TOP 12: SKY CAPTAIN makes soft landing

By: Patrick Sauriol
Date: Monday, September 20, 2004

Movie audiences were taken away by the retro action-adventure SKY CAPTAIN AND THE WORLD OF TOMORROW last weekend, elevating the film to become the new box office champ. In its opening weekend SKY CAPTAIN grossed an estimated $16.2 million dollars, which isn't exactly enough to quantify it as a blockbuster by any means. The movie, which is rumored to have a budget of around $70 million dollars, will have to stay in the top ten for the next few weeks if it's to make a run to recoup its cost.

Second place went to Bernie Mac's new comedy MR. 3000, the story of a retired baseball superstar that has to come back and play in the major leagues when his world record is overturned. Last week's champ, RESIDENT EVIL: APOCALYPSE, dropped to third spot with $9 M and fourth place went to Universal Pictures' romantic sports drama WIMBLEDON.

Two items to take note of this week: first, WITHOUT A PADDLE is still placing decent in the top twelve standings and has now made $50 M, making it a modest hit for parent studio Paramount. Second, THE BOURNE SUPREMACY has crossed the $170 M mark, well ahead of the first BOURNE movie and easily Universal's best performer of the summer. I think it would be a safe bet to make that a third screen outing for Mr. Bourne will be in our future in a couple of years.

Next week will see the opening of Julianne Moore's new supernatural thriller THE FORGOTTEN, the horror comedy hijinks of SHAUN OF THE DEAD, the latest from director John Waters (A DIRTY SHAME), a comedy/romance (FIRST DAUGHTER) and Robin Williams' future tense thriller THE FINAL CUT will open in limited release.

Here are the estimated box office receipts of the top twelve films from September 17 through to September 19 with their weekend gross and the movie's total domestic gross to date. The week's new films are signified in red.


BOX OFFICE FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 17 to SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 19, 2004:


1. SKY CAPTAIN AND THE WORLD OF TOMORROW $16,200,000 $16,200,000
2. MR. 3000 $9,200,000 $9,200,000
3. RESIDENT EVIL: APOCALYPSE $9,000,000 $37,375,000
4. WIMBLEDON $7,780,000 $7,780,000
5. CELLULAR $6,875,000 $19,789,000
6. WITHOUT A PADDLE $3,715,000 $50,409,000

7. HERO $2,956,000 $46,210,000
8. NAPOLEON DYNAMITE $2,400,000 $33,457,000
9. COLLATERAL $2,300,000 $96,005,000
10. THE PRINCESS DIARIES 2: ROYAL ENGAGEMENT $2,000,000 $91,940,000
11. THE BOURNE SUPREMACY $1,908,000 $170,540,000
12. ANACONDAS: THE HUNT FOR THE BLOOD ORCHID $1,800,000 $30,011,000


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