Schmidt," $4.7 million.
News for 2/1/2003
New 'Showtime' Film Deals with Racial Identity
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The film's "hero" is a black lawyer trying so hard to make it in white society that after he successfully defends a white landlord in a racially charged case he moves his family to the whitest suburb in Connecticut, where they are snubbed and insulted.
He may be "making it" but his wife is mistaken by one neighbor for the maid, and his daughter loses her racial identity by trying on blond wigs and blue contact lenses. The lawyer comes unstuck when a lower-class black woman moves onto his street, setting the stage for his wife to choose between her roots or her husband's racial self-hatred.
The film, "Good Fences," premiering Sunday on Showtime at 8 p.m. EST, stars Whoopi Goldberg and Danny Glover in their first movie together since "The Color Purple," and is a pretty painful way to start the annual outpouring of black-themed material on television for Black History month.
But when you ask black filmmaker Ernest Dickerson how painful was it to make, the famed cinematographer for director Spike Lee, says "not painful at all, just tricky."
"We had to film it in Toronto for economic reasons, and it was tricky to find the right house because I wanted it to be a character in the film. We had to paint it and design the interior so that it told the story."
Naturally, the house is painted white and the interior is white-on-white because the one thing Dickerson is not trying to do in this movie is be subtle.
"The first house they lived in was on a human scale, but this house had to be bigger, had to be on a cul de sac and had to be painted in sterile colors," he said in a recent interview.
"I wanted the palate of the film to register subconsciously with the audience. I want to use the psychology of color," he said, admitting that, of course, the larger theme of the movie was the psychology of color: the racial self-hatred of Glover's character, the not-so-subtly named Tom Spader, and how it colors everything that happens to his family in the film.
"Not many films have been made about the black middle class and the choice that a man has to make. I wanted to show how pursuing the American dream can have a dark side."
The film is set in 1970s and is based on a novel by Erika Ellis about growing up black in the predominately white Connecticut suburb of Greenwich.
"There's always a price to pay and the thing you have to do is hold on to yourself and not lose track as to who you are. I'm fascinated by ordinary people who have to make extraordinary choices," Dickerson said.
Jackson joins indie 'Skull'
PARK CITY (The Hollywood Reporter) --- Samuel L. Jackson is set to star in the indie drama "Country of My Skull" opposite Juliette Binoche for director John Boorman.
The project, based on the book "Country of My Skull: Guilt, Sorrow and the Limits of Forgiveness in the New South Africa," by Antjie Krog, is an account of South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which investigated human rights abuses during apartheid. It will be adapted by Ann Peacock, the Emmy-winning scribe of "A Lesson Before Dying," and is scheduled to start shooting in March in South Africa.
"Skull" will see Jackson star as an American reporter who must cope with the aftermath of apartheid when he is assigned to cover trials dealing with cases of torture, abuse and violence. Binoche will play Anna Malan, a poet and journalist who clashes with Jackson's character and later has an affair with him.
Bob Chartoff and Mike Medavoy are producing "Skull," which is being privately financed by companies in the United Kingdom and South Africa.
Jackson is in front of the cameras finishing work on "S.W.A.T." for Columbia Pictures, producer Neal Moritz and helmer Clark Johnson. Other projects on his slate include DreamWorks' "Rage Control" for producer Robert Simonds and the Paramount Pictures contemporary spy thriller "Endgame" for producer Peter Guber.
Jackson is repped by ICM and the Firm. Binoche, repped by UTA and the Firm, has starred in "Chocolat," "The Widow of Saint-Pierre" and "Alice and Martin." Boorman, whose helming credits include "The General" and "The Tailor of Panama," is repped by ICM.
Freeman headed to 'Freedomland' for Winterbottom
LOS ANGELES (The Hollywood Reporter) --- Morgan Freeman has agreed to star opposite Julianne Moore in Paramount Pictures' "Freedomland" for director Michael Winterbottom and producer Scott Rudin, sources confirmed.
The project is aiming for a September start. Based on Richard Price's 1998 novel of the same name, the project explores urban race relations after a woman attempts to cover up the death of her daughter by claiming the child was abducted by a black man.
The incident attracts a black detective (Freeman) and a white female newspaper reporter as the hunt for the culprit begins, and the truth slowly emerges. Price also adapted the screenplay.
Freeman, repped by WMA, has several projects due out this year, including Warner Bros. Pictures' "Dreamcatcher," Universal Pictures' "Bruce Almighty" and Sony Pictures Classics' "Levity." He is currently in production on Warners' "The Big Bounce."
News for 1/27/2003
Weekend Boxoffice
'Darkness Falls' to No. 1 at Box Office
LOS ANGELES –– The horror flick "Darkness Falls," about a vengeful spirit tormenting the town that lynched her, scared up $12.5 million in its opening weekend to debut as the No. 1 movie.
Last weekend's top movie, the comedy "Kangaroo Jack," fell to second place with $11.9 million.
The musical "Chicago" continued to climb the charts in narrower release. It expanded to 616 theaters, an increase of 59, and took in $8.5 million to finish at No. 3, up from sixth place the previous weekend.
"Chicago" averaged an impressive $13,721 a theater, compared with $4,406 in 2,837 theaters for "Darkness Falls."
With $40.6 million already in the bank and solid Academy Awards prospects, "Chicago" is well poised to expand into wide release Feb. 7, days before the Oscar nominations come out.
"It's a very enviable position to be in," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations. "Musicals have been out of favor for so long, but 'Chicago' is beating all the odds and performing better and better as it rolls out."
George Clooney's directing debut "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind" broke into the top 10 in its first weekend of wide release after a limited debut in December to qualify for the Oscars. Starring Sam Rockwell as game-show host Chuck Barris in a fictionalized film biography, "Confessions" grossed $6 million and came in at No. 8.
Other awards contenders held well as they expanded to more theaters, including "About Schmidt," which came in at No. 9 with $5.5 million, and "The Hours," which was No. 10 with $4 million.
Overall, the box office dropped sharply compared to the same weekend last year, when "Black Hawk Down" was the No. 1 film. The top 12 movies grossed $82.9 million, down 25 percent from the same weekend in 2002.
Some of that decrease resulted from movie-goers staying home for the Super Bowl, which came a weekend later last year.
"Darkness Falls" benefited from a slow weekend in which it was the only wide-release debut. It stars Emma Caulfield of TV's "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" as a woman battling a ghost-hag that's slicing and dicing people in her town.
Horror movies typically do well in their first weekend as fans of the genre turn out in big numbers, but business tends to drop off steeply in subsequent weeks. With a tight $11 million budget, though, "Darkness Falls" will turn a solid profit, said Tom Sherak, a partner at Revolution Studios, which produced the movie for distributor Sony.
Like last year's horror hit "The Ring," a PG-13 rating might give "Darkness Falls" more staying power than fright flicks with an R rating, Sherak said.
"PG-13 is a little bit broader than the hard Rs," said Sherak, whose son, William, made his debut as a producer on "Darkness Falls." "It's the kind of horror movie that people felt safe in bringing younger kids to."
1. "Darkness Falls," $12.5 million.
2. "Kangaroo Jack," $11.9 million.
3. "Chicago," $8.5 million.
4. "Just Married," $7.5 million.
5. "National Security," $7.4 million.
6. "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers," $6.9 million.
7. "Catch Me If You Can," $6.6 million.
8. "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind," $6 million.
9. "About Schmidt," $5.5 million.
10. "The Hours," $4 million.
News for 1/23/2003
Emmy-Winner Nell Carter Dies
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. - "Gimme a Break!" star Nell Carter, who won an Emmy for playing the sassy, matronly housekeeper on the 1980s sitcom and received a Tony Award in 1978 for her performance in the Broadway musical "Ain't Misbehavin,'" died Thursday, her publicist said. She was 54.
The singer-actress collapsed in her Beverly Hills home and was found by one of her 13-year-old adopted sons, spokesman Roger Lane said.
Carter had suffered from diabetes for years, Lane added, and underwent brain surgery in 1992 to remove an aneurysm. She recovered and continued to perform, mostly on stage.
Carter was in rehearsals at a Long Beach theater for "Raisin," the musical version of "Raisin in the Sun."
In addition to Carter's Tony win for "Ain't Misbehavin,'" she won an Emmy in 1982 for a TV broadcast of the show. She starred in the NBC comedy "Gimme a Break," which ran from 1981 to 1987.
Growing up in Birmingham, Ala., Carter listened to her mother's recordings of Dinah Washington and B.B. King, and her brother's Elvis Presley records. She liked Doris Day, the Andrews Sisters, Johnny Mathis, and admired the work of Cleo Laine and Barbra Streisand.
Carter said she would have preferred to be an opera singer. "When I was growing up, it was not something you aspired to," she said in 1988. "I was a weirdo to want to be in show business. Most kids wanted to be teachers or nurses."
News for 1/20/2003
Weekend Boxoffice
"Kangaroo" Hijacks Box Office
By Bridget Byrne
Crickey, mate. The 'roo's ace!
Kangaroo Jack hopped in as the new number one movie, pocketing a bonzer $17.6 million, according to preliminary studio estimates Sunday. Even National Security couldn't prevent the hijack.
Jack, a PG-rated Warner Bros. caper about Brooklyn mobsters Down Under starring Jerry O'Connell and Anthony Anderson in pursuit of a thieving CGI-animated marsupial, ducked the boomerang of critical slams to average an estimated $6,272 per screen at 2,818 sites over the first three days of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.
That put the Jerry Bruckheimer production (which had added more 'roo scenes after the pesky critter, decked out in stolen duds and dark glasses, tested better with preview audiences than the actors) was a solid jump ahead of another new arrival that had also earned critical brickbats: National Security.
The PG-13 Sony buddy comedy (taken down off the shelf after almost two years and tossed out during this dumping season when the Industry's focus is elsewhere--i.e., touting films they can be proud of for awards) teams up Martin Lawrence and Steve Zahn as a security guard and an ex-cop out to bust a smuggling ring. It managed to nab $15.7 million from a $5,753 average at 2,729 sites.
The debut of these two movies dumped last week's headliners, Just Married and The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, down to the third and fourth spots. Ashton and Brittany's romantic comedy earned $12.4 million to up its two-week total to $34 million, almost double its modest production cost. The Hobbit saga earned $11.3 million which meant it just missed passing the $300 million domestic gross mark after five weeks. But at $298.9 million, it should grab that gold ring by Monday.
The third movie chucked into wide release this weekend was A Guy Thing, an eve-of-wedding-doubts comedy in which Jason Lee bounces between his commitment to his fiancée (Selma Blair) and his attraction to her cousin (Julia Stiles). The movie was left at the altar, only managing to score $7.1 million in seventh place. The PG-13 MGM release averaged a mere $2,823 at 2,515 sites.
In limited release, City of God, Miramax's gritty foreign language drama set in the Rio de Janeiro slums, opened in just five sites, averaging an admirable $18,000 for $90,000.
Two hot Oscar contenders and current award winners added more screens and upped their business. Chicago held to sixth place but its take kicked up 41 percent from last weekend. The Miramax musical's $14,363 screen average at 557 sites earned $8 million to bring its four-week gross to $27.7 million. The Hours moved up to ninth place from 22nd last weekend, improving 421 percent. The Paramount emotional drama's $11,754 average at 402 sites earned $4.7 million to bring its four-week gross to $7.4 million.
Love for a different scene-stealing Jack with a fondness for shades--Mr. Nicholson--cooled a bit. About Schmidt, in which the wild man plays a dull man, fell to eighth place from fifth last weekend, despite adding 81 more sites. But even with a 2 percent drop-off, the movie took in $6.2 million (averaging $6,633 average at 946 theaters), and the New Line release has now grossed $30.1 million in six weeks.
Overall, the top 12 films grossed $105.9 million, down about 3 percent from last weekend, but off less than 1 percent from this time last year.
1. Kangaroo Jack, $17.6 million
2. National Security, $15.7 million
3. Just Married, $12.4 million
4. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, $11.37 million
5. Catch Me If You Can, $11.3 million
6. Chicago, $8 million
7. A Guy Thing, $7.1 million
8. About Schmidt, $6.2 million
9. The Hours, $4.7 million
10. Two Weeks Notice, $4.1 million
News for 1/13/2003
Weekend Boxoffice
'Married' runs off with top boxoffice spot
LOS ANGELES (The Hollywood Reporter) --- In a surprising turn at the boxoffice this weekend, it was a case of the bridesmaid becoming the bride as 20th Century Fox's "Just Married" was hitched to the top spot and the romantic comedy eloped with an opening dowry of an estimated $18 million.
The Ashton Kutcher-Brittany Murphy starrer bumped the weekend front-runners, New Line's "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" and DreamWorks' "Catch Me If You Can," down a notch as younger moviegoers flocked to the PG-13 rated film from director Shawn Levy.
Not that "Two Towers" and "Catch Me" were out of the running by any means -- both films did well at the boxoffice this weekend. "Two Towers" placed second with an estimated $14.95 million, off 40% from a week ago, moving the cume for the Peter Jackson-helmed epic to a towering estimate of $283.6 million.
The Tom Hanks-Leonardo DiCaprio starrer "Catch Me" was in the third spot with an estimated $14.8 million, down a modest 30% in its third weekend. The Steven Spielberg-directed drama becomes the 23rd film released in 2002 to cross the $100 million mark -- the most in any one year -- as its cume reached an estimated $119.5 million.
Warner Bros. Pictures' "Two Weeks Notice," a romantic comedy from Castle Rock Entertainment, placed fourth with an estimated $6.7 million. The Sandra Bullock-Hugh Grant starrer has picked up about $78.9 million to date.
New Line's "About Schmidt," starring Jack Nicholson, added 49 theaters, bringing the count to 865, and grossed an estimated $6.25 million to place fifth. The per-theater average on the comedy-drama from director Alexander Payne was a solid $7,225, upping the film's total to roughly $21.4 million.
Miramax's "Chicago" was singing an upbeat tune in its third weekend as the musical, starring Renee Zellweger and Catherine Zeta-Jones, jumped from ninth place a week ago to the sixth slot with an estimated $5.6 million. The Rob Marshall-helmed picture averaged a scintillating $15,470 per theater from 362 venues -- the lowest theater count and the highest per-theater average in the top 12 -- advancing its cume to about $17.1 million.
Of the weekend's limited releases that went significantly wider, Fox Searchlight's "Antwone Fisher" went the widest as the distributor added 814 theaters, raising the total to 1,006 on its fourth weekend. The drama, which marks the feature directorial debut of Denzel Washington and stars Derek Luke, pulled in an estimated $3.8 million to take the ninth slot and averaged $3,777 per theater. "Fisher" has grossed about $10.5 million so far.
Paramount's "Narc" was in 822 theaters, 816 more than a week ago, and picked up an informed $2.7 million. The Ray Liotta-Jason Patric starrer averaged $3,385 per theater and has amassed an estimated $3.1 million to date. The drama was picked up at Sundance for a modest $2.5 million.
Sony's "Adaptation" garnered the 10th slot with an estimated $2.9 million from 560 theaters, up 451 from last weekend. The Nicolas Cage starrer from Intermedia Films averaged $5,179 per theater and has picked up approximately $9.5 million to date.
The Spike Lee-helmed "25th Hour" from Buena Vista added 485 theaters, upping the count to 490, and clocked an estimated $2.7 million. The Edward Norton starrer averaged $5,510 per theater and has grossed an estimated $3.4 million since its release.
Paramount's "The Hours" was in 45 venues, 34 more than a week ago, and took in an estimated $900,000. The drama, starring Meryl Streep, Julianne Moore and Nicole Kidman, averaged an impressive $20,000 per theater, bringing its total to about $2.2 million.
Executives at Fox were elated by the performance of "Just Married." "I was hoping for $15 million on the high side; $18 million is a terrific bonus. And I never dreamt we would be number one," said Bruce Snyder, president of domestic distribution at Fox. He also mentioned it was nice that the opening weekend for the film, which was produced by Robert Simonds Prods., equaled its budget.
Snyder noted that "Married" played 52% female; 65% were under 21 years old; and the film generated strong scores in exit polls. Speculating on the film's success this weekend, Snyder said, "I think people were ready for new lighter comedy fare -- the timing was right. I also think that Ashton Kutcher and Brittany Murphy come across as charming, attractive and funny as can be." He added that the film played strongest in the suburbs and the malls.
Other films in the top 10 this weekend included Miramax's "Gangs of New York," which was tied for the seventh slot with Sony's "Maid in Manhattan" as both films reported an estimated $5 million. "Gangs" has now become the second-highest grossing film ever for director Martin Scorsese as its cume reached an estimated $55.1 million. Only "Cape Fear" ($78.9 million) has grossed more. "Maid in Manhattan" has cleaned up an estimated $83.7 million to date.
"We're well on the way to profitability, and we're just beginning because awards season is just starting," said Rick Sands, chief operating officer at Miramax, regarding the performance of "Gangs." Sands noted that the marketing and distribution strategy is playing out as planned. "We didn't want to go out super-wide. The plan was to play for the long haul," he said.
The second weekend of Miramax's "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind," marking George Clooney's directorial debut, took in an estimated $81,000, averaging a stout $16,200 per theater from five locales, which brings the film's total to about $250,714.
After a brief awards-qualifying run in December, Miramax released "The Quiet American" in seven sites and grossed an estimated $61,000, averaging a solid $8,714 per theater. The Michael Caine starrer has garnered about $404,736.
Executives at Warners were high on the prospects for the upcoming "Kangaroo Jack," which opens in about 2,700 theaters during the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend, based on feedback from 1,000 sneaks Saturday. The Castle Rock Entertainment comedy drew 85% families, and theaters were at 80% capacity. The PG-rated film played in both urban and suburban settings. "We are absolutely thrilled with both the attendance and reaction," said Jeff Goldstein, executive vp and general sales manager. "Kangaroo" had 1,000 more sneaks Sunday.
The estimated total for the top 12 films was $88.6 million, roughly equal to the comparable frame last year. The Hollywood Reporter projects the total for all films this weekend to be in the low-to-mid $100 million area, down slightly from last year's $108.1 million.
1. "Just Married," $18 million.
2. "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers," $15 million.
3. "Catch Me If You Can," $14.8 million.
4. "Two Weeks Notice," $6.7 million.
5. "About Schmidt," $6.3 million.
6. "Chicago," $5.6 million.
7 (tie). "Maid in Manhattan," $5 million.
7 (tie). "Gangs of New York," $5 million.
9. "Antwone Fisher," $3.8 million.
10. "Adaptation," $2.9 million.
