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Samuel L. Jackson No. 1 'Coach' at Box Office
Samuel L. Jackson scored the first hit movie of the year at the North American box office on Sunday with the basketball drama "Coach Carter," which ended the three-week reign of "Meet the Fockers."
Jennifer Garner, meanwhile, dropped the first bomb of the year with her superheroine saga "Elektra," which opened at No. 5 amid withering reviews. Two other top-10 debutants were in a tight race for the Nos. 3 and 4 slots, with the new family movie "Racing Stripes" narrowly besting the Dennis Quaid comedy-drama "In Good Company," which entered its first weekend of wide release.
According to studio estimates issued on Sunday, "Coach Carter" (Paramount Pictures) sold $23.6 million worth of tickets in the three days beginning Jan. 14, followed by "Fockers" (Universal Pictures) with $19.0 million.
"Elektra" (20th Century Fox) came in with about $12.5 million. Even Halle Berry 's unloved "Catwoman" did better, opening to $16.7 million last July.
"It was a little softer than I would have hoped," said Bruce Snyder, president of domestic theatrical distribution at the News Corp. -owned studio. His target was $15 million.
The movie, based on a Marvel Comics character introduced in 2003's similarly underwhelming "Daredevil," was budgeted in the mid-$30 million range, Snyder added. "X-Files" veteran Rob Bowman directed. "CARTER" PULLS WOMEN
By contrast, Paramount executives got more than they expected with "Coach Carter," which cost about $30 million to make. The Viacom Inc. -owned studio would have been happy with a $20 million start, said Wayne Lewellen, president of domestic distribution.
"Coach Carter," based on a true story, stars Jackson as a hoops coach who raises a storm by pulling his star players from the local competition so that they can focus on improving their anemic high school grades. Paramount released the film in conjunction with its corporate sibling MTV Films.
Notwithstanding its sports theme, the film pulled in slightly more women than men, thanks to an extensive marketing campaign that accentuated its inspirational story, Paramount executives said. Exit polls showed that more than 90 percent of viewers would definitely recommend it, the studio said.
If estimates hold, "Coach Carter" will rank as the second-best opener for the three-day portion of the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday weekend, according to tracking firm Exhibitor Relations. "Along Came Polly" set the record last year with $27.7 million, while 2001's "Save the Last Dance" currently holds the No. 2 slot with a $23.4 million bow. Final data for the holiday weekend will be released on Tuesday.
"Coach Carter" was directed by Thomas Carter (no kin), who also helmed "Save the Last Dance."
"Racing Stripes" (Warner Bros.) sold about $14 million worth of tickets. The film revolves around a zebra (voiced by Frankie Muniz) who thinks he is a race horse. It uses real animals, computer technology and animatronic doubles, as well as the voices of Dustin Hoffman and Whoopi Goldberg . The opening was on target, said Dan Fellman, president of distribution at the Time Warner Inc. -owned studio.
"In Good Company" (Universal) followed with $13.9 million, having played in just three cities for the past two weeks. Quaid stars as a downsized executive who must answer to a new boss half his age ). Scarlett Johansson also stars. The film's total stands at $14.4 million.
Universal executives said the film's expansion exceeded expectations, and it outperformed the recent expansions of such entries as "The Aviator" and "The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou." Directed by Paul Weitz ("About A Boy"), "In Good Company" cost about $23 million to make.
Universal's "Fockers," meanwhile, has earned $230.8 million after four weekends in release. The studio, a unit of General Electric Co. -controlled NBC Universal, partnered on "Fockers" with closely held DreamWorks SKG.
Source: yahoo entertainment
Jennifer Garner, meanwhile, dropped the first bomb of the year with her superheroine saga "Elektra," which opened at No. 5 amid withering reviews. Two other top-10 debutants were in a tight race for the Nos. 3 and 4 slots, with the new family movie "Racing Stripes" narrowly besting the Dennis Quaid comedy-drama "In Good Company," which entered its first weekend of wide release.
According to studio estimates issued on Sunday, "Coach Carter" (Paramount Pictures) sold $23.6 million worth of tickets in the three days beginning Jan. 14, followed by "Fockers" (Universal Pictures) with $19.0 million.
"Elektra" (20th Century Fox) came in with about $12.5 million. Even Halle Berry 's unloved "Catwoman" did better, opening to $16.7 million last July.
"It was a little softer than I would have hoped," said Bruce Snyder, president of domestic theatrical distribution at the News Corp. -owned studio. His target was $15 million.
The movie, based on a Marvel Comics character introduced in 2003's similarly underwhelming "Daredevil," was budgeted in the mid-$30 million range, Snyder added. "X-Files" veteran Rob Bowman directed. "CARTER" PULLS WOMEN
By contrast, Paramount executives got more than they expected with "Coach Carter," which cost about $30 million to make. The Viacom Inc. -owned studio would have been happy with a $20 million start, said Wayne Lewellen, president of domestic distribution.
"Coach Carter," based on a true story, stars Jackson as a hoops coach who raises a storm by pulling his star players from the local competition so that they can focus on improving their anemic high school grades. Paramount released the film in conjunction with its corporate sibling MTV Films.
Notwithstanding its sports theme, the film pulled in slightly more women than men, thanks to an extensive marketing campaign that accentuated its inspirational story, Paramount executives said. Exit polls showed that more than 90 percent of viewers would definitely recommend it, the studio said.
If estimates hold, "Coach Carter" will rank as the second-best opener for the three-day portion of the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday weekend, according to tracking firm Exhibitor Relations. "Along Came Polly" set the record last year with $27.7 million, while 2001's "Save the Last Dance" currently holds the No. 2 slot with a $23.4 million bow. Final data for the holiday weekend will be released on Tuesday.
"Coach Carter" was directed by Thomas Carter (no kin), who also helmed "Save the Last Dance."
"Racing Stripes" (Warner Bros.) sold about $14 million worth of tickets. The film revolves around a zebra (voiced by Frankie Muniz) who thinks he is a race horse. It uses real animals, computer technology and animatronic doubles, as well as the voices of Dustin Hoffman and Whoopi Goldberg . The opening was on target, said Dan Fellman, president of distribution at the Time Warner Inc. -owned studio.
"In Good Company" (Universal) followed with $13.9 million, having played in just three cities for the past two weeks. Quaid stars as a downsized executive who must answer to a new boss half his age ). Scarlett Johansson also stars. The film's total stands at $14.4 million.
Universal executives said the film's expansion exceeded expectations, and it outperformed the recent expansions of such entries as "The Aviator" and "The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou." Directed by Paul Weitz ("About A Boy"), "In Good Company" cost about $23 million to make.
Universal's "Fockers," meanwhile, has earned $230.8 million after four weekends in release. The studio, a unit of General Electric Co. -controlled NBC Universal, partnered on "Fockers" with closely held DreamWorks SKG.
Source: yahoo entertainment