Company Town Film Profit Report

The report is based on projections of total U.S. box-office gross from a consensus of industry sources and studio financial models. The U.S. returns (about 55% of gross) represent only 20% of a film’s final revenue, which includes overseas theatrical, video and TV income. The industry marketing average of $30 million per film is factored into these profit equations, as is the relative strength of specific film genres in foreign markets. Results for the weekend of Oct. 9-11:

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This week: Disney’s Eddie Murphy vehicle, “Holy Man,” is a train wreck and looks to be one of the season’s biggest money losers.

Mega-Moneymakers

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Box- Estimated office cost, in Movie title Studio rank millions Something About Mary 20th Century Fox 8 $25 Saving Private Ryan DreamWorks SKG 10 65 Rush Hour New Line 2 34 Armageddon Disney 12 150

Projected U.S. box-office receipts, Movie title in millions Something About Mary $170 Saving Private Ryan 190 Rush Hour 135 Armageddon 200

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$ Minor Moneymakers

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Projected Box- Estimated U.S. box-office office cost, in receipts, Movie title Studio rank millions in millions Urban Legend Sony 6 $14 $36 Antz DreamWorks SKG 1 45 70

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? Tossups

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Projected Box- Estimated U.S. box-office office cost, in receipts, Movie title Studio rank millions in millions A Night at the Roxbury Paramount 4 $17 $30 Simon Birch Disney 11 21 18

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Money Losers

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Projected Box- Estimated U.S. box-office office cost, in receipts, Movie title Studio rank millions in millions One True Thing Universal 9 31 25 Ronin MGM 7 60 40 What Dreams May Come PolyGram 3 90 60 Holy Man Disney 5 60 15

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Cost estimates are for production only. Only half of box-office receipts come back to the studio.

Researched by RICHARD NATALE

If you have information or comments about the chart, call (213) 237-2001 or send e-mail to company.town@latimes.com. Send faxes to (213) 237-7837.

For weekly box-office listings, see Calendar section on Tuesdays.