‘Robot’ Rages Against Spidey at Box Office
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) – There may be no place for Spider-Man in the future — at least the future as imagined by “I, Robot,” which opens across North America Friday.
Starring box office phenomenon Will Smith, 20th Century Fox’s futuristic action film could knock the webbed one down to street level.
As the weekend approaches, “I, Robot,” inspired by the Isaac Asimov stories, has been tracking extremely well with all segments of the moviegoing population. Projections are that its three-day gross should top $40 million and could rise as high as $50 million if crowds flock as expected.
Set in the year 2035, “I, Robot” dramatizes a world where robots are an everyday household item that everyone trusts except for Smith’s character, who believes that one of them has killed a scientist.
Directed by Alex Proyas (“Dark City,” “The Crow”), the PG-13 film should benefit from Smith’s allure as well as the movie’s sci-fi themes. Smith’s success as a summer box office draw is unparalleled. He has consistently scored during the dog days with everything from the “Men in Black” and “Bad Boys” franchises to “Wild Wild West” (a $27.6 million opening in 1999 and $49.7 million over the four-day Fourth of July weekend) and “Independence Day” ($50 million opening in 1996). His track record alone points toward an opening that easily tops $40 million.
That, of course, means “I, Robot” should knock Sony Pictures’ “Spider-Man 2” out of the top spot that it has held for the past two weekends, and it could also affect the future grossing potential of the Spidey epic, which stands at $272.7 million in domestic grosses. According to one distributor, if “I Robot’s” grosses go as high as tracking suggests, the record-breaking Spidey sequel could have trouble topping the domestic gross of its 2002 predecessor, which amounted to $403.7 million domestically. For its third weekend, “Spider-Man 2” is expected to take a 50% drop, which would see it bring in about $23 million.
Funnyman Will Ferrell could also be facing a significant drop with his DreamWorks picture “Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy.” The comedy, which scored with critics and audiences, bringing in a better-than-expected $28.4 million during its opening frame, is likely to drop 50% to $14 million. Last weekend’s other new release, Disney’s “King Arthur,” which opened to a disappointing $15 million, also is likely to suffer from “I, Robot’s” broad appeal as well as its bid for the action audience.
Friday’s other new wide release is “A Cinderella Story,” a counterprograming effort from Warner Bros. Pictures, starring tween idol Hilary Duff. Because of Duff’s appeal, the PG-rated film could get into the teenmillions range. The actress scored last year with “The Lizzie McGuire Movie,” which earned $17 million for its May 4 opening. Since “I, Robot’s” appeal to young girls is probably somewhat limited, the modernized “Cinderella,” directed by Mark Rosman, may find some breathing room.
In limited release, Focus Features bowed “The Door in the Floor” on Wednesday in select markets. The film deals with the issue of losing a child and appeals primarily to older filmgoers. Starring Jeff Bridges and Kim Basinger, who have earned critical applause for their roles, the R-rated film is set to expand throughout the month.
Sony Pictures Classics will bow “Touch of Pink,” starring Kyle MacLachlan and Jimi Mistry. The comedy centers on a gay Canadian man living in London whose life is upset when his devoutly Muslim mother comes to visit.
Sony Classics also unveils “Zhou Yu’s Train” Friday in New York and Los Angeles. The PG-13 romantic drama stars Gong Li as a woman who must choose between two men.
HBO Films and Fine Line is releasing “Maria Full of Grace,” the debut effort from screenwriter-director Joshua Marston, in select markets. The Spanish-language drama about female drug mules has been a darling on the festival circuit for some time.
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