‘Underworld’ Might Tower Over the Box Office
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) – The fall season becomes more crowded this weekend as five wide releases jockey for the available box office dollars.
While the number of releases is likely to hold down the grosses for each of the individual newcomers, Sony Pictures’ “Underworld” is still likely to bow in the top spot with an estimated haul in the $15 million range.
“Underworld,” a vampire warrior movie from the studio’s mid-budget Screen Gems label, should interest young males because of its “Matrix”-like action set pieces.
The moderate star power of Kate Beckinsale (“Pearl Harbor”) and Scott Speedman (of TV’s “Felicity”) should draw in a few more fans, but it’s really the movie’s horror genre and its R rating that will lure in the young males. The film marks the feature directing debut of music video veteran Len Wiseman.
The race for second place could be tight: Sony’s “Once Upon a Time in Mexico,” which reaped $24 million in its opening weekend, will face off against Paramount Pictures’ “The Fighting Temptations,” which is tracking incredibly well among black moviegoers.
“Mexico” is looking to drop 40%-45%, which would put it in the $13 million-$14 million range. The Cuba Gooding Jr.-Beyonce Knowles starrer “Temptations,” from MTV Films and director Jonathan Lynn (“The Whole Nine Yards”), should attract Knowles’ fan base, primed by an excellent movie soundtrack, to produce a much-needed hit for Paramount. It may draw $12 million-$13 million.
Two other newcomers — Disney’s “Cold Creek Manor” and New Line Cinema’s “Secondhand Lions” — will duke it out for the fourth and fifth spots. “Manor” stars Dennis Quaid and Sharon Stone as two urbanites who move to a recently repossessed house in the country and get much more then they bargain for. It should come out on top, with an expected gross of around $10 million. An R-rated thriller, written and directed by Mike Figgis (“Leaving Las Vegas”) “Manor” has the respected, if somewhat older, stars that could draw adult audiences.
“Lions” remains the wild card in the field. Starring Haley Joel Osment, Robert Duvall and Michael Caine, it pits Osment’s 10-year-old character against his two mysterious uncles with whom he spends a summer. The film, from writer-director Tim McCanlies, is looking to target both older audiences and families, but may have trouble doing either. However, the film could benefit from Internet rumors that it will be accompanied by a trailer for “The Return of the King” the highly anticipated conclusion to the “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy. (In fact, the “King” trailer won’t show up until “Lions”‘ second weekend.) Industry insiders place the gross for the PG-rated film in the mid-single digits.
What may be the biggest downer of the weekend is DreamWorks’ release of Woody Allen’s “Anything Else.” The studio is reaching out to a younger crowd by emphasizing the movie’s stars, Jason Biggs and Christina Ricci, while barely mentioning the famed director. However, the strategy could backfire since the film does not seem to be drawing either the loyal Allen fan base, or the coveted younger audience. The film will be lucky to cross the $2 million mark.
The limited-release market also is crowded this weekend, with six films bowing during the three-day period.
IDP’s “Mambo Italiano,” directed by Emile Gaudreault and playing in 49 theaters, should perform the best of the group. The R-rated comedy, which centers on a Canadian-Italian family dealing with their son’s shocking news that he’s gay, is looking for significant crossover business.
IFC films will release the R-rated “Casa de los Babys” from writer-director John Sayles on nine screens in Los Angeles and New York. A hit at the Toronto International Film Festival, its ensemble cast includes Maggie Gyllenhaal, Marcia Gay Harden, Rita Moreno, Daryl Hannah, Susan Lynch, Mary Steenburgen and Lili Taylor in a tale of six women who travel to South America with hopes of adopting.
Categories