It’s Good to Be ‘Queen’ in Theaters

Audiences went vampire hunting as “Queen of the Damned,” featuring the late singer Aaliyah as an ancient bloodsucker, premiered as the top weekend movie with $15.2 million.

“John Q.,” last weekend’s No. 1 film, dropped to second place with $12.5 million, pushing its 10-day total to $39.9 million, according to studio estimates Sunday. Kevin Costner’s supernatural love story, “Dragonfly,” opened in third place with $10.4 million.

Though generally trashed by critics, “Queen of the Damned” got a big boost from young fans of Aaliyah, who was killed in a plane crash last summer. Women younger than 25 made up 30% to 40% of the film’s audience, said Dan Fellman, head of distribution for Warner Bros., which released the movie.

“I think [Aaliyah’s fans] were drawn by their loyalty and curiosity and desire to see her on the big screen,” Fellman said.

Based on Anne Rice’s book of the same name from her “Vampire Chronicles,” the movie stars Aaliyah as the mother of all bloodsuckers and Stuart Townsend as the vampire Lestat.

Playing in 2,511 locations, “Queen of the Damned” averaged a healthy $6,035 a theater, compared with a $5,000 average in 2,505 theaters for “John Q.” and $4,148 in 2,507 cinemas for “Dragonfly.”

Director Mira Nair’s “Monsoon Wedding” had an impressive premiere in limited release, grossing $66,000 at two New York City theaters. The ensemble comedy follows the clash of tradition and modern times during frenzied preparations for a wedding in New Delhi, India. Distributor USA Films plans to expand the film to more cities, including Los Angeles, over the next two weekends.

Overall, the top 12 films grossed $85.5 million, up 14% from the same weekend last year. For the first two months of the year, Hollywood’s revenues are running virtually even with the pace of last year, when the industry grossed a record $8.35 billion.

The early part of 2001 was dominated by “Hannibal,” a February release that grossed $165 million. This year has not yet produced a major hit, but a string of new films has opened solidly, while holdovers from last year drew strong audiences.

Top Oscar nominees continue to benefit from the awards attention. “A Beautiful Mind” grossed $5.2 million, raising its total to $132.6 million. “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring” took in $3.6 million, climbing to $283.3 million overall.

“I would characterize it as status quo, week in and week out,” said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations. “There hasn’t been a runaway blockbuster so far like we sometimes have at this point. But newcomers are generating interest, holdovers and Oscar contenders are generating interest.”

The combat film “Black Hawk Down” took in $3.7 million, pushing its total to $101.4 million. It was the 19th movie released in 2001 to cross the $100 million mark, compared with a record 22 films the year before.