Movie ticket sales finish 2003 down 5%

By Lorenza Munoz

Jan. 5, 2004 12 AM PT

Times Staff Writer

The movie industry suffered a significant decline in attendance last year, with the number of tickets sold down as much as 5% when adjusted for price inflation. Domestic movie box office finished 2003 with an estimated $9.2 billion, a 1.1% drop from last year’s $9.3 billion, according to projections by box-office tracking firm Nielsen EDI Inc.

Although this year’s drop does not seem like much in the shadow of last year’s record-breaking number, the decline in admissions is the biggest in more than a decade. In 2000, there was a 3% drop in movie attendance, according to Nielsen EDI.

The most significant drop this past year occurred not with the major studio releases -- which were actually up about 1% in revenues this year -- but with the smaller, so-called independent or “specialized” releases that saw their revenues drop 29%. The decline was mainly because of the lack of a breakout hit such as 2002’s “My Big Fat Greek Wedding,” according to Dan Marks, executive vice president of Nielsen EDI. “Wedding,” which took in $241 million, is the highest-grossing independently produced movie in history.

“It’s not like drops in admission are all that strange,” said Marks. “Nobody likes to see the number of admissions going down, but history will show you it goes up and down.... The jumps from 2001 to 2002 were just phenomenal, and this year we just could not find anything to replace ‘Greek Wedding.’ ”

Meanwhile, with no new wide releases, “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” held the No. 1 slot for a third round with ticket sales of $30.8 million, according to studio estimates.

Since its release, the film has earned $677 million worldwide, including $292 million from North America, where it is tracking 12% ahead of where its predecessor, “The Two Towers,” was at the same time last year. That film ended up with $341 million domestically and $921 million worldwide.

Worldwide, “Return of the King” is outpacing “Two Towers” by about 15%, said Rolf Mittweg, president of worldwide marketing and distribution at New Line Cinema.

The family comedy “Cheaper by the Dozen,” starring Steve Martin and Bonnie Hunt, remained at No. 2 with $21.9 million, propelling its North American total to $86 million after just two weekends.

The only new entry in the top 10 was the English comedy “Calendar Girls,” starring Helen Mirren and Julie Walters, in the fact-based tale of middle-aged women who posed nude for a charity calendar. It jumped 16 places to No. 9 with $4.6 million after expanding to 745 theaters in its third weekend. Most of the movies in the top 10 played in at least 2,200 theaters each. The film was released by Disney’s Touchstone Pictures unit.

Other films that performed strongly in limited release included “House of Sand and Fog,” with Ben Kingsley and Jennifer Connelly as two people feuding over ownership of a home. It collected $1.8 million in about 442 theaters, for a solid per-screen average of $4,072.

Tim Burton’s “Big Fish,” meanwhile, is heading into its first nationwide distribution in about 2,500 theaters. The movie, about a tall-tale spinner whose fantastic stories annoy his grown son, garnered $2.5 million in about 125 locations, averaging $20,000 per screen.

Columbia Picture’s “Something’s Gotta Give,” starring Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton, rose to No. 3 in its fourth weekend with $12.5 million. Its total now stands at $81.7 million.

Miramax Films’ Civil War drama “Cold Mountain,” starring Nicole Kidman and Jude Law, slipped one place to No. 4.

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Box Office

Preliminary results based on studio projections.

*--* Movie 3-day gross Total (millions)

*--*

*--* Lord of the Rings: Return of the King $30.8 $292.0

Cheaper by the Dozen $21.9 $86.0

Something’s Gotta Give $12.5 $81.7

Cold Mountain $11.7 $43.9

Paycheck $10.0 $38.8

Mona Lisa Smile $8.7 $50.2