Company Town Film Profit Report

This 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. Typical industry marketing costs are factored into this profit analysis. Results for the weekend of July 21-23:

Highlights:

* Despite its strong opening, “What Lies Beneath,” a DreamWorks/Fox co-production, is unlikely to do better than break even. The film is burdened with a heavy budget and back-end profit participation.

* “Pokemon 2000” is a strictly cash business covering all its acquisition and marketing costs in theatrical release and pumping out profit in home video release.

* “The In Crowd” and “Loser” will not profit, though the latter will bleed only a small amount of red ink.

*

$$ Mega-Moneymakers ($50 million or more in profit)

*--*

Projected Box- Estimated U.S. box-office office cost, in receipts, Movie title Studio rank millions in millions X-Men Fox 2 $75 $160 Scary Movie Dimension 4 19 140 Big Momma’s House Fox 11 33 115 Chicken Run DreamWorks SKG 9 45 100

*--*

$ Moneymakers ($10 million or more in profit)

*--*

Projected Box- Estimated U.S. box-office office cost, in receipts, Movie title Studio rank millions in millions The Perfect Storm Warner Bros. 5 $120 $180 Me, Myself and Irene Fox 10 51 90 Pokemon 2000 Warner Bros. 3 5 45

*--*

? Tossups ($5 million in profit or loss)

*--*

Projected Box- Estimated U.S. box-office office cost, in receipts, Movie title Studio rank millions in millions The Patriot Sony 7 $110 $110 What Lies Beneath DreamWorks/Fox 1 100 100 Disney’s The Kid Buena Vista 6 65 65

*--*

Losers (more than $5 million in loss)

*--*

Projected Box- Estimated U.S. box-office office cost, in receipts, Movie title Studio rank millions in millions Loser Sony 7 $20 $15 The In Crowd Warner Bros. 12 13 5

*--*

*

Notes: Cost estimates are for production only. Only half of box-office receipts come back to the studio.

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.