files/pictures/picture-35.jpgThe World War II submarine pic, U-571, easily sailed into the top spot at the U.S. box office on Easter weekend. By grossing US$19.55 million, the Universal actioner more than doubled the second place film LOVE AND BASKETBALL. Slipping two places, THE ROAD TO EL DORADO finished the holiday weekend at #7. The DreamWorks animated buddy flick grossed another $5.22 raising its total take to $41.91 million. Landing in 9th place for the third straight week, FINAL DESTINATION grossed another $2.76 million bringing its total cume to $42.59 million. With the wide theatrical release moved to June 16th, FANTASIA/2000 took home another $1.93 million. The musical epic has grossed a total of $45.79 million and has helped Imax have the most profitable years in history. It will be interesting how FANTASIA/2000 does against the male action demographic of Don Bluth's TITAN A.E., which comes out the same day. ROMEO MUST DIE, with primary special effects by Manex Visual Effects, fell to #15 with a gross of $1.54 and bringing its cume of $52.37 million. AMERICAN BEAUTY moved down to 16th place with a gross of $1.36 million bringing its cume to $136.4 million. MISSION TO MARS finished out the top twenty with a gross of $384,427. The Buena Vista space adventure, with primary special effects by ILM and Dream Quest Images, raised its cume to $58.78 million. The toon titan TOY STORY 2 took home another $365,361 bringing its grand total to $243.9 million. Other special effects laden or animation films finishing in the top fifty were: THE GREEN MILE at #24, with a gross of $216,485 and a cume of $136.4 million; BICENTENNIAL MAN at #28, with a gross of $186,325 and a cume of $57.74 million; THE SIXTH SENSE at #29, with a gross of $161,627 and a cume of $293.2 million; STUART LITTLE at #31, with a gross of $152,693 and a cume of $139.9 million; GALAXY QUEST at #35, with a gross of $136,884 and a cume of $71.23 million; THE NINTH GATE at #36, with a gross of $135,663 and a cume of $18.28 million; T-REX: BACK TO THE CRETACEOUS at #37, with a gross of $109,131 and a cume of $28.51 million; THE TIGGER MOVIE at #39, with a gross of $100,612 and a cume of $44.44 million; and SNOW DAY at #48, with a gross of $67,071 and a cume of $59.06 million. Box office reports obtained in The Hollywood Reporter.
Read more about the
production of THE ROAD TO EL DORADO in J. Paul Peszko's Animation World Magazine article.
