As the Time Warner/AOL merger wound its way to completion, new Warner Bros. chairman-CEO Barry Meyer and president-chief operating officer Alan Horn have made moves to redefine the studio as a place committed to getting scripts "right" before they are packaged with stars.
"We have a terrific balance of movies from partners and inhouse," Horn said.
The execs have demonstrated a risk-averse approach, with roughly half of the pics Horn greenlights produced by equity partners such as Franchise Pictures, Morgan Creek, Village Roadshow and Bel Air.
The strategy has helped Warner Bros. protect itself on costly, risky movies such as Franchise Pictures' "Battlefield Earth," which tanked -- but not at Warners' expense.
Warner Bros.
Domestic box office
|
| Film |
Release date
|
2000 gross*
|
| Three Kings |
1999
|
1.4
|
| House on Haunted Hill |
1999
|
0.4
|
| Pokemon: The First Movie |
1999
|
1.7
|
| The Green Mile |
1999
|
60.1
|
| Liberty Heights |
1999
|
1.5
|
| Any Given Sunday |
1999
|
29.8
|
| My Dog Skip |
Jan. 12
|
34.1
|
| The Big Tease |
Jan. 28
|
0.2
|
| The Whole Nine Yards |
Feb. 18
|
57.3
|
| Romeo Must Die |
March 22
|
56.0
|
| Ready to Rumble |
April 7
|
12.4
|
| Gossip |
April 21
|
5.1
|
| Battlefield Earth |
May 12
|
21.5
|
| The Perfect Storm |
June 30
|
182.6
|
| In Crowd |
July 19
|
5.3
|
| Pokemon: The Movie 2000 |
July 21
|
43.8
|
| Space Cowboys |
Aug. 4
|
90.2
|
| The Replacements |
Aug. 11
|
44.7
|
| Art of War |
Aug. 25
|
30.2
|
| Bait |
Sept. 15
|
15.3
|
| Into the Arms of Strangers |
Sept. 15
|
0.4
|
| The Exorcist** |
Sept. 22
|
39.7
|
| Best in Show |
Sept. 27
|
17.2
|
| Get Carter |
Oct. 6
|
15.0
|
| Pay It Forward |
Oct. 20
|
33.0
|
| Red Planet |
Nov. 10
|
17.3
|
| Proof of Life |
Dec. 8
|
29.1
|
| Miss Congeniality |
Dec. 22
|
46.4
|
| Total |
|
891.7
|
** reissue
* - figures in millions |
|
2001 slate
|
| Film |
Release date
|
| The Pledge |
Jan. 19
|
| Valentine |
Feb. 2
|
| Sweet November |
Feb.
|
| 163,000 Miles to Graceland |
Feb. 23
|
| See Spot Run |
March 2
|
| The Dish |
March 9
|
| Exit Wounds |
March 14
|
| Pluto Nash |
April 6
|
| Pokemon 3 |
April 11
|
| Rock Star |
April 13
|
| Driven |
April 27
|
| The Heist |
May 4
|
| American Outlaws |
May 18
|
| Cats and Dogs |
May 25
|
| Swordfish |
June 8
|
| A.I. |
June 29
|
| Osmosis Jones |
3rd quarter
|
| Angel Eyes |
3rd quarter
|
| City by the Sea |
3rd quarter
|
| Summer Catch |
3rd quarter
|
| Juwanna Mann |
4th quarter
|
| 13 Ghosts |
Oct. 26
|
| Harry Potter's Sorceror's Stone |
Nov. 16
|
| Ocean's Eleven |
Dec. 25
|
| The Bijou |
Dec. 25
|
| Charlotte Gray |
Dec. 25
|
| The Affair of the Necklace |
TBA
|
| Collateral Damage |
TBA
|
| Hearts in Atlantis |
TBA
|
| The Queen of the Damned |
TBA
|
| Salton Sea |
TBA
|
| Training Day |
TBA
|
| |
|
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