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RUSHHOUR |
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Los comentarios sobre la película son de lo más favorables, y podríamos resumirlos así... |
Rush Hour debutó con una recaudación de 31 millones de dólares, entre el viernes y el domingo, recaudando más que las siguientes ocho películas combinadas. Rush Hour establece un nuevo record en los estrenos de agosto, septiembre y octubre, sobrepasando los 18.9 millones que consiguió "The First Wives Club" en 1996. Es también el mejor estreno en la historia de la productora New Line, derrocando a las Tortugas Ninja que consiguieron 25,4 millones en 1990.
(New throughout; adds
quotes, byline) By Dean Goodman
LOS ANGELES, (Reuters) - Proving that there will always be an audience for a comedy film about two mismatched cops, Asian superstar Jackie Chan and black comic Chris Tucker busted both bad guys and box office records at the North American box office during the weekend.
The pair's new film ``Rush Hour'' debuted at No. 1 with an estimated $31 million gross for the Friday-to-Sunday period, earning more than the next eight movies combined, said the film's distributor, New Line Cinema.
``One True Thing'', a tear-jerker starring Meryl Streep as a terminally ill housewife, opened in second with $6.6 million, while the gross-out comedy ``There's Something About Mary'' slipped a notch to third with $5.95 million. Last weekend's No. 1, ``Rounders'', followed with $4.8 million, and ``Simon Birch'' held steady in fifth with $3.3 million.
``Rush Hour'' sets a new record for a September opening, surpassing the $18.9 million tally for ``The First Wives Club'' in 1996. It is also the highest opening in New Line's history, beating ``Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'', which debuted with $25.4 million in 1990.
``We thought we might be able to beat the record for September,'' Mitch Goldman, president of distribution and marketing at New Line said, ``but we had no idea that we would beat the records for August and October as well.''
Chan and Tucker play cops who team up to rescue the kidnapped daughter of Hong Kong's consul general in Los Angeles. The film draws much of its humor from the pair's different cultural tastes, and adds plenty of PG-13 action to the mix.
New Line, a unit of Time Warner Inc., said it played to capacity audiences spanning all the demographics, and benefited from strong word of mouth from early filmgoers as well as the lack of competition.
The showing is especially good for Chan, since his last few U.S. releases such as ``Mr. Nice Guy'', ``Operation Condor'' and ''Jackie Chan's First Strike'' had not brought him the mainstream success to match his huge international following.
``There was a sense that Jackie Chan had worn out his welcome in America a little bit,'' Goldman said. ``So this actually represents something that he has wanted for a long time -- to be a big star in America.''
Goldman predicted ``Rush Hour'' would earn more than $100 million in North America, and that it could lead to a franchise of the order of the ``Lethal Weapon'' series.
A spokesman for Universal Pictures, which released ``One True Thing'', said the studio was ``extremely pleased'' with its showing. Exit surveys indicated that 93 percent of moviegoers rated the female-targeted film either excellent or very good. Renee Zellweger and William Hurt also star.
After 10 weeks in release, ``There's Something About Mary'' has earned about $147.5 million. ``Rounders'' and ``Simon Birch'', which both launched last weekend, have cumulative totals of $16.1 million and $8.2 million, respectively.
Universal is a unit of Seagram Co. Ltd. ``There's Something About Mary'' is released by Twentieth Century Fox, a unit of News Corp. ``Rounders'' is released by Miramax Films, a unit of Walt Disney Co. Disney's Hollywood Pictures banner released ``Simon Birch''.
^REUTERS@ Reut15:54 09-20-98
(20 Sep 1998 15:53 EDT)
Monday September 21 2:45 AM EDT
CLAIRE VITUCCI Associated Press Writer
LOS ANGELES (AP) - ``Rush Hour,'' starring Hong Kong action star Jackie Chan and comedian Chris Tucker as mismatched cops, earned $31 million in its debut weekend, breaking the record for best opening ever in August, September and October.
The film sailed past the No. 2 film, ``One True Thing,'' a family drama starring Meryl Streep and Renee Zellweger that brought in $6.6 million.
Chan, whose previous movies were only modest U.S. hits, hopes that ``Rush Hour'' will win him the kind of fame in America that he enjoys in Asia.
``Rounders'' dropped from the top spot to No. 4 with $4.8 million in ticket sales, while ``Simon Birch'' ranked No. 5 with $3.9 million, according to weekend estimates Sunday from Exhibitor Relations Co. Inc.
The other films in the top 10 were holdover hits from the summer.
``Rush Hour'' broke the record for the three-month period of $18.9 million, set in 1996 by ``First Wives Club,'' according to Exhibitor Relations.
It also was the biggest opening for a New Line Cinema film, breaking the record set in March 1990 by ``Teen-age Mutant Ninja Turtles.''
``I think no one expected this number, including us,'' said Mitch Goldman, New Line's president of marketing and distribution.
``One True Thing,'' about an adult daughter who moves back home to be with her dying mom, was a hit not only with women, as expected, but with men as well, said Alan Sutton, senior vice president of distribution and marketing for Universal Pictures.
``Audiences are responding to another terrific performance by Meryl Streep,'' he said. ``We're looking forward to being in for the long haul here.''
Summer hits still were making a strong showing. ``There's Something About Mary'' dropped from second to third place in its ninth week. The raunchy comedy has grossed $147.5 million.
Here are estimated grosses at North American theaters for Friday through Sunday as compiled by Exhibitor Relations Co. Inc. Final figures were to be released today:
1. ``Rush Hour,'' $31 million.
2. ``One True Thing,'' $6.6 million.
3. ``There's Something About Mary,'' $6 million.
4. ``Rounders,'' $4.8 million.
5. ``Simon Birch,'' $3.9 million.
6. ``Saving Private Ryan,'' $3.4 million.
7. ``Blade,'' $3.3 million.
8. ``Ever After,'' $1.7 million.
9. ``Armageddon,'' $1.2 million.
10. ``Snake Eyes,'' $950,000.
CLAIRE VITUCCI Associated Press Writer
LOS ANGELES (AP) -''Rush Hour'' raked in $31 million in its opening weekend, shattering the record for the best-ever debut in August, September or October, industry figures showed Sunday.
The film, starring Hong Kong action star Jackie Chan and comic Chris Tucker as mismatched cops facing an international crisis, sailed past the No. 2 film, ``One True Thing,'' a family drama starring Meryl Streep and Renee Zellweger that brought in $6.6 million.
Chan, whose previous movies were only modest U.S. hits, has said he hopes that ``Rush Hour'' will win him the kind of fame in America that he enjoys in Asia.
``Rounders,'' which debuted last weekend, dropped from the top spot to No. 4 with $4.8 million in ticket sales, while ``Simon Birch'' ranked No. 5 with $3.9 million, according to weekend estimates from Exhibitor Relations Co. Inc.
The other films in the top 10 were holdover hits from the summer.
``Rush Hour'' set a new three-day opening record for August, September or October, beating the $18.9 million set in 1996 by ``First Wives Club,'' according to Exhibitor Relations.
It also was the biggest opening for a New Line Cinema film, breaking the record set in March 1990 by ``Teen-age Mutant Ninja Turtles.''
``I think no one expected this number, including us,'' said Mitch Goldman, New Line's president of marketing and distribution.
The film ``performed beyond all expectations,'' said Paul Dergarabedian, president of Exhibitor Relations.
``One True Thing,'' about an adult daughter who moves back home to be with her dying mom, was a hit not only with women, as expected, but with men as well, said Alan Sutton, senior vice president of distribution and marketing for Universal Pictures.
Summer hits still were making a strong showing. ``There's Something About Mary'' dropped from second to third place in its ninth week. So far, the raunchy comedy has grossed $147.5 million.
``Saving Private Ryan'' and ``Armageddon,'' both running more than two months, ranked sixth and ninth, respectively.
Here are estimated grosses at North American theaters for Friday through Sunday as compiled by Exhibitor Relations Co. Inc. Final figures were to be released Monday:
1. ``Rush Hour,'' $31 million.
2. ``One True Thing,'' $6.6 million.
3. ``There's Something About Mary,'' $6 million.
4. ``Rounders,'' $4.8 million.
5. ``Simon Birch,'' $3.9 million.
6. ``Saving Private Ryan,'' $3.4 million.
7. ``Blade,'' $3.3 million.
8. ``Ever After,'' $1.7 million.
9. ``Armageddon,'' $1.2 million.
10. ``Snake Eyes,'' $950,000.
Sunday September 20, 1:38 pm Eastern Time
LOS ANGELES, Sept 20 (Reuters) - ``Rush Hour'', a comedy cop caper starring Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker, defied all expectations when it opened at the top of the North American box office with $31 million, according to studio estimates issued on Sunday.
The film's three-day total sets a new record for a September opening, surpassing the $18.9 million tally for ``The First Wives Club'' in 1996, said a spokesman for New Line Cinema, which released ``Rush Hour''. It is also the highest opening in New Line's history, beating ``Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'', which debuted with $25.4 million in 1990.
Industry sources had expected the picture to open in the high teens, or just maybe in the low $20 million area. In the end, the film's potent combination of Asian superstar Chan and rising black comic Tucker as mismatched cops in Los Angeles pulled in sell-out audiences spanning all the demographics, the New Line spokesman said.
Opening far behind in second was the tear-jerker film ``One True Thing'', starring Meryl Streep as a terminally ill housewife. The Universal Pictures release earned $6.6 million for the Friday-to-Sunday period.
Twentieth Century Fox's ``There's Something About Mary'' slipped a notch to third with $5.95 million, bringing the 68-day total for the gross-out comedy to $147.5 million.
New Line is owned by Time Warner Inc. Universal is owned by Seagram Co Ltd. Fox is owned by News Corp.
By Andrew Hindes
HOLLYWOOD (Variety) - Moviegoers jammed ``Rush Hour'' over the weekend, driving the Jackie Chan/Chris Tucker action comedy to a spectacular $31 million sendoff.
New Line's Brett Ratner-directed buddy picture marked an opening weekend record for the studio -- topping the $25.4 million 1990 launch of ``Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.'' It also set a new record for any September opening, surpassing the $18.9 million debut of Paramount's ``The First Wives Club'' in 1996.
Opening in a distant second was Universal's critically acclaimed domestic drama ``One True Thing'' with a studio-projected $6.6 million. Last weekend's box office champ, Miramax's ``Rounders,'' meanwhile, lost 43% of its winnings to finish fourth with $4.8 million.
Among limited openers, the heroin-soaked ``Permanent Midnight'' scored big in urban arthouses but nodded off in suburban multiplexes. The Ben Stiller-starrer grossed an estimated $250,000 for a lethargic $4,550 average.
Largely on the strength of ``Rush Hour,'' overall ticket sales for the three-day weekend appeared on track to top $70 million. That's a jump of nearly 40% from last year and an all-time record for September.
The magnitude of ``Rush Hour's'' debut caught most observers -- including New Line executives -- by surprise. Expectations, both inside and outside the company, had generally ranged from the high-teens to the low-20s. Some prognosticators had questioned the film's ability to play outside traditional urban action markets and cities with large Asian populations.
While final exit poll data were not yet available, anecdotal reports indicated the PG-13 rated film played broadly across age, gender, ethnic and geographic boundaries.
``You saw families with little kids, big kids and grandma and grandpa,'' said Al Shapiro, New Line president of distribution.
The picture enjoyed a solid 34% increase Saturday over Friday, indicating its appeal was not limited to young viewers.
New Line clearly managed to position the $34 million film as a mainstream action comedy in the vein of ``Lethal Weapon'' or ``48 Hours'' rather than a hardcore martial arts actioner. The film far exceeded the best starring efforts of both Chan (``Rumble in the Bronx''; $9.6 million) and Tucker (``Money Talks''; $10.6 million), individually.
``We were trying to make one plus one equal three,'' said Mitch Goldman, New Line president of marketing and distribution. ``Little did we know, one plus one could equal four.''
While it is extremely difficult to predict a film's final tally based on a single weekend, history would suggest ``Rush Hour'' will gross at least $100 million domestically. Only a handful of films have ever bowed to $30 million or more and failed to top $100 million.
The muscular opening, taken together with such recent surprise hits ``Blade'' and ``The Wedding Singer,'' marks a triumphant return by New Line to the kind of moderately priced genre-crossover pics on which it was built.
The recent victories help the company put behind it a dark two-year period during which New Line tried unsuccessfully to go head-to-head with the major studios by producing costly mainstream fare such as ``Lost in Space,'' ``Last Man Standing'' and ``Long Kiss Goodnight.''
``One True Thing,'' a three-hanky drama focusing on the relationship between a cancer-stricken mother (Meryl Streep) and her daughter (Renee Zellweger), managed a sturdy $4,151 average.
Audience response to the Carl Franklin-helmed adaptation of Anna Quindlen novel was overwhelmingly positive, according to exit polls. Not surprisingly, females gave the weeper the highest marks with 95% ranking it ``excellent'' or ``very good,'' and 75% saying they would ``definitely recommend'' it to friends, according to Universal distribution president Nikki Rocco.
But men apparently also enjoyed the film: 93% of respondents as a whole marked the top two boxes. The question now is whether that positive response will translate into future ticket sales.
``Permanent Midnight'' opened Wednesday in two Gotham locations and then in 53 additional theaters around the country on Friday. Based on Jerry Stahl's non-fiction account of his life as a heroin addicted sitcom writer, ``Midnight'' did strong business at New York's Angelika ($30,000 in five days) and L.A.'s Sunset 5 ($18,000). But despite the success of ``There's Something About Mary'' Stiller's presence was not enough to attract suburban audiences to the junkie saga.
Among limited holdovers, ``Cube'' dropped 20% to $45,800 despite widening its release from 16 to 23 runs. The per-screen average for the futuristic thriller is a bleak $1,991.
``The Thief'' is inching towards the $1 million mark after nearly 10 weeks in release. The Russian picture grossed $50,000 in 33 spots over the weekend bringing its total to $943,000.
Reuters/Variety
