The Weekend Report: March 18, 2007

March 18, 2007
Weekend Finals
Domestic Market Share

Knee Jerk Reaction ...

The Spartans of 300 were still commanding the field even as their energies diminished by 56% to an estimated $31.3 million. Meanwhile the incoming forces had mixed effect with the chiller Premonition scarring up an impressive $17.7 million to rank third; followed by OK returns of $7.7 million for the horror entry Dead Silence and a disappointing $5.6 million launch of the Chris Rock marital comedy I Think I Love My Wife.

The frame was also rife with regional and specialized openers with particular good results for the Cannes-prized The Wind That Shakes the Barley in exclusives and the Quebec release of the Edith Piaf biopic La Vie en Rose.

Response to 300 has been considerably stronger than anticipated with the bygone heroics generating in excess of $100 million domestically in eight days of release. Wild Hogs also crossed that benchmark this past weekend and the two films along with Norbit and Ghost Rider have converted the slow starting first quarter from a deficit into a 2% improvement for the year to date.

Though primarily associated with romantic comedies Sandra Bullock's choice to go spooky in Premonition translated into the performer's best ever opening weekend debut. The presence of that film and the similar appeal Dead Silence suggested both films would suffer some commercial erosion but weekend results belied that forecast with both films hitting their target audience and extending beyond.

The fates were less kind to Chris Rock with the more thoughtful and less raucous I Think I Love My Wife. It fell short of bringing in his core audience and demonstrated little effect of developing new converts. Loosely based on the vintage Love in the Afternoon, the redo definitely got lost in translation.

On the heels of the dynamic bow of 300 weekend revenues experienced a sharp 27% decline from seven days earlier. However, ticket sales were 9% better than the comparable 2006 frame when V for Vendetta launched with $25.6 million.

New openers included an unusual number of national and provincial debuts in Canada. In Quebec the tuneful if tragic Piaf homage La Vie en Rose bowed at 42 locations to roughly $270,000. The film has grossed a very strong $40 million in a handful of European nations since its bow last month. Indigenous movies did not nearly as well with the horror-comedy Fido grossing about $93,000 from 72 sites across the country and Cashback generating slightly better than $35,000 from 22 Quebec venues.

The latest Bollywood release Hat Trick was also a niche disappointment with a slim $13,500 at 22 screens. Other weekend casualties included the comedy Tortilla Heaven that failed to spark at a targeted Hispanic crowd with a $61,800 return at 76 theaters; the horror opus Behind the Mask with a listless $29,300 from 72 playdates; and the epic adventure Nomad from the real Kazakhstan struggling to $13,100 from 30 locations. The latter was in desperate need of some Borat cross-promotion.

The bright spot proved to be Ken Loach's Cannes Palme d'or winner The Wind That Shakes the Barley set in 1920s Ireland during its turbulent steps toward independence. Critical hosannas translated into better than $9,000 per engagement averages from 14 engagements in the U.S. and Canada.

- Leonard Klady

Weekend Finals - March 16-18, 2007

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Title Distrib Weekend % Change Theaters Cume Wks

1

1
300 WB 32,877,328 -54% 3270 129,165,656 2

2

2
Wild Hogs BV 19,058,871 -31% 3360 104,226,868 3

3

New
Premonition Sony 17,558,689 - 2831 17,558,689 1

4

New
Dead Silence Uni 7,842,725 - 1805 7,842,725 1

5

New
I Think I Love My Wife Fox Searchlight 5,674,802 - 1776 5,674,802 1

6

3
Bridge to Terabithia BV 5,192,153 -23% 3091 74,967,513 5

7

4
Ghost Rider Sony 4,176,658 -37% 2824 110,378,574 5

8

5
Zodiac Par 3,287,560 -50% 2362 29,137,557 3

9

6
Norbit Par 2,766,593 -35% 2016 92,438,806 6

10

8
Music and Lyrics WB 2,272,317 -39% 1850 47,448,875 5

11

7
The Number 23 New Line 2,149,452 -47% 2201 33,917,402 4

12

10
Amazing Grace IDP 2,111,589 -15% 1162 14,457,029 4

13

9
Breach Uni 1,487,705 -41% 1277 31,366,800 5

14

16
Night at the Museum Fox 839,927 -9% 610 246,092,265 13

15

17
The Lives of Others Sony Classics 802,380 -6% 218 4,591,077 6

16

13
The Ultimate Gift Bigger Picture 801,452 -35% 800 2,528,371 3

17

27
The Namesake Fox Searchlight 715,026 188% 41 1,076,544 2

18

11
Black Snake Moan Par Vantage 665,525 -65% 862 8,744,995 3

19

21
Happy Feet WB 616,334 -1% 490 196,561,994 18

20

14
Daddy's Little Girls Lions Gate 574,914 -53% 467 31,058,283 5

21

15
The Astronaut Farmer WB 527,128 -48% 650 10,371,048 4

22

18
Pan's Labyrinth Picturehouse 455,277 -42% 376 36,207,983 12

23

20
The Last King of Scotland Fox Searchlight 359,725 -45% 330 16,862,173 25

24

19
Because I Said So Uni 341,235 -52% 452 42,304,410 7

25

12
Reno 911!: Miami Fox 334,363 -76% 496 20,014,736 4

26

22
The Queen Miramax 319,076 -44% 339 55,731,585 25

27

26
The Pursuit of Happyness Sony 252,460 -15% 349 163,566,459 14

28

24
The Host Magnolia 245,964 -22% 69 687,454 2

29

New
La Vie en Rose TVA 245,236 - 42 245,236 1

30

23
The Messengers Sony 227,756 -42% 306 35,374,833 7

31

28
Charlotte's Web Par 219,361 -6% 332 82,506,325 14

32

31
Deep Sea 3-D WB 206,225 5% 35 24,791,585 55

33

36
Blood Diamond WB 192,882 44% 233 56,962,625 15

34

32
Miss Potter MGM 186,673 4% 87 1,415,424 12

35

25
Dreamgirls Par�� 175,776 -44% 228 102,882,170 14

36

30
Stomp the Yard Sony 133,579 -44% 199 61,356,221 10

37

37
Arthur and the Invisibles MGM 119,844 -27% 128 14,867,792 10

38

29
Notes on a Scandal Fox Searchlight 101,514 -7% 132 17,238,407 12

39

New
The Wind That Shakes the Barley IFC/Christal 99,723 - 14 99,723 1

40

45
Avenue Montaigne (Orchestra Seats) Thinkfilm/Seville 94,568 6% 24 661,193 25

41

New
Fido TVA 91,879 - 67 91,879 1

42

40
The Painted Veil WIP 89,878 -18% 92 7,726,316 13

43

39
Epic Movie� Fox 83,823 -30% 154 39,496,113 8

44

35
Volver Sony Class/Seville 79,717 -42% 83 13,594,257 20

45

34
Ma Fille, Mon Ange Alliance 78,852 -26% 74 2,188,633 5

46

33
Hannibal Rising MGM 77,795 -57% 88 27,503,677 6

47

54
Magnificent Desolation Imax 76,626 35% 12 17,904,407 77

48

New
Tortilla Heaven Arcangelo 73,452 - 76 73,452 1

49

38
Breaking and Entering Weinstein Co. 67,464 -47% 79 811,487 8

50

67
Catch and Release Sony 63,460 247% 182 15,539,051 8

51

48
Eragon Fox 60,211 -23% 106 74,931,900 14

52

50
Roving Mars BV 59,847 -15% 14 6,435,779 60

53

43
Children of Men Uni 53,666 -45% 55 35,381,434 13

54

46
Casino Royale Sony 49,679 -39% 85 167,445,960 18

55

44
Happily Never After Lions Gate 47,814 -48% 83 16,093,145 11

56

52
Venus Miramax 47,705 -25% 78 3,261,449 13

57

47
Believe in Me IFC 41,811 -49% 40 151,811 2

58

58
Starter for 10 Picturehouse 40,542 -11% 32 177,442 4

59

55
Little Children New Line 36,164 -36% 47 5,369,440 24

60

78
The Italian Sony Classics 35,039 156% 25 284,410 9

61

42
Letters from Iwo Jima WB 34,635 -65% 86 13,602,578 13

62

92
The Work and the Glory: A House Divided Excel 32,550 297% 32 1,241,316 17

63

New
My Brother� Code Black 32,397 - 22 32,397 1

64

65
Into Great Silence (Die Grosse Stille) Zietgeist/Mongrel 30,973 34% 6 217,650 13

65

New
Behind the Mask Anchor Bay 30,582 - 72 30,582 1

66

49
Nos Voisins dhamtsu Christal 29,264 -61% 35 566,959 4

67

41
The Departed WB 29,189 -71% 68 132,373,442 24

68

53
Smokin' Aces Uni 26,518 -57% 51 35,689,249 8

69

New
Cashback Alliance 25,882 - 22 25,882 1

70

56
Freedom Writers Par 24,951 -53% 70 36,630,553 11

71

51
Babel Par Vantage 21,148 -70% 38 34,287,296 21

72

94
The Good German WB 20,911 108% 19 1,241,763 14

73

57
The Hitcher Focus 19,984 -58% 61 16,472,961 9

Source: Nielsen EDI; MCN

Estimates - March 16-18, 2007