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 June 18-20:

Despite its high price tag, “Tarzan’s” worldwide theatrical should cover the film’s costs with ancillaries as gravy, qualifying it as a major moneymajor. “The General’s Daughter” is expected to turn a modest profit.

$$ Mega-Moneymakers

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Projected Box- Estimated U.S. box-office office cost, in receipts, Movie title Studio rank millions in millions The Matrix Warner Bros. 8 $62 $168 Phantom Menace Fox 4 115 375 Notting Hill Universal 5 42 105 Austin Powers 2 New Line 2 33 200 The Mummy Universal 7 78 150 Tarzan Buena Vista 1 150 180 Analyze This Warner Bros. 12 42 106

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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 Entrapment Fox 9 66 85 The General’s Daughter Paramount 3 60 80

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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 Tea With Mussolini MGM 10 14 12

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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 The 13th Floor Sony 11 18 12 Instinct Buena Vista 6 55 35

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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.