Australian Box Office Report (10th - 13th Feb 2005)

[FilmBuff84]

Back from an extended net break and ready to get back into my duties. Don't know if my posts were missed, but here's the Top 20 films sitting at the Australian Box Office for the weekend Thursday the 10th to Sunday the 13th of February 2005.



Aviator has minor lift off

(1) (Debut) THE AVIATOR
(2) (Debut) HIDE AND SEEK
(3) (2) MILLION DOLLAR BABY
(4) (3) MEET THE FOCKERS
(5) (1) CLOSER
(6) (4) RAY
(7) (Debut) CELLULAR
(8) (5) SIDEWAYS
(9) (6) SKY CAPTAIN AND THE WORLD OF TOMORROW
(10) (Preview Screenings) HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS
(11) (9) RACING STRIPES
(12) (10) FINDING NEVERLAND
(13) (7) ALEXANDER
(14) (11) THE INCREDIBLES
(15) (15) THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA
(16) (8) SEED OF CHUCKY
(17) (17) THE MOTORCYCLE DIARIES
(18) (Debut) VERA DRAKE
(19) (16) THE SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS MOVIE
(20) (12) ELEKTRA

The positive reviews, Oscar talk and our own Cate Blanchett picking up awards left, right and centre made THE AVIATOR pick of the litter over the weekend, but it's rather underwhelming launch of $1,830,974 (US $20,986,653) indicates that audiences weren't in any big hurry to check out the potential Oscar winner. The opening is the 6th Highest for Leonardo DiCaprio, and in the early stages of the year it's enough to make it the 13th Highest Grossing film of this year. Turning up at #2 with their scarer was Robert DeNiro and Dakota Fanning whose game of HIDE AND SEEK managed $1,652,264 (US $18,938,276). Another Oscar hopeful, MILLION DOLLAR BABY, did rather minor business over the weekend adding $743,493 to its total, which comes to $2,280,586 (US $26,140,112) for the Clint Eastwood drama. Still somehow managing a good turnover 8 weeks in is MEET THE FOCKERS. The comedy sequel only dipped 26% and has the second largest screen count in the Top 20. It undeservingly has $33,184,377 (US $380,359,855) to its name. Rounding out the Top 5 was the #1 for the last two weeks, adult drama CLOSER. Jude, Julia, Natalie and Clive have racked up $4,686,272 (US $53,714,124) after 3 weeks in release. Kim Basinger and future Fantastic 4 firestarter Chris Evans couldn't dial up too much interest for their thriller CELLULAR which, sadly, went by rather unnoticed at #7 with a first week intake of $409,834 (US $4,697,523). Also suffering a smiliar fate is SKY CAPTAIN AND THE WORLD OF TOMORROW. The immensely entertaining sci-fi throwback debuted last week at a poor #6 and this week it lost 57% of its audience trailing it to #9 with $821,320 (US $9,413,982). Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell and the Pixar family all had relative drops over the weekend. FINDING NEVERLAND fell 49% in this, it's 7th week in release to a rather sizeable $7,544,380 (US $86,473,803), ALEXANDER, down 59%, is fairing a little less better with $4,015,010 (US $46,020,108) after 4 weeks, whilst THE INCREDIBLES, dipping 55%, has mounted up a nice $26,465,916 (US $303,352,749) since it's Boxing Day opening. Emmy Rossum's pouty lips, bold cleavage and operatic skills are still filling seats, as fellow Boxing Day opener THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA only dipped 32% in it's 8th week of release. The Joel Schumacher directed spectacle has collected $6,703,975 (US $76,841,067) all together. After a surprise debut in the Top 10 last week, the nill publicised horror comedy SEED OF CHUCKY unsurprisingly plummeted rather heavily in it's second week. Jennifer Tilly and her big rack slipped 67% and have $620,721 (US $7,114,713) to show for it. Rounding the Top 20 out, and seeing the biggest decline of the week was ELEKTRA. Jennifer Garner and her body hugging attire were off 69% to give the Marvel cutie a 5 week total of $4,819,752 (US $55,244,073).

THIS WEEK (February 17th): Adam Sandler and Tea Leoni get a little translation; Jane Austen goes to Bollywood; and Zhang Ziyi mixes dance with daggers.

• Spanglish
• Bride and Prejudice
• House of Flying Daggers

IN THE WEEKS TO COME:

• Constantine (Keanu goes gothic next week)
• Hitch (Will Smith helps out the King of Queens)
• Be Cool (John, Uma and The Rock head up Get Shorty 2)
• Friday Night Lights (Billy Bob does Varsity Blues)
• Hating Alison Ashley (Delta Goodrem's big screen debut)
• The Pacifier (Vin Diesel's ventrue into comedy)
• Cursed (Craven and Christina hope to satisfy with toned down gore)

FLASHBACK: This time last year


Stuck on Matt and Greg
(1) STUCK ON YOU
(2) UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN
(3) BIG FISH
(4) SOMETHING'S GOTTA GIVE
(5) ALONG CAME POLLY

Highest Debut - STUCK ON YOU - $1,614,635
Highest Gross - LOTR: THE RETURN OF THE KING - $45,087,923