Film Report Card: New Line
"On balance, it was a good year," asserted Lynne. "We had a real disappointment with 'Little Nicky,' which didn't do what it was supposed to. But New Line did about $400 million, the second best box office take in the history of the company."
Pics such as "The Cell," "Next Friday," "Final Destination" and "Frequency" all performed solidly, but without a tentpole, such as last year's "Austin Powers" sequel, there wasn't anything to write home about. New Line hoped the Adam Sandler pic "Little Nicky" would be a cash cow, but instead it turned into a dog, its year-end $38 million cume making it the lowest-grossing Sandler pics since the star broke out.
Insiders also wondered why New Line resisted aggressively putting pics together in the hectic pre-strike fall and also talked about the millions the studio has invested in the beleaguered $80 million Warren Beatty starrer "Town and Country" (due for release in March) and the epic trilogy "The Lord of the Rings" (first installment due out in December).
New Line's worries seemed to reach fevered pitch by year's end when rumors circulated that president of production Michael De Luca may be considering a new gig. De Luca, whose contract ends in December, has denied the rumors.
In any case, New Line's recent travails may well prove temporary, with the studio optimistic about 2001. On deck is "Rush Hour 2," "Blade 2" and "Lord of the Rings," not to mention such dramas as the Denzel Washington starrer "John Q," the Al Pacino starrer "Simone," the Irwin Winkler-helmed "Life Is a House" and the Alexander Payne-helmed Jack Nicholson starrer "About Schmidt."
|
New Line Domestic box office
| ||
| Film |
Release date
|
2000 gross*
|
| The Bachelor |
1999
|
0.5
|
| Magnolia |
1999
|
21.7
|
| Next Friday |
Jan. 12
|
57.2
|
| Boiler Room |
Feb. 18
|
17.0
|
| Final Destination |
March 17
|
53.3
|
| Price of Glory |
March 31
|
3.4
|
| Love & Basketball |
April 21
|
27.5
|
| Frequency |
April 28
|
45.0
|
| The Cell |
Aug.18
|
61.3
|
| Turn It Up |
Sept. 6
|
1.2
|
| Bamboozled |
Oct. 6
|
2.2
|
| Lost Souls |
Oct. 13
|
16.8
|
| The Little Vampire |
Oct. 27
|
13.6
|
| Little Nicky |
Nov. 10
|
38.8
|
| Dungeons & Dragons |
Dec. 8
|
14.3
|
| Thirteen Days |
Dec. 25
|
0.3
|
| Total |
|
374.1
|
| ** reissue * - figures in millions | ||
|
2001 slate
| |
| Film |
Release date
|
| Sugar and Spice |
Jan. 26
|
| 15 Minutes |
March 9
|
| Town and Country |
March 16
|
| Blow |
April 6
|
| Cheaters |
May 18
|
| Rush Hour 2 |
Aug. 3
|
| Jason X |
Aug. 17
|
| Bones |
Oct. 26
|
| Lord of the Rings |
Dec. 19
|
| John Q |
TBA
|
| Simone |
TBA
|
| Hedwig and the Angry Inch |
TBA
|
| Knockaround Guys |
TBA
|
| Unconditional Love |
TBA
|
