From musical to a movie for the masses

It’s been a critical favorite and an award winner from the beginning, but perhaps the most surprising element about the Miramax musical “Chicago” is its red-hot box office success.

Last weekend’s tally put “Chicago” at $114 million -- exactly twice the total that the musical “Moulin Rouge” made two years ago. And although Miramax and “Chicago” producers credit director Baz Luhrmann’s flashy spectacle for paving the way, it’s also clear “Chicago” has struck the right chord with a much broader audience spectrum.

So who’s going? And why?

“It’s appealing to a pretty broad spectrum,” says Dan Marks, executive vice president of Nielsen EDI, which tracks box office numbers for the industry. “You can’t do $100 million at the box office and have a narrow appeal. You really have to cross lines.”

“Chicago,” a clear favorite for best picture honors at the March 23 Academy Awards, apparently is crossing demographic lines, albeit slowly. An early-February exit poll taken at one big-city theater showed that 28% of viewers were over 50, 24% were their 40s, 15% in their 30s and 18% in their 20s.

“The audience demographics skewed older, initially,” says Rick Sands, who oversees marketing and distribution for Miramax. “The critical acclaim, the Golden Globes, the top 10 lists, the academy nominations, made it easier for moviegoers to sample it. Now, we’re trying to get the younger people. And the way to do that is, we’re keeping the campaign fresh.”

Miramax has altered its print and TV campaigns to make them “more narrative, more historical, talking about the vision of the film,” Sands says. “The [original Broadway] show was written very much in response to the Watergate years, and it’s very relevant today. Can justice be bought? We’re tapping into that aspect in the marketing.”

Craig Zadan, one of the film’s executive producers, points out that the story intrigues viewers. “It’s about the American legal system and how, if you have the right attorney or the money, you can get away with murder. It’s about the quest for celebrity. It deals with issues that are very present in American society right now,” he adds, citing the instant-celebrity business that the current “reality” TV trend feeds.

Sands said Miramax knew the film presented a “marketing challenge. That’s why we went slowly with the rollout.” “Chicago” opened in 77 theaters on Dec. 27 and did a whopping $26,947 per-screen average in its first week. Miramax gradually increased the number of theaters to 300, then 500 and 600 in January -- averaging $13,000 to $16,000 per screen -- before going wide and tripling the number of theaters in early February to more than 1,800, still maintaining a strong average. It is now playing in about 2,600 theaters.

The musical is also the only remaining December release that hasn’t fallen out of the list of top-10-grossing films. “Chicago” was the No. 4 film last weekend, taking in $6.8 million; it’s been taking in between $7 million and $10 million a weekend for more than a month.

Part of that is from repeat business, according to Miramax. EDI’s Marks says, “Obviously you’ve got very strong word-of-mouth going. Business is building, so that probably means repeat business is good.”

Zadan acknowledges “Chicago’s” uphill battle for the most sought-after demographic, young men. “Young males usually don’t go to musicals,” he says. But he thinks that the ice is broken: “A lot of them are finding the movie sexy and appealing. They’re not finding it corny; they’re finding it hip.”

Miles Kreuger, president of the Hollywood-based Institute of the American Musical, is heartened by “Chicago’s” success but skeptical about talk of the possible revival of the movie musical genre.

“It has fascinating characters, and it’s about a colorful period in our history,” Kreuger says. “The songs are wonderful, and it’s presented with such sparkle and zest.” But, he adds, “one splendid musical film doesn’t necessarily mean anything other than the acceptance of that particular film. ‘Cabaret’ was lucky in 1972, and it led to almost no good musical films in its wake.”

For the present, how high can “Chicago’s” box office take go? That, most agree, depends upon its Academy Awards haul.

Miramax executives are privately hoping for a domestic box office gross of $150 million or $160 million. Foreign markets also should be lucrative. “Chicago” has already made $23 million in the United Kingdom, making it Miramax’s most successful film there.

“I think $150 million is a very real possibility, particularly if in a couple of weeks it marches offstage with best picture,” Marks says. “I think there’s even an outside chance of $200 million. You win a best picture, that might open up a lot of people’s eyes.”