Slates iffy but spiffy
Warner leads studios into 2002
|
Critics and execs carped all year that the overall slate lacked quality, and especially in the sequel-ridden, quick-fade summer, concept often triumphed over substance. The quick retreats of major pics, with second-week drops exceeding 50%, only added to the woes of theater circuits already coping with financial hardships.
Even more worrisome to the still-consolidating congloms, several carefully engineered blockbusters failed to deliver, leaving plenty of room for resolutions in 2002.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. fired on all cylinders in 2001, earning more than $1 billion at the domestic box office, opening eight films at No. 1 and holding that slot for a total of 11 weeks -- all numbers that bested its competitors.
The biggest contributor to those figures was "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone," which looks to pass $300 million and promises more to come in 2002 with "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets."
Even without the young wizard, Warners would still have emerged on top thanks to the performances of films like "Ocean's Eleven," "Training Day" and "Cats and Dogs."
The impressive stats also point to the studio's policy of running as many films through its distribution system as it can possibly hold.
"We actually did a fair amount of homework and asked, 'What does capacity represent to you guys?' " said Warner Bros. president/chief operating officer Alan Horn. "Under 25 was underutilizing the system, while over 30 you choke on your own movies."
Of the 26 films that Warners released in 2001, more than a half-dozen carried no financial risk for the studio. These included such misfires as "American Outlaws" from Morgan Creek, Alcon Entertainment's "Affair of the Necklace" and Franchise Pictures' "3,000 Miles to Graceland."
The B.O. performance of these was irrelevant to Warners' bottom line, since the studio took a flat distribution fee in return for their release.
"The problem is when one of these movies doesn't perform well, we become the target of the criticism because our logo is on them," said Warners production president Lorenzo Di Bonaventura. "We have nothing to do with those movies."
Warners had clunkers of its own to face during the year, including "Sweet November," "Osmosis Jones," "Rock Star" and "Hearts in Atlantis." While the book is not closed yet on Oscar hopeful "The Majestic," early grosses and reviews have not been stellar.
Entering 2002, however, those painful memories were fairly scarce as Warners closed the year by winning domestic distribution on "Terminator 3: The Return of the Machines" -- another tentpole for 2003.
Looking ahead, Warners will soon be reporting to a new master of the universe in Richard Parsons, who will take over as CEO of parent compnay AOL Time Warner with Gerald Levin's retirement next May. Perhaps even more significant, however, is that Warners brass will now report to him through chief operating officer Robert Pittman.
"He's very comfortable with us and his new job," Horn said. "It's not as if they've brought someone from the moon. Bob has the reputation of being very hands-on and we welcome it as he defines it."
In addition to the second "Harry Potter," 2002 includes "Showtime," "Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood," "Death to Smoochy," "Analyze That" and "Collateral Damage," the film famously delayed after the Sept. 11 attacks. However, never releasing the terrorism-themed film was not an option, Horn said. "We have too much money in it."
-- Dana Harris
|
WARNER BROS.
| ||
| Picture |
Release date
|
Domestic B.O.*
|
| Space Cowboys |
2000
|
0.3
|
| Best in Show |
2000
|
1.4
|
| Pay It Forward |
2000
|
0.6
|
| Red Planet |
2000
|
0.2
|
| Proof of Life |
2000
|
3.5
|
| Miss Congeniality |
2000
|
60.4
|
| The Pledge |
Jan. 19
|
19.7
|
| Valentine |
Feb. 2
|
20.4
|
| Sweet November |
Feb. 16
|
25.2
|
| 3000 Miles to Graceland |
Feb. 23
|
15.7
|
| See Spot Run |
March 2
|
33.4
|
| The Dish |
March 14
|
2.3
|
| Exit Wounds |
March 16
|
51.8
|
| Pokemon 3 The Movie |
April 6
|
17.1
|
| Driven |
April 27
|
32.6
|
| Angel Eyes |
May 18
|
24.0
|
| Swordfish |
June 8
|
69.8
|
| A.I. Artificial Intelligence |
June 29
|
78.6
|
| Cats & Dogs |
July 4
|
93.4
|
| Osmosis Jones |
Aug. 10
|
13.6
|
| American Outlaws |
Aug. 17
|
13.3
|
| Summer Catch |
Aug. 24
|
19.7
|
| Rock Star |
Sept. 7
|
17.1
|
| Hearts in Atlantis |
Sept. 28
|
24.2
|
| Training Day |
Oct. 5
|
75.7
|
| Thirteen Ghosts |
Oct. 26
|
41.0
|
| Heist |
Nov. 9
|
22.9
|
| Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone |
Nov. 16
|
239.7
|
| The Affair of the Necklace |
Nov. 30
|
0.3
|
| Ocean's Eleven |
Dec. 7
|
38.1
|
| The Majestic |
Dec. 21
|
|
| Charlotte Gray |
Dec. 28
|
|
| Total Domestic B.O. |
1,056.0
| |
| *in millions through Dec. 9. | ||
|
2002 Release Schedule. .
| ||
| A Walk to Remember |
Jan. 25
| |
| Collateral Damage |
Feb. 8
| |
| The Queen of the Damned |
Feb. 22
| |
| The Salton Sea |
March 1
| |
| Death to Smoochy |
March 15
| |
| Showtime |
March 29
| |
| Murder by Numbers |
April 12
| |
| Juwanna Mann |
May 10
| |
| Insomnia |
May 24
| |
| Scooby-Doo |
June 1
| |
| The Powerpuff Girls |
July 3
| |
| Divne Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood |
July 12
| |
| Down and Under |
Aug. 2
| |
| Bloodwork |
Aug. 9
| |
| The Adventures of Pluto Nash |
Aug. 16
| |
| Eight Legged Freaks |
Aug. 30
| |
| City by the Sea |
Sept. 6
| |
| Welcome to Collinwood |
Sept. 13
| |
| Fear.com |
Sept. 27
| |
| Gods and Generals |
Sept.
| |
| Psychic |
Oct. 11
| |
| White Oleander |
Oct. 18
| |
| Ghost Ship |
Oct. 25
| |
| Ecks vs. Sever |
Nov. 1
| |
| Harry Potter -Chamber Secrets |
Nov. 15
| |
| Analyze That |
Dec. 6
| |
| Constantine |
Dec. 13
| |
| Untitled Bullock/Grant |
Dec. 20
| |
Universal
With a clear grasp of the zeitgeist and a largely unbroken streak of worldwide hits, Universal Pictures was a point of stability as a sea of changes loomed at Universal Studios in the wake of the merger of Vivendi U and USA Networks at the end of 2001.
Six consecutive U releases, from May to October, opened No. 1 at the box office last year, and the studio crossed the $1 billion mark overseas Nov. 19, earlier than any of the other majors.
Though the reporting structure at U Studios shifted with the arrival of Barry Diller in December, U Pictures has spent 2001 consolidating its staff structure and production alliances.
Under U Pictures chair Stacey Snider, Mary Parent and Scott Stuber became co-prexies of production, while U Pictures vice chair Marc Shmuger integrated the domestic and international distrib and marketing arms.
"The right people are in the right jobs," said Snider. "A great accomplishment this year has been seeing this team really gel."
U also extended production deals with main suppliers like Imagine, Jersey and Working Title, and signed "Mummy" director Steve Sommers to a multiyear deal. And it renewed its distribution deal with DreamWorks for another five years.
Many of U's hits last year came from studio franchises -- a trend, Snider said, that stems in part from efforts to maximize the value of its own assets.
"We didn't have to go out there and buy a character or a property," she said.
"American Pie 2," one of three sequels U released in 2001 that outgrossed their predecessors, "was an example of taking a tiny movie and sequelizing it," she said.
-- Jonathan Bing
|
UNIVERSAL
| ||
|
Picture
|
Release date
|
Domestic B.O.
|
|
Bring It On
|
2000
|
0.03
|
|
Nutty Professor 2: The Klumps
|
2000
|
0.001
|
|
Meet the Parents
|
2000
|
4.9
|
|
Billy Elliot
|
2000
|
4.9
|
|
The Grinch
|
2000
|
6.7
|
|
The Family Man
|
2000
|
32.6
|
|
Head Over Heels
|
Feb. 2
|
10.4
|
|
The Caveman's Valentine
|
March 2
|
0.7
|
|
Beautiful Creatures
|
April 6
|
0.1
|
|
Josie and the Pussycats
|
April 11
|
14.3
|
|
Rat
|
April 27
|
0.002
|
|
Pavilion of Women
|
May 4
|
0.04
|
|
The Mummy Returns
|
May 4
|
202.0
|
|
The Man Who Cried
|
May 25
|
0.7
|
|
The Fast and the Furious
|
June 22
|
144.5
|
|
Jurassic Park III
|
July 18
|
181.1
|
|
American Pie 2
|
Aug. 10
|
145.0
|
|
Captain Corelli's Mandolin
|
Aug. 17
|
25.5
|
|
The Musketeer
|
Sept. 7
|
27.0
|
|
Mulholland Drive
|
Oct. 8
|
5.2
|
|
K-PAX
|
Oct. 26
|
49.4
|
|
Spy Game
|
Nov. 21
|
49.5
|
|
A Beautiful Mind
|
Dec. 21
|
|
|
How High
|
Dec. 21
|
|
|
Total 2001 Domestic B.O.
|
904.6
| |
|
2002 Release Schedule
| ||
|
Brotherhood of the Wolf
|
Jan. 11
| |
|
Big Fat Liar
|
Feb. 8
| |
|
Dragonfly
|
Feb. 22
| |
|
Harrison's Flowers
|
March 15
| |
|
E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial 20th Anniversary
|
March 22
| |
|
The Scorpion King
|
April 19
| |
|
The Parole Officer
|
May 10
| |
|
About a Boy
|
May 17
| |
|
The Bourne Identity
|
May 31
| |
|
8 Mile (Untitled Detroit Project)
|
Summer
| |
|
Surf Girls
|
Summer
| |
|
Ali G Indahouse
|
Aug.
| |
|
The Guru
|
Fall
| |
|
The Palace Thief
|
Fall
| |
|
The Truth About Charlie
|
Fall
| |
|
The Life of David Gale
|
Fall
| |
|
Red Dragon
|
Holiday
| |
|
Cinderella Man
|
Holiday
| |
|
Untitled Gary Ross Project
|
Holiday
| |
|
Undercover Brother
|
TBA
| |
Paramount
The ultra-stable studio recorded yet another down-the-middle year, with solid box office returns generating profitability thanks to minimal financial risk.
"Consistent management and consistent high levels of performance economically is a big draw to filmmakers," said Par vice chairman Robert Friedman. "It gives you a lot of advantages with the creative community as they know from one day to the next who they are going to be talking to, where their projects should be submitted, who will develop them and that they will finish their life at the studio."
But Par's year-end saw one of its riskiest creative pics ever in "Vanilla Sky," the Tom Cruise/Cameron Crowe vehicle that despite a $25 million opening weekend, proved a disappointment both critically and financially (though pic was reportedly budgeted in the $60 million range); it ended 2001 with a $71 million gross.
In more traditional fashion, teen romancer "Save the Last Dance" proved a classic Par success story in early 2001, exceeding expectations both creatively and commercially by grossing $91.1 million domestically. It also was somewhat of a showcase for the studio's synergistic muscle -- the harnessing of Par-based MTV Films to capitalize on the music net's youth audience, utilizing its enviable marketing reach and supplying a hip soundtrack.
Studio's summer tentpole "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider" delivered rock solid receipts, grabbing $131.2 domestically, the studio's highest grosser of the year.
Par's stable of modestly budgeted thrillers also provided a strong revenue stream. Suspenser "Along Came a Spider" delivered a highly profitable $74.1 million domestically while "The Score" grossed over $71.1 million domestically in return for Par's small financial investment.
"Pootie Tang," however, proved a dud and the studio also suffered from Sept. 14 release date on the Keanu Reeves starrer "Hardball."
Comedy "Zoolander" was a modest success for creator Ben Stiller, Par's first feature venture with VH1.
Par's latest collaboration with Nickelodeon, kiddie pic "Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius," scored solidly with Christmas audiences.
Next year, Par is pinning its hopes on the next installment in its Star Trek franchise, "Star Trek: Nemesis," its Mel Gibson topliner "We Were Soldiers," the Ben Affleck starrer "The Sum of All Fears" and its Michael Crichton pic "Timeline."
-- Cathy Dunkley
|
PARAMOUNT
| ||
| Picture | Release date |
Domestic B.O.*
|
| Wonder Boys | 2000 |
0.1
|
| Rugrats in Paris: The Movie | 2000 |
5.3
|
| What Women Want | 2000 |
67.0
|
| Save the Last Dance | Jan. 12 |
91.1
|
| Down to Earth | Feb. 16 |
64.2
|
| Enemy at the Gates | March 16 |
51.4
|
| Along Came a Spider | April 6 |
74.1
|
| Crocodile Dundee in L.A. | April 20 |
25.6
|
| Lara Croft: Tomb Raider | June 15 |
131.2
|
| Pootie Tang | June 29 |
3.3
|
| The Score | July 13 |
71.1
|
| Rat Race | Aug. 17 |
56.7
|
| Hardball | Sept. 14 |
39.5
|
| Zoolander | Sept. 28 |
44.7
|
| Domestic Disturbance | Nov. 2 |
43.7
|
| Vanilla Sky | Dec. 14 |
|
| Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius | Dec. 21 |
|
| Total Domestic B.O. |
|
769.0
|
| *in millions of $, through Dec. 9 | ||
|
2002 Release Schedule
| ||
| Orange County |
Jan. 11
| |
| Crossroads |
Feb. 15
| |
| We Were Soldiers |
March 1
| |
| Clockstoppers |
March 15
| |
| Changing Lanes |
April 12
| |
| The Hours |
TBA
| |
| Servicing Sarah |
TBA
| |
| Kevin & Perry Go Large |
TBA
| |
| Timeline |
TBA
| |
| The Extremists |
TBA
| |
| Abandon |
TBA
| |
| The Hunted |
TBA
| |
| Star Trek 10: Nemesis |
TBA
| |
| The Wild Thornberrys |
TBA
| |
| Beavis & Butt-head 2 |
TBA
| |
| The Core |
TBA
| |
| Four Feathers |
TBA
| |
| K-19: The Widowmaker |
TBA
| |
| Beyond Borders |
TBA
| |
| Lucky Break |
TBA
| |
| Hey Arnold |
TBA
| |
| Against the Ropes |
TBA
| |
| Marci X |
TBA
| |
| The Sum of all Fears |
TBA
| |
Disney
For the first time since 1997, Disney did not win the domestic box office race. But the Mouse House can take solace in the fact that its pics were more profitable than last year's.
That spike is due to such box office hits as producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Michael Bay's "Pearl Harbor," which despite a domestic cume just shy of $200 million, performed well overseas and is on track to be one of the highest-grossing DVD releases to date.
Disney also struck box office gold with summer pic "The Princess Diaries" and regained its strength in November with what could only be described as a monster hit -- Pixar's "Monsters, Inc.," which grossed $219 million domestically, giving the Mouse House its biggest hit of the year.
But the studio's summer hit some roadblocks: "Bubble Boy," "Atlantis: The Lost Empire" and "Max Keeble's Big Move" all underperformed.
Meanwhile, parent Walt Disney Co. struggled with a nationwide economic downturn: Theme park revs declined, Disney stores faltered and ABC finished fourth in the November sweeps.
After assuming the studio's chairmanship when Joe Roth left two years ago, Peter Schneider abruptly exited the studio in June, leaving Walt Disney Pictures chairman Richard Cook and Buena Vista Motion Pictures Group prexy Nina Jacobson in charge, with no direct replacement for Schneider.
On the live-action feature side, producer Bruckheimer continues to be the studio's main supplier.
To bolster its stream of suppliers, Bill Mechanic was recently signed to an overall five-year deal with the Mouse House. The studio also brought Dustin Hoffman's Punch Prods., "Princess Diaries" producer Debra Martin Chase and "Corky Romano" producer Robert Simonds into the fold.
"It's been a bouncing-back year in some ways and a foundation-building year for bigger and better things," Jacobson said. "I feel good about the group and the way things are working right now."
-- Cathy Dunkley
|
DISNEY
| ||
| Picture |
Release date
|
Domestic B.O.*
|
| Fantasia 2000 |
2000
|
0.03
|
| Remember the Titans |
2000
|
1.9
|
| 102 Dalmatians |
2000
|
8.6
|
| Unbreakable |
2000
|
5.0
|
| The Emperor's New Groove |
2000
|
38.5
|
| O' Brother Where Art Thou? |
2000
|
43.6
|
| Double Take |
Jan. 12
|
29.8
|
| Recess: School's Out |
Feb. 16
|
36.7
|
| Just Visiting |
April 6
|
4.8
|
| Pearl Harbor |
May 25
|
198.5
|
| Atlantis: The Lost Empire |
June 8
|
84.1
|
| Crazy/Beautiful |
June 29
|
16.9
|
| The Princess Diaries |
Aug. 3
|
107.9
|
| Bubble Boy |
Aug. 24
|
5.0
|
| Max Keeble's Big Move |
Oct. 5
|
16.8
|
| Corky Romano |
Oct. 12
|
23.4
|
| High Heels and Low Lives |
Oct. 26
|
0.2
|
| Monsters, Inc. |
Nov. 2
|
212.4
|
| Out Cold |
Nov. 21
|
12.2
|
| The Royal Tannenbaums |
Dec. 14
|
|
| Beauty and the Beast (re) |
Jan. 1
|
|
| Total Domestic B.O. |
|
846.3
|
| *in millions through Dec. 9 | ||
|
2002 Slate
| ||
| Beauty and the Beast (large format) |
Jan. 1
| |
| Snow Dogs |
Jan. 18
| |
| Count of Monte Cristo |
Jan. 25
| |
| Return to Neverland |
Feb. 15
| |
| Sorority Boys |
March 8
| |
| The Rookie |
March 29
| |
| Big Trouble |
April 5
| |
| Frank McCluskey |
April 26
| |
| Ultimate X |
May 10
| |
| Bad Company |
June 7
| |
| Lilo and Stitch |
June 21
| |
| Reign of Fire |
July 12
| |
| Country Bears |
July 26
| |
| Signs |
Aug. 2
| |
| Tuck Everlasting |
Fall
| |
| Goodbye Hello |
Fall
| |
| The Farm |
Fall
| |
| Shanghai Nights |
Fall
| |
| Hope Springs |
Fall
| |
| Sweet Home Alabama |
Fall
| |
| The Young Black Stallion (large format) |
Fall
| |
| Santa Claus II |
Nov. 8
| |
| Treasure Planet |
Nov. 27
| |
Fox
While 2001 marked a period of relative exec stability and healthy earnings for Fox, B.O. success eluded the studio's early releases.
After comedies "Monkeybone" and "Say It Isn't So" failed to ignite auds, Fox finally got hot in May when its dizzying yet dazzling musical "Moulin Rouge" opened the Cannes film fest to critical plaudits and solid returns.
Under tag-team toppers Tom Rothman and Jim Gianopulos, summer once again bore the most B.O. fruit with hits "Dr. Dolittle 2" and "Planet of the Apes." While the rest of Fox's 2001 releases posted more modest numbers, the studio also had its share of bombs such as Mariah Carey starrer "Glitter," which minted a meager $4.3 million.
"Despite the occasional disappointment, we achieved consistent success across a wide range of films this year," Gianopulos said. "One of our core strategies at Fox has been to strike a balance between creativity and profitability in the overall slate."
Fox significantly boosted its production pacts in 2001 by inking deals with Mark Gordon, Michael Kuhn and Jay Roach as well as Ridley and Tony Scott.
This year also saw Peter Rice's Fox Searchlight come into its own as both an artistically and commercially viable division with pics such as "Kingdom Come," "The Deep End" and "Sexy Beast."
After a late fall hit with Farrelly brothers comedy "Shallow Hal," Fox received the first honors of the award season when the National Board of Review chose "Moulin Rouge" as best picture for 2001, fueling the pic's aspiration for Oscar gold.
Summer 2002 also looks bright for Fox, whose slate already includes Steven Spielberg's "Minority Report" and George Lucas' "Star Wars: Episode II -- Attack of the Clones."
-- Tim Swanson
|
FOX
| ||
| Picture |
Release date
|
Domestic B.O.*
|
| Bedazzled |
2000
|
0.4
|
| Men of Honor |
2000
|
1.3
|
| Dude, Where's My Car |
2000
|
11.1
|
| Cast Away |
2000
|
123.9
|
| Monkeybone |
Feb. 23
|
5.4
|
| Say It Isn't So |
March 23
|
5.5
|
| Someone Like You |
March 30
|
27.3
|
| Freddy Got Fingered |
April 20
|
14.3
|
| Moulin Rouge |
May 18
|
57
|
| Dr. Dolittle 2 |
June 22
|
113
|
| Kiss of the Dragon |
July 6
|
36.8
|
| Planet of the Apes |
July 27
|
179.4
|
| Glitter |
Sept. 21
|
4.3
|
| Don't Say a Word |
Sept. 28
|
54.8
|
| Joy Ride |
Oct. 5
|
21.9
|
| From Hell |
Oct. 19
|
31.4
|
| Shallow Hal |
Nov. 9
|
64.8
|
| Black Knight |
Nov. 21
|
27.1
|
| Behind Enemy Lines |
Nov. 30
|
31.2
|
| Joe Somebody |
Dec. 21
|
|
| Total Domestic B.O. |
|
810.9
|
| *in millions of $, through Dec. 9 |
|
|
|
2002 Release Schedule
| ||
| Kung Pow: Enter the Fist |
Jan. 18
| |
| Super Troopers |
Feb. 15
| |
| Ice Age |
March 15
| |
| High Crimes |
April 5
| |
| Life or Something Like It |
Spring
| |
| Unfaithful |
May
| |
| Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones |
May 16
| |
| Like Mike |
TBA
| |
| Sin Eater |
TBA
| |
| Drumline |
TBA
| |
| Phone Booth |
TBA
| |
| The First $20 Million is Always the Hardest |
TBA
| |
Read the second part of the 2001 Wraps: The Studios series, spotlighting Sony, MGM, DreamWorks, New Line, and Miramax.