'The Game Plan' scores #1 weekend win

[ALIASd]

'Game Plan' wins weekend

Disney film rules over Universal's 'Kingdom'

'The Game Plan'

By Pamela McClintock
Variety
September 30, 2007

Disney had the winning game at the weekend box office, with family laffer "The Game Plan" easily grabbing the keys to the castle from Universal's Middle Eastern geopolitical drama "The Kingdom."

"Game Plan," toplining Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and sporting a kid-friendly PG rating, exceeded expectations in grossing an estimated $22.7 million from 3,103 runs.

Director Peter Berg's R-rated "Kingdom" grossed an estimated $17.7 million from 2,793 runs. Film stars Jaime Foxx, Chris Cooper, Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman.

Two pics got off to a close race on Friday, but all bets were off as "Game Plan" saw a whopping 63% jump from Friday to Saturday, compared to a 16% bump for "Kingdom."

http://www.variety.com/article/VR111...goryid=13&cs=1

[ALIASd]

Disney has won another weekend at the box office, what did you think?

'The Game Plan' - MC Reviews
http://www.micechat.com/forums/showt...ews-78146.html

[All4dISNEY]

I think the reason it did so well over the weekend is 1. It's Disney and 2. It's one of the few PG or G movies out right now.

[Mr. Yeti]

Cool. I figured that would get the top box office this weekend.

[sir clinksalot]

This doesn't surprise me at all. There has been an EXTREME lack of family movies over the past month or so.

[DisneyMickey]

^^This is true.

[MasterGracey]

Well, there isn't much worth seeing in theatres right now, anyway. Something's gotta get the #1 spot - it makes sense that its feel-good family fare... I mean, who wants to go see a movie about war-related stuff in Saudi Arabia? It's just too real and too depressing right now, considering our country's situation in Iraq.

[Sorvian]

I think that was the point but...

Its also the off season when there aren't so many family movies and a lot more well different films.

[ALIASd]

"The movie has played across all audience groups -- not just families and little girls," said Mark Zoradi, president of Disney's motion picture group. "The release period also helps, because all the other top films in the marketplace are rated R."

About two-thirds of the audience for "The Game Plan" was families, while teenagers and unaccompanied couples accounted for the other one-third, Disney said.

The film's stronger-than-expected opening left Universal Pictures' thriller "The Kingdom," starring Jamie Foxx and Jennifer Garner, second with $17.7 million. Last weekend's top movie, the science-fiction saga "Resident Evil: Extinction" from Sony Pictures' Screen Gems division, plunged 66% to finish third with $8 million.

"The Game Plan" and "The Kingdom" had both been expected to open in the high teens, vying for the top spot.

The success of "The Game Plan" further establishes the retired pro wrestler Johnson as a box-office force with broad appeal. Though he has a background in comedy, the beefy Johnson has been best known to film fans for his action pictures such as "The Scorpion King."

The star's relentless efforts to promote the new movie on talk shows and through other interviews helped it break through, Zoradi said.

Excerpt from:
'Game Plan' rules the kingdom
http://www.latimes.com/

[ALIASd]

#1 Movie in America...Again!


'Game' puts 'Kid' on weekend boxoffice bench

By Carl DiOrio
Ther Hollywood Reporter
Oct 8, 2007

"The Heartbreak Kid"

Positive buzz was definitely in "The Game Plan" for Disney during the weekend, but the frame ended in tears for chief contender "The Heartbreak Kid" from DreamWorks/Paramount.

"Game Plan," starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, dipped a teensy 29% off its opening grosses to ring up an estimated $16.3 million and top the domestic boxoffice for a second consecutive session. The Ben Stiller vehicle "Heartbreak" didn't so much drive off the boxoffice cliff as get stuck in neutral, with the romancer remake debuting well under expectations at $14 million.

"Game Plan" broadened its base of patrons after a family-focused opening as it toted up a nifty 10-day cume of $42.8 million. In another sophomore success, Universal's Middle East thriller "The Kingdom" was off a relatively modest 45% from its opening grosses to land in third place overall with $9.3 million, pushing its cume to $31.4 million.

Fox's kids book adaptation "The Seeker: The Dark Is Rising" bowed with an estimated $3.7 million in fifth place, and Sony's teen-targeted musical drama "Feel the Noise" debuted in 1,015 playdates and fetched $3.4 million to place seventh.

Studios will release official data Tuesday for what's considered a four-day boxoffice frame.

Through Friday, overall boxoffice was running 7% ahead of last year at $7.35 billion.

Meanwhile, "Game Plan" appears well on its way to a domestic run north of $80 million -- not too shabby for a film produced for just under $40 million.

"Obviously, the audience switched from a strong, strong family component last weekend to just everybody this weekend," Disney distribution president Chuck Viane said.

The audience demos for "Game Plan" broadened as positive word-of-mouth spread after the film's winning bow, Viane said.

"Heartbreak" might have suffered because TV spots promoting the film couldn't show many of its funnier -- but also raunchier -- scenes, DreamWorks spokesman Chip Sullivan said. He added that it didn't help that most critics panned the R-rated film, produced and directed by the Farrelly brothers.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/...4f357a320f34b6

[ALIASd]

'Game Plan' still a box office winner

'Heartbreak Kid' opens in second spot

Disney's 'The Game Plan' still a winner at the box office.

By Ben Fritz
Variety
October 8, 2007

Disney broke hearts at DreamWorks this weekend as a strong $16.3 million second weekend for “The Game Plan” vanquished the weak $14 million bow of “The Heartbreak Kid.”

Ben Stiller starrer, the first under the new DreamWorks-Paramount moniker meant to emphasize the former studio’s independence from its corporate parent, averaged just $4,345 per screen at 3,229 theaters. Remake was one of Stiller’s lowest openings of recent years, behind comparable pics such as “Along Came Polly” and “Zoolander.”

Soft showing is the third in a row for helmers the Farrelly brothers, whose “Fever Pitch” and “Stuck on You” saw slightly lower debuts. However, 1998’s “There’s Something About Mary” opened with roughly the same B.O., albeit on 1,000 fewer screens, before going on to become a word of mouth hit and rake in $176 million.

“The Game Plan,” meanwhile, proved it had staying power as it fell only 29% on its second frame.

“We continued to draw very strong into families, but the adult audience actually expanded,” said Disney distribution topper Chuck Viane.

Sunday perf was undoubtedly helped by Monday’s holiday status, as more kids were able to go to movies at night.

The Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson starrer has now cumed $42.8 million, and it looks well positioned to extend its lead with Columbus Day still to come.

http://www.variety.com/article/VR111...goryid=13&cs=1

[Sweetie]

I am not surprised it did so well. Audiences have been waiting 14 years for a new movie where an ex-wrestler watches children and does ballet.



All I can say is: it was about damn time!