[MISP] Box office down

 

I’d say this argues for cheaper, smaller (lower-risk) productions, but what do I know?

 

      Jim Terr   www.JimTerr.com
           Santa Fe, New Mexico USA  505-989-9298
                "Over 450,000 YouTube views – but who’s counting?" 

June 7, 2010  (NY Times)

ARTS, BRIEFLY   http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/07/movies/07arts-ASHARPDROPAT_BRF.html

 

A Sharp Drop at the Box Office

By MICHAEL CIEPLY; Compiled by RACHEL LEE HARRIS

Movie box-office receipts dropped by 24 percent from the comparable weekend last year, to an estimated $125 million from $165.3 million.“Shrek Forever After,” in its third week, held on to the No. 1 spot with an estimated $25.3 million in weekend ticket sales, taking in about $183 million in ticket sales to date. Two new comedies, “Get Him to the Greek” and “Killers,” posted tepid openings. “Get Him to the Greek,” from Universal Pictures, placed second with $17.4 million in domestic ticket sales for the weekend, while “Killers,” from Lionsgate, was third with $16.1 million.

The two films together took in far less than the $45 million collected by “The Hangover,” a comedy that opened in the comparable weekend in 2009. The weekend’s decline follows soft openings last week by “Sex and the City 2,” from Warner Brothers, and“Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time,” from Walt Disney. “Prince of Persia” this week fell to the No. 4 spot, as ticket sales dropped 54 percent from last weekend, to $13.9 million, for a total of about $59.5 million since it opened. “Sex and the City 2” placed fifth with $12.7 million in sales, down 59 percent, for a total of $73.4 million.