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 Feb. 2-4:

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Highlights:

* The teen thriller “Valentine” will be profitable based on its modest investment. Warner Bros. is on the line for only half the budget in return for domestic rights. Another teen movie, “Head Over Heels,” won’t quite make it into the black.

* Disney will make a profit on its $15-million investment for domestic rights to “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” and Universal has already recouped in the film’s foreign release.

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

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Projected Box- Estimated U.S. box-office* office cost, in receipts,* Movie title Studio rank millions in millions Cast Away Fox/DreamWorks 3 $90 $220 Save the Last Dance Paramount 4 13 85 Crouching Tiger Sony Classics 5 15 80

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$ Moneymakers ($10 million or more in profit)

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Box- Estimated office cost, in Movie title Studio rank millions Traffic USA 6 $50 The Wedding Planner Sony 1 28 Snatch Screen Gems 9 10 Valentine Warner Bros. 2 12 O Brother Disney/Universal 11 26

Projected U.S. box-office* receipts,* Movie title in millions Traffic $85 The Wedding Planner 48 Snatch 30 Valentine 26 O Brother 24

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? Toss-ups ($5 million or more in profit/loss)

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Projected Box- Estimated U.S. box-office* office cost, in receipts,* Movie title Studio rank millions in millions Finding Forrester Sony 8 $43 $50 Chocolat Miramax 10 28 35 Sugar & Spice New Line 12 11 15

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Losers (more than $5 million in loss)

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Projected Box- Estimated U.S. box-office* office cost, in receipts,* Movie title Studio rank millions in millions Head Over Heels Universal 7 $14 $11

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

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