Thursday, October 18, 2001

By Carl DiOrio

HOLLYWOOD (Variety) - The Denzel Washington rogue-cop drama ``Training Day'' put a choke-hold on box office competition for a second consecutive weekend, as MGM claimed that the nation's most recent news scare pinched opening grosses for its heist comedy ``Bandits.''

``Training Day,'' whicg was co-produced by Warner Bros. and Australia's Village Roadshow, grossed an estimated $13.5 million over the latest frame.

That represented a 40% drop from the previous weekend. But Warners said the decline was most severe on Friday, and the studio also suggested the day's breaking news about anthrax contamination may have undermined sales a bit.

MGM expressed major disappointment with the estimated $13.4 million bow for ``Bandits.''

``We were really, really affected by the current events,'' MGM marketing and distribution president Bob Levin said. ``It was like a blizzard. People weren't locked in their houses, but they stayed in just the same.''

Toplined by Bruce Willis, Billy Bob Thornton and Cate Blanchett, ``Bandits'' tracked much more strongly in prerelease surveys than it ultimately performed, Levin said.

It's believed the film cost in the high $70 millions to make, with MGM and co-production partner Hyde Park Entertainment using a complicated formula for dividing domestic grosses. On foreign distribution, the Lion has U.K. rights and Hyde Park/Epsilon holds most other territories.

Levin also cited a big Saturday improvement over opening night grosses as evidence audiences were put off by Friday's news reports about anthrax outbreaks in New York and elsewhere.

By contrast, Disney executives said they were pleased with the estimated $9.3 million debut in third place for ``Corky Romano,'' a comedy toplined by ``Saturday Night Live'' trouper Chris Kattan. The Touchstone production carried an estimated $11 million negative cost.

``We're staring at making money after the first weekend, so everybody here is smiling,'' Disney distribution president Chuck Viane said.

Not so at MGM, where execs watched in dismay Friday as Willis' taped appearance on the ``Good Morning America'' TV show was canceled due to anthrax-outbreak coverage. And later that morning, his appearance on ``Live with Regis and Kelly'' was interrupted by an anthrax news bulletin.

Willis' ``Good Morning America'' spot is now set to air Monday and the picture's other thesps will be on the promo stump this week as well. MGM execs hope the appearances will boost sales next weekend, but ``Bandits'' faces three wide openers then -- DreamWorks' Robert Redford starrer ``The Last Castle,'' Sony's Drew Barrymore vehicle ``Riding in Cars with Boys'' and 20th Century Fox's Johnny Depp-toplined ``From Hell.''

Elsewhere this weekend, Miramax enjoyed a solid sophomore session with romancer ``Serendipity.'' The John Cusack-Kate Beckinsale starrer's estimated $9 million in weekend grosses was good for fourth place, as ``Serendipity'' marked a fortuitously modest 33% fall-off from its opening frame.

Miramax also debuted newly restored martial arts actioner ``Iron Monkey,'' grabbing sixth place with an estimated $6 million. Miramax paid a nominal pickup fee to acquire 1993 picture and spent about $2 million to restore it.

There were no immediate plans to expand from Mandarin-language pic's 1,225-theater bow.

``This was about just bringing this picture to an audience,'' marketing VP David Kaminow said.

Industrywide, the weekend's $85.5 million in estimated total grosses represented a 1% uptick from the same frame last year, according to data from box office tracker ACNielsen EDI.

Since Labor Day, fall 2001 has rung up some $577 million in total box office, about 9% more than the same period of last year. In a year-to-date comparison, '01 is also 9% ahead of 2000 at $6.19 billion.

It's hard to find much impact from the nation's recent news events in those comparisons. But EDI president Tom Borys said the latest frame probably was hurt a bit by the downbeat news developments.

``The over-25 audience may have been less inclined to go to the movies this weekend,'' Borys allowed.

Among limited releases this week, Universal's David Lynch-helmed ``Mulholland Drive'' grossed $708,000 from 68 theaters in 15 markets for a turbocharged $10,415 per venue. The noirish suspenser expands to 200 locations in 80 markets Friday.

The Paramount Classics comedy ``My First Mister'' grossed $105,000 in an initial 33 engagements in 10 cities, for $3,200 per playdate. The Albert Brooks/Leelee Sobieski starrer expands to top 20 markets Friday.

Reuters/Variety REUTERS

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Following are the final data for the top 10 movies at the North American box office during the October 12-14 weekend, according to studio figures released Monday by Exhibitor Relations Co. Inc.

Film Three-day Cumulative

Title Gross Gross

1. Training Day .......... $13,386,457

BOX OFFICE SO FAR: $43,439,167

2. Bandits .......... $13,050,700

BOX OFFICE SO FAR: $13,050,700

3. Corky Romano .......... $9,023,173

BOX OFFICE SO FAR: $9,023,173

4. Serendipity .......... $8,766,356

BOX OFFICE SO FAR: $26,396,130

5. Don't Say A Word .......... $6,713,774

BOX OFFICE SO FAR: $41,716,926

6. Iron Monkey .......... $6,014,653

BOX OFFICE SO FAR: $6,014,653

7. Zoolander .......... $5,030,530

BOX OFFICE SO FAR: $35,757,275

8. Joy Ride .......... $4,905,863

BOX OFFICE SO FAR: $14,730,633

9. Max Keeble's Big Move .......... $4,039,594

BOX OFFICE SO FAR: $10,933,046

10. Hearts in Atlantis .......... $2,711,469

BOX OFFICE SO FAR: $20,666,873

Reuters/Variety REUTERS

John L.: Due to major computer problems, full box office reviews will not return until the beginning of 2002. Sorry.

This is an older kung fu movie that is just like the ones you used to watch late at night when you were 10. All action with a background based on those guys that Jackie Chan and Jet Li like to play in the Drunken Master and Once Upon a Time in China movies. This movie is about an Asian Robin Hood stealing from the rich and giving to the poor and a doctor forced into trying to stop him or lose his kid who will one day grow up and be a hero. If you were turned off by Crouching Tiger's too involved story, then IM is the flick for you. Final Review: 3 stars out of 5; 6 1/2 out of 10; B; thumbs up.