By Leonard Klady Klady@moviecitynews.com
Look Before You Leap…
Fool’s Gold, a Popeel of a rom-com, ascended to the top of the weekend movie going charts with an estimated $22.1 million debut. The frame’s other national freshman, Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins, ranked second with $17.1 million in a session that was largely status quo for this time of year.
Vince Vaughn’s Wild West Comedy Show spent a year looking for an ideal release date and based upon its $470,000 opening discovered none existed. Similar fates befell the Paris Hilton half correct The Hottie and the Nottie and the Japanese anime One Piece: Desert Princess. More encouraging were the limited bows of the black comic In Bruges and the uplifting Israeli comedyThe Band’s Visit and the Quebec launch of the local drama Borderline.
Weekend box office revenues were slightly shy of $110 million that translated into a 14% decline from the prior span. The figure was about 1% behind the 2007 tally led by openings of Norbit andHannibal Rising of $34.2 million and $13.1 million.
There was a decided absence of excitement surrounding the debuts of Fool’s Gold and Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins. Reviews of the former delighted in pointing out similarities to recent adventure comedies and the work of the current pic’s performers while RJ was categorized as a kinder, gentler Martin Lawrence.
The second weekend of Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus concert film continued strong despite a 66% box office decline and there was similar dynamism for U2 3D that’s been playing in large format locations and plans to move into RealD sites when Hannah moves out.
Oscar contenders were holding their own though it’s difficult to identify any that have caught fire with a wide swath of the audience. With preliminary positive WGA response to a strike resolution the show may go on but not with a lot of enthusiasm from viewers.
– Leonard Klady
Weekend Estimates – February 8-10, 2008
| Title | Distributor | Gross (averag | % chang | Theater | Cume |
| Fool’s Gold | WB | 22.1 (7,060) | – | 3125 | 22.1 |
| Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins | Uni | 17.1 (7,180) | – | 2386 | 17.1 |
| Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus Concert | BV | 10.6 (15,470) | -66% | 687 | 53.5 |
| The Eye | Lions Gate | 6.2 (2,530) | -50% | 2470 | 21.1 |
| Juno | Fox Searchlight | 5.6 (2,400) | -21% | 2321 | 117.5 |
| 27 Dresses | Fox | 5.5 (1,930) | -36% | 2841 | 65.2 |
| The Bucket List | WB | 5.3 (1,940) | -21% | 2753 | 75.1 |
| There Will Be Blood | Par Vantage | 4.0 (2,450) | -14% | 1620 | 26.7 |
| Rambo | Lions Gate | 3.9 (1,450) | -45% | 2717 | 36.3 |
| Meet the Spartans | Fox | 3.9 (1,590) | -47% | 2446 | 33.7 |
| Untraceable | Sony | 3.3 (1,550) | -35% | 2143 | 24.2 |
| Cloverfield | Par | 2.6 (1,270) | -47% | 2030 | 75.9 |
| No Country for Old Men | Miramax | 2.2 (1,820) | -1% | 1202 | 58.2 |
| Atonement | Focus | 2.1 (1,790) | -28% | 1190 | 45.3 |
| National Treasure: Book of Secrets | BV | 2.1 (1,690) | -29% | 1256 | 212.7 |
| Over Her Dead Body | New Line/TVA | 1.8 (1,890) | -56% | 1977 | 6.8 |
| Alvin and the Chipmunks | Fox | 1.7 (1,170) | -39% | 1465 | 209.8 |
| Michael Clayton | WB | 1.6 (2,090) | -9% | 757 | 46.3 |
| Strange Wilderness | Par | 1.3 (1,110) | -55% | 1211 | 5.4 |
| U2 3D | nWave | .67 (10,980) | -6% | 61 | 3 |
| Mad Money | Overture | .63 (690) | -68% | 912 | 19.8 |
| I Am Legend | WB | .57 (1,310) | -44% | 435 | 254.1 |
| First Sunday | Sony | .53 (960) | -64% | 553 | 37.5 |
| Weekend Total ($500,000+ Films) | – | $105.30 | – | – | – |
| % Change (Last Year) | – | -1% | – | – | – |
| % Change (Last Week) | – | -14% | – | – | – |
| Also debuting/expanding | |||||
| Vince Vaughn’s Wild West Comedy | Picturehouse | .47 (490) | – | 962 | 0.47 |
| Diving Bell and the Butterfly | Miramax | .45 (2,130) | 2% | 213 | 4.4 |
| In Bruges | Focus | .44 (15,750) | – | 28 | 0.44 |
| Persepolis | Sony Classics | .36 (2,900) | 6% | 125 | 2.3 |
| Borderline | TVA | .23 (5,530) | – | 42 | 0.23 |
| The Band’s Visit | Sony Classics | 68,400 (9,770) | – | 7 | 0.07 |
| The Hottie & the Nottie | Regent | 24,800 (220) | – | 111 | 0.02 |
| Ugly Me | Arcangelo | 21,200 (850) | – | 25 | 0.02 |
| One Piece: Desert Princess | Bigger Picture | 5,300 (55) | – | 97 | 0.01 |
| Spiral | Anchor Bay | 3,100 (1,550) | – | 2 | 0.01 |
Domestic Market Share – To February 7, 2008
| Distributor (titles) | Gross* | Market Share |
| Warner Bros. (10) | 185.5 | 18.30% |
| Fox (6) | 165.3 | 16.40% |
| Buena Vista (6) | 135.7 | 13.40% |
| Paramount (4) | 99.9 | 9.90% |
| Fox Searchlight (3) | 87.2 | 8.60% |
| Sony (8) | 85.4 | 8.40% |
| Lions Gate (4) | 47.5 | 4.70% |
| Par Vantage (6) | 42.4 | 4.20% |
| Universal (3) | 39.5 | 3.90% |
| Focus (2) | 31.9 | 3.20% |
| Overture (1) | 19.1 | 1.90% |
| Miramax (2) | 17.4 | 1.70% |
| MGM (5) | 15.5 | 1.50% |
| New Line (2) | 13.9 | 1.40% |
| Picturehouse (1) | 5.7 | 0.60% |
| Other * (36) | 19.1 | 1.90% |
| – | 1011 | 100.00% |
The science-fiction romp Jumper squeezed ahead of the pack to claim the Presidents Day holiday crown bragging rights with an estimated 4-day gross of $30.9 million. A quartet of new releases dominated the top five ticket sellers that included a close race between the kid lit adaptation of The Spiderwick Chronicles at $22.9 million and dance madness Step Up 2: The Streets a pas behind at $22.2 million. The rom-com Definitely, Maybe bowed to $11.6 million.
The session also saw a strong opening for the Bollywood entry Jodhaa Akbar of $1.5 million and good starts for the latest Romero zombie Diary of the Dead and the touring Oscar short subject program. Local entry Tout est parfait in Quebec was disappointing and Oscar short listed (but not nominated) The Year My Parents Went on Vacation from Brazil posted some OK returns.
Depending how one chose to slice the frame, one could argue business was anywhere from flat to a noticeable decline of 13%. Literally speaking the 4-day holiday period should generate about $163 million and that would definitely translate into the high end erosion.
However, new releases opted to open a day early on Thursday to capitalize of Valentine’s Day. While that meant little to Spiderwick the three other films were hot out of the gate and collectively grossed about $18 million to help close the gap from 2007.
Critically speaking Jumper and Spiderwick Chronicles got a thumping while Step Up 2 fared well marked on the curve and Definitely, Maybe tilted toward the former. One can already see erosion for the first three titles and the coming weeks offer no more than the prospect of a string of programmers with modest entertainment prospects.
A general malaise has engulfed the nation’s multiplexes and not even the Oscars have been able to provide a momentary commercial hiccup. In the final weekend prior to broadcast none of the chief contenders experienced a surge. The prospect that the ultimate best picture winner will not experience a post-awards upturn (even a brief one) and also-rans will keel over immediately is simply too grim to even voice out loud.
– Leonard Klady
Weekend Estimates – February 15-18, 2008
| Title | Distributor | Gross (averag | % chang | Theater | Cume |
| Jumper | Fox | 30.9 (9,020) | – | 3428 | 37.5 |
| The Spiderwick Chronicles | Par | 22.9 (5,950) | – | 3847 | 25.2 |
| Step Up 2: The Streets | BV | 22.2 (8,980) | – | 2470 | 28.8 |
| Fool’s Gold | WB | 15.0 (4,790) | -41% | 3125 | 43.9 |
| Definitely, Maybe | Uni | 11.6 (5,270) | – | 2204 | 14.7 |
| Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins | Uni | 10.4 (4,360) | -48% | 2387 | 30.6 |
| Juno | Fox Searchlight | 5.4 (2,900) | -20% | 1865 | 124.9 |
| The Bucket List | WB | 4.5 (1,960) | -28% | 2307 | 81.5 |
| Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus Concert | BV | 3.9 (5,740) | -69% | 685 | 59.1 |
| 27 Dresses | Fox | 3.7 (1,930) | -42% | 1936 | 70.5 |
| There Will Be Blood | Par Vantage | 3.7 (2,610) | -24% | 1410 | 31.6 |
| The Eye | Lions Gate | 3.5 (1,650) | -55% | 2129 | 26.7 |
| Rambo | Lions Gate | 2.3 (1,340) | -58% | 1702 | 40.5 |
| No Country for Old Men | Miramax | 2.2 (2,410) | -18% | 925 | 61.3 |
| Untraceable | Sony | 1.9 (1,400) | -53% | 1368 | 27.3 |
| Meet the Spartans | Fox | 1.8 (1,180) | -64% | 1532 | 36.6 |
| Atonement | Focus | 1.7 (2,210) | -31% | 784 | 47.7 |
| National Treasure: Book of Secrets | BV | 1.6 (1,850) | -43% | 850 | 214.9 |
| Jodhaa Akbar | UTV | 1.5 (11,530) | – | 128 | 1.5 |
| Alvin and the Chipmunks | Fox | 1.3 (1,330) | -49% | 995 | 211.6 |
| In Bruges | Focus | 1.3 (11,390) | 119% | 112 | 1.9 |
| Cloverfield | Par | 1.2 (920) | -63% | 1266 | 77.9 |
| Michael Clayton | WB | 1.1 (2,070) | -38% | 540 | 47.7 |
| U2 3D | nWave | .51 (12,140) | -42% | 42 | 3.8 |
| Weekend Total ($500,000+ Films) | – | $156.10 | – | – | – |
| % Change (Last Year) | – | -13% | – | – | – |
| % Change (Last Week) | – | 25% | – | – | – |
| Also debuting/expanding | |||||
| Diving Bell and the Butterfly | Miramax | .41 (2,260) | -21% | 181 | 4.9 |
| Persepolis | Sony Classics | .39 (2,200) | -11% | 177 | 2.8 |
| Diary of the Dead | Weinstein Co, | .27 (6,500) | – | 42 | 0.27 |
| 2007 Oscar Shorts | Magnolia | .17 (5,450) | – | 31 | 0.17 |
| The Band’s Visit | Sony Classics | .14 (11,500) | 58% | 7 | 0.27 |
| Year My Parents Went on Vacation | City Lights | 88,600 (4,920) | – | 18 | 0.09 |
| Tout est parfait | Alliance | 77,700 (2,990) | – | 26 | 0.08 |
| Me & You, Us, Forever | Five & Two | 68,300 (8,330) | – | 82 | 0.07 |
Domestic Market Share – To February 14, 2008
| Domestic Market Share (January 1 – February 14, 2008) | ||
| Distributor (titles) | Gross* | Market Share |
| Warner Bros. (11) | 225.2 | 19.20% |
| Fox (7) | 184.2 | 15.70% |
| Buena Vista (7) | 157.9 | 13.40% |
| Paramount (5) | 106.4 | 9.10% |
| Fox Searchlight (3) | 96.3 | 8.20% |
| Sony (8) | 91 | 7.80% |
| Universal (5) | 63.8 | 5.40% |
| Lions Gate (4) | 61.6 | 5.20% |
| Par Vantage (6) | 50.4 | 4.30% |
| Focus (3) | 35.4 | 3.00% |
| Miramax (2) | 20.9 | 1.80% |
| Overture (1) | 20.1 | 1.70% |
| New Line (2) | 16.3 | 1.40% |
| MGM (5) | 15.8 | 1.30% |
| Picturehouse (2) | 6.5 | 0.60% |
| Other * (39) | 22.6 | 1.90% |
| * none greater than 0.5% | 1174.4 | 100.00% |
Domestic Grossers – To February 14, 2008
| Title | Distributor | Gross |
| Juno * | Fox Searchlight | 91,538,337 |
| National Treasure: Book of Secrets * | BV | 80,102,102 |
| Cloverfield | Par | 76,773,236 |
| The Bucket List * | WB | 76,232,361 |
| 27 Dresses | Fox | 66,761,871 |
| Alvin and the Chipmunks * | Fox | 61,187,876 |
| Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus Con | BV | 55,127,562 |
| I Am Legend * | WB | 54,979,314 |
| Rambo | Lions Gate | 38,199,768 |
| First Sunday | Sony | 37,627,592 |
| Meet the Spartans | Fox | 34,776,211 |
| Atonement * | Focus | 34,761,980 |
| Fool’s Gold | WB | 28,954,687 |
| P.S. I Love You * | WB | 27,837,545 |
| There Will Be Blood * | Par Vantage | 27,581,368 |
| Charlie Wilson’s War * | Uni | 27,440,875 |
| One Missed Call | WB | 26,569,730 |
| Untraceable | Sony | 25,388,456 |
| Sweeney Todd * | Par | 23,842,967 |
| The Eye | Lions Gate | 23,145,696 |
