Robert Rodriguez's 'Sin City' looks to give MGM's 'Beauty Shop' the brush off at the B.O.
Dimension's "Sin City," which has been coming on strong in tracking, especially among males, unspools this weekend at 3,230 theaters. Meanwhile, MGM's "Beauty Shop," which is attracting mostly femme interest, opened Wednesday in 2,659 locations, taking in $2.1 million its first day.
Also this weekend New Line is taking "The Upside of Anger" wide to 1,111 venues after three weeks of encouraging limited play. On just 197 screens last weekend, the Kevin Costner-Joan Allen romancer has so far grossed $4.4 million.
Robert Rodriguez's adaptation of Frank Miller's "Sin City" comics has been gaining interest over the last few weeks as Dimension intensified its marketing campaign. Industry observers expect it to easily win the frame, though how high it may go remains uncertain.
Tracking numbers are similar to "Constantine," which opened with $29.8 million over the three-day Presidents Day weekend. Like "Sin City," the Keanu Reeves comic adaptation went out with an R rating, which may have hampered its grosses by keeping younger fans out of theaters.
"Sin," however, seems to be skewing toward older auds, possibly alleviating any B.O. impact of the R.
Biggest opening ever for the month of April came in 2003, when "Anger Management" bowed to $42.2 million, besting the record set the previous year by "The Scorpion King" ($36.1 million). Last year, Miramax released Quentin Tarantino's "Kill Bill Vol. 2" on April 6 and saw a first frame haul of $25.5 million.
"Beauty Shop," the Queen Latifah-led spinoff from the Lion's successful "Barbershop" franchise, is pursuing a largely separate aud, so there's not much of a zero-sum contest this weekend.
Biz is likely to accelerate over the weekend on the pic. In February 2004 MGM saw "Barbershop 2" open to $24.2 million.
More 'Melinda'
On the limited front, Fox Searchlight will expand Woody Allen's "Melinda and Melinda" to 197 screens in its third week, an increase of 102. Also expanding is the distrib's "Millions," from helmer Danny Boyle, which moves to 128 screens, up 51.
Newmarket is boosting "Downfall" by 40 screens to 168 in its seventh frame.
IFC's "The Ballad of Jack and Rose" is jumping to 48 screens after opening last weekend on four.
After wrapping its L.A.-exclusive run, Miramax's "The Best of Youth" will move on to San Francisco and Chicago.
New pics this week include Sony Pictures Classics' "Look at Me," which starts on six screens, and IFC's "Dust to Glory" on two.
Thinkfilm is unveiling "Dallas 362" and "Kontroll" with solo-screen bows.
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