BOND, `SLEEPY HOLLOW' SET BOX-OFFICE RECORD.Byline: Dave McNary Staff Writer James Bond beat the Headless Horseman Headless Horseman spectral figure haunts Ichabod Crane. [Am. Lit.: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow] See : Headlessness in a spirited battle at the nation's multiplexes as ``The World Is Not Enough'' took in an estimated $37.2 million at 3,163 theaters during the Friday-Sunday period, studio sources said Sunday. The opening of the 20th James Bond movie, the best debut in the 37-year-old series, fought off an impressive challenge from the rollout of ``Sleepy Hollow'' with $30.5 million at 3,064 theaters. The duo's results represent the first time two openings have topped the $30 million mark in the same weekend and herald a red-hot launch for the holiday moviegoing season. ``There is incredibly strong demand for good movies right now,'' said industry tracker Arthur Rockwell. ``I'd say the holiday season is in full swing.'' Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, which has remained a Hollywood player in recent years due to the Bond franchise, reported 71 percent of moviegoers polled would recommend ``The World Is Not Enough.'' That was 6 percent higher than responses for 1997's ``Tomorrow Never Dies,'' the top domestic grosser in the series with $125.2 million. ``We outperformed our wildest dreams,'' said distribution chief Larry Gleason. ``This should play well into January.'' Gleason said the results reflected the success of MGM's targeting of teens and young adults in its marketing campaign, which featured extensive promotion on MTV MTV in full Music Television U.S. cable television network, established in 1980 to present videos of musicians and singers performing new rock music. MTV won a wide following among rock-music fans worldwide and greatly affected the popular-music business. and the casting of Denise Richards as a nuclear physicist Nu´cle`ar phys´i`cist n. 1. A scientist specializing in nuclear physics. Noun 1. nuclear physicist - a physicist who specializes in nuclear physics physicist - a scientist trained in physics . MGM MGM in full Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Inc. U.S. corporation and film studio. It was formed when the film distributor Marcus Loew, who bought Metro Pictures in 1920, merged it with the Goldwyn production company in 1924 and with Louis B. Mayer Pictures in 1925. , which also opened the film on Friday in Singapore and Malaysia, is hoping to eclipse the worldwide record of $351 million for a Bond movie, set in 1995 by ``Goldeneye goldeneye or whistler Either of two species of small, yellow-eyed diving ducks that produce a whistling sound with their rapidly beating wings. The common goldeneye (Bucephala clangula) breeds throughout the Northern Hemisphere; Barrow's goldeneye (B. .'' ``The World Is Not Enough'' marks the third Bond film starring Pierce Brosnan, the fifth actor to play the 007 role. ``Brosnan has done a good job of growing into the role,'' said Rockwell, a former MGM executive. Ownership of the Bond franchise is split between MGM and producers Michael Wilson Michael Wilson may refer to:
``They've had to keep reinventing the wheel, but the character can go into so many different situations,'' Bucksbaum added. ``This franchise is never going to die.'' Bucksbaum said ``The World Is Not Enough'' dominated business in Middle America while ``Sleepy Hollow'' posted its strongest numbers in major metropolitan areas. He said the latter, starring Johnny Depp as Ichabod Crane in a revamped version of the Washington Irving tale, benefited from Paramount's well-executed marketing campaign and moviegoers' seemingly unending appetite for horror-suspense films. ``That genre just is not quitting,'' he added. ``I think it's the most surprising trend of the year.'' ``Sleepy Hollow,'' which cost a reported $70 million, received fairly positive reviews while critics were mixed on ``The World Is Not Enough.'' But Bond films have tended to be ``review-proof'' in attracting customers. The strong performance of the top two movies sets up a major collision at the box office on Wednesday when Universal opens Arnold Schwarzenegger's action-thriller ``End of Days'' and Disney expands its much-anticipated ``Toy Story 2'' from its current one-screen run. The sequel generated an impressive $310,000 over the weekend at the El Capitan theater in Hollywood and will go into over 3,200 locations in two more days. ``People are knocking on our doors saying please send us this movie,'' said distribution chief Chuck Viane. ``The World Is Not Enough'' and ``Sleepy Hollow'' accounted for nearly three of every five tickets purchased, stealing momentum from most holdover hold·o·ver n. One that is held over from an earlier time: a political advisor who was a holdover from the Reagan era; a family tradition that is a holdover from my grandparents' childhood. Noun 1. films which sustained losses of at least 40 percent of their take from the previous weekend. The previous winner, Warner Bros BROS Brothers BROS Benefits and Retirement Operations Section (King County, Washington) BROS Barnes and Richmond Operatic Society (London, UK) .' ``Pokemon: The First Movie,'' suffered a 57 percent decline from its astounding a·stound tr.v. a·stound·ed, a·stound·ing, a·stounds To astonish and bewilder. See Synonyms at surprise. [From Middle English astoned, past participle of astonen, opening as the kiddie kid·die or kid·dy n. pl. kid·dies Slang A small child. kiddie Noun Informal a child sensation finished third with $13.3 million at 3,043 theaters. Universal's third weekend of ``The Bone Collector'' dropped 46 percent to $6.5 million at 2,623 locations for fourth place and Lions Gate's second weekend of ``Dogma'' followed with $4.1 million at 1,323 screens as the offbeat off·beat n. Music An unaccented beat in a measure. adj. Slang Not conforming to an ordinary type or pattern; unconventional: offbeat humor. comedy plunged 53 percent. 20th Century Fox's second weekend of ``Anywhere But Here'' lost 40 percent with $3.3 million at 1,681 sites and Disney's third weekend of ``The Insider'' declined 42 percent to $2.9 million at 1,884 screens. Final results for the Friday-Sunday period will be released today. THE TOP 10 Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at North American North American named after North America. North American blastomycosis see North American blastomycosis. North American cattle tick see boophilusannulatus. theaters: 1. ``The World is Not Enough,'' $37.2 million. 2. ``Sleepy Hollow,'' $30.5 million. 3. ``Pokemon: The First Movie,'' $13.3 million. 4. ``The Bone Collector,'' $6.5 million. 5. ``Dogma,'' $4.1 million. 6. ``Anywhere But Here,'' $3.3 million. 7. ``The Insider,'' $2.9 million. 8. ``The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc Joan of Arc, Fr. Jeanne D'Arc (zhän därk), 1412?–31, French saint and national heroine, called the Maid of Orléans; daughter of a farmer of Domrémy on the border of Champagne and Lorraine. ,'' $2.5 million. 9. ``The Bachelor,'' $2.4 million. 10. ``Being John Malkovich,'' $1.9 million. CAPTION(S): box Box: The top 10 (see text) |
|
||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion