New Films Struggle to Arouse Moviegoer Interest
LOS ANGELES - The first fall weekend is sometimes a surprise at the North American box office.
While the top performers usually don’t rack up big numbers, occasionally a film will pop up and take the weekend to new heights, as was the case last year when the low-budget horror The Exorcism of Emily Rose opened to $30 million. This, however, is not shaping up as one of those weekends.
Three new films will enter the fray, but none is likely to top $10 million: the horror flick The Covenant, the Los Angeles-based thriller Hollywoodland, and the Thai action film The Protector. Reigning champ Invincible earned $15.4 million during the four-day holiday weekend.
Director Renny Harlin’s The Covenant (Screen Gems/Sony) revolves around four young men who share a supernatural legacy and find their code of silence threatened after one of their peers turns up dead. The PG-13 release stars relative newcomers Steven Strait, Sebastian Stan and Toby Hemingway. Harlin’s previous film, Exorcist: The Beginning, debuted to $18 million in August 2004, but Covenant is looking to be closer to $10 million.
Hollywoodland (Focus Features) centers on the mysterious death of TV’s Superman, George Reeves, and has been coming on strong in pre-release surveys, particularly among older audiences. The R-rated thriller stars Adrien Brody, Diane Lane and Ben Affleck as Reeves. From television director Allen Coulter, Hollywoodland is looking to gross in the $7 million-$8 million range.
The Weinstein Co. will unveil another R-rated offering with The Protector, an action movie from director Prachya Pinkaew (Ong-Bak: The Thai Warrior). Starring Tony Jaa, also of Ong-Bak fame, Protector centers on a Thai fighter who travels to Australia to do battle with the gangsters who stole a bull and baby elephant from the fighter’s native country. Jackie Chan cameos in the film, and as with the Weinsteins’ previous project Hero, Quentin Tarantino has put his name on the film as a presenter.
Unlike Hero, which opened in 2004 to much anticipation and $18 million, the new film, according to industry insiders, is expected to gross in the $6 million range.
In limited release, Paramount Vantage will open the Toby Keith vehicle Broken Bridges in 86 theaters. Rated PG-13, the Southern drama centers on a fading country music star (Keith) who returns to his hometown, reunites with his childhood sweetheart (Kelly Preston) and meets his 16-year-old daughter for the first time. Willie Nelson and Burt Reynolds co-star.
IFC Films will open the R-rated Sherrybaby on five screens in Los Angeles and New York. The film centers on a woman (Maggie Gyllenhaal) who must fit back into her old life and reconnect with her young daughter after spending three years in prison. The film has been a festival favorite, receiving accolades for Gyllenhaal’s performance and for the work of writer-director Laurie Collyer (Nuyorican Dream). Sam Bottoms, Giancarlo Esposito and Ryan Simpkins co-star.
IFC opened the documentary Saint of 9/11 on Wednesday in New York. From director Glenn Holsten, the film centers on the life of Father Mychal Judge, chaplain for the New York City Fire Department and the first official casualty of the September 11 attacks.
Article source: http://www.hollywood.com/
