The US Box Office Gets Scary

files/pictures/picture-35.jpgWith only one other major newcomer, the Keenen Ivory Wayans-directed teen horror spoof, SCARY MOVIE, out grossed the competition to finish atop the U.S. box office charts. Even though the weekend after July 4 usually sees low numbers at theatres, SCARY MOVIE, with primary visual effects by Centropolis Effects, managed to scare up US$42.35 million, the second largest three-day opening this year behind MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 2. The Independence Day champ, PERFECT STORM, slipped to second with a gross of $27.12 million. The George Clooney cyclone cavalcade, with primary visual effects by ILM, has already grossed $100.2 million in only one full week in release. Mel Gibson’s THE PATRIOT slipped a spot to third with a gross of $15.42 million. Hampered by many questions about its historical accuracy, the Revolutionary War flick, with primary visual effects by Centropolis Effects, DOD and CFX, has rounded-up $65.46 million and is feared it will not make its reported $140 million budget in its domestic run. (I’m sure the British, who are almost demonized in the film, are waiting to buy tickets already.) Falling behind the newcomer DISNEY’S THE KID, CHICKEN RUN made a modest $9.93 million in 6th place. The fowl friendly frolic has a U.S. cume of $63.69 million. In seventh place, SHAFT landed another $4.12 million, raising its cume to $62.02 million. After only a week, THE ADVENTURES OF ROCKY AND BULLWINKLE, with primary visual effects by ILM and animation by Wild Brain, has plummeted to ninth place. The Robert DeNiro-starrer lassoed an additional $3.93 million, advancing its total purse to $16.07 million. Buena Vista’s GONE IN 60 SECONDS, with primary visual effects by Asylum Visual Effects and Disney’s Secret Lab, skidded into the 10th position. The car crime caper stole another $3.61 million, bringing its cume to $86.54 million. MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 2, with primary visual effects by Pacific Data Images, Double Negative Ltd. and CFC, fell for the first time out of the top ten to land in 11th place. The face-changing champ brought in another $3.29 million, raising its top-notched cume to $204 million. Slipping to 12th place, DreamWorks’ GLADIATOR, with primary visual effects by Mill Film Ltd. and Malta, grossed an additional $2.03 million. The Roman Empire epic has made $174 million in the U.S. alone. Disney’s DINOSAUR descended to 13th place with a gross of $664,371. With a total U.S. gross of $131.9 million, DINO might not reach its low-end price tag of $200 million in the U.S. and probably won’t make its high-end price tag of $400 million in U.S. and international theatres combined. Staying steady at #16, Disney’s 35mm release of FANTASIA/2000 grossed an additional $388,474, advancing its cume to $58.33 million. Falling from 13th to 17th place, TITAN A.E. grossed $380,776. With an overall cume of only $21.5 million, the box office bomb has now crumbled Fox Animation to the ground and Fox executives are clamoring to adjust fourth quarter estimates due to the film’s failure. Other animated and special effects laden films finishing in the top fifty were: U-571 at #22, with a gross of $226,695 and a cume of $75.75 million; FINAL DESTINATION at #24, with a gross of $214,051 and a cume of $52.27 million; FLINTSTONES VIVA ROCK VEGAS at #26, with a gross of $204,165 and a cume of $34.03 million; T-REX: BACK TO THE CRETACEOUS at #31, with a gross of $140,959 and a cume of $31.52 million; WHERE THE HEART IS at #33, with a gross of $134,711 and a cume of $33.99 million; FREQUENCY at #34, with a gross of $113,147 and a cume of $43.37 million; and ALIEN ADVENTURE at #41, with a gross of $77,630 and a cume of $1.62 million. Box office reports obtained in THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER.