With Appeal for All Ages, ‘Lost in Space’ Topples ‘Titanic’

Oscar-winning director James Cameron may still be Hollywood’s “king of the world,” but his “Titanic” finally was dethroned over the weekend, coming in second to the new film version of the sci-fi TV series “Lost in Space.”

Attracting audiences from among all age groups, the PG-13-rated “Lost in Space” was the first movie in 16 weeks to beat out “Titanic” at the box office, taking in $20.2 million in the Friday-through-Sunday period.

The much-publicized “Primary Colors,” starring John Travolta, couldn’t make that claim. “The Man in the Iron Mask” starring Leonard DiCaprio (who also stars in “Titanic”) couldn’t make that claim. Even another sci-fi film, “Sphere,” starring Dustin Hoffman and Sharon Stone, couldn’t make that claim. All were beaten out by “Titanic” earlier this year.

The visual effects-laden “Lost in Space” may not have the star power of those films, but it had something going for it that the others did not: the built-in identification audiences had with the ‘60s TV series of the same name.

“Lost in Space” tapped into the youth crowd but also went beyond it, said Al Shapiro, president of domestic theatrical distribution for New Line, which released the film.

“The [weekend] youth market represented around 50% of the audience, from the very young to 20,” Shapiro said.

“I didn’t know the TV show had that much pull, but obviously it had,” said John Krier, president of Exhibitors Relations Co., a firm that tracks box office. “It’s not a good picture from a critic’s standpoint.”

“Titanic” saw its weekend grosses slip to $11.5 million, but the film still had enough drawing power to beat out another new release, the Bruce Willis action film “Mercury Rising,” which garnered $10.1 million.

Tom Borys, chief operating officer of ACNielsen EDI, the industry’s overnight box-office tracking service, said that through mid-March, “Titanic” was grossing at least $17 million a weekend, making it difficult for any picture to come in and knock it off.

“ ‘Titanic’ is now grossing at a level where that kind of figure is not going to hold a No. 1 position,” Borys said.

Borys said New Line Cinema, which released “Lost in Space,” was “probably getting two bites of the apple” in the audience it attracted.

“Since it’s about family, you’re creating a film that you can reach down and bring young kids to,” he said. “And since it has retro-’60s appeal . . . people who are in their 30s and 40s will want to go out and see it, too. It creates a broad audience base.”

The movie was released in more theaters than any other film in U.S. history--3,306 screens--beating out the previous record-holder “The Lost World: Jurassic Park,” which appeared on 3,281 screens.

“The small town exhibitors wanted more ‘Lost in Space,’ ” Shapiro said. “Small towns exist on G, PG and PG-13-rated films. There aren’t a lot of those out there right now. Even ‘Mercury Rising’ was an R.”

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Weekend Box Office

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Three-day gross/ Screens/ Weeks in Movie (Studio) Total (millions) Average Release 1.”Lost in Space” $20.2 3,306 1 (New Line) $20.2 $6,096 2.”Titanic” $11.5 3,265 16 (Paramount/Fox) $530.4 $3,532 3.”Mercury Rising” $10.1 2,386 1 (Universal) $10.1 $4,235 4.”Grease” $5.5 2,064 2 (reissue) (Paramount) $20.1 $2,649 5.”Primary Colors” $4.7 1,976 3 (Universal) $28.9 $2,380 6.”Wild Things” $3.6 1,981 3 (Sony/Columbia) $23.6 $1,826 7.”The Man” $3.5 2,504 4 in the Iron Mask” (MGM/UA) $49.0 $1,401 8.”As Good” $3.3 1,556 15 as It Gets” (Sony/TriStar) $136.4 $2,140 9.”Good Will Hunting” $3.2 1,576 18 (Miramax) $126.0 $2,011 10.”The Newton Boys” $2.3 1,969 2 (Fox) $7.6 $1,170 * “Barney’s” $2.2 540 1 Great Adventure” (PolyGram) $2.6 $4,081

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SOURCE: Exhibitor Relations Co.