2 articles from 2005
24 October 2005 | From Studio Briefing | See recent Studio Briefing news
Doom appeared to be fulfilling its destiny over the weekend as the $60-80-million movie earned just $15.4 million at the box office, mostly from fans of the videogame on which it is based. (USA Today reported that 59 percent of those who bought tickets to the movie said they had played the game.) With its fan base sated, ticket sales for the film are expected to plunge next week. Still, Doom performed better than a slew of other new releases this weekend, none of which was even able to top the $10-million mark. DreamWorks' Dreamer placed second with $9.3 million; Warner Bros.' North Country came in fifth with $6.5 million; and Fox's Stay stayed out of the way, unable even to make the top 10 as it drew just $2.2 million. It was beaten even by Warner Independent's Good Night, and Good Luck, which screened at only 225 theaters but managed to take in $2.3 million. Meanwhile DreamWorks Animation's Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit declined just 24 percent from last week and ended up in third place with $8.7 million. Overall, the box office took in $117.4 million, down 8 percent from the comparable weekend a year ago. The top ten films for the weekend, according to studio estimates compiled by Exhibitor Relations: 1. Doom, $15.4 million. 2. Dreamer: Inspired by a True Story, $9.3 million. 3. Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, $8.7 million. 4. The Fog, $7.3 million. 5. North Country, $6.5 million. 6. Elizabethtown, $5.7 million. 7. Flightplan, $4.7 million. 8. In Her Shoes, $3.9 million. 9. A History of Violence, $2.7 million. 10. Two for the Money, $2.4 million.
21 October 2005 | From Studio Briefing | See recent Studio Briefing news
Box office analysts figure that lousy reviews for Doom -- even on several videogame websites -- are not likely to doom the movie's opening weekend. Most, in fact, expect fans of the game on which it is based to push it to the top of the box office with around $15-17 million -- not a lot for a film that reportedly cost some $80 million to make, but much better than what most other new releases have been earning of late. Second place is expected to go to Warner Bros.' North Country, which analysts predict will earn $8-10 million. DreamWorks' Dreamer, starring young Dakota Fanning, is expected to give North Country a run for the money. It's predicted to earn $7-9 million. A fourth newcomer, Stay, has been attracting reviews that say, "Stay away." Moviegoers are expected to follow that advice. It is expected to earn $3-5 million.
2 articles from 2005