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Craig Younkin
Friday Box Office Analysis (9/16)
By Lee Tistaert Published September 17, 2005
The movie didn?t have any ?money moments? in the ads, and the trailer more so concentrated on low-key cute scenes to sell the likely predictable tale.
Despite efforts to recapture the success of Sweet Home Alabama, Reese Witherspoon?s romantic comedy, Just Like Heaven, didn?t exactly debut ?heavenly,? but rather, fared decently. The movie opened in an ultra-wide platform of 3,508 theaters and took in $5.6 million for a $1,603 per-screen average. The flick didn?t live up to Mark Ruffalo?s previous cutesy entry, 13 Going on 30, which bowed to a solid $7.4 million in 3,438 theaters for a $2,147 average. However, that movie had the benefit of Jennifer Garner coming off of the television series, Alias, whereas Witherspoon is not as hot as she was when the Legally Blondes premiered. Also, Sweet Home Alabama was backed by Disney, and the studio had embarked on a relentless, in-your-face ad-campaign, and Heaven?s campaign was rather typical in its exposure.
The movie also didn?t have any ?money moments? in the ads, and the trailer more so concentrated on low-key cute scenes to sell the likely predictable tale. In comparison, Legally Blonde had an ideal setup (and title) for its female audience and there was no attempt to try and bring in a male audience; it was the absolute definition of a chick flick, or a ?girl?s night out? piece.
The ad-campaign for Just Like Heaven also tried to capitalize on the star-power of now-popular Jon Heder, who exploded as a cult icon after Napoleon Dynamite?s astonishing sleeper success at the box office. The first trailer hinted that he was in it but didn?t show enough of him, and DreamWorks evidently caught on to the trailer?s buzz (every time I saw the preview, many people in the audience would point him out excitedly), as the second ad highlighted more of his scenes. But they might?ve been too late with that move, and it was also obvious that he only had a minor part (the cameo felt oddly similar to Adam Sandler?s appearance in the ads for The Hot Chick). A Saturday increase in the low to high teen range (13 - 17%) should result for Just Like Heaven, which should put it on course for a weekend take of about $16.0 million.
The debut of Nicolas Cage?s gun running feature, Lord of War, proved that the actor might need the help of producer Jerry Bruckheimer to reach a large audience. The movie opened to a modest $3.2 million ($1,128/screen in 2,814 theaters), but it?s actually the best debut yet for writer/director Andrew Niccol. The filmmaker previously came out with Simone, which flopped with roughly $1.2 million (in 1,920 theaters) on opening day. And before that, Gattaca had debuted to $1.4 million and $4.3 million over the weekend. For Lions Gate Films, the premiere is not surprising, as the studio has yet to find a solid box office foundation. Their biggest success in recent time was October?s horror flick, Saw, which opened to $6.7 million ($2,876/screen in 2,315 theaters) and posted a $18.3 million weekend. A Saturday increase somewhere between the first The Transporter (17%) and Hostage (29%) should be on the way, which should give Lord of a War a three-day take of roughly $9 - 10 million.
The thriller, Cry Wolf, premiered rather decently for having showed literally nothing in the trailer, but otherwise bombed with $1.6 million in 1,790 theaters, averaging $894/screen. The movie could face a slight second day fall given its genre (it was marketed as horror but is said to be more of a mystery), but since The Cave managed to increase 20%, a relevant boost should be the peak of its possibilities. Cry Wolf might see about $4.0 - 4.5 million for the weekend.
The movie also didn?t have any ?money moments? in the ads, and the trailer more so concentrated on low-key cute scenes to sell the likely predictable tale. In comparison, Legally Blonde had an ideal setup (and title) for its female audience and there was no attempt to try and bring in a male audience; it was the absolute definition of a chick flick, or a ?girl?s night out? piece.
The ad-campaign for Just Like Heaven also tried to capitalize on the star-power of now-popular Jon Heder, who exploded as a cult icon after Napoleon Dynamite?s astonishing sleeper success at the box office. The first trailer hinted that he was in it but didn?t show enough of him, and DreamWorks evidently caught on to the trailer?s buzz (every time I saw the preview, many people in the audience would point him out excitedly), as the second ad highlighted more of his scenes. But they might?ve been too late with that move, and it was also obvious that he only had a minor part (the cameo felt oddly similar to Adam Sandler?s appearance in the ads for The Hot Chick). A Saturday increase in the low to high teen range (13 - 17%) should result for Just Like Heaven, which should put it on course for a weekend take of about $16.0 million.
The debut of Nicolas Cage?s gun running feature, Lord of War, proved that the actor might need the help of producer Jerry Bruckheimer to reach a large audience. The movie opened to a modest $3.2 million ($1,128/screen in 2,814 theaters), but it?s actually the best debut yet for writer/director Andrew Niccol. The filmmaker previously came out with Simone, which flopped with roughly $1.2 million (in 1,920 theaters) on opening day. And before that, Gattaca had debuted to $1.4 million and $4.3 million over the weekend. For Lions Gate Films, the premiere is not surprising, as the studio has yet to find a solid box office foundation. Their biggest success in recent time was October?s horror flick, Saw, which opened to $6.7 million ($2,876/screen in 2,315 theaters) and posted a $18.3 million weekend. A Saturday increase somewhere between the first The Transporter (17%) and Hostage (29%) should be on the way, which should give Lord of a War a three-day take of roughly $9 - 10 million.
The thriller, Cry Wolf, premiered rather decently for having showed literally nothing in the trailer, but otherwise bombed with $1.6 million in 1,790 theaters, averaging $894/screen. The movie could face a slight second day fall given its genre (it was marketed as horror but is said to be more of a mystery), but since The Cave managed to increase 20%, a relevant boost should be the peak of its possibilities. Cry Wolf might see about $4.0 - 4.5 million for the weekend.
