MCN Columnists
Leonard Klady

By Leonard Klady Klady@moviecitynews.com

Ghost Rider In The Sky …

February 19, 2007
Weekend Finals
Domestic Market Share

Despite a plethora of product, Ghost Rider ascended with a super heroic gross estimated at $53.2 million. The film shattered all previous Presidents Day holiday openings and propelled the frame to record revenues.

It was also generally upbeat news for a quartet of freshmen entries. The family themed Bridge to Tarabithiaexceeded expectations to rank second with a $28.8 million gross. And ranked fourth through sixth were Music and Lyrics with $16 million, Daddy’s Little Girl at $13.9 million and the intelligence meller Breach scoring with $12.3 million. Additionally new entries in the Bollywood circuit and a homegrown Quebec movie had impressive first forays.

The four day holiday session experienced a commercial jolt of about $190 million for a 61% boost from the prior weekend. It was also 22% better than last year’s performance when 8 Below and Date Movie led the charge with respectively $25 million and $21.8 million.

Ghost Rider debuted with the kind of numbers one associates with summer blockbusters. Its specter was the antithesis of pale at the box office with a truly rabid young male audience that greatly exceeded earlier comic book transplants such as Daredevil and Electra. The film also stepped out with vigor in a number of international territories including Australia with a $1.9 million gross, Spain tallying $3 million, Mexico at $2 million and Taiwan recording $500,000.

The kid lit fave Bridge to Tarabithia was only expected to rank fourth among the new openers by industry trackers who ignored past histories of declining stamina for titles that jumped the frame with Wednesday debuts. Its only competition for the family-youth audience was Night at the Museum in its ninth week. Obviously, there was a hunger for an alternative.

Both the romantic comedy and human dramas Music and Lyrics and Daddy’s Little Girls bowed Wednesday and entered the weekend with respective grosses of $5.5 million and $5.7 million. Both films performed to expectations or just slightly below them. Daddy’s Tyler Perry effectively shifted gears from broad comedy and the good will of past efforts carried over to a more sober view of urban America.

Breach, based upon the biggest intelligence leak in U.S. history, also fared better than expected. Targeted at an older crowd, it had a virtual clear field with the exception of the diminishing crowd of Oscar contenders.

The tidal wave of new movies saw most holdover titles experiencing 40% to 60% declines though in context Norbit‘s second weekend $20.7 million box office looked very impressive.

The fate of the slate of titles on the Oscar ballot was considerably less rosy. With the quintet of new titles capturing in excess of 13,300 playdates, the attrition rate for all continuing movies was considerable. The relative absence of frontrunners in major categories – apart from lead performances – has worked against most hopefuls; suggesting a possible second wind for Babel and/or Letters from Iwo Jima should they capture statuettes. The second year of a touring program of Oscar nominated shorts had a superior result of $157,000 from 39 venues.

The New Year saw a fast start for indigenous Quebec product with Ma Fille, Mon Ange grossing about $800,000 from 84 engagements. There was also a solid result of $560,000 for the Indian historical epic Eklavya the Royal Guard from 80 locations.

The new limited releases were generally unimpressive with the exception being French Oscar submission Avenue Montaigne that rang up $37,200 from two exposures. The film opened in Quebec last fall and earned about $200,000.
– Leonard Klady

Weekend Finals – February 16-19, 2007

Title
Distrib
Weekend
% Chang
Theater
Cume
Wks
1
New
Ghost Rider
Sony
52,022,908 3619 52,022,908
1
2
New
Bridge to Terabithia
BV
28,536,717 3139 28,536,717
1
3
1
Norbit
Par
19,929,662 -42% 3138 62,011,840
2
4
New
Music and Lyrics
WB
15,875,471 2955 21,404,090
1
5
New
Daddy’s Little Girls
Lions Gate
13,064,075 2111 18,757,324
1
6
New
Breach
Uni
12,621,835 1489 12,621,835
1
7
2
Hannibal Rising
MGM
6,255,564 -52% 3003 22,917,904
2
8
3
Because I Said So
Uni
6,053,850 -34% 2446 34,311,515
3
9
5
Night at the Museum
Fox
4,866,933 -15% 2042 238,500,531
9
10
4
The Messengers
Sony
4,341,827 -40% 2183 31,050,332
3
11
8
Pan’s Labyrinth
Picturehouse
2,639,431 -26% 905 30,486,056
8
12
9
Dreamgirls
Par
1,967,359 -34% 1037 100,011,336
10
13
7
Smokin’ Aces
Uni
1,771,180 -57% 1107 34,421,936
4
14
6
Epic Movie
Fox
1,672,218 -63% 1426 38,268,898
4
15
10
The Queen
Miramax
1,609,141 -32% 807 51,350,148
21
16
14
Letters from Iwo Jima
WB
1,272,397 -26% 651 11,811,634
9
17
18
The Last King of Scotland
Fox Searchlight
1,088,024 -19% 384 12,959,378
21
18
16
Notes on a Scandal
Fox Searchlight
1,030,144 -33% 413 15,427,044
8
19
12
The Pursuit of Happyness
Sony
883,814 -62% 690 162,140,234
10
20
New
Eklavya – The Royal Guard
Eros
812,262 80 812,262
1
21
15
Babel
Par Vantage
706,687 -58% 305 33,218,792
17
22
New
Ma Fille, Mon Ange
Alliance
698,685 87 698,685
1
23
11
Stomp the Yard
Sony
675,448 -71% 626 60,350,812
6
24
38
Factory Girl
MGM
631,735 223% 336 1,024,683
3
25
21
Blood Diamond
WB
467,230 -40% 225 55,859,580
11
26
24
Volver
Sony Class/Sevill
456,372 -28% 204 12,440,229
16
27
27
Venus
Miramax
451,402 -4% 157 2,435,176
9
28
36
The Lives of Others
Sony Classics
438,816 105% 32 749,623
2
29
20
Children of Men
Uni
435,745 -46% 210 34,609,898
9
30
25
Happy Feet
WB
410,377 -23% 305 193,920,972
14
31
17
The Departed
WB
407,187 -70% 320 131,498,360
20
32
30
Casino Royale
Sony
374,125 25% 318 166,720,794
14
33
26
The Painted Veil
WIP
373,723 -26% 200 6,932,588
9
34
23
Charlotte’s Web
Par
357,177 -47% 350 81,458,197
10
35
13
Catch and Release
Sony
340,914 -81% 419 15,269,668
4
36
22
Arthur and the Invisibles
MGM
271,205 -62% 437 14,118,082
6
37
35
Flushed Away
Par
261,065 20% 228 64,272,721
16
38
42
Deep Sea 3-D
WB
253,830 65% 37 23,514,962
51
39
29
Eragon
Fox
244,718 -24% 302 74,393,494
10
40
37
We Are Marshall
WB
213,459 7% 355 43,311,884
9
41
31
Rocky Balboa
MGM
206,672 -27% 266 70,001,560
9
42
34
Little Children
New Line
179,025 -22% 90 4,955,940
20
43
19
Freedom Writers
Par
177,832 -82% 232 36,267,856
7
44
48
Breaking and Entering
Weinstein Co.
162,682 81% 41 330,611
4
45
New
2006 Academy Awards Shorts
Magnolia
128,569 38 128,569
1
46
43
Unaccompanied Minors
WB
111,848 -21% 159 16,536,388
11
47
59
Work and the Glory III: A House
Excel
101,147 128% 36 1,098,062
13
48
55
Roving Mars
BV
99,493 83% 19 6,064,955
56
49
41
Apocalypto
BV
89,141 -44% 140 50,772,724
11
50
57
Magnificent Desolation
Imax
87,854 68% 12 17,334,864
73
51
46
Borat
Fox
70,425 -43% 94 128,387,996
16
52
40
Salaam-E-Ishq
Eros
67,354 -63% 32 1,919,404
4
53
32
Happily Never After
Lions Gate
65,108 -74% 116 15,654,501
7
54
39
The Good Shepherd
Uni
53,205 -69% 80 59,839,040
9
55
47
The Holiday
Sony
44,955 -60% 65 63,688,835
11
56
44
Alpha Dog
Uni
43,120 -69% 69 15,229,325
6
57
50
Perfume: Story of a Murderer
Par
42,902 -36% 26 2,170,346
8
58
RE
Avenue Montaigne (Orchestra Se
Thinkfilm/Seville
37,677 2 266,879
22
59
49
Déjà vu
BV
34,988 -55% 69 64,011,699
13
60
52
Sweet Land
Libero
33,820 -48% 25 1,454,533
19
61
33
The Last Sin Eater
Bigger Picture
32,830 -87% 116 379,643
2
62
45
Blood and Chocolate
MGM
32,047 -74% 176 3,498,112
4
63
28
The Hitcher
Focus
28,836 -91% 56 16,366,370
5
64
54
Partition
Seville
28,319 -49% 18 216,207
3
65
53
Guru
Adlabs
28,000 -53% 24 2,087,000
6
66
66
Inland Empire
518 Media
27,236 -25% 10 623,960
11
67
New
Days of Glory (Indigenes)
Weinstein Co.
25,521 3 25,521
1
68
70
Hurricane on the Bayou
MacGillevry/Free
25,264 2% 5 81,986
4
69
67
Little Miss Sunshine
Fox Searchlight
24,504 -16% 23 59,758,048
30
70
56
The Good German
WB
22,077 -59% 22 1,161,360
9
71
61
Code Name: The Cleaner
New Line
21,879 -25% 41 8,275,895
7
72
62
Open Season
Sony
20,787 -46% 48 86,509,597
21
73
64
The Italian
Sony Classics
20,665 -43% 11 193,557
5
74
63
Stranger Than Fiction
Sony
18,503 -50% 21 41,813,788
15
75
77
God Grew Tired of Us
Newmarket
17,531 8% 7 182,822
8
76
65
Miss Potter
MGM
17,063 -49% 14 941,369
7
Source: Nielsen EDI; MCN

Weekend Estimates – February 16-19, 2007

Title
Distributor
Gross (avera
% chang
Theater
Cume
Ghost Rider
Sony
53.2 (14,690)
3619
53.2
Bridge to Tarabithia
BV
28.8 (9,190)
3139
28.8
Norbit
Par
20.7 (6,590)
-43%
3138
62.7
Music and Lyrics
WB
16.0 (5,420)
2955
21.6
Daddy’s Little Girls
Lions Gate
13.9 (6,590)
2111
19.6
Breach
Uni
12.3 (8,240)
1489
12.3
Hannibal Rising
MGM
6.1 (2,020)
-56%
3003
22.7
Because I Said So
Uni/TVA
5.9 (2,420)
-40%
2446
34.2
Night at the Museum
Fox
4.8 (2,360)
-21%
2042
238.5
The Messengers
Sony
4.4 (2,020)
-42%
2183
31.1
Pan’s Labyrinth
Picturehouse
2.7 (2,950)
-31%
905
30.5
Smokin’ Aces
Uni
1.7 (1,570)
-61%
1111
34.4
Epic Movie
Fox
1.6 (1,130)
-67%
1426
38.2
The Queen
Miramax
1.6 (1,970)
-38%
807
51.3
Dreamgirls
Par
1.4 (1,380)
-55%
1037
99.5
Letter from Iwo Jima
WB
1.2 (1,890)
-35%
651
11.8
Notes on a Scandal
Fox Searchlig
1.1 (2,590)
-36%
413
15.5
The Last King of Scotland
Fox Searchlig
1.0 (2,680)
-29%
384
12.9
Ma Fille, Mon Ange
Alliance
.95 (11,180)
85
0.95
The Pursuit of Happyness
Sony
.91 (1,320)
-64%
690
162.2
Babel
Par Vantage
.73 (2,390)
-60%
305
33.2
Stomp the Yard
Sony
.67 (1,070)
-73%
626
60.3
Factory Girl
MGM
.63 (1,880)
197%
336
1
Eklavya – The Royal Guard
Eros
.56 (6,960)
80
0.56
Blood Diamond
WB
.51 (2,270)
-40%
225
55.9
Weekend Total ($500,000+ Films)
$184.20
% Change (Last Year)
22%
% Change (Last Week)
61%
Also debuting/expanding
Venus
Miramax
.44 (2,800)
-6%
157
2.4
The Lives of Others
Sony Classics
.39 (13,000)
82%
30
0.7
2006 Academy Shorts
Magnolia
.16 (4,050)
39
0.16
Avenue Montaigne (Orchestra S
Thinkfilm/Sevill
37,200 (18,600)
2
0.04
Bamako
New Yorker
22,600 (11,300)
2
0.02
Close to Home
IFC
6,700 (3,350)
2
0.01
Antibodies
Slow Hand
2,440 (1,220)
2
0.01

Domestic Market Share: Jan 1 – February 17, 2007

Distributor (releases)
Gross
Percentage
Sony (9)
192.7
19.10%
Fox (8)
175.5
17.30%
Paramount (7)
172.2
17.00%
Universal (5)
131.6
13.00%
Warner Bros. (11)
85.4
8.40%
MGM (8)
62.5
6.20%
Picturehouse (1)
27.3
2.70%
Miramax (2)
23.4
2.30%
Buena Vista (8)
23.2
2.30%
Fox Searchlight (4)
23.1
2.30%
Lions Gate (4)
21.9
2.20%
Focus (1)
16.3
1.60%
Par Vantage (1)
12.7
1.30%
New Line (3)
12
1.20%
Sony Classics (4)
11.8
1.20%
Warner Independent (2)
6.2
0.60%
Other * (32)
13
1.30%
* none greater than 0.4%
1010.8
100.00%

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Klady

Quote Unquotesee all »

It shows how out of it I was in trying to be in it, acknowledging that I was out of it to myself, and then thinking, “Okay, how do I stop being out of it? Well, I get some legitimate illogical narrative ideas” — some novel, you know?

So I decided on three writers that I might be able to option their material and get some producer, or myself as producer, and then get some writer to do a screenplay on it, and maybe make a movie.

And so the three projects were “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep,” “Naked Lunch” and a collection of Bukowski. Which, in 1975, forget it — I mean, that was nuts. Hollywood would not touch any of that, but I was looking for something commercial, and I thought that all of these things were coming.

There would be no Blade Runner if there was no Ray Bradbury. I couldn’t find Philip K. Dick. His agent didn’t even know where he was. And so I gave up.

I was walking down the street and I ran into Bradbury — he directed a play that I was going to do as an actor, so we know each other, but he yelled “hi” — and I’d forgot who he was.

So at my girlfriend Barbara Hershey’s urging — I was with her at that moment — she said, “Talk to him! That guy really wants to talk to you,” and I said “No, fuck him,” and keep walking.

But then I did, and then I realized who it was, and I thought, “Wait, he’s in that realm, maybe he knows Philip K. Dick.” I said, “You know a guy named—” “Yeah, sure — you want his phone number?”

My friend paid my rent for a year while I wrote, because it turned out we couldn’t get a writer. My friends kept on me about, well, if you can’t get a writer, then you write.”
~ Hampton Fancher

“That was the most disappointing thing to me in how this thing was played. Is that I’m on the phone with you now, after all that’s been said, and the fundamental distinction between what James is dealing with in these other cases is not actually brought to the fore. The fundamental difference is that James Franco didn’t seek to use his position to have sex with anyone. There’s not a case of that. He wasn’t using his position or status to try to solicit a sexual favor from anyone. If he had — if that were what the accusation involved — the show would not have gone on. We would have folded up shop and we would have not completed the show. Because then it would have been the same as Harvey Weinstein, or Les Moonves, or any of these cases that are fundamental to this new paradigm. Did you not notice that? Why did you not notice that? Is that not something notable to say, journalistically? Because nobody could find the voice to say it. I’m not just being rhetorical. Why is it that you and the other critics, none of you could find the voice to say, “You know, it’s not this, it’s that”? Because — let me go on and speak further to this. If you go back to the L.A. Times piece, that’s what it lacked. That’s what they were not able to deliver. The one example in the five that involved an issue of a sexual act was between James and a woman he was dating, who he was not working with. There was no professional dynamic in any capacity.

~ David Simon