Los Angeles, Sept 05: The fall box-office season gets off to a rather sedate start this weekend, with just one film opening in wide release -- Lionsgate`s "Bangkok Dangerous," starring Nicolas Cage and going out without advance screenings for the press.
A spokeswoman for Lionsgate said that as an action release, "Bangkok" was never going to be a critical darling. But the studio representative stressed that Lionsgate has high opening-weekend expectations for the film.
Tracking data appears to indicate a bow somewhere north of $10 million, which means that "Bangkok" should top the weekend`s box-office rankings.
DreamWorks/Paramount`s R-rated comedy "Tropic Thunder" turned in a three-peat performance atop the domestic box office last weekend with $14.6 million during the four-day holiday frame. But even a 15 percent drop from the $11.5 million that "Tropic" fetched last Friday through Sunday would give the leggy comedy a gross slightly less than $10 million this session and finally yield the weekend crown.
Focus Features` "Hamlet 2" also bears watching this weekend, not because it has a chance of topping the box office but to see if the well-reviewed comedy can salvage a decent theatrical run despite its wobbly expansion into wide release last weekend.
The Steve Coogan/Catherine Keener-starring film grossed just $2.1 million from 1,597 playdates for an inauspicious theater average of $1,331. But arguably, the holiday weekend`s four films opening in wide release left little room to maneuver, so Focus will hope that "Hamlet" can find its sea legs this session.
Trusting in `Traitor`
The Overture thriller "The Traitor" turned in the best per-theater average last weekend, and fingers are crossed at the fledgling indie that its Don Cheadle-starring thriller -- Overture`s first release of a self-produced film -- will build on that opening-weekend performance with a gutsy second session.
"Traitor" grossed $10 million from 2,054 theaters, or $4,872 per venue, last weekend.
The remake of a 1999 Thai film of the same name, "Bangkok" was helmed by the original movie`s directors, Oxide Pang Chun and Danny Pang.
"We`re expecting a solid opening, and we`re well positioned to play through the entire month," Lionsgate distribution president Steve Rothenberg said.
Lionsgate dominated the fall box office in 2007, with its $209 million in autumn revenue and 16 percent market share topping the seasonal grosses of all of the major studios. This time, the mini-major enters the fall with its second release in a string of wide openers that Lionsgate will unspool over five consecutive weekends.
The first film in that spree of releases -- Labor Day-weekend debutante "Disaster Movie" -- opened weakly with $6.9 million during its first four days. Next up will be "Tyler Perry`s the Family That Preys," set to unspool September 12.
Although the film is likely to appeal primarily to Perry`s urban base of support, executives hope the casting of Kathy Bates in a key role might expand the multihyphenate draw.
Bureau Report