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. and Canadian returns (about 55% of gross) represent only 20% of a film’s final revenue, which includes overseas theatrical, video and TV income. The industry marketing average of $30 million per film is factored into these profit equations, as is the relative strength of specific film genres in foreign markets. Results for the weekend of June 15-17:

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Highlights:

* “Lara Croft: Tomb Raider,” which Paramount says cost $80 million, will be profitable for the studio, which funded less than half the budget in return for domestic and some foreign rights. Mutual Films paid for the rest, in return for several key overseas territories.

* Reportedly costing $90 million, “Atlantis” should follow the course of most Disney animated movies, doing better overseas and on home video and DVD.

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$$ 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 Shrek DreamWorks 3 $60 $240 The Mummy Returns Universal 10 98 200

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$ Moneymakers ($10 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 Pearl Harbor Disney 5 $140 $195 Lara Croft: Tomb Raider Paramount 1 80 130 Atlantis Disney 2 90 80 The Animal Sony 7 22 60 A Knight’s Tale Sony 12 41 57 Memento Newmarket 11 5 20

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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 Swordfish Warner Bros. 4 $80 $75 Moulin Rouge Fox 8 50 48

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Losers (less than $5 million)

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Box- Estimated office cost, in Movie title Studio rank millions Evolution DreamWorks/Sony 6 $80 What’s the Worst . . . MGM 9 45

Projected U.S. box-office* receipts,* Movie title in millions Evolution $38 What’s the Worst . . . 32

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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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