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UMD Flops As Video Format; Sony Tries Memory Sticks
13 July 2006 (StudioBriefing)
Sony, which appears to have struck out in its effort to introduce the UMD format for playing movies on PlayStation Portable devices, will begin shipping its tiny Memory Sticks along with a conventional DVD containing four Sony movies, Hitch, S.W.A.T., The Grudge and XXX: State of the Union beginning next month. "This collaboration with Sony Pictures provides a quick, simple way to get a full-length movie onto Memory Stick media at no extra charge," Mike Kahn, senior manager at Sony for Memory Stick Media, said in a statement. The Memory Stick can also be used in Sony's cameras, audio players, and other devices. Sony said that the 1GB Memory Stick will retail for $60; the 2 GB, for $100. But several analysts, questioning the "no extra charge" assertion, observed that Memory Sticks of the same size are currently retailing for less than half that amount in some outlets. They voiced skepticism that the new approach for providing movies on PSPs will be any more successful than the UMD route.

Box Office Awaits The Force
17 May 2005 (StudioBriefing)
Four new films vied for attention at the box office over the weekend, but there were few sold-out venues, and the top-grossing film, Monster-in-Law, starring Jane Fonda and Jennifer Lopez, took in only $23.1 million. Kicking & Screaming, starring Will Ferrell, placed second at $20.2 million. The Jet Li martial-arts film Unleashed debuted with $10.9 million to place third, while Renny Harlin's Mindhunters tanked with just $1.9 million, placing tenth. It marked the twelfth consecutive weekend that results came in lower than the comparable week a year ago. The box office is expected to post its best numbers of the year next week following the opening of Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith.

The top ten films over the weekend, according to final figures compiled by Exhibitor Relations (figures in parentheses represent total gross to date): 1. Monster-in-Law, New Line, $23,105,133, (New); 2. Kicking & Screaming, Universal, $20,159,925, (New); 3. Unleashed, Focus, $10,900,901, (New); 4. Kingdom of Heaven, 20th Century Fox, $9,625,509, 2 Wks. ($35,097,419); 5. Crash, Lions Gate, $7,021,391; 6. House of Wax, Warner Bros., $6,563,440, 2 Wks. ($21,946,754); 7. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Disney, $5,049,938, 3 Wks. ($43,516,918); 8. The Interpreter, Universal, $4,592,505, 4 Wks. ($61,161,945); 9. XXX: State of the Union, Sony, $2,134,772, 3 Wks. ($24,340,577); 10. Mindhunters, Miramax/Dimension, $1,911,358, (New).

Box-Office Slump Extends to 12th Week
16 May 2005 (StudioBriefing)
Hopes that four new films in wide release would at last lift the box office after a nearly three-month slump faded on Sunday after preliminary estimates indicated that ticket sales were 6.7 percent below the same weekend last year. The top film, Monster-in-Law, starring Jane Fonda and Jennifer Lopez, took in $24 million, far below the $46.8 million earned by Troy during the comparable weekend in 2004. In second place was another comedy film, Kicking & Screaming, starring Will Ferrell, which recorded $21 million. The Jet Li martial arts film Unleashed debuted in third place with a respectable $10.6 million, but a fourth new film, Mindhunters, starring Val Kilmer, Christian Slater, and L.L. Cool J, flopped with just $2 million. Star Wars: Episode III is certain to end the downslide next weekend.

The top ten films for the weekend, according to studio estimates compiled by Exhibitor Relations: 1. Monster-in-Law, $24 million; 2. Kicking & Screaming, $21 million; 3. Unleashed, $10.6 million; 4. Kingdom of Heaven, $9.6 million; 5. Crash, $7.2 million; 6. House of Wax, $6.3 million; 7. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, $4.8 million; 8. The Interpreter, $4.4 million; 9. XXX: State of the Union, $2.2 million; 10. Mindhunters, $2 million.

Lost Crusade
10 May 2005 (StudioBriefing)
Last weekend's box office turned out to be significantly worse than the studios' original Sunday estimates -- which had been dismal enough in their own right. Twentieth Century Fox's Kingdom of Heaven, which is believed to have cost between $120 million and $185 million to produce, earned just $19.6 million domestically, according to final figures from Exhibitor Relations. Reporting on the downturn in theater attendance, which has produced 11 consecutive weeks of lower box-office results than last year, today's (Tuesday) New York Times asked, "Are people turning away from lackluster movies, or turning their backs on the whole business of going to theaters?" As if in reply, John Fithian, president of the National Association of Theatre Owners, told today's Los Angeles Daily News,"We always hope and expect to have a surprise hit or two in the year but we haven't had that this year. ... But our view is that it is primarily related to the product released in that period and not any cause for structural concern." Several analysts have concluded that the box office will remain in the doldrums until later this month, when the final Star Wars movie, Revenge of the Sith, is released. "We have never needed a Star Wars movie like we do right now," Exhibitor Relations chief Paul Dergarabedian told the Daily News. "Audiences have just kind of checked out and George Lucas is just going to check them back in. Lucas is going to come in to save the day."

The top ten films over the weekend, according to final figures compiled by Exhibitor Relations (figures in parentheses represent total gross to date): 1. Kingdom of Heaven, 20th Century Fox, $19,635,996, (New); 2. House of Wax, Warner Bros., $12,077,236, (New); 3. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Disney, $9,792,648, 2 Wks. ($35,782,098); 4. Crash, Lions Gate, $9,107,071, (New); 5. The Interpreter, Universal, $7,822,950, 3 Wks. ($54,403,865); 6. XXX: State of the Union, Sony, $5,520,628, 2 Wks. ($20,902,584); 7. Sahara, Paramount, $3,427,881, 5 Wks. ($61,664,541); 8. The Amityville Horror, MGM, $3,347,651, 4 Wks. ($60,308,453); 9. A Lot Like Love, Disney, $3,156,096, 3 Wks. ($18,912,009); 10. Fever Pitch, 20th Century Fox, $2,227,184, 5 Wks. ($39,248,456).

My 'Kingdom' for a 'House'
9 May 2005 (StudioBriefing)
The box office for Ridley Scott's $130-million Kingdom of Heaven may not have been heavenly in the U.S., where it took in only $20 million over the weekend, but it certainly was overseas, where it garnered $56 million. Twentieth Century Fox, which released the film in early May in order to give a wide berth to its upcoming Star Wars: Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith, which debuts worldwide (except Japan and South Korea) on May 19, said that it was "delighted" with the figures. Opening in second place domestically was the remake of the horror film House of Wax, which earned just $12.2 million. Analysts figured that Heaven and Wax would run neck-and-neck. Lions Gate's Crash debuted with $9.1 million, to place third, tied with last week's leader, Disney's The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy -- which dropped 57 percent in ticket sales. Still, theater houses were mostly empty. "It was quite an underwhelming week," Exhibitor Relations chief Paul Dergarabedian told the Associated Press. "This is theoretically the first weekend of the summer and it doesn't feel like one." It marked the 11th straight week in which box office totals remained lower than they were in the comparable period a year ago, the longest slump in five years. Attendance is down eight percent from last year; revenue, down five percent.

The top ten films for the weekend, according to studio estimates compiled by Exhibitor Relations: 1. Kingdom of Heaven, $20 million; 2. House of Wax, $12.2 million; 3. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, $9.1 million; 4. Crash, $9.1 million; 5. The Interpreter, $7.5 million; 6: XXX: State of the Union, $5.4 million; 7. The Amityville Horror, $3.2 million; 8. Sahara, $3.1 million; 9. A Lot Like Love, $3 million; 10. Fever Pitch, $2 million.

Disney Keeps Ahead
3 May 2005 (StudioBriefing)
The Walt Disney Co. was over the moon Monday about the success of its The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, which opened in first place at the box office over the weekend with $21.1 million in ticket sales. It was the only film that performed solidly, as Sony's XXX: State of the Union, starring Samuel L. Jackson and Ice Cube, which some analysts had predicted would become the first big summer smash instead landed in third place with only $12.7 million. Slipping to second place was Universal's The Interpreter, with $13.8 million. Ticket sales for the top 12 films fell 14 percent to $80.9 million from the comparable weekend a year ago, marking the 10th weekend in a row of lower results.

The top ten films over the weekend, according to final figures compiled by Exhibitor Relations (figures in parentheses represent total gross to date): 1. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Disney, $21,103,203, 1 Wks. ($21,103,203); 2. The Interpreter, Universal, $13,833,815, 2 Wks. ($43,152,385); 3. XXX: State of the Union, Sony, $12,712,272, 1 Wks. ($12,712,272); 4. The Amityville Horror, MGM, $7,862,157, 3 Wks. ($54,816,999); 5. Sahara, Paramount, $5,708,332, 4 Wks. ($56,885,831); 6. A Lot Like Love, Disney, $5,084,727, 2 Wks. ($14,561,119); 7. Fever Pitch,20th Century Fox, $3,532,813, 4 Wks. ($36,317,491); 8. Kung Fu Hustle, Sony Classics, $3,317,955, 4 Wks. ($12,653,318); 9. Robots, 20th Century Fox, $2,269,605, 8 Wks. ($123,300,061); 10. Guess Who, Sony, $2,151,446, 6 Wks. ($65,434,348).

'Hitchhiker' Rides High; 'XXX' Flops
2 May 2005 (StudioBriefing)
"Don't Panic" might well have been not only the watchword of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, but also cautionary advice to nervous stockholders in the Walt Disney Co., which distributed it. Despite mixed reviews, the film, based on a BBC radio series and a book that sprung from it, took in an estimated $21.7 million at the box office, making it the top film of the weekend. Other films did not fare nearly so well. Universal's The Interpreter, starring Nicole Kidman and Sean Penn, dropped just 37 percent to take second place with $14.2 million. But the film that was expected to take top honors, Sony's XXX: State of the Union, starring Samuel L. Jackson and Ice Cube, tanked with just $13.7 million, about half what box-office analysts had predicted. The poor performance was largely responsible for pushing the total for the top 12 films to $84.8 million, down 10 percent from the previous weekend, making it the 10th weekend in a row of lower results.

The top ten films for the weekend, according to studio estimates compiled by Exhibitor Relations: 1. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, $21.7 million; 2. The Interpreter, $14.2 million; 3. XXX: State of the Union, $13.7 million; 4. The Amityville Horror, $8.1 million; 5. Sahara, $6 million; 6. A Lot Like Love, $5.2 million; 7. Kung Fu Hustle, $3.8 million; 8. Fever Pitch, $3.75 million; 9. Robots, $2.65 million; 10. Guess Who, $2.2 million.

Movie Reviews: 'XXX: State of the Union'
29 April 2005 (StudioBriefing)
Joel Siegel of ABC's Good Morning America sums up XXX: State of the Union in seven words: "Great toys, neat action, not much else." He concludes by remarking: "This is the silliest big-budget movie I have ever seen." David Hiltbrand in the Philadelphia Inquirer doesn't spare the disparaging hyperbole, either. "State of the Union concludes with a stunningly unconvincing, uninteresting and unsuspenseful chase of a bullet train, one of the worst sequences in cinematic history," he writes. Glenn Whipp in the Los Angeles Daily News calls it "an earsplitting, freakishly over-the-top finale that seems born either of desperation or a bender that would make Hunter S. Thompson proud." Stephen Hunter in the Washington Post remarks that the movie "is so primitive, it must have been written in lizard blood on animal skin." Manohla Dargis in the New York Times refers to the "nitwit story" and its "mercilessly bad dialogue." She remarks that the production is all about "casting actresses who are easily upstaged by their breasts and young actors ... who look as if they should be warbling in a boy band." Peter Howell in the Toronto Star chastises director Lee Tamahori (Once Were Warriors) from going "from New Zealand talent to Hollywood sell-out" with this film. Nevertheless, a few critics concede that it makes a good movie to eat popcorn by. And Kevin Thomas in the Los Angeles Times, the dependable contrarian, gives it an all-out rave -- calling the much reviled ending "an intricate, stunningly staged climax, a bold instance of the fantastic made jarringly realistic, which characterizes the entire film -- and what makes it exhilarating as entertainment."

Comeback Time at the Box Office?
29 April 2005 (StudioBriefing)
Box office analysts are predicting that after nine weeks of business that fell below the same period a year ago, this week's openings of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and XXX: State of the Union ought to pull the business out of its slump. If so, it won't be because the two films are receiving much help from critics.

Box Office Marks Ninth Week of Drought
26 April 2005 (StudioBriefing)
Universal's The Interpreter, starring Nicole Kidman and Sean Penn, performed far better than expected at the box office over the weekend, but it was not enough to keep overall ticket sales below last year's for the ninth week in a row. The political thriller directed by Sydney Pollack took in $22.8 million, pushing last week's winner, MGM's The Amityville Horror, into second place with $3.7 million. Paramount's Sahara slipped to third place with $9 million. Today's (Tuesday) USA Today observed that analysts expect the losing streak to end next weekend with the openings of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and XXX: State of the Union.

The top ten films over the weekend, according to final figures compiled by Exhibitor Relations (figures in parentheses represent total gross to date): 1. The Interpreter, Universal, $22,822,455, (New); 2. The Amityville Horror, MGM, $13,707,999, 2 Wks. ($43,316,733); 3. Sahara, Paramount, $9,027,885, 3 Wks. ($48,947,382); 4. A Lot Like Love, Disney, $7,576,593, (New); 5. Kung Fu Hustle, Sony Classics, $6,749,572, 3 Wks. ($7,483,773); 6. Fever Pitch, 20th Century Fox, $5,509,381, 3 Wks. ($31,510,601); 7. Sin City, Miramax/Dimension, $3,726,675, 4 Wks. ($67,263,575); 8. Guess Who, Sony, $3,513,837, 5 Wks. ($62,388,926); 9. Robots, 20th Century Fox, $3,417,363, 7 Wks. ($120,285,570); 10. King's Ransom, New Line, $2,137,685, (New).

New 'XXX' DVD To Include Scenes Leading Into Second Movie
24 March 2005 (StudioBriefing)
Additional scenes are being attached to a "director's cut" DVD of the 2002 XXX that will serve as a bridge to the sequel, XXX: State of the Union, which is due to be released theatrically on April 29. The scenes, presented as a four minute short on the DVD, will depict the death of Xander Cage, the lead character, played by Vin Diesel in the original film. (He's played by Khristian Lupo on the DVD.) Director Rob Cohen observed that while the new movie will refer to Cage's death, the DVD will show how it occurred. "It's pretty graphic," Cohen told Home Media Retailing magazine. He added: "It occurred to me that if we're going to do an extended director's cut, there better be something really worth buying in it, because I don't want the audience that was attracted to my film to feel like they're being ripped off."

Diesel Wants to be Taken Seriously
12 November 2002 (WENN)
Tinseltown beefcake Vin Diesel is sick of making action movies - because he wants to be taken serious as an actor. The XXX star believes Hollywood has pigeon-holed him in the action genre and wants to branch out into different film types, including adaptations of Shakespeare. One movie executive says, "He wants to be the next Tom Hanks." Another film boss adds, "Maybe he can just go do (William Shakespeare) in one movie and get it out of his system, like Keanu (Reeves)." However Diesel's thespian dreams will have to be put on hold for now. Vin has several action flicks in the pipeline, including A Man Apart, Pitch Black sequel The Chronicles Of Riddick and XXX2. Vin recently met up with Nicole Kidman to discuss the prospect of a remake of Guys And Dolls.