Boxoffice Gross WKEND 12/19-22/1997------->
JonmW
Boxoffice Gross WKEND 12/19-22/1997:
1) Titanic 27.8 million
Outstanding Picture--Outstanding Gross.
This week and next should be even higher.
Will be around clear into Easter time slots.
2) Tomorrow Never Dies 26.2
Another excellent opening but will drop
fast after January 2.
And down here we have---------->
3) Scream 2 13.9 ? ? ? ?
I don't believe that it is number 3. Friday showed
a 62% drop from last week. I but it's more
like 5/ 6 place.
4) Mouse Hunt 6.3
Will do well at midweek matinees for about two weeks and
then like TMD - - it's over and out.
5) Flubber 4.0 (42% off from last WKEND)
See note for MouseHunt - - same deal.
6) TIE
Amistad (Off 30%) & For Richer or Poorer 3.3
8) Home Alone 3 3.2
Welcome to the Sub Basement------------>
9) Anastasia 1.7
10) Rainmaker 1.3
See ya at/ in /around the movies.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ONE AND ALL.
or to copy the circus saying :
Many all your days be movie days!
jse...@ime.net
JonmW (jo...@aol.com) wrote:
: Boxoffice Gross WKEND 12/19-22/1997:
:
: 1) Titanic 27.8 million
: Outstanding Picture--Outstanding Gross.
: This week and next should be even higher.
: Will be around clear into Easter time slots.
Not bad, considering that many of the theaters that booked this
one are only showing it twice a day (the Hoyt's plan seems to be 2pm &
7pm). I generally don't put much faith in the argument that long movies
make less money because they're shown fewer times per day - Disney
animateds excepted, the same number of people just get spread out - but
Titanic is having to overcome some boneheaded scheduling.
Paramount's got to be happy. They paid $65M of the production
costs and the domestic advertising, and probably would have taken a hit
had it been released in July. Now, it's likely to play for a while before
getting an Oscar-nomination boost, and then a likely Oscar-victory boost.
: 2) Tomorrow Never Dies 26.2
: Another excellent opening but will drop
: fast after January 2.
On the one hand, it's the only action movie in town (Alien
Resurrection died _quick_). On the other hand, what's going to entice
someone to see this a second time? Bond movies were formulaic to begin
with, and at #18 the formula has got to be pretty much beaten into the
ground.
: And down here we have---------->
:
: 3) Scream 2 13.9 ? ? ? ?
: I don't believe that it is number 3. Friday showed
: a 62% drop from last week. I but it's more
: like 5/ 6 place.
S2 probably got good word of mouth, but after last week, who was
there to spread the word to? Welcome to movie release strategy in the
'90s: Get as many people into the theater as humanly possible for the
first weekend (when the studio gets most of the money) and then roll
something new out (in this case, "An American Werewolf In Paris"). Not to
say this isn't a pretty good 2nd week in December, but I don't see this
one hanging around like the first did.
: 4) Mouse Hunt 6.3
: Will do well at midweek matinees for about two weeks and
: then like TMD - - it's over and out.
:
: 6) TIE
: Amistad (Off 30%) & For Richer or Poorer 3.3
DreamWorks has got to be disappointed, though I'm surprised
"Mousehunt" did that well - from the trailers, it looked like the darkest,
dingiest children's movie ever made. Honestly, it looks like something
David Fincher might have done. Who wants to take kids to that?
As to "Amistad", it looks like Warner Brothers isn't alone in
being unable to understand why the staggered release is obsolete. Guys,
the local newspaper's entertainment section _stinks_, and people find out
about movies via national outlets, whether they be Siskel & Ebert,
Entertainment Weekly or the internet. And guess what? They all covered
Amistad when it premiered in NY/LA, and will be running stories about
"Kundun" and "The Postman" next week, when "Amsitad" reaches those of us
who don't live in North America's top 5 media outlets.
It would be different if we were talking about a risky
proposition, but a nationwide release for "Amistad" was inevitable, and
holding it back for two weeks when word-of-mouth travels at almost the
speed of light just doesn't make sense.
: 8) Home Alone 3 3.2
Why in blazes is this doing even that well? A sequel's target
audience (the people who saw the first and want to see more) has outgrown
the franchise.
: Welcome to the Sub Basement------------>
:
: 9) Anastasia 1.7
Not bad; all Fox really had to do was get their foot in the door.
Warner's must be feeling pretty good about "Quest For Camelot" now that
Anastasia served as a test case for non-Disney animation. It's an open
question how well "Planet Ice", "Prince Of Egypt", "Mononoke Hime" and
"Iron Giant" will do, varying from the Disney formula in more substantial
ways, though.
It also makes me wonder how "Cats Don't Dance" would have done if
only Warner Brothers had gotten behind it and pushed (or, heck, if it had
stayed at New Line).
: 10) Rainmaker 1.3
... and "The Little Mermaid" doesn't make the chart. Maybe, just
maybe, Disney's predatory re-release strategy is starting to turn the
general public off. If the point was to damage "Mousehunt", the
re-re-release failed. In actuality, targeting school vacations makes good
marketing sense, but Disney should have planned this second wave along
with the first.
R. Boswell
> : 3) Scream 2 13.9 ? ? ? ?
> : I don't believe that it is number 3. Friday showed
> : a 62% drop from last week. I but it's more
> : like 5/ 6 place.
>
> S2 probably got good word of mouth, but after last week, who was
> there to spread the word to? Welcome to movie release strategy in the
> '90s: Get as many people into the theater as humanly possible for the
> first weekend (when the studio gets most of the money) and then roll
> something new out (in this case, "An American Werewolf In Paris"). Not to
> say this isn't a pretty good 2nd week in December, but I don't see this
> one hanging around like the first did.
Maybe not, but it'll take in as much money if not more.
And why is everyone freaking out at 14 million the second
weeken!? That's damn good! Did *anyone* think this movie
could possibly hold it's 33 million opening?? Dropping
only a small percentage? Get real!