Big opening yes, but not such big numbers as in the old days. 9/11 has changed us. Afghanistan. Iraq.
VS
Posted on 05/10/2005 3:38:44 AM PDT by MississippiMasterpiece
LOS ANGELES, May 9 - Now Hollywood is starting to get worried.
The poor box-office performance last weekend of the first major film of the summer, "Kingdom of Heaven," released by 20th Century Fox, made for 11 weeks in a row of declining movie attendance and revenue compared with last year, adding up to the longest slump since 2000 and raising an uncomfortable question: Are people turning away from lackluster movies, or turning their backs on the whole business of going to theaters?
The historical epic about the Crusades, which stars Orlando Bloom and was directed by Ridley Scott, took in just $20 million at the domestic box office, a puny opening for a film that cost about $130 million to make and was supported by a major marketing push. The film was helped by a stronger performance abroad, where it took in $56 million in 93 territories.
To be sure, "Kingdom of Heaven" is not the first swords-and-sandals epic to miss the mark with American audiences; neither "Alexander" nor "King Arthur" nor "Troy" was embraced by audiences in this country last year. Analysts said that the "Crusader" movie's R rating contributed to its weak opening, along with reviews that declared Mr. Bloom's performance inadequate.
The weekend's top 12 films took in $77 million, the worst result for early May in at least five years, according to Exhibitor Relations, a company that tracks box-office results. Box-office revenue is down almost 6 percent compared with last year's, while attendance is down about 8 percent, Exhibitor Relations reported.
Since 2002, attendance is down about 10 percent for the comparable period, to about 433.7 admissions from about 485 million. The decline has provoked speculation that a rising DVD market and the advent of more elaborate home entertainment centers, along with the shrinking window of time between a theatrical release and the appearance of the DVD, is causing moviegoers to stay home and wait for discs.
"It does take more to get people out of the easy chair and to the theater; movies have to be so much more compelling," said the president of Exhibitor Relations, Paul Dergarabedian. "DVD's and home theater create more of an anchor to keep people at home. There's a little bit of that going on, and when there's more competition for eyeballs, it's a lot more of a challenge."
Still, some of Hollywood's most seasoned executives insist that this year's problem is a simpler one: The movies have not been good enough. Usually, they said, a sleeper hit comes along in late winter or early spring to wake up the box office, like last year's "Mean Girls" or "Starsky & Hutch" - or the crucifixion blockbuster "The Passion of the Christ."
"Nothing has turned on the audience yet," said Tom Sherak, a partner in Revolution Studios. "It's happened many times before, where the movies come out without great word of mouth. What's happening is the same people who usually come that first weekend have been coming, but they seem to go away quickly because the movies are not generating a broader audience."
Others blamed last weekend's raft of R-rated films, which cut out a major segment of the audience, for the continuing drop. Warner Brothers' "House of Wax," which also opened last weekend, was rated R.
"R-rated pictures aren't working in this marketplace like they used to," said John Fithian, president of the National Association of Theater Owners. "They still seem to work overseas, but they're not as easy to sell in the U.S. Parents are more concerned. We're enforcing the ratings really hard. Anytime you have an opening weekend with all the opening movies rated R, you don't have the same demographic potential as you do otherwise."
In the case of "Kingdom of Heaven," Fox labored to make a film about religious war that would offend neither Christians nor Muslims and trimmed some of Mr. Scott's more violent scenes, said a person who worked on the film and spoke on condition of anonymity to protect relations at the studio. But because the subject matter was religious war and not, as with "The Passion," resurrection, the studio could not count on a big Christian turnout, the person said. A spokesman for Fox said the film was actively marketed to Christians.
Mr. Sherak and others predicted a change once theaters carry a movie that people are excited to see. "The marketplace is obviously in a malaise, and it's going to take movies like 'Star Wars' to get us out of it," Mr. Dergarabedian said, referring to the highly anticipated final installment of the series "Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith," which opens on May 19.
Mr. Fithian, whose member companies have the most to lose from the rise of home viewing, did not agree that the current drop reflected a fundamental shift.
"We are obviously not happy with the 11-week rut that we've been in, but we don't view it as a long-term structural problem," he said. The long-term trends are still positive, he added, referring to an increase in theatrical admissions in the past three decades. "The overall admission trend is that it's growing faster than the population," he continued. "I caution people not to jump to - 'DVD's are killing theaters.' If you look at the numbers, it's not happening," he said.
Mr. Sherak agreed, saying the movie business is cyclical. "I have 35 years of history to prove it," he said. "If attendance drops, it'll drop 2 to 3 percent over all. If it goes up, it goes up 2 to 3 percent. If at the end of the year attendance is off 9 percent, then you have a problem. But right now, it's about the movies."
Yes.
I would say that they could expect a big opening with Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, but I believe George Lucas is outside of the Hollywood sphere.
It's nothing to do with DVDs. Hollywood is producing terrible, terrible movies. Alexander the fabulous. Kingdom of Boredom. "XXX State of the Union", a film apparently about explosions. House of Wax starring ... Paris Hilton. I rest my case.
Considering his company produces the FX for most big Hollywood films, his sound technology pervades, he uses big-name actors, has a music scoring stage used for recording music, created what became Pixar, etc etc etc, I can't think of someone more INSIDE the Hollywood sphere.
Oh yeah. House of Wax also featured ... an actual House made of Wax. Some Hollywood greenlighter obviously thought that THAT ploddingly literal concept was going to rival Vincent Price's gothic horror masterpiece.
The movies are terrible.
"Never believe your own BS," said ed.
"[S]ome of Hollywood's most seasoned executives insist that this year's problem is a simpler one: The movies have not been good enough."
Exactly. They should try and focus on making good movies. And if they manage to keep things clean they will certainly gain a larger audience.
Jimmy Carter flashback! Yeah, its always the consumer's fault. Nothing to do with bad product.
Someone in the media (I swear) will say the problem is that Hollywood is too bland and too middle-of-the-road. The solution, you see, is for Hollywood to put a greater emphasis on sex -- maybe getting edgy with a lot of pedophilia! And no more outdated Middle American values! Take a chance! Go Left for a change!! Push an egalitarian, pro-abortion, pro-homoexual agenda! That will turn things around!
Seems everything has a homosexual theme or is a re-run of an old hit.
If it isn't a recycled idea or theme or blatant copy, it's dark, wet, and cartoonish, a tale told by children for other kids to swoon over.
And most of TV is worse.
IMO.
I had cut the exact quote and was going to reply with the same answer. Scarry . ;)
If I wanted to see sh!t, I would watch my neighbor walk his dog for free. Plus with gas at $2.27 (at Sam's) a gallon, I'm not going to fire up the Expedition for just any ole thing.
Exactly. They should try and focus on making good movies. And if they manage to keep things clean they will certainly gain a larger audience.
It's not just about the movies. Some of us want to starve out the John F'n Kerry supporters.
should rename it "Stinks...Actually..."
Maybe if the major motion picture studios would stop insulting people of faith, and the intelligence of the vast majority of the population, they'd do better.
Mark
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