Moviegoers uncover a 'National Treasure'

Moviegoers uncover a ‘National Treasure’

By Betsy Sharkey

Nov. 22, 2004 12 AM PT

Times Staff Writer

Thanksgiving came early for the movie industry, propelled by a healthy, and apparently hungry, family audience hitting the PG circuit. “National Treasure” brought out more than just Jerry Bruckheimer fans to push the Walt Disney Co. action film to No. 1, with an estimated $35.3 million at the box office, averaging $11,700 per screen.

Meanwhile, “The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie,” which reportedly cost about $30 million to make, soaked up $33.5 million for Paramount Pictures to put it at No. 2, with a per screen average of $10,430.

“We knew our core audience of action fans would be there [for ‘National Treasure’], but the strong word of mouth helped us broaden the audience and walk into the weekend as a pre-sold commodity,” said Chuck Viane, president of distribution for Disney.

The audience was 53% male, 47% female, with younger and older women giving the film the strongest recommendations in exit polls.

“SpongeBob” also found a broader base, with 42% of its weekend take coming from those older than 12, pulling particularly strongly among teens and other nonfamily groups.

“We knew that 30% of the audience for the show on Nickelodeon is older, so it was really nice to see people receive the film that way,” said Julia Pistor, the film’s producer, referring to the cable channel’s popular series. “And as much as we admire ‘The Incredibles,’ and we do, we’re really pleased we beat them.”

Although coming in at No. 3 with a 47% drop and an estimated $26.8 million in its third week, “The Incredibles” is still a box office force, having taken in $177.8 million. In its second week, the Warner Bros. film “The Polar Express” landed at No. 4, with an estimated $15.2 million, for a total of $51 million.

Miramax’s “Finding Neverland,” another PG offering, is doing well in limited release, bringing in $821,312 in its second week for a per screen average of $14,409 and a total of $1.1 million.

And it seems there is room for even more. A Saturday sneak of the Columbia Pictures family film “Christmas With the Kranks,” starring Tim Allen and Jamie Lee Curtis, sold out at most of the 901 theaters it was dropped into. “We were a bit apprehensive with so many family films out there,” said Tom Sherak, a partner in Revolution Studios, which produced the movie. But with sneak theaters concentrated in Middle America, the film “played through the roof.” “The Kranks” opens nationwide Wednesday.

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Box Office

Preliminary results (in millions) based on studio projections.

*--* Movie 3-day gross Total

*--*

*--* National Treasure $35.3 $35.3

SpongeBob SquarePants 33.5 33.5

The Incredibles 26.8 177.8

The Polar Express 15.2 51

Bridget Jones: Edge of Reason 10.1 21.6

After the Sunset 5.3 19.3

Ray 4.6 59.2