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 represent only 20% of a film’s final revenue, which includes income from video, TV and overseas theatrical. 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 July 9-11:”American Pie” will be a solid moneymaker for Universal, whose true exposure was only $6.5 million after selling off foreign rights on the comedy. Sony paid only $6 million for domestic rights to “Arlington Road,” so it will easily clear its investment even if the PolyGram production doesn’t recoup.

$$ Mega-Moneymakers

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Proj Box- Est. US box-office office cost in receipts Movie title Studio rank millions in millions Phantom Menace Fox 7 $115 $400 Notting Hill Universal 11 42 110 Austin Powers 2 New Line 9 33 200 Tarzan Buena Vista 4 150 180 Big Daddy Sony 3 32 150

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$ Moneymakers

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Proj Box- Est US box-office office cost in receipts Movie title Studio rank millions in millions The General’s Daughter Paramount 5 60 100 South Park Paramount 8 20 55 American Pie Universal 1 11 75

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? Tossups

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Proj Box- Est US box-office office cost in receipts Movie title Studio rank millions in millions An Ideal Husband Miramax 12 14 15 Summer of Sam Buena Vista 10 22 22

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Money Losers

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Proj Box- Est US box-office office cost in receipts, Movie title Studio rank millions in millions Wild, Wild West Warner Bros. 1 105* 105 Arlington Road Sony 6 30 21*

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WB’s official budget. Other reports go as high as $180 million.

Notes: 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.