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. 12--14:

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Warner’s inexpensive acquisition of all non-Japan rights to “Pokemon” should bring the studio one of its most profitable titles in years. “Dogma” is riding its controversy into the black. But narrowly targeted films such as “Anywhere but Here,” “Light It Up” and “The Messenger” will all end up in the minus column, though Sony won’t lose much money on “The Messenger” because it paid only $25 million for American and some foreign rights to the film. *

$$Mega-Moneymakers

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Projected Box- Est. U.S. box-office office cost, in receipts, Movie title Studio rank millions in millions The Sixth Sense Buena Vista 10 $40 $275 Pokemon: The Movie Warner Bros. 1 8 125 Double Jeopardy Paramount 9 45 115

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$Moneymakers

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Projected Box- Est. U.S. box-office office cost, in receipts, Movie title Studio rank millions in millions The Bone Collector Universal/Sony 2 $48 $65 House on Haunted Hill Warner Bros. 8 15 40 The Best Man Universal 12 9 32

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?Tossups

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Projected Box- Est. U.S. box-office office cost, in receipts, Movie title Studio rank millions in millions Dogma Lion’s Gate 3 $11 $24 The Bachelor New Line 7 21 22

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Money Losers

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Projected Box- Est. U.S. box-office office cost, in receipts, Movie title Studio rank millions in millions The Insider Buena Vista 6 $68 $38 Anywhere but Here Fox 5 23 14 The Messenger Sony 4 60 20 Light It Up Fox 11 13 6

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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.