String of Box-Office Hits Shows Filmmakers ‘What a Girl Wants’

“What a Girl Wants,” in the truest sense, may remain one of life’s mysteries. But Warner Bros. knows exactly what it wants from its coming-of-age comedy, starring 17-year-old Amanda Bynes, when the film opens today against two thrillers starring Vin Diesel and Colin Farrell: another girl-powered hit.

In recent months, a series of relatively inexpensive pictures aimed at girls and younger women has produced a consistent string of box-office successes. And that track record is leading some in Hollywood to speculate that young females -- once viewed as extra ticket sales for pictures mainly chosen by male companions -- are on their way to becoming one of the film industry’s most reliable audience blocs.

“These movies used to be the odd occurrence. But they’ve become a genre unto themselves,” said Denise Di Novi, who produced “What a Girl Wants” and other female-driven films, including “Heathers” in 1989.

“Sweet Home Alabama” with Reese Witherspoon, “Maid in Manhattan” with Jennifer Lopez and “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days” with Kate Hudson have neared or topped $100 million in U.S. ticket sales since last fall. “Just Married,” a low-budget romantic comedy with less star power, shook up box-office expectations in January to open with a strong $17.5-million weekend.

The sudden run of female-empowerment hits may stem, in part, from Hollywood’s tendency to double down on its winners. Two years ago, a pair of surprise successes -- Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc.’s “Legally Blonde,” which starred Witherspoon, and Paramount Pictures’ “Save the Last Dance” with Julia Stiles -- touched off a scramble for projects keyed to the hopes, dreams and fears of young women.

The resulting wave of pictures is beginning to reach the screen now with enough strength to challenge some of filmdom’s most deeply held assumptions about box-office choices.

“We’ve had great success with girl power,” said MGM Vice Chairman Chris McGurk, who, in a daring bit of counter-programming, plans to release his studio’s “Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde” opposite Warner’s “Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines” on July 2.

In a similar matchup, 20th Century Fox expects to release “Down With Love,” starring Renee Zellweger, opposite Warner’s highly anticipated “The Matrix Reloaded” in mid-May.

That studios are willing to risk their feminine bets against such action franchises reflects a new belief that young women are more easily reached by film marketers than are young men. Several executives credited the WB television network with giving advertisers a direct line to female filmgoers. The network built its heavily female audience, which is between the ages of 12 and 34, around shows such as “Dawson’s Creek.”

Bynes, the “What a Girl Wants” star, is featured in the WB series, “What I Like About You,” and was long on Viacom Inc.’s Nickelodeon network.

Warner Marketing Chief Dawn Taubin said the new film, which cost $20 million, is aimed at girls from 8 to 16 and their mothers.

That narrow audience, Taubin said, may not be large enough to duplicate the success of Witherspoon’s “Sweet Home Alabama,” which took in $127 million at the U.S. box office. But the studio hopes to match last year’s “A Walk to Remember,” an inexpensive teen drama also produced by Di Novi that attracted $43 million in domestic ticket sales.

“Girls 8 and up want to see movies over and over again,” said Taubin, who has used the WB, MTV and other cable networks to reach viewers.

If young women are directly in the marketers’ sights, young males appear to be slipping slightly out of focus. One entertainment company executive, who asked not to be identified, cited internal studies indicating that males, increasingly drawn to music and the Internet, have been pulling away from network TV -- thus depriving movie marketers of a crucial tool.

Although the male audience still turns out for effects-driven films such as “Men in Black II” and “Spider-Man,” their attendance has diminished at the cheaper, broad comedies that ran hot only a few years ago. DreamWorks SKG’s “Old School,” the genre’s best performer lately, has taken in $71 million -- still short of the female-driven hits -- while Walt Disney Co.’s “The Hot Chick” had just $35 million in U.S. ticket sales last year.

Some observers say studios may be feeding the gender shift, particularly in the audience for lower-budget films, by lavishing disproportionate attention on their female fare.

“There’s a perception among studio executives that all you have to do is make some gross-out, low-brow junk and feed it to young males,” said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracking firm Exhibitor Relations Co.

Columbia Pictures Chairwoman Amy Pascal, who earned a reputation for pushing female-oriented films such as “Little Women” long before the current vogue, said pictures aimed at younger males “forget to be wish-fulfillment movies.”

But more often, said Pascal, who will open Columbia’s action sequel “Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle” a week before “Terminator 3,” Hollywood has forgotten to tap the power of young women.

“Young girls are gigantic consumers, and it’s an audience that’s always been there,” she said.

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Female appeal

Here is a sampling of films that target young female audiences scheduled for release this year:

*--* Film Distributor Scheduled opening What a Girl Wants Warner Bros Today Chasing Papi Fox 4/16 The Lizzie McGuire Movie Buena Vista 5/2 Down With Love Fox 5/16 Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle Sony 6/17 Legally Blonde 2 MGM 7/2 How to Deal New Line 7/18 Freaky Friday Buena Vista 8/1 Tough Love Sony 8/1 Ella Enchanted Miramax 8/8 Marci X Paramount 8/22 Mona Lisa Smile Sony 12/19

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Source: Exhibitor Relations