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 June 23-25:

Highlights:

DreamWorks SKG’s “Chicken Run” has a shot at being highly profitable, given its moderate cost. But the expensive marketing launch requires the movie to sustain a certain level for several weeks and repeat that pattern internationally to bolster its chances on home video, where a family movie makes most of its profit.

Fox’s “Me, Myself & Irene” appears to be a solid hit relative to cost, but the same studio’s “Titan A.E.,” which cost at least $75 million, now appears to be a write-down.

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

*--*

Box- Estimated office cost, in Movie title Studio rank millions Mission: Impossible 2 Paramount 6 $100 Gladiator DreamWorks/Univ. 7 107 Big Momma’s House Fox 3 33 Road Trip DreamWorks SKG 12 16

Projected U.S. box-office receipts, Movie title in millions Mission: Impossible 2 $210 Gladiator 175 Big Momma’s House 105 Road Trip 68

*--*

$ 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 Me, Myself & Irene Fox 1 $51 $90 Chicken Run Dreamworks SKG 2 45 75 Shaft Paramount 3 46

Movie title Me, Myself & Irene Chicken Run Shaft 75

*--*

? 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 Dinosaur Buena Vista 9 $200 $140 Gone in 60 Seconds Buena Vista 4 90 95 Shanghai Noon Buena Vista 11 55 55 Boys and Girls Dimension 10 16 20

*--*

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 Titan A.E. Fox 8 $75 $25

*--*

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.