“Gangster” shoots for top of box office
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) – Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe and Jerry Seinfeld are riding to the rescue of the ailing North American box office this weekend.
“American Gangster,” a true-life crime tale starring Washington and Crowe, could steal the No. 1 slot with sales north of $40 million. Seinfeld’s animated “Bee Movie” will open with $35 million or more, industry pundits forecast.
But some suggest “Bee” could fly past “Gangster.”
Either way, ticket sales should be enough to end a losing streak that has seen six consecutive down sessions compared with year-ago grosses. (This time last year, “Borat” and “The Santa Clause 3” led the field with a combined $46 million.)
Universal’s “American Gangster” has been going gangbusters in prerelease tracking. Awareness among prospective moviegoers is high, but it’s skewing slightly toward older viewers — a demographic that traditionally does not rush out on the first weekend. Early reviews are solid.
One hurdle is the running time of two hours and 37 minutes, limiting the number of times it can play each day.
Historically, among R-rated films with running times of more than 2 1/2 hours, only two have managed to open in the mid-$30 million range or higher. “Troy” (two hours, 43 minutes) bowed with $46.9 million in May 2004, and “Gladiator” (two hours, 35 minutes) debuted with $34.8 million in May 2000.
“Bee” — produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by Paramount — is a family-friendly alternative to the beatings, murders and drug abuse of “American Gangster.”
It certainly helps that Seinfeld — who voices the main character and helped write and produce “Bee” — has worked the talk-show circuit tirelessly.
New Line’s “Martian Child,” a female-skewing adoption drama starring John Cusack and Amanda Peet, also opens wide Friday, but expectations are more modest. A bow in the high-single-digit millions seems likely.
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