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 May 25-28:

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Highlights

At a cost of about $140 million with profit participation deferred until Disney recoups its investment, the studio stands to garner a substantial profit from “Pearl Harbor” rivaling that of “Armageddon,” which actually cost more (about $180 million). The question of how large the profits will be depends on its overseas performance. As an action film, it would seem to have a strong upside, though the subject matter could be problematic, especially in major territories such as Japan and Germany.

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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 Pearl Harbor Disney 1 $140 $250 Shrek DreamWorks 2 60 220 The Mummy Returns Universal 3 98 200 Spy Kids Dimension 9 35 110

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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 Along Came a Spider Paramount 7 $28 Bridget Jones’s Diary Miramax/Universal 6 26 A Knight’s Tale Sony 4 41 Blow New Line 10 36 Memento Newmarket 8 5

Projected U.S. box-office* receipts,* Movie title in millions Along Came a Spider $75 Bridget Jones’s Diary 68 A Knight’s Tale 60 Blow 55 Memento 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 Crocodile Dundee in L.A. Paramount 12 $25 $25

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Losers (less than $5 million)

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Projected Box- Estimated U.S. box-office* office cost, in receipts,* Movie title Studio rank millions in millions Driven Warner Bros. 11 $78 $33 Angel Eyes Warner Bros. 5 38 24

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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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