There was no chill in weekend movie going as the Arctic adventure Eight Below led the frame with an estimated $25.2 million. Close behind was the teen spoof Date Movie with $22.3 million and the remarkably resilient The Pink Panther at $21.5 million. The session’s other national debut Freedomland posted an unimpressive $6.9 million to rank seventh. Among the new niche entries, the Russian blockbuster Night Watch posted a dizzying $36,100 average from three venues.

Business during the four-day President Day holiday was marginally ahead of box office from last year and for the comparable three-day period from the prior weekend.

In the Olympic tradition, the two new entries proved to be fierce competitors with Date Movie the early leader with an opening day gross of $6.9 million to Eight Below’s $5.2 million bow. However, in subsequent days the sub-zero survival tale’s family appeal boosted matinee business and proceeded to overtake the bawdy parody. Both films emerged as winners, particularly the spoof that was produced for less than $20 million.

Among sophomore titles, the family friendly Panther and Curious George benefited from holiday business with respective drops of 14% and 21%. Final Destination 3 and Firewall had more typical erosions of 48% and 35%.

Weekend revenues clocked in at slightly better than $155 million to exceed last year’s holiday by about 6%. The three-day portion bettered last weekend’s business by 4%. The slight box office boosts are encouraging but adjusted for small bumps in ticket prices translate into status quo as far as admissions are concerned. Nonetheless it should provide sufficient juice to put a happy face on next month’s exhibition convention ShoWest.

Easily the most controversial entry in the marketplace, Freedomland received mixed marks from critics that translated into disappointing returns. The combination of child endangerment and racial tension added up to roughly $6.9 million and averages of not quite $3,000.

On the Oscar beat, Brokeback Mountain, Capote, Munich and Goodnight, and Good Luck all held fast against the competition. There was also good news for pictures with nominations in secondary categories such as TransAmerica and Match Point. Still, in most instances the performing bars had been set at modest levels and the slate’s overall performance is dwarfed by the robust entries of recent weeks.

The religious-themed The Second Chance received a limited opening and just fair returns of $270,000 from 87 pulpits. One imagines the picture was acquired on the wings of last year’s Gospel but previews resulted in an adjustment to prior expectations.

Russia’s sci-fi horror opus Night Watch finally arrived on these shores with a three screen showcase that grossed about $110,000. Fox Searchlight acquired worldwide rights for the film shortly after its record-breaking performance at home and made a deal for its sequel and a third part that will be shot in English. The original has grossed about $15.5 million outside Russia and the sequel has topped the original at home with a $33 million tally since its debut in December.

The session also saw good initial business for other foreign imports including Germany’s Oscar-nominated Sophie Scholl that rang up $22,100 from a single Manhattan screen. Mexico’s Cannes entry Battle in Heaven grossed $25,700 from two screens. Other debuts included Winter Passing with $36,500 from seven locations and the Quebec comedy Que Dieu benisse l’Amerique with modest results of $49,300 from 16 venues.

The redoubtable Neil Young crooned about $220,000 from 30 stages for his Heart of Gold in its second weekend.

– by Leonard Klady

Domestic Market Share: January 1 – February 9, 2006

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