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. Typical industry marketing costs are factored into this profit analysis, as is the relative strength of specific film genres in foreign markets. Results for the weekend of Nov. 5-7:

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“The Bone Collector,” co-financed by Sony and Universal, is yet another thriller that will recoup and perhaps throw off a modest profit. “The Bachelor” should also return on its modest investment. Despite Disney’s selling off select foreign territories for about a third of the budget, “The Insider” has a long road to break even.

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$$ 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 Sixth Sense Buena Vista 8 $40 $275 Double Jeopardy Paramount 6 45 115 American Beauty DreamWorks SKG 7 15 70

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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 House on Haunted Hill Warner Bros. 2 $15 $38 The Best Man Universal 5 9 33 Superstar Paramount 11 14 30

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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 The Bone Collector Universal/Sony 1 $48 $50 The Bachelor New Line 3 21 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 The Insider Buena Vista 4 $68 $38 The Fight Club Fox 10 68 36 The Story of Us Universal 12 50 30 Music of the Heart Miramax 9 27 14

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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.