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 16-18:

$$ Mega-Moneymakers

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Projected Box- Estimated U.S. box-office office cost, in receipts, Movie title Studio rank millions in millions Phantom Menace Fox 8 $115 $420 Austin Powers 2 New Line 11 33 205 Tarzan Buena Vista 3 150 180 Big Daddy Sony 4 32 160 American Pie Universal 2 11 85

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$ Moneymakers

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Projected Box- Estimated U.S. box-office office cost, in receipts, Movie title Studio rank millions in millions The General’s Daughter Paramount 9 60 100 South Park Paramount 12 20 55 Eyes Wide Shut Warner Bros. 1 65 80 The Wood Paramount 6 6 26

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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 Lake Placid Fox 3 27 35 Muppets From Space Sony 10 24 21

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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 Wild, Wild West Warner Bros. 5 105* 120

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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.