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Leonard Klady

By Leonard Klady Klady@moviecitynews.com

Posted Sunday, April 26th, 2009 - Comments Off on Play Stalk Man Woman
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Play Stalk Man Woman

Audiences opted for the perverse office politics of Obsessed with the film bowing to an estimated $28.8 million. The frame’s other national debuts included the hard kicking actioner Fighting with $11.3 million in third position and, close behind, the potent drama The Soloist with $9.7 million. Also new was the eco-documentary Earth that bowed on Wednesday and scored an opening weekend tally of $8.6 million.

The Informers – the premier outing for Senator Films – fizzled with $292,000 at 482 venues. Among the better limited release freshmen were the pugilistic portrait Tyson with $75,300 at 11 arenas, the documentary Nursery University with $9,600 from a single screen and Italian political thriller Il Divo grossing $13,200 at two exposures.

Overall business expanded slightly from a week earlier and saw another sizeable boost from last year’s record.

Obsessed, a latter day Fatal Attraction, was tracking ahead of the pack though estimates pegged its opening at between $23 million and $25 million. Exit polls pegged the audience at 58% female and split 50/50 at the over/under 25-year-old divide. The title was a real asset and the prospect of bad behavior and just desserts spurred along opening weekend business.

Fighting drew in young males to its yarn of underground brawling and the plus 25s gravitated toward the real life saga of a homeless, emotionally troubled musician in The Soloist. Both films performed pretty much as expected though the generally positive response to the Robert Downey Jr.-Jamie Foxx drama bodes well for that picture’s stamina.

Earth also skewed older. It’s been in release internationally since late 2007 with boffo returns in Germany, France and Japan and an overall foreign tally of more than $76 million.

Weekend business generated slightly better than $115 million for a 4% hike from the prior frame’s revenues. It was a potent 30% improved from 2008 when debuts of Baby Mama and Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay led with respective box offices of $17.4 million and $14.9 million. Domestic box office to date is running 15% ahead of 2008’s pace.

The announcement that Germany’s Senator Films was entering the U.S. distribution market last year didn’t provide many details about a slate or gestalt. The company had a history of co-financing American movies but that hardly guaranteed a flow of A-list product. Its initial offering, The Informers, mirrors a disconnect associated with past European initiatives such as Penta but that’s hardly sufficient to write an obit. Far more telling for its future is how it will weather the current tight money market and create a slate in these recessionary times.

– Leonard Klady

Weekend Finals

Title Distrib Weekend % Change Theaters Cume Wks
1 New Obsessed Sony 28,612,730 – 2514 28,612,730 1
2 1 17 Again WB 11,518,495 -51% 3255 39,823,333 2
3 New Fighting Uni 11,024,370 – 2309 11,024,370 1
4 New The Soloist Par 9,716,458 – 2024 9,716,458 1
5 New Earth BV 8,825,760 – 1804 14,472,792 1
6 4 Monsters vs. Aliens Par 8,520,826 -36% 3358 174,813,830 5
7 2 State of Play Uni 6,848,885 -51% 2807 25,081,890 2
8 3 Hannah Montana: The Movie BV 6,437,141 -52% 3231 65,655,057 3
9 5 Fast & Furious Uni 6,204,940 -47% 3566 145,367,040 4
10 6 Crank: High Voltage Lions Gate 2,618,379 -62% 2223 11,735,952 2
11 9 I Love You, Man Par 1,952,921 -41% 1563 67,809,860 6
12 8 Knowing Summit 1,943,154 -46% 1860 76,780,504 6
13 7 Observe and Report WB 1,746,102 -58% 2010 22,171,543 3
14 10 The Haunting in Connecticut Lions Gate 1,497,120 -52% 1675 54,207,345 5
15 14 Sunshine Cleaning Overture 587,176 -40% 638 9,769,146 7
16 12 Adventureland Miramax 532,270 -60% 581 15,124,996 4
17 13 Duplicity Uni 442,255 -60% 610 39,870,305 6
18 15 Race to Witch Mountain BV 405,716 -45% 591 64,373,915 7
19 17 Paul Blart: Mall Cop Sony 357,883 -24% 342 145,151,723 15
20 16 Taken Fox 355,149 -39% 450 142,607,741 13
21 New The Informers Senator 306,600 – 482 306,600 1
22 11 Dragonball Evolution Fox 300,000 -83% 500 8,723,546 3
23 29 Gran Torino WB 288,315 118% 348 147,092,477 20
24 24 Under the Sea 3D WB 270,406 0% 43 6,330,109 11
25 21 Sin Nombre Focus 206,935 -20% 83 1,496,373 6
26 22 Hotel for Dogs Par 190,466 -24% 276 72,594,587 15
27 18 The Last House on the Left Uni 155,720 -46% 229 32,474,735 7
28 25 He’s Just Not That Into You WB 133,347 -36% 232 93,625,873 12
29 26 Watchmen WB 125,198 -37% 145 107,061,353 8
30 45 Is Anybody There? Story Island 116,479 1525 54 178,676 2
31 RE La Sonnambula Fathom 107,197 – 66 1,265,196 5
32 43 Confessions of a Shopaholic BV 101,246 101% 176 43,997,966 11
33 56 Fired Up Sony 100,961 263% 61 17,419,445 10
34 20 12 Rounds Fox 100,484 -62% 223 11,492,383 5
35 30 Sugar Sony Classics 91,739 -11% 51 454,772 4
36 New Tyson Sony Classics 85,046 – 11 85,046 1
37 27 Coraline Focus 80,815 -48% 141 74,928,014 12
38 33 Valentino: The Last Emperor Truly Indie 72,741 -12% 27 571,977 6
39 28 Slumdog Millionaire Fox Searchlight 71,403 -50% 131 141,171,367 24
40 23 American Violet IDP 66,510 -73% 58 372,053 2
41 32 Push Summit 63,373 -28% 93 31,730,682 12
42 New Mini Punjab Movie Box 60,520 – 11 60,520 1
43 46 Paris 36 Sony Classics 58,735 28% 36 280,129 4
44 52 Anvil! The Story of Anvil Abramarama/FWL 48,160 36% 13 168,379 3
45 35 Every Little Step Sony Classics 47,407 -31% 8 151,200 2
46 34 Two Lovers Magnolia 44,864 -43% 56 2,937,226 11
47 37 Gomorrah IFC/E1 42,948 -35% 50 1,616,264 11
48 49 Lymelife Screen Media 41,505 -1% 25 139,731 3
49 81 Defiance Par Vantage 40,672 276% 102 28,622,873 17
50 39 The International Sony 37,962 -38% 66 25,823,425 11
51 60 Fly Me to the Moon Summit 37,074 54% 8 13,592,311 37
52 44 Shall We Kiss? Music Box 36,511 -26% 28 325,089 5
53 51 Magnificent Desolation Imax 36,011 -8% 6 28,472,272 188
54 31 Medea Goes to Jail Lions Gate 35,228 -64% 99 90,543,564 10
55 36 Entre les murs (The Class) Sony Classics 33,650 -49% 64 3,642,327 15
56 41 Tera Mera Ki Rishta Eros 31,067 -47% 17 262,245 3
57 47 Goodbye Solo Roadside Attract. 27,304 -36% 15 268,583 5
58 38 Bedtime Stories BV 27,052 -58% 75 12,028,694 17
59 48 The Great Buck Howard Magnolia 23,668 -44% 44 647,374 6
60 66 Dolphins and Whales 3D 3D Entertainment 22,394 8% 8 5,939,990 63
61 50 Space Station 3D Imax 21,832 -13% 5 78,522,271 367
62 42 The Reader Weinstein Co. 20,822 -62% 55 34,157,651 20
63 New Le Crime est notre affaire Metropole 20,121 – 8 20,121 1
64 54 Everlasting Moments IFC 20,096 -35% 24 453,943 8
65 40 Curious Case of Benjamin Button Par 19,530 -67% 39 127,528,856 18
66 58 Sea Monsters: A Prehistoric Adventure NatGeo 18,977 -28% 11 21,360,502 82
67 62 The Cross Gener8Xion 17,900 -24% 35 675,000 5
Source: EDI/MCN

Estimates – April 24-26, 2009

Title Distributor Gross (average) % change * Theaters Cume
Obsessed Sony 28.8 (11,470) – 2514 28.8
17 Again WB 11.6 (3,560) -51% 3255 39.9
Fighting Uni 11.3 (4,908) – 2309 –
The Soloist Par 9.7 (4,780) – 2024 9.7
Earth BV 8.6 (4,770) – 1804 14.3
Monsters vs. Aliens Par 8.6 (2,430) -35% 3538 174.9
State of Play Uni 6.8 (2,440) -51% 2807 25.1
Hannah Montana: The Movie BV 6.4 (1,970) -52% 3231 65.6
Fast & Furious Uni 5.9 (1,660) -50% 3566 145.1
Crank: High Voltage Lions Gate 2.5 (1,130) -64% 2223 11.6
I Love You Man Par 1.9 (1,240) -42% 1563 67.8
Knowing Summit 1.9 (1,010) -47% 1860 76.7
Observe and Report WB 1.7 (840) -60% 2010 22.1
The Haunting in Connecticut Lions Gate 1.5 (880) -53% 1675 54.2
Sunshine Cleaning Overture .58 (910) -41% 638 9.8
Adventureland Miramax .52 (900) -61% 581 15.1
Duplicity Uni .45 (740) -69% 610 39.9
The Informers Senator .29 (610) – 482 0.3
Race to Witch Mountain BV .35 (590) -53% 591 64.3
Taken Fox .33 (730) -43% 450 142.6
Weekend Total ($500,000+ Films) $108.30 – – –
% Change (Last Year) – 30% – – –
% Change (Last Week) – 4% – – –
Also debuting/expanding
Sin Nombre Focus .20 (2,450) -21% 83 1.5
Is Anybody There? Story Island .11 (2,010) 134% 54 0.17
Tyson Sony Classics 75,300 (6,840) – 11 0.08
American Violet IDP 63,300 (1,110) -74% 57 0.37
April Showers Pure Motive 13,400 (790) – 15 0.01
Il Divo Music Box 13,200 (6,600) – 2 0.01
Nursery University Variance 9,600 (9,600) – 1 0.01
The Mutant Chronicles Magnet 4,800 (2,400) – 2 0.01
Treeless Mountain Oscilloscope 4,700 (2,350) – 2 0.01

Domestic Market Share – January 1 – April 23, 2009

Distributor (releases) Gross (millio Mrkt Share
Warner Bros. (17) 526.5 17.50%
Paramount (7) 412.9 13.80%
Fox (8) 316.7 10.50%
Sony (9) 311.2 10.40%
Universal (9) 305.1 10.20%
Buena Vista (10) 259.7 8.60%
Lions Gate (7) 228.3 7.60%
Fox Searchlight (5) 185.6 6.20%
Summit (4) 128.4 4.30%
Focus (3) 93.4 3.10%
Paramount Vantage (2) 51.2 1.70%
MGM (3) 42.3 1.40%
Miramax (4) 37.2 1.20%
Weinstein Co. (6) 34.4 1.10%
Overture (3) 24.2 0.80%
Other * (98) 46.6 1.60%
* none greater than 0.4% 3003.7 100.00%
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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