'SINBAD' SAILS AN OCEAN OF UNCERTAINTY.

Byline: Greg Hernandez Staff Writer

DreamWorks distribution head Jim Tharp was clearly disheartened over the weekend when the studio's newest release, the traditional animated adventure ``Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas,'' opened to a tepid $10 million over the five-day Fourth of July weekend.

The lackluster debut for ``Sinbad'' coupled with the disastrous showing of Disney's ``Treasure Planet'' in November adds up to two expensive, noncomedy, traditionally animated films opening with a resounding thud.

``This is very disappointing,'' Tharp said.

Tharp now wonders whether the ``continuing downtrend in noncomedy, traditionally animated movies'' means the genre is simply no longer appealing to audiences who have flocked to such computer-animated films as Disney's ``Finding Nemo,'' which became the year's highest-grossing film over the weekend.

DreamWorks has also fared far better in recent years with with computer- animated comedies like ``Shrek'' ($267.6 million gross) than it has with conventional cel-animation products. For example, last year's ``Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron'' cost $80 million to make but generated just $73.2 million at the box office.

Consider the box office performances of some of the other most recent noncomedy, traditionally animated films:

--Disney's ``Treasure Planet'' opened with an abysmal $12.1 million in November 2002 and finished its run with a domestic gross of just $38.1 million. The film had a budget of more than $100 million.

--Sony Picture Entertainment's fantasy-adventure ``Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within'' also cost more than $100 million. It had an anemic opening weekend gross in July 2001 of $11.4 million and finished at $32 million.

--20th Century Fox's Sci-fi action film ``Titan A.E.'' opened to a meager $9.4 million at the box office. The film, which had a budget of $75 million, went on to earn just $22.7 million.

Now, ``Sinbad'' seems destined to join those underperformers. Featuring the voices of Brad Pitt, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michelle Pfieffer, ``Sinbad'' was positioned to dominate the family demographic but saw its audience siphoned away by the still-strong ``Nemo'' and the new releases ``Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines'' and ``Legally Blonde 2: Red, White and Blonde.''

``If you don't have that opening weekend these days, you've lost it,'' said box office analyst John Shaw, president of Movieline International. ``Quite simply, 'Treasure Planet' and 'Sinbad' were more marketing issues than they were the quality and appeal of the film themselves.''

Chuck Viane, Disney's president of distribution, does not believe recent failures mean the classic animation genre is on the way out.

``I believe the movie always speaks for itself regardless of what it is,'' Viane said. ``For years, people said animation couldn't break through. Then 'The Lion King' came through.''

``Lion King'' grossed a record $312.9 million during its initial theatrical run in 1994 and remains the highest-grossing animated film ever. ``Nemo'' could challenge the record if it continues at its stellar run.

Undaunted by the failure of ``Treasure Planet,'' Disney is bullish about its October release ``Brother Bear,'' a traditionally animated film about a American Indian teenager who is transformed into a bear.

``I don't believe the type of film has anything to do with it,'' Viane said. ``You still go out with the best idea you can.''

Greg Hernandez, [phone]

greg.hernandez(at)dailynews.com

CAPTION(S):

photo

Photo:

The disappointing performance of ``Sinbad'' follows November's disastrous showing by Disney's ``Treasure Planet.''