Lena Olin
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BirthDate BirthPlace |
03/21/1955
Stockholm, Sweden |
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Olin hit with tax demand
August 05, 2010 5:00am ESTInternal Revenue Service (IRS) bosses filed a tax lien against the Alias star and her husband, director Lasse Hallstrom, at the Los Angeles County Recorder of Deeds last month (Jul10). The papers, obtained by The Detroit News, claim the couple owes $207,000 (£138,000).
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The Reader Review
December 17, 2008 9:12am ESTBased on the award-winning book by Bernhard Schlink The Reader is an extraordinary provocative and controversial story set in post-World War II Germany. It starts when 15-year-old Michael (David Kross) becomes ill with scarlet fever and is helped home by sympathetic woman named Hanna (Kate Winslet). After his recovery he returns to thank her and is drawn into a clandestine affair with this intriguing woman more than twice his age. Their relationship grows stronger especially when he starts reading to her. But then she suddenly disappears leaving a devastated Michael who now must move on with his life. Little does he know that eight years later while he is in law school he would see Hanna again -- as one of the defendants in a court case against Nazi war criminals. Shocked at revelations about her secret past he also discovers something that will change both their lives forever. Granted Kate Winslet is one of the finest young screen actresses but her range in The Reader will astonish you. It’s an extremely tricky part that could easily lose the audience’s sympathy if done incorrectly but Winslet handles it with aplomb. She runs through the whole gamut of emotions -- aging from her 30s to 60s -- all at once sexy mysterious conflicted contrite as well as many other colors. As Michael newcomer Kross is devastatingly good the most impressive acting discovery in a long time. Although he plays 15 he was 17 at the start of filming and production had to shut down until he turned 18 for the graphic sex scenes. As the story flashes forward Ralph Fiennes takes over the role as the older Michael and does so with a touching sincerity. Lena Olin also has a strong cameo as a Holocaust survivor with definite opinions of Hanna. Although this is only acclaimed stage director Stephen Daldry’s third film he once again shows a mastery of the medium far beyond his limited cinematic resume. Like The Hours and his debut film Billy Elliot he has crafted another film to savor. The Reader isn’t necessarily the most comfortable film to watch but Daldry guides the subject matter with a delicate and steady hand giving us a complex and touching love story between the most unlikely couple. It also delves into how one generation of Germans can come to terms with the horrors of another. Daldry’s directorial restraint and power perfectly serves David Hare’s impressive screenplay and delivers a memorable movie-going experience.
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Awake Review
November 30, 2007 4:23am ESTClay Beresford (Hayden Christensen) has it all: wealth power good looks and a gorgeous fiancée Sam (Jessica Alba). Unfortunately he’s also got a weak heart and it’s only a matter of time before circumstances compel him to go under the knife. Although given anesthesia during the operation Clay is still able to feel pain and hear the doctors around him a situation made infinitely worse when he comes to realize that he is the victim of a nefarious conspiracy to bilk him of his fortune. He’s worth much more dead than alive but to whom? Clay’s (semi-)out-of-body experience allows him--and the film--to travel backwards in time as he tries to piece together clues to the conspiracy that now holds him in its power. The medical aspects of the story are dicey at best but the intent of this sort of film is to try and fool the audience with each plot twist. It’s essentially a whodunit in reverse. Awake’s got a great cast with everyone (except Christensen) occupying the role of red herring at one time or another--and clearly having a good time chewing up the scenery. Christensen’s the straight man here a role he fills with a relaxed charisma and a good amount of empathy. Alba looking absolutely dynamite is the sort of fiancée that any red-blooded male would risk a coronary for. If looks could kill Alba would knock ‘em dead--which just might be a hint or still another red herring. The surgical team includes such reliable stalwarts as Terrence Howard Fisher Stevens (also an executive producer of the film) and Christopher McDonald--many of whom have played heavies before all the better to try and fool the viewer. Lena Olin no slouch in the beauty department herself is cast to type as Clay’s over-protective mother. It’s a role she could play in her sleep but Olin’s far too resourceful an actress not to bring a little something extra to the party. Awake marks the feature debut of writer/director Joby Harold who overreaches from time to time with the twists but who’s always in there swinging. Awake may be far-fetched sometimes to the point of absurdity but it’s not a lazy film. Harold also has the added bonus of Oscar-winning cinematographer Russell Carpenter on his team who brings a great visual sense to the film. The hospital scenes filmed at Bellevue are appropriately clammy and creepy--which really lend suspense to the proceedings as silly as they sometimes are. It’ll be interesting to see what Harold next has up his sleeve. Awake is very reminiscent of the B-movies of yesteryear preying on a common fear--in this case surgery--and attempting to milk it to maximum effect. It doesn’t add up to a whole lot but it’s not bad.
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Casanova Review
December 23, 2005 7:41am ESTWith its disguises plot twists and mistaken identities--not to mention period costumes and vintage Italian architecture--Casanova feels like an adaptation of a play that Shakespeare never wrote. Structured as a flashback told by the legendary lover/adventurer himself Casanova is ostensibly the tale of the bed-hopping lothario's one true love. When in 1753 the prince of Venice warns Giacomo Casanova (Heath Ledger) that he must turn respectable or leave the city Casanova sets out in search of a maidenly bride. Instead he falls hard for headstrong independent Francesca Bruni (Sienna Miller). But her betrothal to lard magnate Signor Papprizzio (Oliver Platt)--and the vengeful bishop (Jeremy Irons) hot on Casanova's trail--lead to complications of the Three's Company kind. It's not hard to guess how everything will turn out but getting there is plenty of fun. Ledger--who has been receiving the best reviews of his career playing a lover of an entirely different sort in Ang Lee's dramatic Brokeback Mountain--is breezy and confident as the renowned seductor embodying Casanova's own advice that the best way to win a woman's attention is to be the flame instead of the moth. Miller (perhaps best known to date as Jude Law's put-upon fiancée) meanwhile certainly holds her own against him; her Francesca is earnest and determined with just enough mischief to keep her from becoming pompous or shrewish. The supporting cast is uniformly strong with Platt Lena Olin (as Francesa's mother) and Omid Djalili (as Casanova's loyal valet) providing much of the comic relief and Jeremy Irons chewing scenery with gusto as the papal inquisitor determined to put an end to Casanova's immoral shenanigans. Lasse Hallstrom is no stranger to feel-good romances set in sun-drenched European locales; Casanova seems tailor-made to appeal to the same audience the director won over with Chocolat back in 2000. Like Chocolat--which although engaging and thoroughly enjoyable should never have earned a Best Picture nomination--Casanova is a cinematic confection. Lovely to look at (with the exception of some rather poorly done CGI backdrops) and melt-in-your-mouth sweet Casanova's charm glosses over any script weaknesses--for instance the fact that the film's entire plot relies on the fact that none of the main characters have any idea what Venice's most notorious citizen looks like--and offers the kind of indulgence that everyone can afford.
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Lesley Ann Warren Fired from Movie
August 19, 2005 1:38pm ESTDesperate Housewives star Lesley Ann Warren has been sensationally fired from her lead role in new movie Devil You Know on the second day of filming because of her outrageous demands. Warren, who plays Teri Hatcher's mother in the hit TV series, reportedly threw constant tantrums on set and was quickly axed from production. Her bad behavior involved forcing producers to book two separate plush hotels for the filming and insisting an assistant director was fired after she took offense to the sound of her voice. The 59-year-old then had a crazed fit on set after discovering her bottled water had been chilled when she had specified room temperature. First time director James Oakley finally fired the actress after she further delayed filming with frequent toilet breaks. A movie insider tells PageSix.com, "It's infuriating because she knew what she was getting into. This is an independent movie. We're doing it for the love of the game. Everyone knew there were no perks. We got almost nothing done on the first day. "When she started up the same way on the second day, Oakley, to his credit, fired her. It was a ballsy (brave) move for a director making his first movie. "It was like a poison was being spread through the whole production. We would have all been in hell for the next four weeks." Actress Lena Olin will cover Warren's role when filming resumes on Sept. 1. Article Copyright World Entertainment News Network All Rights Reserved.
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Queen of the Damned Review
February 22, 2002 9:01am ESTThe vampire Lestat de Lioncourt (Stuart Townsend) wakes from a hundred-year sleep to the rock 'n' roll present day and likes what he sees and hears. Tired of the vampire's solitary life he becomes the frontman for an unknown rock band and transforms it into the latest greatest thing gaining the adulation of millions. He also decides to disregard the unspoken rule that vampires must hide away from the rest of world and writes songs encoded with specifics of the secret life of vampires. As expected Lestat's lyrics draw the attention of both the bloodsuckers who want to destroy him and the human vampire scholars (called the Talamasca) who want to study him. One young Talamascan student Jesse Reeves (Marguerite Moreau) becomes obsessed with Lestat after reading his journal from the 1800s. She learns that Lestat had a brief encounter with Queen Akasha (Aaliyah) the most ancient and dangerous vampire to ever exist and the mother of all who walk the Earth in search of blood. He gets his chance to meet Akasha again when his music awakens her from an ancient slumber. She rises and seeks out Lestat to become her king and join her in ruling the world. The film truly belongs to Townsend and fans of the Anne Rice's novels will be happy to know he completely embodies the charismatic vampire Lestat. The little-known Irish actor who starred in last year's indie About Adam with Kate Hudson rules the screen whenever he is on it and luckily he's on it quite a lot. He's especially powerful when he is in rock star mode. Although Moreau's Jesse is fairly one dimensional she comes alive in her scenes with Townsend. Let's hope they keep asking him to play Lestat (when and if they make any more films from Rice's vampire novels) and next time give him an actress he can have some real chemistry with. The late R&B singer Aaliyah made her second film appearance in Damned as the queen. Even though she is only in the film a short time she possesses a certain charm as the ancient and evil Queen Akasha and makes a great first impression by destroying a vampire coven. Yet her acting skills are just not up to par with the rest of the cast including the charismatic Vincent Perez as the vampire Marius and Lena Olin as the kind-hearted vampire Maharet. Damned was set to be released in the fall of last year but word of mouth had the film destined for the video shelf before it even made it to the big screen. Then tragedy struck and as the news of Aaliyah's untimely death echoed throughout the world of entertainment Warner Bros. wisely decided to hold onto it and release it in theaters at a more favorable time knowing there would be an audience who'd want to see the singer's last film. Yet for all the bad press surrounding it Damned actually pleasantly surprises you due largely in part to Townsend's mesmerizing performance. Michael Rymer's direction is not a masterpiece of filmmaking by any stretch of the imagination but it has a certain MTV quality about it which makes it appealing. That same quality however also makes it too slick glossing over the meatier parts of Rice's novel making the dialogue and action trite and sometimes downright silly. Come to think of it the 1994 Interview With the Vampire also suffered from the same thing. Maybe translating Rice's words is harder than it looks.
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'Wedding Planner' Extends Honeymoon
July 31, 2001 12:30pm EST"The Wedding Planner" was still living happily ever after in first place this weekend. The PG-13-rated romantic comedy from Columbia Pictures and Intermedia Films continued to show great legs in its second week with a shapely estimated $11.0 million (-19%) at 2,785 theaters (theater count unchanged; $3,950 per theater). Its cume is approximately $28.2 million. "Down 19%. You couldn't hope for better than that," Sony Pictures Entertainment worldwide marketing & distribution president Jeff Blake said Sunday morning. "It's turning out absolutely the best you could have possibly hoped for -- number one two weeks in a row and Valentine's weekend coming up and Presidents' holiday after that. We certainly now are believers that we'll be in excess of $50 million (in domestic theaters). This is a very profitable picture for both us and Intermedia." Jere Hausfater, president, worldwide distribution and acquisitions for Intermedia Films, pointed out Sunday morning that Lopez is incredibly hot right now with the unique combination of a number one movie and a number one record album ("J.Lo," which arrived in stores Jan. 23). "On behalf of Intermedia/IMF, I would say Sony has done an incredible job as well as Jennifer Lopez's management and publicity people in launching the record and the movie," Hausfater said. "This is really one of those situations where music and movies come together, and it's one of those situations where all that could have been done was done. This is one of those examples where everyone talks about how music can supplement the movie and the movie can supplement the music. I think both these stood on their own and made not only the number one CD for Jennifer Lopez, but now the number one movie two weeks in a row. It's very, very unusual." As Hausfater pointed out, Lopez's twin success in music and movies at the same time is unique. Lopez's record album captured first place on pop charts in the U.S., Canada and Germany last week and is a top five album on the charts in the U.K., Australia and Italy. It marks the first time in the U.S. that an artist has placed first at the same time on both the music and movie charts. Reflecting on how well Sony did overall, Blake noted, "We do have four of the Top Ten once again this weekend." Besides "Wedding," Sony has "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" in fifth place via Sony Pictures Classics, Columbia's "Finding Forrester" in eighth place and Screen Gems' "Snatch" in ninth place. Directed by Adam Shankman, "Planner" stars Jennifer Lopez and Matthew McConaughey. Warner Bros. and Village Roadshow's R-rated horror film "Valentine" opened in second place to a sharp estimated $10.12 million at 2,310 theaters ($4,381 per theater). "We're thrilled. Anything over $8 million would have been fantastic. The whole movie cost $10 million," Warner Bros. Distribution president Dan Fellman said Sunday morning. "To gross your production cost in three days is fine and even if it follows the normal drop-offs of a horror movie, we'll be in good shape with this film." Directed by Jamie Blanks, "Valentine" stars Denise Richards, David Boreanaz, Marley Shelton and Katherine Heigl. 20th Century Fox's PG-13-rated drama "Cast Away," which was third last week, tied for third place in its seventh week, showing strong legs with an estimated $7.4 million (-8%) at 2,648 theaters (-243 theaters; $2,799 per theater). Its cume is approximately $203.0 million. "It hit $200 million on the 44th day, which is just great" Fox distribution president Bruce Snyder said Sunday morning. Asked where "Cast" might wind up in domestic theaters, Snyder replied, "Without awards, it could be at $220 million and with (Oscar) nominations and any kind of awards, it could go to $225-230 million." Given the film's Golden Globe win for best actor/drama, Tom Hanks is likely to be a best actor Oscar nominee. Directed by Robert Zemeckis, "Cast Away" stars Tom Hanks and Helen Hunt. Paramount's PG-13-rated teen appeal drama "Save the Last Dance" from MTV Films, which was second last week, tied for third place in its fourth week with a still lively estimated $7.4 million (-24%) at 2,570 theaters (+9 theaters; $2,879 per theater). Its cume is approximately $68.7 million. "I had it (heading for) $80-85 million," Paramount distribution president Wayne Lewellen said Sunday morning. "But I wasn't planning, quite frankly, on a hold quite this strong this weekend. I think it's in the $85-90 million range now. It certainly will be over $80 million now, but just how far I don't know." Directed by Thomas Carter, "Dance" stars Julia Stiles and Sean Patrick Thomas. Sony Pictures Classics continued its very successful widening of its critically-acclaimed, PG-13-rated action adventure "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon." "Tiger," which was sixth last week, tied for third place in its ninth week with a very-promising estimated $7.4 million at 1,161 theaters (+293 theaters; $6,374 per theater). Its cume is approximately $53.5 million. "Tiger" had the highest per-theater average for any film playing in wide release last weekend. "Tiger," which won Golden Globes for best director (Ang Lee) and best foreign language film, is considered a likely contender in the Oscar race. Lee is a DGA nominee. Directed by Ang Lee, "Dragon" stars Michelle Yeoh and Chow Yun-Fat. USA Films' R-rated Oscar contender drama "Traffic" dropped two pegs to sixth place in its sixth week with a still-encouraging estimated $6.29 million (-3%) at 1,580 theaters (-1 theater; $3,983 per theater). Its cume is approximately $64.9 million. "Traffic," which won Golden Globes for best screenplay (Stephen Gaghan) and best supporting actor (Benicio Del Toro), is considered a likely contender in the Oscar race. Its director, Steven Soderbergh, is a Directors Guild nominee for both "Traffic" and "Erin Brockovich." "It depends on the Academy Awards," USA distribution president Jack Foley said Sunday morning when asked where "Traffic" is likely to wind up in domestic theaters. "We're looking at about $80 million. With Academy Award nominations, it's more than $80 million. "Next weekend, with the Academy Award nominations, these movies will be above this weekend's business. That's why dropping so little this weekend is so critical. You begin feeling the noms this coming weekend, even before they're announced. Before the noms, Monday's usually the biggest day of the week for the increase in the pictures, so at the end of that week you're up over this week. Then you go into the weekend after the noms, Presidents' weekend, and you're up because of the noms and the holiday. Some of these pictures are up as much as 45% to 50% over the week of the nominations." Directed by Steven Soderbergh, "Traffic" stars Michael Douglas, Don Cheadle, Benicio Del Toro, Dennis Quaid and Catherine Zeta-Jones. Universal's PG-13-rated youth appeal comedy "Head Over Heels" opened in seventh place to a quiet estimated $5.01 million at 2,364 theaters ($2,120 per theater). Directed by Mark Waters, "Heels" stars Monica Potter and Freddie Prinze, Jr. Columbia Pictures' PG-13-rated drama "Finding Forrester" held on to eighth place in its seventh week with a solid estimated $4.4 million (-5%) at 1,983 theaters (-19 theaters; $2,219 per theater). Its cume is approximately $41.5 million. "It continues to hang in there in a crowded market," Sony's Blake said. "Now we're pretty confident we'll be over $50 million (in domestic theaters)." Directed by Gus Van Sant, "Forrester" stars Sean Connery. Sony's Screen Gems label's R-rated drama "Snatch" slid two slots to ninth place in its third week with a less-grabbing estimated $4.1 million (-13%) at 1,240 theaters (-204 theaters; $3,306 per theater). It cume is approximately $21.8 million. Written and directed by Guy Ritchie, "Snatch" stars Benicio Del Toro, Dennis Farina, Vinnie Jones, Brad Pitt, Rade Sherbedgia and Jason Statham. Rounding out the Top Ten was Miramax's PG-13-rated romantic comedy drama "Chocolat," a likely contender for Oscar nominations, in its eighth week with a tasty estimated $3.7 million (+10%) at 1,173 theaters (-30 theaters; $3,164 per theater). Its cume is approximately $22.5 million. Directed by Lasse Hallstrom, "Chocolat" stars Juliette Binoche, Judi Dench, Alfred Molina, Lena Olin and Johnny Depp. OTHER OPENINGS This weekend also saw the arrival of Cloud 9's drama "Left Behind: The Movie," the widely-publicized drama targeted to Christian moviegoers that reportedly sold 2.8 million videos at $30 apiece (grossing $75 million) when it was released last fall and is now arriving in theaters. "Left" was left far behind in a tie for 18th place with an uninspiring estimated $1.8 million at 862 theaters ($2,075 per theater). Focusing on the film's video sales, one studio distribution head commented Sunday morning, "You've got an approximate cost of $6-8 factor on each of those cassettes (for manufacturing and shipping). If they were sold retail, they're going to take a piece off, too." With 2.8 million cassettes sold, that would represent anywhere from $16.8 million to $22.4 million in manufacturing and shipping costs. The video sales, he added, could have been done via television rather than retail stores: "There are so many of these religious programs on TV and cable, they could have gone that route. Certainly, if you plug into the Baptist or the Catholic system and get their endorsement, I suppose it's possible to have a huge profit. If they were to have gone with a Catholic or Baptist endorsement, they would have had to give the church a piece of that. But, still, at that price there's a huge profit there. "If you're going to send this directly to the consumer from some shipping plant you would eliminate the retail (percentage of the gross). But you'd have to have some organization endorsing it, so they would get 20% or 30% or some number. But still you're looking at a $20 net however that may be split up." At $20 profit per cassette, sales of 2.8 million copies would generate about $56 million. "They made a lot of money, I think," he said. As far as the film's theatrical release, he noted, it's not going anywhere. "Best case would be $7-8 million (in domestic theaters)," he said. "Four times their opening would be a strong (showing). The norm is it's just an average playability on a picture, you can calculate about three times the opening. If it's poor playability, it would be two or two and a half times (the first weekend gross). You're probably looking at $4-5 million (for 'Left')." USA Films' PG-rated drama "In the Mood For Love" arrived in 25th place to a very lovely estimated $0.11 million at 6 theaters ($19,000 per theater). "We have four theaters in L.A. and two in New York," USA's Foley said Sunday morning. "New York's selling out. It's a really amazingly good opening for a foreign language film. We had a very conservative plan for (releasing) the picture because it's a very delicate film. I think based on these openings -- particularly in Los Angeles, (where) the Asian communities in Orange County and Pasadena really flocked to the film -- I'm looking at maybe getting more aggressive. I want to get a couple more markets open before we really get confident about it because it's truly delicate." Written and directed by Wong Kar-Wai, "Love" stars Tony Leung and Maggie Chung. Fine Line Features' R-rated drama "The Invisible Circus" arrived in 27th place to a quiet estimated $0.053 million at 105 theaters ($500 per theater). Directed by Adam Brooks, "Circus" stars Jordana Brewster, Chistopher Ecleston and Cameron Diaz. Lions Gate Films' R-rated drama "The Million Dollar Hotel" from Icon Productions opened poorly in 28th place to a weak estimated $0.033 million at 10 theaters ($3,270 per theater). Directed by Wim Wenders, it stars Jeremy Davies, Milla Jovovich, Jimmy Smits and Mel Gibson. SNEAK PREVIEWS Columbia held 621 sneak previews Saturday night of its PG-13-rated comedy "Saving Silverman." "They were approximately half full," Sony Pictures Entertainment worldwide marketing & distribution president Jeff Blake said Sunday morning. "But there were lots of teenagers, and they all rated it well above average. I think that gives us confidence going up against 'Hannibal' next weekend." "Silverman" will open at about 2,500 theaters, Blake said, adding, "It's an interesting maneuver. We chose going up against a picture that's obviously going to open huge with the specific idea of being two things they can't be -- funny and PG-13." Directed by Dennis Dugan, "Silverman" stars Jason Biggs, Steve Zahn, Jack Black and Amanda Peet. EXPANSIONS On the expansion front, this weekend saw no significant activity outside the Top Ten. WEEKEND COMPARISONS Key films -- those grossing more than $500,000 for the three days -- took in approximately $95.82 million, up about 12.49% from the comparable weekend last year when key films grossed $85.18 million. This weekend's key film gross was up about 4.17% from the previous weekend this year when key films grossed $92.07 million. Last year, Dimension Films' opening week of "Scream 3" was first with $34.71 million at 3,467 theaters ($10,013 per theater); and Universal's sixth week of "The Hurricane" was second with $4.94 million at 2,148 theaters ($2,300 per theater). The top two films one year ago grossed $39.6 million. This year, the top two films grossed an estimated $21.1 million.
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'The Mexican' Gets More Than '15 Minutes'
July 31, 2001 12:30pm ESTHollywood's advance radar system fizzled this weekend as "15 Minutes" failed to oust "The Mexican" from first place. Although insiders were right in predicting a sharp second week drop for DreamWorks' R-rated drama "The Mexican," they were wrong about it losing top honors. "Mexican" held on to first place with a less sexy estimated $12.13 million (-40%) at 2,959 theaters (+8 theaters; $4,100 per theater). Its cume is approximately $38.3 million. "Mexican" reportedly only cost about $40 million since its two superstars worked for much less than their usual salaries. Directed by Gore Verbinski, "Mexican" stars Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts. New Line's R-rated drama "15 Minutes" kicked off in second place with a solid estimated $10.48 million at 2,337 theaters ($4,482 per theater). "Minutes" had the highest per-theater average for any film playing in wide release last weekend. Written and directed by John Herzfeld, "Minutes" stars Robert De Niro and Edward Burns. Insiders had been talking about a $15-20 million opening that would have put "Minutes" in first place. "The picture's got a message and the message was resonating with the older demo and obviously not with the younger one," New Line distribution president David Tuckerman said Sunday morning. "The tracking showed that it was going to open higher than (it did). Although, with the definite interest numbers (being lower), it sort of told you that (even with) the tracking numbers for first choice and all the rest of it, because of the (limited) interest it was going to (open) lower." Warner Bros.' PG-rated family appeal comedy "See Spot Run" from Village Roadshow Pictures was still barking loudly in third place in its second week with an estimated $6.6 million (-32%) at 2,656 theaters (theater count unchanged; $2,485 per theater). Its cume is approximately $17.9 million. Reportedly made for only about $15 million, "Spot" should be profitable in theaters as well as in home video. Directed by John Whitesel, "Run" stars David Arquette. MGM and Universal's R-rated thriller "Hannibal" fell two rungs to fourth place in its fifth week with a less delicious estimated $5.7 million (-44%) at 2,947 theaters (-325 theaters; $1,934 per theater). Its cume is approximately $151.0 million, heading for $175 million in domestic theaters. Directed by Ridley Scott and produced by Dino De Laurentiis, Martha De Laurentiis and Ridley Scott, "Hannibal" stars Anthony Hopkins and Julianne Moore. Paramount's PG-13-rated comedy "Down to Earth" dropped one peg to fifth place in its fourth week with a less amusing estimated $5.5 million (-30%) at 2,521 theaters (theater count unchanged; $2,182 per theater). Its cume is approximately $51.0 million. Directed by Chris Weitz and Paul Weitz, "Earth" stars Chris Rock. "I think it's (going to get to) $65 million or so or maybe it might struggle to $70 million," Paramount distribution president Wayne Lewellen said Sunday morning. "It held up really better than I thought. We're only off 30%. I was figuring a 35% drop with the De Niro picture coming in." Miramax's PG-13-rated youth appeal comedy "Get Over It" arrived in sixth place to a calm estimated $4.4 million at 1,742 theaters ($2,525 per theater). Directed by Tommy O'Haver, "Get" stars Kirsten Dunst, Ben Foster, Melissa Sagemiller, Sisqo, Shane West, Colin Hanks, Swoosie Kurtz, Ed Begley Jr. and Martin Short. Sony Pictures Classics' Oscar-contending, PG-13-rated action adventure "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" fell two slots to seventh place in its 14th week, still showing strong legs with an estimated $4.3 million (-12%) at 1,756 theaters (+5 theaters; $2,450 per theater). Its cume is approximately $94.6 million. "Tiger" is nominated for 10 Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Foreign Language Film and Best Director. Director Ang Lee won the Directors Guild of America's feature directing award Saturday night, making him the favorite to win the Best Director Oscar. Directed by Ang Lee, "Dragon" stars Michelle Yeoh and Chow Yun-Fat. "It looks good. Soon we're going to be at that Century Mark," Sony Pictures Classics sales vice president Tom Prassis said Sunday morning. When will "Tiger" hit $100 million? "I'd like to say next weekend, but most likely it's going to be during the week after that." How far does it go if it wins the Best Picture Oscar and where does it wind up if it doesn't win? "Well, if it wins Best Picture, we're obviously going to be on the screen a lot longer -- probably, I'd say, another one or two months. It probably would go up to $120-125 million. If we don't win Best Picture, we'll still probably be on the screen because people still have a need to see the film. "I was in Vegas this past week (for ShoWest) and talked to so many exhibitors who don't normally go to the movies, who are going two or three times to see this film and taking friends to see it. And then I've talked to people from all walks of life who have seen it three or four times." Insiders see "Tiger" as having a strong shot at winning Best Picture, particularly in view of Ang Lee's DGA victory. But if it doesn't win, Prassis said, "It hangs on (but) obviously it's not going hang on the way it would if it did win." In that case, he sees it winding up with $110-115 million. USA Films' R-rated, Oscar-contending drama "Traffic" dropped two notches to eighth place in its 11th week, still holding very well with an estimated $3.87 million (-11%) at 1,678 theaters (+40 theaters; $2,304 per theater). Its cume is approximately $97.5 million. "Traffic" is nominated for five Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director. Directed by Steven Soderbergh, "Traffic" stars Michael Douglas, Don Cheadle, Benicio Del Toro, Dennis Quaid and Catherine Zeta-Jones. "It's the Academy Awards (benefit) -- down 11%. The drops in the Academy Awards trend continue to be impressive. Last weekend it was down 16% and the weekend before it was down 18%, so you can see the drops diminishing," USA distribution president Jack Foley said Sunday morning. "At the end of the week, we'll be at $98.5 million and Saturday we'll get there (at $100 million). Next Sunday morning, we'll be at $100 million and probably after the weekend we'll be at $101 million." Asked for a best and worst case prediction -- winning or not winning the Best Picture Oscar -- of where the film's gross goes, Foley replied, "Because it's at $100 million within the next week, you have a nice little fit in there for maybe an accelerated run to the Academy Awards, which will deliver maybe $6 million. So that's $107 million. If it wins, it could be up another $15 million -- $120-125 million." If "Traffic" doesn't win Best Picture, he added, "It will probably get to maybe $110-115 million. The dollar houses are in there. In the dollar houses, you can throw in another $3 million no matter where you are. So if it peters out at like $110 million in first run, then you're looking at $3-5 million from the dollar houses, so it would be like $113-115 million." Miramax's PG-13-rated, Oscar-contending romantic comedy drama "Chocolat" fell two rungs to ninth place in its 13th week, holding better than any of the weekend's wide releases with an estimated $3.8 million (-10%) at 1,928 theaters (+71 theaters; $1,970 per theater). Its cume is approximately $51.0 million. "Chocolat" is nominated for five Oscars, including Best Picture. Asked where "Chocolat" is heading, Miramax senior vice president, marketing David Kaminow said Sunday morning, "I think $65-70 million." If it should win Best Picture -- an upset victory that some Hollywood handicappers argue remains a possibility -- Kaminow added, "Why not $100 million?" BR>Directed by Lasse Hallstrom, "Chocolat" stars Juliette Binoche, Judi Dench, Alfred Molina, Lena Olin and Johnny Depp. Rounding out the Top Ten this week was Buena Vista/ Disney's G-rated animated feature "Recess: School's Out," down two notches in its fourth week, with a less playful estimated $2.2 million (-44%) at 2,339 theaters (-164 theaters; $946 per theater). Its cume is approximately $30.5 million. Directed by Chuck Sheetz, "Recess" was produced by Sheetz and Stephen Swofford and executive produced and created by Paul Germain and Joe Ansolabehere. OTHER OPENINGS Miramax's R-rated drama "Blow Dry" opened to a quiet estimated $0.25 million at 157 theaters ($1,600 per theater). Its cume after five days is approximately $0.3 million. Directed by Paddy Breathnach, it stars Alan Rickman, Natasha Richardson, Rachel Griffiths, Rachael Leigh Cook, Josh Hartnett, Bill Nighy, Rosemary Harris and Heidi Klum. Paramount Classics' PG-13-rated comedy "Company Man" opened to a poor estimated $0.078 million at 103 theaters ($760 per theater). Written and directed by Peter Askin and Douglas McGrath, "Company" stars Alan Cumming, Anthony LaPaglia, Denis Leary, Douglas McGrath, John Turturro and Sigourney Weaver. Shooting Gallery's unrated comedy "When Brendan Met Trudy" arrived to a dull estimated $0.038 million at 14 theaters ($2,715 per theater). Directed by Lynda Myles, it stars Peter McDonald and Flora Montgomery. SNEAK PREVIEWS MGM held 627 sneak previews Saturday night of its PG-13-rated comedy "Heartbreakers" from Davis Entertainment. The film, which was successfully screened for exhibitors attending the ShoWest convention in Las Vegas last week, will be previewed again next Saturday night (Mar. 17) at about 1,000 theaters. "We averaged 50% attendance," MGM worldwide distribution president Larry Gleason said Sunday morning. "We had really good exit polls. 55% female, 45% male. 54% of the audience was over 30 and 46% were under 30. Definite recommend was 66%, which is a good number against a 50% average. And the Top Two Boxes (excellent and very good) were 78%. It's almost identical to the exit polls we had for 'The Thomas Crown Affair' in August of 1999. "It's just what we wanted to do. We need to get the word out on the picture. So we're doing it again next week. We'll increase it to up to 1,000 (theaters) next week as per plan; and by the time we open in two weeks, we should be in good shape." "Heartbreakers" opens Mar. 23 at about 2,500 theaters. Directed by David Mirkin and produced by John Davis and Irving Ong, "Heartbreakers" stars Sigourney Weaver, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Ray Liotta, Jason Lee, Jeffrey Jones and Gene Hackman. EXPANSIONS On the expansion front, this weekend saw Sony Pictures Classics go wider with its R-rated drama "Pollock," grossing in its fifth week an encouraging estimated $0.71 million (+7%) at 155 theaters (+51 theaters; $4,611 per theater). Its cume is approximately $2.7 million. "Pollock" received Oscar nominations for Best Actor (Ed Harris) and Best Supporting Actress (Marcia Gay Harden). Directed by Ed Harris, "Pollock" stars Ed Harris and Marcia Gay Harden. USA Films' PG-rated drama "In the Mood For Love" continued to expand in its sixth week with a still encouraging estimated $0.26 million (-5%) at 73 theaters (+9 theaters; $3,563 per theater). Its cume is approximately $1.6 million. Written and directed by Wong Kar-Wai, "Love" stars Tony Leung and Maggie Chung. "'In the Mood' continues to do a nice amount of business," USA distribution president Jack Foley said Sunday morning. "We're getting chunks of grosses, a quarter of a million dollars weekend after weekend. It's a surprisingly adorable picture for a small beautiful art film. I think we'll ultimately get to $3 million on it and that would delight me." Universal Focus' R-rated thriller "The Caveman's Valentine" widened in its second week with a quiet estimated $0.19 million at 59 theaters (+43 theaters; $3,245 per theater). Its cume is approximately $0.3 million. Directed by Kasi Lemmons, "Valentine" stars Samuel L. Jackson. USA Films' R-rated reality TV satire "Series 7" added theaters in its second week with an okay estimated $0.027 million (-6%) at 4 theaters (+2 theaters; $6,700 per theater). Its cume is approximately $0.070 million. Written and directed by Daniel Minahan, "Series" stars Brooke Smith, Glenn Fitzgerald, Mary Louise Burke, Richard Venture, Michael Kaycheck and Merrit Wever. WEEKEND COMPARISONS Key films -- those grossing more than $500,000 -- took in approximately $68.15 million, down about 16.65% from the comparable weekend last year when key films grossed $81.41 million. This weekend's key film gross was down about 17.94% from last weekend this year when key films did $82.69 million. Last year, Buena Vista's opening week of "Mission To Mars" was first with $22.86 million at 3,054 theaters ($7,484 per theater); and Artisan Entertainment's opening week of "The Ninth Gate" was second with $6.62 million at 1,586 theaters ($4,176 per theater). The top two films one year ago grossed $29.5 million. This year, the top two films grossed an estimated $22.6 million.
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'Mexican' Easily Stands Off 'Hannibal'
July 31, 2001 7:53am ESTStrong openings for "The Mexican" and "See Spot Run" sent "Hannibal" south of the box office border after three weeks in first place. DreamWorks' R-rated drama "The Mexican" kicked off to a record-setting estimated $20.3 million at 2,951 theaters ($6,879 per theater). Its powerful box office punch proved audiences cared more about Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts' superstar luster than the film's lackluster reviews. "The Mexican" had the highest per-theater average for any film playing in wide release last weekend. "For the first week in March, this is the biggest opening ever," DreamWorks distribution head Jim Tharp said Sunday morning, noting that it beats the $17.2 million opening for "The Hunt For Red October" when it surfaced on March 2, 1990. "It's one of the bigger March openings. Last year, on March 17, 'Erin Brockovich' did $28.1 million." "It could be a little better than this (estimate), but there's a storm moving into the Northeast so we dropped the Sunday estimate," Tharp said, noting that this morning some Hollywood handicappers were estimating an even bigger opening weekend. "I don't know what the impact (of the snowstorm) is going to be." The film's reviews, Tharp commented, "were mixed. There were some good ones and some not so good. But I think it is a credit to the star power of those two, plus James Gandolfini is well known. I think that people who saw the movie liked it. Part of the issue with the critics is that your expectations are one thing when you see a Julia Roberts movie and this is totally different. A little quirky, maybe, for some of the critics." "Mexican" reportedly was made for only about $40 million, with both of its superstars taking much less than their usual salaries. Directed by Gore Verbinski, "Mexican" stars Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts. Warner Bros.' G-rated family appeal comedy "See Spot Run" from Village Roadshow Pictures was running hard in second place, opening to a frisky estimated $10.2 million at 2,656 theaters ($3,840 per theater). An additional draw for family audiences was the fact that Warners advertised that it is showing with "Spot" the first trailer for its much-awaited "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone," opening this November. "'Spot' has run well. He ate 'Hannibal' today," Warner Bros. Distribution president Dan Fellman said Sunday morning. "The exits are great. It's not an expensive movie. So it's all very, very good news." Reportedly made for only about $15 million, "Spot" should be profitable in theaters and then have big potential in home video thanks to its family appeal. Fellman was waiting to receive Saturday's exit poll data, but said it should be in line with Friday's research, which found "it was 96% in the top two boxes (excellent and very good) and the definite recommend was 86%. So it looks great. Word of mouth is terrific. That's why we had such a great Saturday. And we'll have a great Sunday, as well, because the weather's helping us. It's not snowing (on the East Coast yet). It's going to snow tonight. The reactions starting with our sneaks (last Sunday) were great, so it led to a solid opening. "And we put the 'Harry Potter' trailer on it and advertised it, so it certainly was added value for the family. It just helped brand the movie (as family entertainment) the way we wanted to brand it. Reaction to the trailer was just spectacular, so we're very, very excited about that. That's a monster movie for us and it will be a great franchise for the company." Directed by John Whitesel, "Run" stars David Arquette. MGM and Universal's R-rated thriller "Hannibal" fell two pegs to third place in its fourth week with a less mouthwatering estimated $10.05 million (-36%) at 3,272 theaters (-20 theaters; $3,072 per theater). Its cume is approximately $142.8 million, heading for $175 million in domestic theaters. Directed by Ridley Scott and produced by Dino De Laurentiis, Martha De Laurentiis and Ridley Scott, "Hannibal" stars Anthony Hopkins and Julianne Moore. "We're happy," MGM worldwide distribution president Larry Gleason said Sunday morning. Gleason pointed out that MGM's next release, the PG-13-rated comedy "Heartbreakers" from David Entertainment is being screened Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. for exhibitors attending the ShoWest convention in Las Vegas and will then receive a double sneak before its March 23 opening. The picture is generating an advance buzz as a potential spring sleeper hit. "It's going to be the first screening to kick off ShoWest," Gleason said. "Then we have a preview this Saturday night (March 10) at 700 theaters and then we're planning to (sneak it at) 1,000 theaters the following Saturday (March 17)." Directed by David Mirkin and produced by John Davis and Irving Ong, "Heartbreakers" stars Sigourney Weaver, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Ray Liotta, Jason Lee, Jeffrey Jones and Gene Hackman. Paramount's PG-13-rated comedy "Down to Earth" slid two slots to fourth place in its third week with a still solid estimated $8.0 million (-29%) at 2,521 theaters (theater count unchanged; $3,173 per theater). Its cume is approximately $44.1 million. Directed by Chris Weitz and Paul Weitz, "Earth" stars Chris Rock. Sony Pictures Classics' Oscar-contending, PG-13-rated action adventure "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" held on to fifth place in its 13th week with an energetic estimated $4.93 million (-25%) at 1,751 theaters (+2 theaters; $2,817 per theater). Its cume is approximately $88.7 million. "Tiger" is nominated for 10 Oscars, including best picture, best foreign language film and best director. Directed by Ang Lee, "Dragon" stars Michelle Yeoh and Chow Yun-Fat. "I feel that we're still on track to reach that $100 million mark before the Oscars, which would be stupendous," Sony Pictures Classics sales vice president Tom Prassis said Sunday morning. USA Films' R-rated, Oscar-contending drama "Traffic" held on to sixth place in its 10th week with a still impressive estimated $4.51 million (-13%) at 1,617 theaters (-138 theaters; $2,788 per theater). Its cume is approximately $92.3 million. "Traffic" is nominated for five Oscars, including best picture and best director. "It's down 13%, an amazing hold against 'The Mexican,' no less," USA distribution president Jack Foley said Sunday morning. "And 'Chocolat' and 'Crouching Tiger' had good holds, too. I think it's (the result of) a couple of things. It's that overbearing interest that America has in the Academy Awards. There's no doubt about it. People are already (making a point of seeing the best picture nominees). "The benefit of this year's lack of competition among the five best picture group is really (helping) 'Crouching Tiger,' 'Chocolat' and us, since 'Gladiator' and 'Erin Brockovich' really aren't out there. So we have more pie (to carve up between the three nominees who are now in wide release). "The other thing that I think is very beneficial, as well, is when you look at the list (of new films in the marketplace) -- with all due respect to my competition -- most of the films out there are relatively uninteresting. So people are looking for other choices. You're seeing considerable drops in the commercial pictures going on week after week. So the hole in the market has benefited us, as well." Foley expects continued strong business for "Traffic" as well as for "Chocolat" and "Crouching Tiger" as the Oscars approach. "As you get down to the Academy Awards, with that momentum ever increasing and grabbing the attention of the public, it's free advertising for us that will motivate people to see these films before the (Oscars are announced March 25). So we're just going to grow further. "This weekend, we should have had a bigger drop because you're g tting closer (to the Oscars). This puts us in perfect position for business. Depending on how the picture sustains itself next week, we could hit $100 million the week of March 16 or the week of March 23. I had different drops (projected) for the picture, different scenarios that were 65% or 75% of the week prior, and it's actually like 25% or 35% drops. So over the last couple of weeks my hundred million mark was actually drifting down into the beginning of April or the week after the Academy Awards. But as the film has sustained these great holds in the marketplace and the drops are so diminished, I'm now looking at hitting $100 million as early as the week of March 16. And remember this -- the sooner you hit $100 million, the more you go over it. There's more gross (to be made)." With "Traffic" now at about $92.3 million in domestic theaters, its international business to date brings its worldwide cume to about $115 million, Foley said. Directed by Steven Soderbergh, "Traffic" stars Michael Douglas, Don Cheadle, Benicio Del Toro, Dennis Quaid and Catherine Zeta-Jones. Miramax's PG-13-rated, Oscar-contending romantic comedy drama "Chocolat" rose one rung to seventh place in its 12th week with a still tempting estimated $4.2 million (-12%) at 1,857 theaters (+13 theaters; $2,261 per theater). Its cume is approximately $45.7 million. "Chocolat" is nominated for five Oscars, including best picture. "It's great," Miramax senior vice president, marketing David Kaminow said Sunday morning. "Probably by the time of the Oscars, we'll be close to $60 million, which is ahead of where 'Cider House Rules' ended its run. We haven't dropped more than 15% on any given week. "People love the movie. It's an audience pleaser. Somebody said (to me last night), 'The thing about 'Chocolat' is that with all these other movies I've been seeing, everyone's dying at the end. With 'Chocolat,' at least, you go, you have fun, you leave with a smile on your face.' They said, it's a movie you can recommend to anybody. And I think that's what it is. It's a movie for everybody. It's entertaining. You have a good time." Directed by Lasse Hallstrom, "Chocolat" stars Juliette Binoche, Judi Dench, Alfred Molina, Lena Olin and Johnny Depp. Buena Vista/Disney's G-rated animated feature "Recess: School's Out" fell four notches to eighth place in its third week with a less lively estimated $3.9 million (-43%) at 2,503 theaters (-127 theaters; $1,570 per theater). Its cume is approximately $27.6 million. Directed by Chuck Sheetz, "Recess" was produced by Sheetz and Stephen Swofford and executive produced and created by Paul Germain and Joe Ansolabehere. Franchise Pictures' (via its distribution deal with Warner Bros.) R-rated drama "3000 Miles To Graceland" plunged six slots in its second week to ninth place, with a chilly estimated $3.05 million (-57%) at 2,545 theaters (theater count unchanged; $1,196 per theater). Its cume is approximately $12.2 million. Directed by Demian Lichtenstein, "Graceland" stars Kurt Russell and Kevin Costner. Warner Bros. has no financial investment in "Graceland," which it is releasing for Franchise for a distribution fee. Rounding out the Top Ten this week was Warner Bros. and Bel-Air Entertainment's PG-13-rated romantic drama "Sweet November," down three slots in its third week with a quiet estimated $2.46 million (-52%) at 2,037 theaters (-231 theaters; $1,205 per theater). Its cume is approximately $21.6 million. Directed by Pat O'Connor, "November" stars Keanu Reeves and Charlize Theron. OTHER OPENINGS Universal Focus' opening of its R-rated thriller "The Caveman's Valentine" arrived to a calm estimated $0.12 million at 16 theaters ($7,745 per theater). Directed by Kasi Lemmons, "Valentine" stars Samuel L. Jackson. USA Films' R-rated reality TV satire "Series 7" kicked off to a very encouraging estimated $30,000 at two theaters ($15,094 per theater). Written and directed by Daniel Minahan, "Series" stars Brooke Smith, Glenn Fitzgerald, Mary Louise Burke, Richard Venture, Michael Kaycheck and Merrit Wever. SNEAK PREVIEWS There were no national sneak previews this weekend. EXPANSIONS On the expansion front, this weekend saw Sony Pictures Classics go wider with its R-rated drama "Pollock," grossing in its fourth week an encouraging estimated $0.75 million at 104 theaters (+72 theaters; $7,234 per theater). Its cume is approximately $1.8 million. "Pollock" received Oscar nominations for best actor (Ed Harris) and best supporting actress (Marcia Gay Harden). Directed by Ed Harris, "Pollock" stars Ed Harris and Marcia Gay Harden. "We're very pleased with that," Sony Pictures Classics sales vice president Tom Prassis said Sunday morning, adding that next week the film will add "substantially more" runs. USA Films' PG-rated drama "In the Mood For Love" continued to expand in its fifth week with a still encouraging estimated $0.29 million at 64 theaters (+14 theaters; $4,495 per theater). Its cume is approximately $1.3 million. Written and directed by Wong Kar-Wai, "Love" stars Tony Leung and Maggie Chung. WEEKEND COMPARISONS Key films -- those grossing more than $500,000 -- took in approximately $83.79 million, up about 9.53% from the comparable weekend last year when key films grossed $76.5 million. This weekend's key film gross was up a marginal 0.05% from last weekend this year when key films did $83.75 million. Last year, Warner Bros.' third week of "The Whole Nine Yards" was first with $7.17 million at 2,793 theaters ($2,569 per theater); and Paramount's opening week of "The Next Best Thing" was second with $5.87 million at 2,007 theaters ($2,925 per theater). The top two films one year ago grossed $13.1 million. This year, the top two films grossed an estimated $30.5 million.
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'Hannibal' Holds Pole Position
July 24, 2001 7:23am ESTMoviegoers elected "Hannibal" to another term in first place over the four-day Presidents weekend. The R-rated thriller from MGM and Universal in association with Dino De Laurentiis held on to the top spot with a sizzling estimated $36.5 million (-40%) at 3,238 theaters (+8 theaters; $11,272 per theater). Its cume is approximately $110.4 million. (All of today's weekend estimates are for four days. For the three-day period Friday through Sunday, MGM estimated "Hannibal" at $30.0 million.) "Hannibal" had the highest per-theater average for any film playing last weekend. "It's down 40% for the four days and we were looking for 35-40%, so it's pretty damn good," MGM worldwide distribution president Larry Gleason said Sunday morning. "I think $200 million's in the bag now." In its international release through Universal, "Hannibal" opened Friday in the U.K. (via UIP) to very strong first place business. Universal said Sunday morning that it estimated the film's weekend gross at $9-9.5 million, making it the biggest opening ever in the U.K. for UIP, the international distribution company in which Universal and Paramount are partners. "Hannibal" also opened in first place in Australia last Thursday with an estimated $2.5 million. In Germany, where it also opened Thursday (via Tobis Studiocanal), it was number one with an estimated $6.3 million, making it the biggest opening in that territory for an R-rated film. "Hannibal" also opened the previous weekend in Italy (via Filmauro) and has taken in an impressive estimated $9.5 million to date. Driven by "Hannibal," the domestic marketplace expanded significantly for the four days, setting a new record for Presidents weekend of about $147 million. Gleason noted that business was very strong and up sharply from last year (up about 16% from $126.3 million a year ago). While "Hannibal" was clearly the weekend's blockbuster success story, he pointed out that, "The three Academy (best picture nominees) -- 'Traffic,' 'Crouching Tiger' and 'Chocolat' -- all picked up nicely." "Hannibal's" 1991 predecessor film "The Silence of the Lambs" grossed $130.7 million in its domestic release via Orion Pictures and did about $142 million in international theaters. Directed by Ridley Scott and produced by Dino De Laurentiis, Martha De Laurentiis and Ridley Scott, "Hannibal" stars Anthony Hopkins and Julianne Moore. Its screenplay by David Mamet and Steven Zaillian is based on the novel by Thomas Harris. Where is "Traffic" heading in domestic theaters? "I think that $90 million is in the bag," Foley replied. "We're hoping for $100 million. If the picture holds up significantly, meaning that we take 30% drops over the next couple of weeks, and then it goes back up as you get into that momentum prior to the Academy Awards, which all these pictures do, we could get $100 million the week of the awards. So it's got a shot at $100 million. "The thing that's really significant about this weekend's business is that it indicated that people's interest is firmly fixed on the film, which could really deliver the picture to that ($100 million) mark. It's real exciting." Directed by Steven Soderbergh, "Traffic" stars Michael Douglas, Don Cheadle, Benicio Del Toro, Dennis Quaid and Catherine Zeta-Jones. Columbia and Intermedia Films' PG-13-rated romantic comedy "Wedding Planner" slid five slots to seventh place in its fourth week with a still-sexy estimated $7.0 million (-14%) at 2,354 theaters (-372 theaters; $2,974 per theater). Its cume is approximately $47.3 million. (For the three-day period Friday through Sunday, Columbia estimated "Wedding" at $5.7 million.) Directed by Adam Shankman, "Planner" stars Jennifer Lopez and Matthew McConaughey. Miramax's PG-13-rated, Oscar-contending romantic comedy drama "Chocolat," which was 10th last week, went wider and tied for eighth place in its 10th week with a still-encouraging estimated $6.0 million at 1,481 theaters (+333 theaters; $4,051 per theater). Its cume is approximately $34.4 million. (For the three-day period Friday through Sunday, Miramax estimated "Chocolat" at $4.8 million.) "Chocolat" is nominated for five Oscars, including best picture. "It's a nice combination to have a movie with great word of mouth get bolstered by getting an Academy Award nomination for best picture," Miramax senior vice president, marketing David Kaminow said Sunday morning. "It's a nice combination, and it shows in the increase in gross." Directed by Lasse Hallstrom, "Chocolat" stars Juliette Binoche, Judi Dench, Alfred Molina, Lena Olin and Johnny Depp. 20th Century Fox's PG-13-rated drama "Cast Away," which was fifth last weekend, tied for eighth place in its ninth week with an okay estimated $6.0 million (+10%) at 2,249 theaters (-98 theaters; $2,668 per theater). Its cume is approximately $217.5 million. (For the three-day period Friday through Sunday, Fox estimated "Cast" at $5.0 million.) Directed by Robert Zemeckis, "Cast Away" stars Tom Hanks and Helen Hunt. Rounding out the Top Ten this week was Columbia's PG-13-rated comedy "Saving Silverman" from Village Roadshow Pictures in association with NPV Entertainment, down seven pegs in its second week with a dull estimated $5.1 million (-35%) at 2,467 theaters (theater count unchanged; $2,067 per theater). Its cume is approximately $14.5 million. Directed by Dennis Dugan, "Silverman" stars Jason Biggs, Steve Zahn, Jack Black and Amanda Peet. (For the three-day period Friday through Sunday, Columbia estimated "Silverman" at $4.3 million.) OTHER OPENINGS Sony Pictures Classics R-rated drama "Pollock" went into wider release this weekend, but no details were available Sunday morning for four-day estimates. Three-day estimates put it at $0.24 million at 14 theaters ($17,143 per theater). Its cume through Sunday is approximately $0.33 million. "Pollock" received Oscar nominations for best actor (Ed Harris) and best supporting actress (Marcia Gay Harden). Directed by Ed Harris, "Pollock" stars Ed Harris and Marcia Gay Harden. SNEAK PREVIEWS There were no national sneak previews this weekend. EXPANSIONS On the expansion front, this weekend saw Buena Vista/Touchstone's PG-13-rated dark comedy "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" add theaters in its ninth week with an okay estimated $3.4 million (+2%) at 847 theaters (+12 theaters; $4,014 per theater). Its cume is approximately $25.7 million heading for $30 million-plus in domestic theaters. (For the three-day period Friday through Sunday, Buena Vista estimated "Brother" at $2.8 million.) A Buena Vista spokeswoman pointed out that this weekend saw "O Brother" overtake the gross for the Coen Brothers' "Fargo," which did $24.6 million in domestic theaters in 1996. "Brother" received Oscar nominations for best screenplay and cinematography. Directed by Joel Coen and written by Ethan Coen & Joel Coen, it stars George Clooney, John Turturro, Tim Blake Nelson and John Goodman. Fox Searchlight Pictures went wider with its R-rated drama "Quills" in its 13th week with a calm estimated $0.33 million at 201 theaters (+165 theaters; $1,617 per theater). Its cume is approximately $6.2 million. (For the three-day period Friday through Sunday, Fox Searchlight estimated "Quills" at $0.27 million.) Directed by Philip Kaufman, "Quills" stars Geoffrey Rush, Kate Winslet, Joaquin Phoenix and Michael Caine. "Quills" received three Oscar nominations, including best actor (Geoffrey Rush). USA Films' PG-rated drama "In the Mood For Love" added theaters in its third week with a still-attractive estimated $0.24 million at 24 theaters (+18 theaters; $9,950 per theater). Its cume is approximately $0. million. Written and directed by Wong Kar-Wai, "Love" stars Tony Leung and Maggie Chung. Universal went wider with its R-rated drama "Billy Elliot" from Universal Focus in its 19th week. "Billy," which received three Oscar nominations last week, grossed an estimated $0.18 million at 138 theaters (+30 theaters; $1,270 per theater). Its cume is approximately $19.9 million. Directed by Stephen Daldry, "Billy" stars Julie Walters, Gary Lewis, Jamie Bell, Jamie Draven and Adam Cooper. WEEKEND COMPARISONS Key films -- those grossing more than $500,000 for the four days -- took in approximately $146.93 million, up about 16.31% from the comparable weekend last year when key films grossed $126.33 million. This weekend's four-day key film gross should not be compared to the previous weekend this year, a normal three-day weekend. Last year, Warner Bros.' opening week of "The Whole Nine Yards" was first with $15.92 million at 2,910 theaters ($5,469 per theater); and Sony's opening week of "Hanging Up" was second with $15.71 million at 2,618 theaters ($6,001 per theater). The top two films one year ago grossed $31.6 million. This year, the top two films grossed an estimated $57.0 million.
