WARNER STRONG AT FADE-OUT STUDIO EXPECTS TO TOP $1 BILLION AT BOX OFFICE.Byline: Greg Hernandez Staff Writer BURBANK - Fueled by the phenomenal success of ``Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone,'' Warner Bros BROS Brothers BROS Benefits and Retirement Operations Section (King County, Washington) BROS Barnes and Richmond Operatic Society (London, UK) . is on the verge On the Verge (or The Geography of Yearning) is a play written by Eric Overmyer. It makes extensive use of esoteric language and pop culture references from the late nineteenth century to 1955. of breaking the $1 billion domestic box office mark this weekend for only the second time in the studio's history. The ``Harry Potter'' juggernaut Juggernaut, India: see Puri. Juggernaut (Jagannath) huge idol of Krishna drawn through streets annually, occasionally rolling over devotees. [Hindu Rel.: EB, V: 499] See : Destruction had reached $193.9 million as of Wednesday, upping the studio's overall receipts to nearly $960 million for the year. The movie about a boy wizard is expected to cross the $200 million mark within days and should have plenty of box office steam through the end of the year, the studio said Thursday. ``We've broken a number of industry records with 'Harry Potter' and it continues to play strong across the country,'' said Dan Fellman, Warner Bros. head of distribution. ``We expect it to be one of the better-grossing films over the Christmas period as well.'' Fellman said there is no question that the studio will surpass its previous record of $1.04 billion and has its sights firmly set on the single-year box office record of $1.26 billion posted by Sony in 1997. Industry experts say Warner Bros. will need blockbuster block·bust·er n. 1. Something, such as a film or book, that sustains widespread popularity and achieves enormous sales. 2. A high-explosive bomb used for demolition purposes. 3. numbers for its Dec. 7 release ``Ocean's Eleven'' and continued strong numbers from ``Harry Potter'' in order to challenge it. Paul Dergarabedian, president of the box office tracking firm Exhibitor Relations, said ``Harry Potter'' is likely to be bumped out of the No. 1 spot next weekend by ``Ocean's Eleven'' and its all-star cast headed by Julia Roberts, George Clooney George Timothy Clooney (May 6, 1961) is an American actor, director, producer and screenwriter who gained fame as the lead doctor in the long-running television drama, ER , Brad Pitt and Matt Damon. ``With the marquee value of the names of that cast, I think it's going to have a very strong opening weekend and do very well,'' said Dergarabedian. ``Warners has two of the most high-profile films for the holiday season with 'Potter' and 'Ocean's Eleven.' The awareness levels for those two films are as high as any we've seen during any holiday.'' The many high-profile television appearances with Jay Leno Jay Leno (born April 28, 1950) is an Emmy-winning American comedian, writer who is best known as the current host of NBC television's long-running variety and talk program The Tonight Show. Biography Leno was born in New Rochelle, New York. , David Letterman David Michael Letterman (born April 12, 1947, in Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.) is an award-winning American comedian, late night talk show host, television producer, philanthropist, and IRL IndyCar Series car owner. and Barbara Walters Barbara Jill Walters[1] (born September 25, 1929[2]) is an American journalist, writer and media personality who has been a regular fixture on morning television shows (Today and The View), an evening news magazine (20/20 in recent weeks by the film's stars should really boost the appeal of ``Ocean's Eleven,'' Dergarabedian said. ``That is what is getting people excited about the movie,'' he said. ``Usually it's the concept, but this time it's the notion of the stars - all those stars in one movie.'' Warner Bros. also has a Jim Carrey “James Carrey” redirects here. For the murder conspirator, see James Carey. James Eugene Carrey (born January 17, 1962) is a Canadian actor and comedian. drama, ``The Majestic,'' on tap for a Dec. 21 release. Carrey is a reliable draw and starred in last holiday season's biggest smash, ``Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas.'' ``Jim Carrey's name a is pretty good insurance policy to have at the box office, but this is one of those quality, Oscar-type films that comes out at the end of the year,'' Dergarabedian said. ``I don't think it will have as big an impact as the other two Warners films.'' Fellman said both ``Ocean's Eleven'' and ``The Majestic'' have tested extremely well with preview audiences. ``Both are outstanding films and we look forward to success with both of them,'' he said. The last time Warner Bros. crossed the $1 billion mark was in 1999, when its box office total reached $1.04 billion with such major hits as ``The Matrix,'' ``The Green Mile,'' ``Wild Wild West'' ``Analyze This'' and ``Pokemon: The First Movie.'' Other than ``Harry Potter,'' the studio's success this year has been based upon steady ticket sales from a large number of films rather than a few blockbuster releases. Strong performances from ``Cats and Dogs'' ($93.4 million) and the Denzel Washington Denzel Hayes Washington, Jr. (born December 28, 1954) is a two-time Academy Award and Golden Globe Award-winning American actor and director. He has garnered much critical acclaim for his portrayals of several real-life figures, such as Steve Biko, Malcolm X, Rubin "Hurricane" film ``Training Day'' ($75 million) gave the studio strong boosts in overall ticket sales. The Steven Spielberg Noun 1. Steven Spielberg - United States filmmaker (born in 1947) Spielberg film, ``A.I.: Artificial Intelligence,'' was considered somewhat of a box office disappointment overall as it dropped steeply in its second week after a strong debut this summer. But the movie managed to earn $78.6 million domestically. Still, box office flops like ``Osmosis Jones'' and ``Rock Star'' didn't have anyone predicting a record year for Warner Bros. during the first half of 2001. ``All it takes is one or two films to put you over the top,'' Dergarabedian said. ``It just matters what your final numbers are.'' |
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