“Narnia,” “Tourist” bomb at North American box office
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) ñ The third movie in the shaky “Narnia” fantasy franchise and a romantic thriller starring ubiquitous celebrities Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp both fell flat at the weekend box office in North America, according to studio estimates issued Sunday.
“The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader” opened at No. 1, as expected, but with three-day sales of about $24.5 million across the United States and Canada. Industry pundits had predicted a $30 million to $40 million start for the third adaptation of C.S. Lewis’ Christian-themed books.
The film got off to a much better start overseas, earning $81 million, and distributor 20th Century Fox said it was “excited” about its overall prospects.
“The Tourist,” starring Jolie and Depp as a mismatched pair cavorting around Venice, came in at No. 2 with $17 million — short of dampened forecasts in the $20 million range.
Both films were lambasted by critics, and both carried hefty price tags — $150 million and $100 million, respectively — requiring strong overseas sales to make them profitable.
“Narnia” marks the follow-up to “The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian,” which opened to $55 million in 2008 on its way to a weak total of $142 million. The overseas haul was $278 million. The first film, “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,” ended up with $292 million in North America after a $66 million debut. Foreign fans kicked in an additional $453 million.
The latest film was distributed by News Corp-owned Fox, which took over the franchise after Walt Disney Co dropped it in the wake of the “Caspian” flop. The series is produced by family-friendly film company Walden Media, which is owned by billionaire Philip Anschutz.
“The Tourist” marks the worst start in years for its high-profile stars. Jolie’s last big flop was “A Mighty Heart,” which opened to $3.9 million in 2007. Depp has to go back to 2001 for a worse performance: “From Hell,” with $11 million.
Jolie was last in theaters with “Salt,” whose so-so domestic total of $118 million (including a $36 million opening) was boosted by foreign sales of $175 million.
Depp starred in one of the biggest movies of the year, “Alice in Wonderland,” which grossed more than $1 billion worldwide, two-thirds coming from overseas.
The new film also did worse than a recent pair of unloved match-ups between big stars, “The Bounty Hunter,” with Jennifer Aniston and Gerard Butler ($21 million); and “Knight and Day,” with Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz ($20 million). They finished with $67 million and $76 million, respectively, in North America. “Bounty Hunter” made a similar amount overseas, while “Knight and Day” earned $185 million internationally.
“The Tourist” was distributed by Sony Corp’s Columbia Pictures, which has limited financial exposure. The studio is receiving a distribution fee from Oscar-winning producer Graham King (“The Departed”), who arranged financing himself.
Last weekend’s champion, the Disney cartoon “Tangled,” slipped to No. 3 with $14.6 million. Its total rose to $115.6 million after three weekends. Foreign sales stand at $77 million from 17 markets.
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