'Gladiator' levels 'Battlefield'
$24 mil take outdoes next four movies combined
Figures for Russell Crowe starrer nearly doubled the $12.3 million tithe of John Travolta sci-fier "Battlefield Earth." More importantly for DreamWorks, it showed Roman actioner is in the running for long-term grossus maximus.
"The word of mouth is still incredibly strong," said Jim Tharp, DreamWorks' distrib chief. "We have already gotten some repeat business."
On the heels of a $34.8 million opening, biggest of any 2000 pic and tops in studio history, "Gladiator" declined a modest 30%. By comparison, "The Mummy," last year's early May smash, retreated 43% in Week 2 on the way to a final cume of $155.3 million. It's still a bit early for projections, but "Gladiator's" $73.3 million cume in 10 days suggests a final tally at least in "Mummy" territory.
Unlike last weekend, overall B.O. showed a distinct sword-and-sandal bump. Total receipts should reach about $87 million, up 23% from the same frame in 1999, according to ACNielsen EDI.
Unrivaled thus far
Early May is proving prime time for "Gladiator," which won't face a true head-to-head rival until "Mission: Impossible 2" on May 24. The pre-Memorial Day period as a whole has grown 77% since 1995, more than double the growth rate for the traditional summer span.
Yet "Gladiator" is the first big-budget R-rated pic to launch in early May over the past few years. Even though it split the roughly $100 million cost with Universal (which is distributing "Gladiator" overseas), DreamWorks couldn't guarantee auds would stomach the violence.
"The wild card for us has always been that it's R-rated," Tharp said. "But these numbers show that you can do a lot with that rating."
Cynics have pointed out that "Gladiator" hasn't yet faced a true B.O. battle, sinking its sword into sacrificial lambs like "I Dreamed of Africa." That pattern continued this weekend, despite some observers' predictions that Warner Bros.' "Battlefield Earth" would provide a test.
Travolta's a major draw, the argument went. So also is the controversial author of the book on which "Battlefield" is based: Scientology founder L.Ron Hubbard. In the end, though, pic might as well have been based on Old Mother Hubbard.
Glass is half full
Warners distrib chief Dan Fellman tried to put the best face on the effort. "We're glad we got open," he said. "There was a big gap between us and the No. 3 film."
But simply on the basis of playdates, "Battlefield" bow has to be considered a misfire for Warners and producer Elie Samaha's WB-based Franchise Pictures.
At 3,307 playdates, pic was the fifth-widest opening ever. The four titles ahead of it, "Godzilla," "Austin Powers 2," "Wild Wild West" and "Scream 3," each managed at least $34 million.
Even 1998's "Lost in Space," whose 3,306 runs trailed "Battlefield" by just one on the all-time list, had a $20 million opening.
In that context, weekend bows of Sony's "Center Stage," Universal's "Screwed" and Trimark's "Held Up" looked pretty respectable.
Nicholas Hytner-helmed "Center Stage," a ballet-themed drama, collected $4.8 million to finish fourth.
"Screwed," a comedy featuring Norm MacDonald, fetched $3.4 million. U is taking some solace in its $10 million pricetag.
Given its scant 688 runs, Jamie Foxx starrer "Held Up" pulled off quite a heist reaching the top 10. Co-starring Nia Long, pic is aiming to cash in on Foxx's widely hailed turn in Oliver Stone's "Any Given Sunday."
To be, or not to B.O.
The prince of specialized action was an updated "Hamlet" from Miramax. Contempo Shakespeare take pulled in $61,000 from four screens, two in L.A. and two in Gotham. On Friday, Ethan Hawk topliner will expand to the top 10 markets.
Paramount Classics' "The Virgin Suicides" nearly tripled its screen count to 270, but saw its three-day estimate almost double, to $655,000. Sofia Coppola directorial debut has racked up $1.7 million, but wider expansion potential remains uncertain, execs said.
"Timecode," from Sony's Screen Gems banner, pocketed another $135,000, or an average of $3,214 on each of 42 runs. Digitally shot experiment from director Mike Figgis has put $361,000 in the till.
Large-format sophomore "Michael Jordan to the Max" added $536,178 from 43 engagements, for an average of $12,469.
"Road" sneaks up
When DreamWorks execs weren't busy counting up "Gladiator" grosses, they were reviewing feedback from 800 sneaks on "Road Trip." Gross-out comedy opens Friday with about 2300-2500 playdates.
Tharp said shows were 60%-70% full, with at least 90% of auds rating the pic "very good" or "excellent." The numbers compared closely with those of "Road Trip's" 1999 predecessor, "American Pie."
DreamWorks also plans about 800 runs Friday for Woody Allen caper comedy "Small Time Crooks." Those bows, along with ongoing champ "Gladiator," will face May's most formidable title yet: Disney's megabudget "Dinosaur."
