..Gary Dretzka
..Noah Forrest
..Leonard Klady
..David Poland
..Douglas Pratt
..Ray Pride
..Kim Voynar
..Michael Wilmington

August 26, 2007 Weekend Finals Domestic Market Share Bean Counters Superbad continued as the top draw in North American multiplexes with an estimated $17.9 million that represented a 46% drop in its second weekend in release. In these dog days of summer there was only limited solace for a torrent of new product hoping to get a quick hit prior to the traditional box office doldrums that kick in post-Labor Day. Mr. Bean's Holiday led the newcomers with a better than anticipated $10 million debut that ranked fourth overall. The action-packed War followed with $9.7 and the droll comedy The Nanny Diaries recorded $7.4 million. While the trio at least registered a pulse the hat trick of Resurrecting the Champ, Illegal Tender and September Dawn were casualties in all respects with respective openers of $1.7 million, $1.4 million and $570,000. There was an equal fierce wave of movies targeted at niche or alternative crowds including Heyy Baby on the Bollywood circuit with a better than average $300,000 bow in 68 locations. The tragic non-fiction sea odyssey Dark Water looked promising with $21k at two moorings and there was a fair start of $22k for the American indie Dedication at four venues. Otherwise the premieres were disappointing ranging from The Hottest State, Ethan Hawke's adaptation of his novel; the terrorist themed Right at Your Door and the talk to the sea animals Eye of the Dolphin. Overall the summer ebb continued with weekend revenues of approximately $107 million fall back 18% from the prior frame. It still represented a 5% boost from 2006 when Invincible led the field with a $17 million debut. With the summer season closing in eight days box office is already at a gross record of $3.97 billion that exceeds summer 2006's total by 5.6%. Paramount will easily walk away with market share bragging rights with Universal's late surge securing it second spot. The perennial disregard of teens and tweens in tracking studies once again reared its head with an under-evaluation of Mr. Bean's Holiday. The character's international appeal has been staggering but he continues to mystify Americans with puerile pantomime that's confined him to the cognoscenti and sub-teens delighting in the cheap laughs. Once positioned as an award's contender The Nanny Diaries shifted gears following tepid previews and equally lukewarm reviews promoted no better than OK commercial returns. The positioning of both Resurrecting the Champ and September Dawn clearly bargained for a late seasonal toe-hold that would secure steady returns and attention in the early fall. However neither film was able to stir up much of a media spotlight and as Fitzgerald noted there are no second acts in American lives and the situation for movies is more severe by any yardstick. - Leonard Klady Weekend Estimates - August 24-26, 2007 Title Distributor Gross (average) % change * Theaters Cume Superbad Sony 17.9 (6,060) -46% 2948 68.4 The Bourne Ultimatum Uni 12.6 (3,440) -36% 3679 185.4 Rush Hour 3 New Line 11.5 (3,370) -46% 3408 108.3 Mr. Bean's Holiday Uni 10.0 (5,850) x 1714 10 War Lions Gate 9.7 (4,240) x 2277 9.7 The Nanny Diaries MGM 7.4 (2,830) x 2629 7.4 The Simpson Movie Fox 4.3 (1,660) -37% 2600 173.4 Stardust Par 3.9 (1,660) -31% 2339 26.4 Hairspray New Line 3.5 (1,730) -23% 2016 107.5 The Invasion WB 3.0 (1,090) -49% 2776 11.4 Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix WB 2.5 (1,870) -32% 1322 283.3 Underdog BV 2.3 (1,030) -41% 2209 36.7 Becoming Jane Miramax 2.0 (1,680) -31% 1210 12.8 I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry Uni 2.0 (1,300) -45% 1529 114.2 Resurrecting the Champ FreeStyle 1.7 (1,080) x 1602 1.7 Illegal Tender Uni 1.4 (2,750) x 512 1.4 No Reservations WB 1.3 (1,190) -44% 1117 39.1 Transformers Par 1.2 (1,400) -41% 826 308.6 Ratatouille BV 1.1 (1,160) -32% 956 199 Death at a Funeral MGM 1.0 (3,910) -20% 261 2.9 The Last Legion Weinstein Co. .85 (440) -69% 1935 5 Daddy Day Camp Sony .68 (690) -65% 986 11.1 September Dawn Slow Hand .57 (670) x 857 0.6 Weekend Total ($500,000+ Films) $102.40 x % Change (Last Year) 5% x % Change (Last Week) -18% x Also debuting/expanding Heyy Baby Eros .30 (4,460) x 68 0.3 Right at Your Door IDP 28,500 (1,430) x 20 0.03 Eye of the Dolphin Monteray 27,700 (290) x 130 0.03 Dedication Weinstein Co. 22,300 (5,570) x 4 0.02 Deep Water IFC 21,100 (10,550) x 2 0.02 The Hottest State Thinkfilm 8,200 (2,730) x 3 0.02 Hannah Takes the Stairs IFC 4,800 (4,800) x 1 0.01 The Bothersome Man Film Movement 1,820 (1,820) x 1 0.01 Top Worldwide Releases: To August 23, 2007 Title Distributor Gross Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End BV 956,963,689 Spider-Man 3 Sony 890,256,837 Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix WB 873,918,184 Shrek the Third Par 738,826,903 Transformers Par 668,937,299 300 WB 455,946,644 The Simpsons Movie Fox 443,435,988 Night at the Museum * Fox 394,527,282 Ratatouille BV 359,319,553 Live Free or Die Hard Fox 348,407,741 Ocean's Thirteen WB 296,725,092 Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer Fox 267,995,797 Wild Hogs BV 253,368,238 Ghost Rider Sony 229,847,486 The Bourne Ultimatum Uni 213,882,729 The Pursuit of Happyness * Sony 209,817,552 Mr. Bean's Holiday Uni/Wk Title 189,020,934 Knocked Up Uni 166,776,153 Norbit Par 159,215,810 Meet the Robinsons BV 153,871,163 Domestic Market Share: To August 16, 2007 Title Distributor Gross Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End BV 956,963,689 Spider-Man 3 Sony 890,256,837 Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix WB 873,918,184 Shrek the Third Par 738,826,903 Transformers Par 668,937,299 300 WB 455,946,644 The Simpsons Movie Fox 443,435,988 Night at the Museum * Fox 394,527,282 Ratatouille BV 359,319,553 Live Free or Die Hard Fox 348,407,741 Ocean's Thirteen WB 296,725,092 Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer Fox 267,995,797 Wild Hogs BV 253,368,238 Ghost Rider Sony 229,847,486 The Bourne Ultimatum Uni 213,882,729 The Pursuit of Happyness * Sony 209,817,552 Mr. Bean's Holiday Uni/Wk Title 189,020,934 Knocked Up Uni 166,776,153 Norbit Par 159,215,810 Meet the Robinsons BV 153,871,163