‘Exit Wounds’ Makes Big Entrance

How do you rescue the career of an aging action star like Steven Seagal? Team him with a hot, multi-platinum rapper like DMX and let the action flow. As a result, the new Warner Bros. action film “Exit Wounds” made a smashing debut, grossing $18.5 million to take first place in the weekend box-office race.

“Warner Bros. did a brilliant job of matching Seagal with DMX,” said Paul Dergarabedian, president of the box-office tracking firm, Exhibitor Relations Co. “Seagal has his fans out there and to team him with DMX, who is a really big rap star, was a great enticement for moviegoers.”

Another film that surprised the experts was “Enemy at the Gates,” which opened with $13.8 million in ticket sales despite having to hurdle the mixed reviews of critics as well as the fact that the central characters in the World War II movie are Russians and Germans.

“The trailer made the film look very action-packed,” Dergarabedian said. “On action pictures, by and large, if the trailers work, they are pretty review-proof.”

“The Dish” opened Wednesday in limited release.

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Three-day gross/ Screens/ Weeks in Movie (Studio) Total (millions) Average Release 1. “Exit Wounds” $18.5 2,830 1 (Warner Bros.) $18.5 $6,532 2. “Enemy at the Gates” $13.8 1,509 1 (Paramount) $13.8 $9,152 3. “The Mexican” $8.0 3,162 3 (DreamWorks) $50.8 $2,534 4. “See Spot Run” $5.0 2,656 3 (Warner Bros.) $24.8 $1,885 5. “15 Minutes” $4.3 2,337 2 (New Line) $17.9 $1,840 6. “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” $4.04 1,860 15 (Sony Classics) $100.3 $2,175 7. “Down to Earth” $4.0 2,425 5 (Paramount) $56.8 $1,652 8.’Hannibal” $3.6 2,433 6 (MGM) $157.1 $1,466 9.’Chocolat” $3.43 1,901 14 (Miramax) $55.9 $1,803 10.’Traffic” $3.4 1,682 12 (USA Films) $102.5 $2,030 ‘The Dish’* $70,612 6 1 (Warner Bros.) $86,590 $11,769

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* Opened Wednesday.

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SOURCE: Exhibitor Relations Co.