DELLAMORTE’S B.O. WRAP UP – 12/21/07

This just in: Apatow shoots his first blank since The Cable Guy (which actually made money and wasn’t bad). Was it advertising? In the sense that there was tons of it, likely no. So either people didn’t warm to the concept, or were turned off (perhaps just as much by Dewey Cox as by the Date, Epic and Scary Movies). Of course, Judd isn’t hurt by this and has five projects due next year (Drillbit Taylor, Step Brothers, The Pineapple Express, You Don’t Mess with the Zohan, and Forgetting Sarah Marshall). What this may also mean is that people are still going to want to be in the Apatow business, but now execs can likely say “but what’s the hook?” He’s still the golden boy, and maybe this will find a life on DVD, or the countless Comedy Central airings, which some kid will watch and know by heart, and then when he sees the unrated version will have his mind blown. But if Drillbit doesn’t connect… People will still want to work with Apatow. Who doesn’t?

As I may have intimated Friday, this is something of a five-day weekend, so the numbers might be good tomorrow and Tuesday for the top three films. National Treasure got to $45, should finish out the weekend (such as it is) near or over $60. I Am Legend should generate another 10 or more. Alvin may also add a huge chunk of change.

Alas, for Charlie Wilson and Sweeney Todd, not so much. These films were not going to set the world on fire fiscally, but both had very week openings even under limited expectations, and it won’t get much better. If they can limp, or get some heat, they might make money when the DVD hits. At least Sweeney had a good per screen (in comparison) but the Friday to Saturday drop suggests that yes there were people who didn’t know it was a musical, and they aren’t happy about it. Factor in the gore being a turn-off for the Broadway set, and the singing a turn-off to gore fans, and the lack of academy love to date, and this may be a write-off.

P.S. I Love You didn’t do great business, but it’s also the sort of film that can play quietly in the bottom half of the top ten for the next two months. Or not. If its audience talks it up to the base, it could be a long play. Enchanted will get to its nine digit Valhalla probably come Christmas day (Come Christmas Day is my third favorite Christmas themed porno, behind Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Ass-Freak, and Christmas with the Kranks. The last one isn’t a porno, but man is Tim Allen funny in it). The Golden Compass will crest $50 shortly, and may yet get to $60. They say the international numbers are better (where it’s at over $90 currently), but it should still be a money loser, and I doubt we’ll get part II unless it can be done with sock puppets.

Juno’s still packing the houses, and Ebert’s positioning it as the best film of the year bodes well for the film. Will it sneak in as a best picture nominee? The magic eightball just said “Definitely Maybe.” I didn’t know my eightball was an Oasis fan, but you learn something new every day.