By Leonard Klady Klady@moviecitynews.com
Death Wish XXX …
September16, 2007
Weekend Estimates
Summer Market Share
The distaff vigilante yarn The Brave One led all comers with a debut weekend estimated at $13.8 million. There was no lack of competition with two other films making their national bows and more than a minion opening in limited release.
The comedy Mr. Woodcock ranked third overall with $8.6 million and the Korean monster movieDragon Wars – that country’s top 2007 release – entered the fray with $4.9 million.
A clutch of films that premiered at the recently completed Toronto festival segued into theaters with the first leg of their platform strategies. Toronto’s people’s choice winner Eastern Promises had the most potent per theater average with $37,500 in 15 situations while the Beatle’s homage Across the Universe was tuneful with a $29,200 average from 23 venues. Also good was the $141,000 gross for the Iraq war rumination In the Valley of Elah in nine theaters. However it wasn’t smooth for Silk with a $1,000 average in 122 venues and Moving McAllister was listless with $29,400 at 86 locations. Also disappointing was the Utah opening of Return with Honor that garnered $37,100 from an initial wave of 23 engagements.
Weekend ticket biz provided an autumnal $75 million in revenues that dipped slightly from last weekend by 3% and improved microscopically from 2006 by 2%. A year ago debuts of Gridiron Gang and The Black Dahlia led the field with respective openers of $14.4 million and $10 million.
While more thoughtful than a Charles Bronson vendetta, The Brave One wasn’t packing the $20 million heat pundits had identified going into the weekend. The Jodie Foster starrer was drawing a 70% plus 30 crowd according to exit polls and skewing slightly more female. The big question is whether it can tap into a younger crowd with fierce competition for that sector arriving in the coming weeks.
Similar concerns also dogged Mr. Woodcock while Dragon Wars looked brawny with the aggressive push demonstrating a niche that eluded The Host, another Asian monster tale that couldn’t quite decide whether to go genre or upscale.
The narrow/wide conundrum was in evidence with the initial toe test for both Eastern Promises andAcross the Universe. Both opted for limited bows despite the former’s appeal to young males and the latter’s wide musical potential. Neither film received across the board critical endorsement but initial commercial potency at least provides the solid bedrock for upcoming expansion.
The first of a clutch of Iraq war dramas, In the Valley of Elah racked up numbers that suggest the film will be pushing uphill to secure more than respectable returns. However, the first blush for bothKing of California and December Boys bodes little hope of building on critical buzz or word-of-mouth to provide commercial momentum. And Silk, a big canvas adventure-romance, shapes up as the season’s first prestige casualty.
Weekend Estimates – September 14-16, 2007
Title |
Distributor
|
Gross (average)
|
%Chng
|
Theas
|
Cume
|
The Brave One |
WB
|
13.8 (5,010)
|
–
|
2755
|
13.8
|
3:10 to Yuma |
Lions Gate
|
8.8 (3,290)
|
-38%
|
2667
|
28.2
|
Mr. Woodcock |
New Line
|
8.6 (3,860)
|
–
|
2231
|
8.6
|
Superbad |
Sony
|
5.1 (1,760)
|
-32%
|
2910
|
111.3
|
Halloween |
MGM
|
5.0 (1,630)
|
-48%
|
3051
|
51.2
|
Dragon Wars |
FreeStyle
|
4.9 (2,150)
|
–
|
2269
|
4.9
|
The Bourne Ultimatum |
Uni
|
4.2 (1,600)
|
-26%
|
2611
|
216.2
|
Balls of Fury |
Focus
|
3.3 (1,180)
|
-42%
|
2758
|
28.8
|
Rush Hour 3 |
New Line
|
3.3 (1,490)
|
-33%
|
2208
|
133.3
|
Mr. Bean’s Holiday |
Uni
|
2.6 (1,470)
|
-24%
|
1770
|
28.4
|
Shoot ‘Em Up |
New Line
|
2.6 (1,250)
|
-54%
|
2108
|
10.4
|
The Nanny Diaries |
MGM
|
2.2 (1,100)
|
-32%
|
1971
|
24
|
Hairspray |
New Line
|
1.2 (1,060)
|
-30%
|
1155
|
116.4
|
Stardust |
Par
|
1.2 (1,090)
|
-34%
|
1078
|
36.4
|
Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoe |
WB
|
.86 (1,460)
|
-17%
|
589
|
289.4
|
The Simpson Movie |
Fox
|
.69 (860)
|
-48%
|
799
|
181.3
|
Across the Universe |
Sony
|
.67 (29,220)
|
–
|
23
|
0.7
|
Death at a Funeral |
MGM
|
.64 (1,980)
|
-11%
|
324
|
6.6
|
War |
Lions Gate
|
.63 (790)
|
-58%
|
802
|
22.9
|
I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry |
Uni
|
.81 (980)
|
-41%
|
613
|
117.94
|
Eastern Promises |
Focus/Alliance
|
.56 (37,530)
|
–
|
15
|
0.6
|
Underdog |
BV
|
.55 (670)
|
-38%
|
815
|
41.8
|
Becoming Jane |
Miramax
|
.53 (750)
|
-38%
|
702
|
17.8
|
Weekend Total ($500,000+ Films) |
$72.50
|
–
|
–
|
–
|
|
% Change (Last Year) |
2%
|
–
|
–
|
–
|
|
% Change (Last Week) |
-3%
|
–
|
–
|
–
|
|
Also debuting/expanding | |||||
In the Valley of Elah |
WIP
|
.14 (15,780)
|
–
|
9
|
0.14
|
Silk |
Picture/Alliance
|
.13 (1,040)
|
–
|
122
|
0.13
|
In the Shadow of the Moon |
Thinkfilm
|
72,300 (3,440)
|
90%
|
21
|
0.8
|
Ira & Abby |
Magnolia
|
40,300 (5,750)
|
–
|
7
|
0.04
|
Return with Honor |
Excel
|
37,100 (1,613)
|
–
|
23
|
0.04
|
King of California |
First Look
|
34,200 (6,840)
|
–
|
5
|
0.03
|
Moving McCallister |
First Independent
|
29,400 (340)
|
–
|
86
|
0.03
|
December Boys |
WIP
|
15,500 (3,870)
|
–
|
4
|
0.02
|
The Great World of Sound |
Magnolia
|
6,500 (3,250)
|
–
|
2
|
0.01
|
Domestic Summer Market Share (May 3 – Sept 3, 2007)
Rank 2007
|
Distributor |
Gross
|
Mkt Share
|
% Change
From 2006 |
Rank
2006 |
1
|
Paramount |
724.6
|
17.40%
|
45%
|
4
|
2
|
Universal |
609.5
|
14.60%
|
61%
|
6
|
3
|
Buena Vista |
580.7
|
13.90%
|
-26%
|
1
|
4
|
Warner Bros. |
544.7
|
13.10%
|
31%
|
5
|
5
|
Sony |
521.3
|
12.50%
|
-26%
|
2
|
6
|
Fox |
470.1
|
11.30%
|
-14%
|
3
|
7
|
New Line |
251.2
|
6.00%
|
386%
|
14
|
8
|
MGM |
169.3
|
4.10%
|
373%
|
11
|
9
|
Lions Gate |
92.3
|
2.20%
|
36%
|
7
|
10
|
Focus |
43.2
|
1.00%
|
33%
|
8
|
11
|
Fox Searchlight |
34.2
|
0.80%
|
203%
|
15
|
–
|
Other |
127.5
|
3.10%
|
–
|
–
|
–
|
– |
4168.6
|
100.00%
|
11%
|
–
|
% Change 2006 (Other Distributors) | |||||
–
|
Paramount Vantage |
–
|
–
|
-58%
|
–
|
–
|
Picturehouse |
–
|
–
|
-47%
|
–
|
–
|
Sony Classics |
–
|
–
|
-11%
|
–
|
–
|
Weinstein Co. |
–
|
–
|
-81%
|
–
|