Looks Like the ‘Last Dance’ Could Last Quite a While
The hip-hop film “Save the Last Dance” keeps grooving along at the box office, finishing in the top spot for the second week in a row while easily fending off two new movies featuring a pair of Hollywood’s biggest stars.
“Save the Last Dance,” starring Julia Stiles as a fallen ballerina who recaptures her passion for dancing, grossed $16 million over the weekend, in its second week of release, according to studio estimates released Sunday. The film was shown in 2,539 theaters and averaged $6,302 per site, down 32% from opening totals. To date, the Paramount film has taken in more than $46 million.
Looking ahead to next weekend, Wayne Lewellen, Paramount’s head of distribution, said: “We are holding very well and expect to do so during the Super Bowl because of our primary female audience.”
Two new movies with Hollywood heavyweights attached to them made their way into the top 10. “Snatch,” a comical diamond caper starring Brad Pitt and directed by Madonna’s new husband, Guy Ritchie, opened in 1,444 theaters and raked in $7.6 million, putting it in fourth place for the weekend. “The Pledge,” starring Jack Nicholson and directed by Sean Penn, opened in 1,275 theaters and took in $5.7 million in its first weekend, putting it in 10th place.
“Snatch,” which has grossed about $32 million in Australia and England, has drawn a buzz because of Pitt’s star power and Ritchie’s emergence in the film industry.
“No one has been able to take a United Kingdom film and get big crowds the first weekend,” said Valerie Van Galder, executive vice president of marketing for Sony Screen Gems, which released “Snatch.” “It’s like a stew. You get all of these ingredients and it becomes pretty potent.”
“The Pledge” follows Nicholson’s character, a retiring police detective who promises the mother of a slain daughter that he will find the child’s killer. The film, which is based on a novel about child murder by Swiss author Friedrich Durrenmatt, opened in 1,275 theaters and averaged $4,510. It marks the second time Penn and Nicholson have worked together. They previously collaborated on the 1995 drama “The Crossing Guard.”
“Cast Away” continues to show staying power. The movie, featuring Tom Hanks as a man stranded on a deserted island, raked in $11.3 million to finish second in the box office standings. The film has taken in about $182 million in five weeks.
The drug-war drama “Traffic” also maintained its third-place ranking, with an estimated weekend total of $8.2 million, down 28% from the previous week. The film has taken in more than $46 million since its wide release at the beginning of the month.
The wide selection of movies and good word-of-mouth has contributed to a prosperous January for Hollywood. The top 12 movies grossed $91.3 million this weekend, up 55% from the same weekend last year.
“There is a lot of momentum spilling over from the end of 2000,” said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations. “Audiences are starting to catch up on films that are on their must-see list.”
The martial-arts epic “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” has gained steam, moving up from ninth place to seventh this week. The film was shown at 837 sites and grossed $6.46 million over the weekend, for a drop of only 15%.