Tweens rule 'Again' at box office

Are audiences ready to 'Play'?

By DAVE MCNARY, PAMELA MCCLINTOCK

'17 Again'

Another adult political thriller --Russell Crowe starrer "State of Play" -- dares the market today, but the Universal film will have a hard time keeping up with more escapist fare.

Warner Bros.' Zac Efron pic "17 Again" is expected to come in leaps and bounds ahead of other titles thanks to girls of all ages. Last weekend, this same demo turned out by the millions for "Hannah Montana: The Movie," which opened to a sizable $32.3 million.

Weekend's other new entry is Lionsgate's "Crank: High Voltage," which should do nicely based on tracking among males. Sequel reteams Jason Statham and Amy Smart.

The Friday box office is expected to see heavy traffic as spring break heads into its final weekend.

The specialty side sees 2008 festival favorite "Every Little Step." Sony Pictures Classics takes the film out in eight theaters in New York and Los Angeles. Documentary goes behind the scenes of "A Chorus Line" and brings together dancers who once performed in the show.

Universal is trying to manage expectations for "State of Play," whose high-profile cast also includes Ben Affleck and Rachel McAdams. Pic, based on the BBC miniseries, was produced by Universal and Working Title. It opens in 2,803 runs.

U is looking for "State of Play" to open in the range of last year's Russell Crowe-Leonardo DiCaprio political thriller "Body of Lies," which bowed to $12.9 million in October on its way to cuming $39.4 million domestically.

But "State of Play" could face a tough road. A number of films with heavy political undertones have failed to grab hold and break out. Box office observers say people are already bummed out enough.

"State of Play" cost $60 million to produce. Relativity Media co-financed the film. Crowe, who took on the role after Brad Pitt withdrew from the project, is rumored to have received a payday of $20 million.

While domestic auds don't seem to be drawn to films about current affairs, international moviegoers can be more accepting. "Body of Lies" made $76 million at the foreign B.O., nearly double its domestic take. Foreign grosses have helped to make up for lukewarm domestic revs.

"Syriana" grossed $50.8 million domestically and another $43.2 million overseas. Sony's recent political thriller "The International" has struggled the most, grossing $25.5 million domestically and $24 million overseas.

U is opening "State of Play" day-and-date in just five markets, with Spain the only major territory. Film goes into the U.K. next weekend.

Warner's "17 Again" revisits a favorite Hollywood storyline: going back in time to revisit one's youth. Pic, produced by Offspring Entertainment, also stars Matthew Perry. It opens in 3,255 theaters.

The movie is rolling out slowly overseas, bowing last weekend in several territories, including the U.K. It goes into Sweden and the Philippines this weekend.

Last year, Disney's "High School Musical 3: Senior Year," starring Efron, opened to $42 million on its way to cuming $90.6 million domestically and $160.5 million overseas.

"Hannah Montana" could see a big drop in its second weekend because of "17 Again" and the fact that it's a fan-based film. Pic has seen impressive weekday business, with many kids out of school for spring break. It grossed an additional $9.4 million Monday through Wednesday for a cume of $41.7 million.

Warners believes that "17 Again" will draw a broader aud than "Hannah Montana" or "High School Musical" did.

Lionsgate says "Crank: High Voltage," which goes out in 2,223 runs, is tracking well among both younger and older men.

In September 2006, "Crank" opened to $10.5 million on its way to cuming $27.8 million domestically and $17 million internationally. Lionsgate expects the sequel to debut with roughly equal numbers.

"High Voltage" may show some spark overseas with day-and-date launches in Germany, Russia and the U.K.

Actioners have fared well recently, with U's "Fast and Furious" turning into a worldwide blockbuster. Fox's "Taken," which skewed older, also far outperformed expectations.

"Fast and Furious" could take the weekend crown at the international box office as it expands into a number of territories, including Australia, Italy and Spain. Through Wednesday, worldwide cume was $229.8 million.

DreamWorks Animation and Paramount's "Monsters vs. Aliens" also should continue to do strong biz. Toon's cume, buoyed by higher-priced 3-D tickets, is $251.8 million worldwide through Wednesday.

At the specialty box office, openers include IDP/Samuel Goldwyn Films' "American Violet" (61 theaters), Roadside Attractions' "The Golden Boys" (20), Maya Releasing's "Sleep Dealer" (18), Story Island Entertainment's "Is Anybody There?" (six), IFC's "Lemon Tree" (two), Cinema Epoch's "The Butterfly Tattoo" (one) and Cinema Epoch's "Chasing the Green" (one).