The ‘Fellowship’ Really Zings

“The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring” dominated the pre-Christmas weekend with an estimated $45.2 million, bringing its five-day total to an epic $73.1 million.

The big-budget adventure, in 3,359 theaters, easily outdistanced every other film in the market, with “Ocean’s Eleven” placing a distant second, with $14.6 million.

“It’s a four-quadrant movie,” said Rolf Mittweg, president of worldwide marketing and distribution for New Line Cinema, which financed the J.R.R. Tolkien trilogy for to the tune of nearly $300 million. (Parts two and three will be released at Christmas in 2002 and 2003.) What that means is that it’s drawing well in all four broad demographic categories: males, females, patrons under age 25 and patrons over 25.

Mittweg also estimated the five-day cumulative take in 13 other countries at about $55 million, based on the $32 million grossed in the first three days, with record-breaking attendance in Scandinavia, South Africa and New Zealand, where the movie was filmed.

Of the four other films that premiered in wide release Friday, only one managed to find a wide audience. “Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius” appealed mainly to Nickelodeon watchers.

The animated family flick got off to a good start with an estimated $14 million in 3,139 theaters and should benefit from the holiday break in what is traditionally one of the best moviegoing periods of the year.

The R-rated hip-hop comedy “How High” brought in a feisty $7.6 million estimate on only 1,266 screens. Its arrival was bad news for another youth-oriented film, “Not Another Teen Movie,” which lost more than half its audience from the previous weekend, plummeting to about $5.5 million in 2,365 theaters and a total of almost $22 million in its first 10 days.

Given that adults are in their final phase of holiday preparations, both “The Majestic,” starring Jim Carrey, and “Joe Somebody,” with Tim Allen, failed to draw many patrons in their initial weekend, hampered by lukewarm reviews.

“The Majestic” grossed an estimated $5 million in 2,361 theaters. “Somebody” earned a paltry $3.65 million in 2,503 theaters and a 10th-place finish.

“Ocean’s Eleven” held out well against the new competition, making off with a solid $14.6 million in 3,075 theaters and a 17-day total of about $95 million. The Tom Cruise drama “Vanilla Sky” tumbled about 52% in its second weekend in 2,744 theaters, leveling off at about $12.1 million. The 10-day total is an acceptable $45.5 million.

Thanks largely to “Lord of the Rings,” box-office totals for the top 12 movies was about 15% ahead of last year, when Christmas Eve, a traditionally downbeat day for attendance, fell on Sunday.

The leading dozen movies grossed about $122 million, according to Exhibitor Relations.

The box office tracking firm’s president, Paul Dergarabedian, said that revenue for 2001 was at $7.8 billion as of Dec. 16--already ahead of last year’s $7.7 billion total. So revenue should at least reach $8.2 billion, making this the industry’s first $8 billion year.

Ticket sales are running slightly ahead of last year, even taking 4% inflation into account. But Dergarabedian said attendance may not surpass the record 1998 tally of 1.48 billion admissions.

“Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” and “Monsters, Inc.” held well as the year-end recess began. “Harry” was down about 38% to a still-whizzing $6.2 million in 3,311 theaters, for a total to date of about $263 million.

“Harry” looks like it’s going to inherit the 2001 box office crown over the new few days, supplanting “Shrek.”

“Monsters, Inc.” is approaching $225 million after grossing about $3.5 million over the weekend in 2,097 theaters, only a 29% drop.

The sole new arrival in the limited release arena was “A Beautiful Mind,” from director Ron Howard, starring Russell Crowe, which garnered mixed notices and several Golden Globe nominations, getting off to a strong $365,000 start on 11 screens, more than $33,000 a theater. It expands to about 500 theaters on Tuesday.

“In the Bedroom” got a boost from its multiple Golden Globe nominations, grossing $82,000 (up 13%) in the same six theaters for a $600,000 total to date.