DELLAMORTE'S BOX OFFICE WRAP UP – 2/15/08

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Just In: Bugaloo Shrimp could not be reached for comment.

With Thursday openings and President’s Day recognized on Monday, it was a good weekend for the new titles and will continue to be tomorrow. Though Definitely, Maybe was weak, it will probably have a longer play than the top two, which will struggle to keep up business after their opening weekends.

That said, let’s look at this: Jumper hit the #1, with a little less than $34. It’ll get closer to $40 come the end of Monday. With the film costing close to $90, if the international sales are good, it will be a modest win for Fox. In what Liman described (on Chud, right here) as something of a chaotic shoot, that the film willl likely make its budget theatrically means it’s not a complete disaster, though it’s a pro vs. con thing. The biggest name is Sam Jackson, who doesn’t really open pictures, it’s high concept, etc. so the film has done well for what it was, but it’s also pursued an aggressive marketing campaign, and cost nearly a hundred. Again, it’s going to do better in ancilaries, but considering the release date and all the baggage, this is something of a victory. Or that is to say, it’s not a mark against Liman, while no one else really loses or benefits (Hayden Christensen or Rachel Bilson can’t claim it as much of a win, though it won’t hurt their careers, such as they are), and no one’s expectations or bonuses were cresting on it.

The bigger winner was surely Step Up 2 The Streets, which had no stars and is virtually an in-name-only sequel (I was informed there was a brief cameo from the lead of the original) and could be in profit as soon as today. But this is the sort of film that’s a big win for the studio (in this case, Disney) as it’s a good return on investment, whereas for the creative team it’s a meaningless victory. The director or the stars might be able to get some work out of this, but dancing films come along in January now (it’s likely 2009 will bring us Step Up 3 Feet High and Rising) so the stars are known as leads from that dancing picture (if at all), and it’s assumed no one went to this thing because of the actors – though the main chick looks hot. In Hollywood that might get you a second meeting, and she is the daughter of Deep Star Six‘s Greg Evigan. But these pictures are considered slumming, and for the actors it makes you ghetto famous, not famous-famous, while the creative team is treated with respect for their ability to make a profitable entry, but little else. Especially since most of these films are crafted with an MTV-styled director, and a script strung together from the cliches of “racial tolerance for white people doing black things” that has been popular since white people decided they wanted to breakdance and moonwalk too.

The longer play will likely be evinced in The Spiderwick Chronicles, which continues Seth Rogen’s winning streak (he plays the voice of Hogsqueal). The film has three credited writers, all of whom seem to have their own voices, and that list includes notorious script polisher John Sayles. Director Mark Waters came from the indie school with The House of Yes, and seemed to maintain something of a voice with Mean Girls, but has since fallen into studio work with pictures like this and Just Like Heaven. But though the film didn’t take the weekend, it doesn’t have any direct competition until 3/14, when Fox unleashes Horton Hears a Who, which also features the voicework of Rogen.  It’ll be Rogen against Rogen at that point. Like Jumper, Spiderwick has a listed production budget of $90 Million, but there’s also something of a gimme-ancillary factor when it comes to kid’s films, in that a lot of parents (as long as the film did some business and children didn’t actively hate it) will buy films like this blindly in the hopes of keeping their kids distracted. And so if the film hits $100, or around there, no one’s disappointed, and again – like Jumper – if they thought they really had something it would come out in a better time of the year.

Fool’s Gold took a 40% hit, which is to be expected, as romantic comedy vs. fall off got a bit of a Valentine’s Day bounce from a standard 50-60%. A film like this gets greenlit because it returns two actors together who worked well in the past (in this case Hudson and McConaughey, How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days) though me, I’m more interested in the union of Ray Winstone and Malcolm-Jamal Warner. Anyway, Ten Days got to over $100, and this picture will likely top out around $60-70. That is to be expected, as Failure to Launch (which followed a similar release pattern and rom-com sensibilty) did about $90. MM will likely keep getting work in films like this, though the diminishing return factor means he better find some material that elevates his stock. Maybe a return to Linklatter country is in order. Hudson has no real heat these days, so this was a good picture for her in that it’s work, but she should probably try and find something juicy.

Defintely, Maybe opened soft, but if word of mouth is good it could get the long play. Alas, opening a Romantic Comedy on Valentine’s Day is like opening a Horror movie on Halloween. Universal didn’t want to fight with Fool’s Gold, so the hope has to be that people talk it up, and the film gets to around $40. That’s good business with this opening, but rom-coms often play long or odd. It all depends if it can hang out. But Ryan Reynolds can be counted on for that. He hasn’t broken his glass ceiling yet. Too bad.

Roscoe Jenkins took a little over 40% hit, so $40 isn’t out of the picture,  but that’s as good as that gets. Juno will keep playing through the Oscars, and will likely get to $140, though $150 seems out of the question. Still, impressive, most impressive. Also playing long is The Bucket List, which may yet get to $90, though this looks to be the last weekend in the top ten. Jack is still a draw. Hannah Montana is done, but the win is still strong, regardless of the heavy, heavy drop offs. While 27 Dresses is a solid off-season hit. Though every time I say the title I have to add “and a bitch ain’t one.” Cause that’s what I hear.