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White Chicks (2004)

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11 articles from 2004

20 July 2004 | From Studio Briefing | See recent Studio Briefing news

Will Smith's robots knocked Spider-Man out of first place at the domestic box office last weekend, as I, Robot grossed $52.2 million. The figure was just $31,136 above Smith's previous best -- 2002's Men in Black II. In its third weekend, Spider-Man 2 continued to expand a formidable web over the box office, landing in second place with $24.8 million, to push its total past the $300-million mark to $302.3 million. The only other new film opening wide was Warner Bros.' A Cinderella Story, which took in $13.6 million, landing in fourth place, just behind the Will Ferrell comedy Anchorman, which recorded $13.8 million. There were two films showing in limited release that performed strongly: MGM's Cole Porter biopic De-Lovely, which earned $1.5 million in 185 theaters, an average of $8,073 per location; and Focus Features' The Door in the Floor, which earned $456,876 in 47 theaters, or $9,721 per location -- a better per-theater average than any of the films on the top-ten list, with the exception of I, Robot.

The top ten films over the weekend, according to final figures compiled by Exhibitor Relations (figures in parentheses represent total gross to date): 1. I, Robot, 20th Century Fox, $52,179,887, 1 Wk. (New); 2. Spider-Man 2, Sony, $24,775,450, 3 Wks. ($302,287,882); 3. Anchorman, DreamWorks, $13,849,313, 2 Wks. ($56,956,256); 4. A Cinderella Story, Warner Bros., $13,623,350, 1 Wk. (New); 5. Fahrenheit 9/11, Lions Gate, $7,175,674, 4 Wks. ($93,984,261); 6. King Arthur, Disney, $7,161,648, 2 Wks. ($38,110,849); 7. The Notebook, New Line, $5,651,212, 4 Wks. ($53,880,561); 8. DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story, 20th Century Fox, $3,813,719, 5 Wks. ($105,165,752); 9. White Chicks, Sony, $3,436,328, 4 Wks. ($63,470,104); 10. Shrek 2, DreamWorks, $3,230,786, 9 Wks. ($425,011,646).

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19 July 2004 | From Studio Briefing | See recent Studio Briefing news

I, Robot turned out to be as popular as iPods over the weekend, as the Will Smith sci-fi movie earned an estimated $52.3 million in its debut. If the official count due out later today (Monday) confirms the figure, it would mark Smith's best opening weekend, slightly surpassing the $52.1 million earned by Men in Black II two years ago. The film pushed Spider-Man 2, with $24.2 million, to second place. (Spidey vaulted the $300-million mark on Sunday.) Hilary Duff's "tween" movie, A Cinderella Story, opened in third place with $13.8 million. Dropping to fourth was last week's runner-up, the Will Ferrell comedy Anchorman, which was down 53 percent to $13.4 million. Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11 continued to draw big crowds in its fourth week, earning $7 million, to bring its gross to $93.8 million. But Disney's hopes that an older audience might prop up its King Arthur were dashed when the film drew just $6.9 million, down 54 percent from last week. (Disney's next chance to pull out of its long-lasting tailspin comes on July 30 with M. Night Shyamalan's scary movie The Village.)

The top ten films for the weekend, according to studio estimates compiled by Exhibitor Relations: 1. I, Robot, $52.25 million; 2. Spider-Man 2, $24.2 million; 3. A Cinderella Story, $13.8 million; 4. Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, $13.4 million; 5. Fahrenheit 9/11, $7 million; 6. King Arthur, $6.9 million; 7. The Notebook, $5.45 million; 8. White Chicks, $3.4 million; 9. DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story, $3.2 million; 10. The Terminal, $3.1 million.

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13 July 2004 | From Studio Briefing | See recent Studio Briefing news

As expected, Spider-Man 2 remained atop the box office over the weekend as it set another record -- the first film to reach $250 million in just 12 days. Its weekend take came in at $45.2 million. But the news was particularly sweet for Will Ferrell's Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, which premiered with a higher-than-expected $28.4 million. However, Disney's latest film, the $120-million epic King Arthur turned out to be another expensive dud for the studio, as it opened with just $15.2 million, to place third. Slipping to fourth place was Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11, which drew another 11 million in its third week to raise its total to $80.1 million.

The top ten films over the weekend, according to final figures compiled by Exhibitor Relations (figures in parentheses represent total gross to date): 1. Spider-Man 2, Sony, $45,180,743, 2 Wks. ($256,438,326); 2. Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, DreamWorks, $28,416,365, (New); 3. King Arthur, Disney, $15,193,907, 1 Wk. ($23,623,758 -- From Wednesday); 4. Fahrenheit 9/11, Lions Gate, $11,030,898, 3 Wks. ($80,121,002); 5. The Notebook, New Line, $6,538,093, 3 Wks. ($43,083,691); 6. White Chicks, Sony, $6,231,112, 3 Wks. ($56,912,356); 7. DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story, 20th Century Fox, $5,709,817, 4 Wks. ($97,865,599); 8. The Terminal, DreamWorks, $4,974,197, 4 Wks. ($65,262,144); 9. Shrek 2, DreamWorks, $4,450,316, 7 Wks. ($418,517,158); 10. Sleepover, MGM, $4,171,226, (New).

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12 July 2004 | From Studio Briefing | See recent Studio Briefing news

Sony's Spider-Man 2 set another record over the weekend as it swung past the $250-million mark in total ticketsales in just 12 days, one day faster than Shrek 2, the previous record holder. Despite a drop of 48 percent from last weekend, the movie took in an estimated $46 million to bring its gross to $257.3 million. DreamWorks' Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, starring Will Ferrell, opened in second place with $28 million -- well above analysts' forecasts. Disney's King Arthur, which reportedly cost more than $120 million to make, took in a disappointing $15.5 million, placing third. It was the studio's sixth straight fizzle. Meanwhile, Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11, the film that Disney rejected, continued to perform strongly in its third weekend, grossing about $11 million and dropping only 32 percent from last week. The $6-million film has now grossed $80 million. With the top 12 films producing about $137.7 million in ticket sales, the box office was virtually flat with the comparable week a year ago.

The top ten films for the weekend, according to studio estimates compiled by Exhibitor Relations: 1. Spider-Man 2, $46 million; 2. Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, $28 million; 3. King Arthur, $15.2 million; 4. Fahrenheit 9/11, $11 million; 5. The Notebook, $6.53 million; 6. White Chicks, $6.5 million; 7. DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story, $5.4 million; 8. The Terminal, $5 million; 9. Shrek 2, $4.5 million; 10. Sleepover, $4.2 million.

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8 July 2004 | From wenn.com | See recent WENN news

The new Wayans Brothers race comedy White Chicks is at the center of a legal dispute after a production company in Connecticut claimed they had the initial idea for the film. Bosses at A Slice Of Pie Productions claim the film, which has become a surprise summer hit in America, is a rip off of their movie Johnny Bronx. In new court documents, the production company alleges Johnny Bronx was offered to the Wayans as a treatment in 1997. The premise of the film was a fumbling African American FBI agent who "is converted to a white, Italian- American mobster to infiltrate the mafia". In Keenen Ivory Wayans' new film, which stars his brothers Marlon and Shawn, two tough detectives transform themselves into white socialites to solve a crime. The Wayans insist the idea was brother Shawn's, but A Slice Of Pie chiefs claim some scenes in the film were "almost identical" to those in their treatment and they're suing for damages.

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7 July 2004 | From Studio Briefing | See recent Studio Briefing news

It's now official: Sony's Spider-Man 2 set a Fourth of July box-office record of $115.8 million from Friday through Monday. It also set another record of $180.1 million for total ticket sales in it first six days. The film also helped the box office itself set a new record for a July 4 weekend with the top 12 movies recording $212.8 million in sales. Also continuing to amaze was Michael Moore's documentary, Fahrenheit 9/11, which earned $22 million, about as much as it did during its first weekend last week, bringing its total to $61.1 million. In limited release, MGM's De-Lovely, a biography of composer Cole Porter starring Kevin Kline, earned $400,000 in 16 theaters. The Robert Redford-Helen Mirren starrer The Clearing, from Fox Searchlight, took in $618,674 in 56 theaters. Before Sunset, which opened in 20 theaters, garnered $311,194. The only big loser among the new films was Disney's America's Heart and Soul which took in only $184,917 at 98 theaters, despite efforts by Fahrenheit foes to boost it as a patriotic counterweight and put bodies into seats.

The top ten films over the four-day Independence Day weekend, according to final figures compiled by Exhibitor Relations (figures in parentheses represent total gross to date): 1. Spider-Man 2, Sony, $115,817,364, 1 Wks. ($180,072,888 -- From Wednesday); 2. Fahrenheit 9/11, Lions Gate, $22,027,125, 2 Wks. ($61,118,488); 3. White Chicks, Sony, $11,544,456, 2 Wks. ($46,664,718); 4. DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story, 20th Century Fox, $11,355,165, 3 Wks. ($87,609,589); 5. The Terminal, DreamWorks, $10,750,087, 3 Wks. ($57,209,326); 6. The Notebook, New Line, $10,362,521, 2 Wks. ($31,674,074); 7. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Warner Bros., $8,541,177, 5 Wks. ($225,719,716); 8. Shrek 2, DreamWorks, $8,387,681, 7 Wks. ($410,688,506); 9. Garfield: The Movie, 20th Century Fox, $4,283,154, 4 Wks. ($64,235,505); 10. Two Brothers, Universal, $3,882,180, 2 Wks. ($12,876,545).

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6 July 2004 | From Studio Briefing | See recent Studio Briefing news

Moviegoers sat on millions of tuffets to see Spider-Man 2 in the nation's theaters over the Independence Day weekend, setting numerous records. The film took in an estimated $115.8 million over the four-day holiday period, setting a record for the holiday. It also set a record for its first six days -- $180 million -- and seemed certain to hit $200 million by Wednesday, which would make it the fastest film to pass that mark. The previous record for a six-day opening was set by last year's The Matrix Reloaded, which took in $146.9 million during that period. Meanwhile, Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11 remained a big draw as it took in another $21 million, just 12 percent less than last week, to bring its total to $60.1 million. In an interview with today's (Tuesday) New York Times, Tom Ortenberg, head of Lions Gate Entertainment, one of the film's distributors, remarked: "We absorbed the blow of Spidey quite well." Damned as unpatriotic by its opponents, the film was expected to take a steep dive over the patriotic holiday. By contrast, Disney's red-white-and-blue documentary America's Heart and Soul opened poorly with just $173,000 in 98 theaters over the four days, despite efforts by Fahrenheit foes to support it. In its seventh week, DreamWorks' Shrek 2, adding another $7.9 million to its gross, reached $410.2 million to become the fifth biggest domestic grosser of all time, replacing the original Spider-Man in that spot. Opening on just 16 screens, the Cole Porter biopic De-Lovely, starring Kevin Kline, earned a strong $384,000. The Robert Redford thriller The Clearing from Fox Searchlight debuted on 56 screens, earning $647,000. And Castle Rock's Before Sunset bowed on 20 screens with $303,000. Ticket sales for the top 12 films totaled $158.5 million for the Friday-through-Sunday period, up 25 percent from the comparable weekend last year, and the most ever recorded for a Fourth of July weekend.

The top ten films for the four-day holiday weekend, according to studio estimates compiled by Exhibitor Relations: 1. Spider-Man 2, $115.8 million; 2. Fahrenheit 9/11, $21 million; 3. White Chicks, $12 million; 4. DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story, $10.45 million; 5. The Notebook, $10.3 million; 6. The Terminal, $10.2 million; 7. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, $8.1 million; 8. Shrek 2, $7.9 million; 9. (tie) Garfield: The Movie, $3.6 million; 9. (tie) Two Brothers, $3.6 million.

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29 June 2004 | From Studio Briefing | See recent Studio Briefing news

Fahrenheit 9/11 turned out to be 9 percent hotter at the box office than what the distributors had anticipated on Sunday. The film actually grossed $23.9 million, some $2.6 million more than had been projected, according to final figures released Monday by Exhibitor Relations. It was the first documentary ever to open at No. 1 at the box office and the first film since Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994) to open at No. 1 despite playing in fewer than 900 theaters. The film earned $7.3 million on Sunday, clearly benefiting from weekend publicity for it. By contrast, White Chicks, the No. 2 film on Sunday, earned $5.4 million. The top ten films over the weekend, according to final figures compiled by Exhibitor Relations (figures in parentheses represent total gross to date): 1. Fahrenheit 9/11, Lions Gate, $23,920,637, 1 Wk. ($24,078,959 -- From Wednesday); 2. White Chicks, Sony, $19,676,748, (New); 3. DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story, 20th Century Fox, $18,787,419, 2 Wks. ($67,458,145); 4. The Notebook, New Line, $13,464,745, (New); 5. The Terminal, DreamWorks, $13,135,148, 2 Wks. ($41,040,124); 6. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Warner Bros., $11,247,412, 4 Wks. ($211,537,548); 7. Shrek 2, DreamWorks, $10,216,452, 6 Wks. ($396,782,535); 8. Garfield: The Movie, 20th Century Fox, $7,526,987, 3 Wks. ($56,297,265); 9. Two Brothers, Universal, $6,144,160, (New); 10. The Stepford Wives, Paramount, $5056343, 3 Wks. ($48,861,783).

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28 June 2004 | From Studio Briefing | See recent Studio Briefing news

Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11 bushwhacked the box office over the weekend, astounding analysts and even the filmmaker himself by taking in an estimated $21.6 million despite playing in only 848 theaters, many of them small-capacity art houses. By contrast, the No. 2 film ($19.6 million), White Chicks, played at 2,726 theaters, while the No. 3 film ($18.5 million), Dodgeball, played at 3,020. "We sold out in Fayetteville [NC], home of Fort Bragg," Moore told the New York Times Sunday. "We sold out in Army-base towns. We set house records in some of these places. ... Republican states are embracing the movie, and it's sold out in Republican strongholds all over the country." He predicted that the film will be cleared in twice as many theaters by next weekend, when it will have to do battle with Spider-Man 2. Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations, told today's (Monday) Washington Post that he was particularly impressed with the per-theater average of $25,115: "I'm amazed at those numbers," he said. "That type of per-theater average is usually reserved for a blockbuster." Separately, he told E! Online: "This is maybe the sleeper hit of all time." Only Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ and Shrek 2 have recorded bigger per-theater averages this year. In an interview with the Associated Press, Moore attributed the success of the film to his detractors. "I want to thank all the right-wing organizations out there who tried to stop the film, either from their harassment campaign that didn't work on the theater owners, or going to the FCC to get our ads removed from television, to all the things that have been said on television," Moore said. "It's only encouraged more people to go and see it." The success of the film also pushed up the overall box office to about $149 million, up 22 percent from the comparable weekend last year.

The top ten films for the weekend, according to studio estimates compiled by Exhibitor Relations: 1. Fahrenheit 9/11, $21.8 million; 2. White Chicks, $19.6 million; 3. Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, $18.5 million; 4. The Terminal, $13.9 million; 5. The Notebook, $13 million; 6. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, $11.4 million; 7. Shrek 2, $10.5 million; 8. Garfield: The Movie, $7 million; 9. Two Brothers, $6.2 million; 10. The Stepford Wives, $5.2 million.

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25 June 2004 | From Studio Briefing | See recent Studio Briefing news

Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11 may be receiving the most public attention among this week's debuting films, but analysts are predicting that Sony/Revolution's White Chicks (which actually opened on Wednesday) will be the movie to beat. The film took in a whopping $4.2 million on opening day. Last week's box-office leader DodgeBall also performed strongly during midweek and is likely to take second place, according to most analysts. Weighing against Fahrenheit was its limited release. Although distributors were saying that they had booked it into 848 theaters, news reports in some markets were saying that theaters where it was scheduled to play had not received prints and that they were being told that the distributors may not be able to provide prints to all 848 locations by the scheduled opening. A spokesman for the Carmike Theaters chain told the Fort Collins Coloradoan that the chain had been told that only 700 prints had been struck. Nevertheless, Fahrenheit is likely to top all other films in per-theater gross this weekend, according to analysts. Daily Variety observed that the distributors are hoping to expand the release of the movie after this weekend and that the per-screen average "will play a large part in determining how much wider it plays."

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23 June 2004 | From Studio Briefing | See recent Studio Briefing news

Reviews don't come much more caustic than many of those for White Chicks, starring Marlon and Shawn Wayans as black FBI agents disguised as versions of the Hilton heiresses, opening today (Wednesday). "Most movies require some suspension of disbelief," Dave Kehr remarks at the start of his review in the New York Times, but in the case of White Chicks,"a full frontal lobotomy" might be in order. Michael Wilmington in the Chicago Tribune adds: "Dumb, crazy humor isn't exactly in short supply in movies these days, but White Chicks may have broken the 'Give me a break' barrier." Roger Ebert in the Chicago Sun-Times had a similar reaction, writing, "Here is a film so dreary and conventional that it took an act of the will to keep me in the theater." And Philip Wuntch in the Dallas Morning News remarks: "White Chicks gives you just what you expect, assuming your expectations are low enough." On the other hand, Jan Stuart in Newsday calls the movie "surprisingly good-natured," and Eleanor Ringel Gillespie in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution describes it as "a buoyant farce that's a lot more clever than you might expect."

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11 articles from 2004