| Weekend: October 5-8 2006 Written By Nick Bailey Overall the box office was solid this week, with the top 20 holding steady, down a slender 4.4% from last week. Whilst the top 5 was down a heavier 18.8%, this was to be expected given there was only one major new release for the week. Compared to last year, the weekend was almost identical, down a measly $100K in the Top 20 totals, but this year was stronger in the Top 5, which last year contained the $2.1 million arrival of The Forty Year Old Virgin and the $1 million second weekend of Cinderella Man. This report also marks my one year anniversary writing for Movie Marshal, and I’d like to take the opportunity to thank both Paul and Chris for their support and help over the past year, and look forward to continuing to work with them in the future. NUMBER ONE  
Last week's champion The Devil Wears Prada continued its incredibly impressie run so far at the Oz box office, with a $2.53 million second weekend. The film was one of many to benefit from the nationwide school holidays, dropping only 27% from last weeks opening frame. With the addition of it's stong midweek performances, and a healthy preview weekend, Prada's two week cume comes to a hefty $9.45 million, with the film tracking to well exceed its US performance*. A tally of $15 million is not out of the question, which would be a massive effort for a film of this kind. That figure is mainly dependent on next week’s effort. Undeniably the surprise hit of the year, the film has now moved up to #15 on the 2006 chart. A place in the year end top 10 now looks assured. It’s average of $7,884 was the best in the top 20, showing the film has had great word of mouth, and has been expertly handled by Fox, who’s 300+ screen count decision looks to have been right on the money. The film continues to outshine its US performance by some way, bringing in a second weekend that was 69% stronger than its US run, to give it a current 50% lead overall. Whilst down from last weekends preview inflated 80% lead, it is a remarkable effort nonetheless. The film is now Anne Hathaway’s biggest performer in Australia, eclipsing the $9.32 million of Brokeback Mountain. Taking into account that films performance, and her successful animated effort, Hoodwinked ($5.27 million), it has been a good year for her in the charts, though Prada is the key as it was more “her” film than the others, and stands her in very good stead for the future. For Meryl Streep the film has rapidly risen up an impressive resumé, overtaking The Hours, and Kramer vs Kramer to sit at number two on her all time list. Prada will definitely end up taking the number one position, with her 1986 mega hit Out of Afrca’s tally of $12.27 million within reach. NUMBER TWO  Another film continuing its impressive run was last week’s runner up Step Up, shedding a slim 33% for a second week haul of $1.14 million. The Channing Tatum dance drama has clearly tapped into the school holiday market well, with its two week cume standing at a solid $3.72 million. After having last week’s best average, Step Up had to settle for second this week with a still potent $7,433 from 154 screens. Given that was the second lowest screen count in the top 10, one has to wonder if UIP/Universal could have shown a little more faith in this one, given its US performance was similarly strong. After last weeks 17% weaker opening, comparative to is US run, Step Up bounced back to produce a second Australian frame that was 13% stronger reducing the overall deficit to just 6%. With another full week of school holidays, and a further weekend under its belt, one can expect Step Up to be ahead here by next week. With a $5 million+ total assured, the film has been one of the hits of the season, though one wonders if its performance could have been fractionally stronger with a more generous screen count. NUMBER THREE   The week’s sole new wide release entry, Oliver Stone’s World Trade Centre, came in at number 3 on the charts, with a soft $.91 million. Opening on 203 screens, the film produced a barely passable $4,528 average, one dollar better than number four positioned Garfield 2, which is in its 5th week of release. In fact it was Garfield that almost ended up with the third spot, finishing a mere $231 behind Centre. Whilst still above Paul’s pessimistic $0.8 million prediction, there isn’t much to like about the opening for World Trade Centre. The film was 51% below is US debut, and factoring in its midweek US takings, the film is tracking 65% behind overall. Similar to the disinterest afforded United 93, it would appear Australian audiences are even less willing to see 9/11 films than their American counterparts. For Nicolas Cage, this is one of his weakest wide openings for some time, with 2002’s Windtalkers’ opening of $0.76 million the nearest similarly weak performer. One can expect rather heavy drops for Centre from here on out, with the film not heavily promoted, and a sub $3 million tally seeming rather possible. NUMBER FOUR  Continuing to stun many was this week’s fourth placed film, Garfield 2. Despite a less than impressive US run, the film has certainly made the most of the school holidays, increasing 19% on last week’s effort and taking in $0.91 million in its 5th week of release, for a purrfect (sorry) $4.78 million running tally. It is now a massive 82% above its US performance, given the ridiculous 1405% better fifth weekend. The first Garfield film enjoyed similar success here, taking in a ridiculously big $10.5 million in the September 2004 school holidays. Garfield 2 will cruise past $5 million, and despite large drops after next week, could find itself with a
total in the $6.5- $7 million final range, which would be so far above original expectations its just not funny. NUMBER FIVE  Rounding out the top 5 was another school holiday kingpin Monster House. The film lost only a few thousand dollars on last week’s total, making the percentage difference almost negligible. With $0.85 million this week, House now has $6.3 million in the bank, and has performed to expectations without really breaking out. This puts it directly in line with its US performance after 4 weeks, with the film sure to end up ahead with the coming week’s further boost.
TOP 20     Of the other entries in the top 20, the school holiday themed pictures continues to enjoy good business, with The Wild up 33% (624K/$2.5 million), The Barnyard up 10% (596K/$3.0 million), and The Ant Bully up 14% (380K/$1.67 million). Kenny rose an incredible 30% in its 8th weekend, now officially the darling of Australian cinema for 2006. Its tally now stands at $4.5 million, and with another few weeks in the top 20 ahead of it, there is little doubt it will topple Jindabyne for local 2006 honours. It is also currently in position #44 on the all time local charts, a highly commendable effort. The much-hyped Little Miss Sunshine previewed in 109 locations for 282K, suggesting it will find some success on the arthouse cinema circuit, but will struggle to break into the mainstream market a la its US run. Robert Altman’s impressively cast comedy A Prairie Home Companion also opened this weekend, 153K in 31 locations, for a neat 5,000 per screen average. Weekend Coming THE DEPARTED, THE COVENANT, LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE   This weekend sees an interesting combination of newcomers, with Martin Scorcese’s gangster drama The Departed, teen horror flick The Covenant, and the expanding indie sensation Little Miss Sunshine all joining the ranks. Also in limited release is the Emily Blunt- Susan Sarandon thriller Irresistible. The Departed looks like the weekend’s easy victor, with a big name cast, saturation level TV promotion, and a slick and attractive story all sure to win over Australian audiences. Whilst it may not have the same level of impact as it did in North America, it will easily win the weekend over the third instalment of The Devil Wears Prada. The Covenant will be up against it to crack $1 million for the weekend, with very little promotion and a modest screen count likely, it will be looking for 600-700K for the weekend. Little Miss Sunshine is the joker in the pack, since it could finish anywhere in the top 5, but will almost certainly be a part of it. This week’s preview figures don’t show a feverish level of interest, though there’s every chance it could snaffle a bigger total than The Covenant for the weekend. 800K could be within reach. PREVIEW THE DEPARTED Starring: Leonardo Di Caprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg, Martin Sheen Director: Martin Scorcese Production Budget: US$90 million Released in US: LAST WEEKEND US Opening Weekend: $26.9 million Predicted Australian Opening: $2.2 million THE COVENANT Stars: Steven Straight, Laura Ramsey, assorted other no names Director: Renny Harlin Production Budget: $20 US million Released in US: September 8 2006 US Opening Weekend: US$8.8 million US Cumulative Gross: US$23 million Predicted Australian Opening: $0.6 million |