Stiller Finds Heartbreak At Box Office - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

comedyfreak · 10-08-2007, 04:11 AM

There's something about a reunion of Ben Stiller and the Farrelly brothers that audiences didn't want to see.

Stiller and the Farrellys' "The Heartbreak Kid" pulled in a modest $14 million during opening weekend, coming in at No. 2 behind "The Game Plan," which remained the top flick for the second-straight weekend with $16.3 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.

Paramount and DreamWorks had expected more from "The Heartbreak Kid," which reteamed Stiller with Peter and Bobby Farrelly. The trio collaborated on 1998's smash "There's Something About Mary."

The studios had gotten positive reaction from audiences at advance screenings, but reviews for "The Heartbreak Kid" came in much harsher than expected, said DreamWorks spokesman Chip Sullivan.

"We were surprised," Sullivan said. "The reviews hurt us. We love the movie. We've seen it play great. But I think reviews do matter on an R-rated movie."

An update of the 1972 comedy written by Neil Simon and directed by Elaine May, "The Heartbreak Kid" stars Stiller as a man who marries an incompatible bride, then meets the perfect woman on his honeymoon.

"The Heartbreak Kid" did manage to come in slightly ahead of the $13.7 million first weekend of "There's Something About Mary," which lingered in theaters for months and became one of 1998's top hits at $176.5 million.

Movies hung around longer then, but today's films tend to live or die based on their opening weekends, analysts said. That bodes ill for "The Heartbreak Kid," which would need to hold strongly in coming weeks to make good on its $60-million-plus production budget.

"The shelf life of films is so much shorter today than it was 10 years ago," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Media By Numbers. "You have to make your mark early to sustain yourself in today's marketplace."

"The Heartbreak Kid" also played much wider 3,229 theaters, about 1,000 more than "There's Something About Mary," which still managed to pack in far more viewers. Based on today's higher ticket prices, "There's Something About Mary" pulled in nearly 3 million people over opening weekend, compared to just over 2 million for "The Heartbreak Kid."

In limited release, George Clooney's acclaimed legal drama "Michael Clayton" opened strongly with $704,000 in 11 theaters, a promising lead-in for the film's nationwide rollout Friday.

Released by Warner Bros., "Michael Clayton" stars Clooney as an attorney at a huge Manhattan law firm dealing with personal financial ruin while trying to salvage a class-action case for a corporate client.

Disney's "The Game Plan," a football family tale starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, held up strongly in its second weekend, raising its total to $42.8 million.

Overall revenues were down for the third-straight weekend, with the top-12 movies taking in a meager $65.7 million, off 35 percent from the same weekend last year

Weekend Box Office Estimates (U.S.)
This Wk Last Wk Title Dist. Weekend Gross Cumulative
Gross Rlse
Wks # of
Theaters
1 1 The Game Plan Buena Vista Pictures Distribution $16,262,000 $42,811,000 2 3105
2 - The Heartbreak Kid Paramount Pictures $14,031,000 $14,031,000 1 3229
3 2 The Kingdom Universal Pictures Distribution $9,345,000 $31,368,000 2 2802
4 3 Resident Evil: Extinction Screen Gems, Sony Pictures Releasing $4,300,000 $43,474,000 3 2848
5 - The Seeker: The Dark is Rising Unnamed Fox-Walden Joint Venture $3,725,000 $3,725,000 1 3141
6 4 Good Luck Chuck Lionsgate $3,500,000 $29,098,000 3 2476
7 - Feel the Noise Sony Pictures Releasing $3,400,000 $3,400,000 1 1015
8 5 3:10 to Yuma Lionsgate $3,040,000 $48,553,000 5 2562
9 6 The Brave One Warner Bros. Pictures Distribution $2,260,000 $34,319,000 4 2358
10 7 Mr. Woodcock New Line Cinema $2,025,000 $22,307,000 4 1950
11 8 Eastern Promises Focus Features $1,967,000 $14,343,000 4 1212
12 10 Across the Universe Sony Pictures Releasing $1,850,000 $7,984,000 4 364

Dean Winchester · 10-08-2007, 04:54 AM

I think people are just Ben Stiller'd out. He is a likable guy but how many times can he play the same character?

comedyfreak · 10-08-2007, 08:29 PM

Good point, I think this really seems to be the case.

10-08-2007, 04:11 AM	#1
comedyfreak Cheers! Forum Fanatic Join Date: Dec 14, 2005 Location: Sunny California Posts: 11,060	Stiller Finds Heartbreak At Box Office There's something about a reunion of Ben Stiller and the Farrelly brothers that audiences didn't want to see. Stiller and the Farrellys' "The Heartbreak Kid" pulled in a modest $14 million during opening weekend, coming in at No. 2 behind "The Game Plan," which remained the top flick for the second-straight weekend with $16.3 million, according to studio estimates Sunday. Paramount and DreamWorks had expected more from "The Heartbreak Kid," which reteamed Stiller with Peter and Bobby Farrelly. The trio collaborated on 1998's smash "There's Something About Mary." The studios had gotten positive reaction from audiences at advance screenings, but reviews for "The Heartbreak Kid" came in much harsher than expected, said DreamWorks spokesman Chip Sullivan. "We were surprised," Sullivan said. "The reviews hurt us. We love the movie. We've seen it play great. But I think reviews do matter on an R-rated movie." An update of the 1972 comedy written by Neil Simon and directed by Elaine May, "The Heartbreak Kid" stars Stiller as a man who marries an incompatible bride, then meets the perfect woman on his honeymoon. "The Heartbreak Kid" did manage to come in slightly ahead of the $13.7 million first weekend of "There's Something About Mary," which lingered in theaters for months and became one of 1998's top hits at $176.5 million. Movies hung around longer then, but today's films tend to live or die based on their opening weekends, analysts said. That bodes ill for "The Heartbreak Kid," which would need to hold strongly in coming weeks to make good on its $60-million-plus production budget. "The shelf life of films is so much shorter today than it was 10 years ago," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Media By Numbers. "You have to make your mark early to sustain yourself in today's marketplace." "The Heartbreak Kid" also played much wider 3,229 theaters, about 1,000 more than "There's Something About Mary," which still managed to pack in far more viewers. Based on today's higher ticket prices, "There's Something About Mary" pulled in nearly 3 million people over opening weekend, compared to just over 2 million for "The Heartbreak Kid." In limited release, George Clooney's acclaimed legal drama "Michael Clayton" opened strongly with $704,000 in 11 theaters, a promising lead-in for the film's nationwide rollout Friday. Released by Warner Bros., "Michael Clayton" stars Clooney as an attorney at a huge Manhattan law firm dealing with personal financial ruin while trying to salvage a class-action case for a corporate client. Disney's "The Game Plan," a football family tale starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, held up strongly in its second weekend, raising its total to $42.8 million. Overall revenues were down for the third-straight weekend, with the top-12 movies taking in a meager $65.7 million, off 35 percent from the same weekend last year Weekend Box Office Estimates (U.S.) This Wk Last Wk Title Dist. Weekend Gross Cumulative Gross Rlse Wks # of Theaters 1 1 The Game Plan Buena Vista Pictures Distribution $16,262,000 $42,811,000 2 3105 2 - The Heartbreak Kid Paramount Pictures $14,031,000 $14,031,000 1 3229 3 2 The Kingdom Universal Pictures Distribution $9,345,000 $31,368,000 2 2802 4 3 Resident Evil: Extinction Screen Gems, Sony Pictures Releasing $4,300,000 $43,474,000 3 2848 5 - The Seeker: The Dark is Rising Unnamed Fox-Walden Joint Venture $3,725,000 $3,725,000 1 3141 6 4 Good Luck Chuck Lionsgate $3,500,000 $29,098,000 3 2476 7 - Feel the Noise Sony Pictures Releasing $3,400,000 $3,400,000 1 1015 8 5 3:10 to Yuma Lionsgate $3,040,000 $48,553,000 5 2562 9 6 The Brave One Warner Bros. Pictures Distribution $2,260,000 $34,319,000 4 2358 10 7 Mr. Woodcock New Line Cinema $2,025,000 $22,307,000 4 1950 11 8 Eastern Promises Focus Features $1,967,000 $14,343,000 4 1212 12 10 Across the Universe Sony Pictures Releasing $1,850,000 $7,984,000 4 364
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10-08-2007, 04:54 AM	#2
Dean Winchester Member Forum Fanatic Join Date: Sep 28, 2003 Location: Louisville KY Posts: 14,803	I think people are just Ben Stiller'd out. He is a likable guy but how many times can he play the same character?

10-08-2007, 08:29 PM	#3
comedyfreak Cheers! Forum Fanatic Join Date: Dec 14, 2005 Location: Sunny California Posts: 11,060	Good point, I think this really seems to be the case.