‘The Ring Two’ delivers a knockout

It’s scary how well a sequel to a remake of a foreign film can do. And if the sequel is “The Ring Two” and it stars Naomi Watts, it doesn’t matter whether critics like it.

The film grossed an estimated $36 million over the weekend, more than twice the $15 million the original took in on its opening weekend in October 2002. Directed by Hideo Nakata, who also directed the Japanese original and its sequel, the movie averaged $10,804 per theater in about 3,332 locations.

A little ominously, however, “The Ring Two’s” business decreased 12% on Saturday from Friday, suggesting that word of mouth on the film, which received mixed-to-negative reviews, is less than positive.

Jim Tharp, head of distribution for DreamWorks, said Sunday morning that an informal survey of theater managers around the country indicated the film was skewing about 60% female, much like the first film, but he said more specific demographic information was not available.

Its U.S. progenitor “The Ring,” directed by Gore Verbinski, went on to gross $129 million domestically and $249.3 million worldwide.

In its second weekend, “Robots” grossed an estimated $21.8 million in second place, down about 39% from its opening weekend, according to Bruce Snyder, president of distribution for 20th Century Fox. The computer-animated adventure’s total stands at an estimated $66.9 million. In addition to some negative reviews, the film likely was hurt by competition for the family and kids audience from the surprisingly durable “The Pacifier” as well as the arrival of “The Ring Two” and, to a lesser extent, “Ice Princess.”

“Ice Princess,” which stars Michelle Trachtenberg as a teen who discovers she has a passion for figure skating, opened in fourth place with an estimated $7 million, Disney spokesman Dennis Rice reported.

“The Pacifier,” which puts Vin Diesel in charge of a houseful of rowdy kids, grossed $12.5 million in its third weekend, down about 31% from last weekend. It has grossed about $72.3 million, which represents a rebound for Diesel, whose last film, “The Chronicles of Riddick,” topped out at $57.8 million.

On the art house or specialized movie front, Woody Allen’s “Melinda and Melinda,” which casts Will Ferrell in the kind of role previously taken by the director for himself, grossed an impressive $74,048 in a single theater in New York, Fox Searchlight reported Sunday.

Steve Gilula, president of distribution for Searchlight, noted that Allen’s previous best single-theater debut was “Zelig,” which grossed $60,119 in one New York venue in its first weekend in 1983. Gilula said if Sunday’s estimates hold up, it would mark a record for an exclusive debut for Searchlight as well.

The movie, which also stars Radha Mitchell as the title character and a large ensemble cast, opens Wednesday in Los Angeles and about a dozen other cities. Searchlight will add more cities April 1 and go nationwide April 8.

Just outside the top 10 at No. 11, writer-director Mike Binder’s “The Upside of Anger” took in an estimated $1.9 million in its second weekend, New Line Cinema reported. With a per-theater average of a little less than $13,000, the positively reviewed movie starring Joan Allen and Kevin Costner expanded from nine to 153 theaters, and its 10-day total is about $2.2 million.

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Box Office

Preliminary results (in millions) based on studio projections.

*--* Movie 3-day gross Total The Ring Two $36 $36

Robots 21.8 66.9

The Pacifier 12.5 72.3

Ice Princess 7 7

Hitch 6.6 159.4

Be Cool 5.8 47.2

Hostage 5.8 19.3

Million Dollar Baby 4.1 90

Diary of a Mad Black Woman 2.5 47.8

Constantine 2.3 70.4

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Source: Nielsen EDI Inc.

Los Angeles Times