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 release. 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 23-25:

“The Haunting” and “Inspector Gadget” look to have enough box-office fuel to take them into the black, with “Gadget” being slightly more profitable because of its stronger video and other ancillary potential. “Drop Dead Gorgeous” is expected to break even.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Company Town Film Profit Report

$$ Mega-Moneymakers

*--*

Proj Box- Est US box-office office cost, in receipts, Movie title Studio rank millions millions The Phantom Menace Fox 10 $115 $420 Tarzan Buena Vista 8 150 175 Big Daddy Sony 5 32 160 American Pie Universal 3 11 90

*--*

$ Moneymakers

*--*

Proj Box- Est US box-office office cost, in receipts, Movie title Studio rank millions millions The General’s Daughter Paramount 12 60 100 The Wood Paramount 9 6 25 Inspector Gadget Buena Vista 2 75 80

*--*

? Tossups

*--*

Proj Box- Est US box-office office cost, in receipts, Movie title Studio rank millions millions Lake Placid Fox 6 27 32 Eyes Wide Shut Warner Bros. 4 65 65 The Haunting DreamWorks SKG 1 80 85 Drop Dead Gorgeous New Line 11 10 11

*--*

Money Losers

*--*

Proj Box- Est US box-office office cost, in receipts, Movie title Studio rank millions millions Wild, Wild West Warner Bros. 7 105* 120

*--*

* 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.