'21' Rules Box Office, 'Stop-Loss' Fails To Connect

LOS ANGELES — Movie-goers laid their money down on "21," a gambling romp that was the weekend's box-office high roller with a $23.7 million debut, according to studio estimates Sunday.

Starring Kevin Spacey, Kate Bosworth and Jim Sturgess as math geniuses who make a killing at Vegas' blackjack tables, Sony's "21" bumped off "Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who!", which had been No. 1 the previous two weekends.

"Horton Hears a Who," distributed by 20th Century Fox, slipped to second place with $17.4 million, raising its total to $117.3 million. It is the first movie this year to pass the $100 million mark.

Despite solid holdover crowds for "Horton," overall business continued to dip. The top 12 movies took in $90 million, down 23 percent from the same weekend last year, when "Blades of Glory" was No. 1 with $33 million.

Hollywood started 2008 with a strong uptick in January, but revenues have trailed off steadily since. Movie admissions had been up as much as 10 percent in early February but now are 2.6 percent behind 2007's, according to box-office tracker Media By Numbers.

By this time last year, Hollywood already had churned out a blockbuster with "300," which eventually topped $200 million, and other hits that included "Wild Hogs" and "Meet the Robinsons."

"Last year was very, very strong at this point. It's made comparisons very tough," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of Media By Numbers. "We're not that far into the year, so every down weekend has a huge impact on the bottom line."

This weekend's other new movies had so-so openings. Debuting at No. 3 with $9.5 million was the MGM-Weinstein Co. release "Superhero Movie," a spoof of one of Hollywood's favorite action genres.

Story continues below

advertisement

Paramount's "Stop-Loss," starring Ryan Phillippe as an Iraq War veteran sent back against his wishes for another tour of duty, opened at No. 8 with $4.5 million.

Former "Friends" co-star David Schwimmer's directing debut, the comedy "Run, Fat Boy, Run," was a dud, taking in $2.4 million to finish out of the top 10. Released by Picturehouse, the movie stars Simon Pegg as an out-of-shape slacker running a marathon to impress his former fiance, played by Thandie Newton.

The audience for "21" was split almost evenly between men and women and those older and younger than 25, according to Sony.

"One of the coolest things is it really did play to everyone. It got male, female, young, old," said Rory Bruer, Sony's head of distribution.

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Media By Numbers LLC. Final figures will be released Monday.

1. "21," $23.7 million.

2. "Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who!", $17.4 million.

3. "Superhero Movie," $9.5 million.

4. "Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns," $7.8 million.

5. "Drillbit Taylor," $5.8 million.

6. "Shutter," $5.3 million.

7. "10,000 B.C.", $4.9 million.

8. "Stop-Loss," $4.5 million.

9. "College Road Trip," $3.5 million.

10. "The Bank Job," $2.8 million.

___

On the Net:

http://www.mediabynumbers.com/

___

Universal Pictures, Focus Features and Rogue Pictures are owned by NBC Universal, a unit of General Electric Co.; Sony Pictures, Sony Screen Gems and Sony Pictures Classics are units of Sony Corp.; DreamWorks, Paramount and Paramount Vantage are divisions of Viacom Inc.; Disney's parent is The Walt Disney Co.; Miramax is a division of The Walt Disney Co.; 20th Century Fox, Fox Searchlight Pictures and Fox Atomic are owned by News Corp.; Warner Bros., New Line, Warner Independent and Picturehouse are units of Time Warner Inc.; MGM is owned by a consortium of Providence Equity Partners, Texas Pacific Group, Sony Corp., Comcast Corp., DLJ Merchant Banking Partners and Quadrangle Group; Lionsgate is owned by Lionsgate Entertainment Corp.; IFC Films is owned by Rainbow Media Holdings, a subsidiary of Cablevision Systems Corp.

Comments

[PuffAndStuff]

I haven't seen it, but I think 'Stop Loss' looks like a good movie. The reason it 'failed to connect' though, I'd bet, has to do with the timing of it's release.

I doubt most people are interested in a topic like this, not now - not while we're still in the middle in this Iraq mess. Would have done better if released 5 years from now --or whenver it is-- that we've finally withdrawn our troops, and the country as a whole has had some time to 'heal' and reflect on this mess, particular people and families of military and who were directly effected.

Sorta like all those Vietnam movies that ruled the box office in the late 70's and throughout nearly the entire 1980's. I'm not even old enough to remember the Vietnam war, but it *IS* embedded into my memory via all the movies I had seen that relates to the topic of it.

[mediamarv]

This is a silly comparison. Two movies with basically different audiences, not to a much larger release for 21 which has been running previews much longer. Of course when only box office receipts are recorded you get skewed results, none of which speak to the quality of the films involved.

Within that list of box office income, "Stop Loss" was way down the list, among other who "failed to connect" so why was this movie singled out? That's the question to ask.
Anyway, "Stop Loss" will be around much longer and will eventually find its audience, go on to make money, and "21" will be remembered as nothing more than an early 08 release. Wait and see.
The director Kimberly Pierce is a genuine force, one of very few women directors as you know, and Philippe will become "hot" again.

[rwe]

Oh amanda85, you epitomize the hate filled rhetoric of progressives everywhere­... You seem to be a psuedo intellectual who when confronted with fact and logic that is adverse to your elitism goes bipolar. The movie had a poor cast , poorly made and was aimed at a miniscule American Military hating audience. .Stop-Loss is not based on anything but the military hating liberal mantra.

[BlackJAC]

He said as he continued to refuse the troops any leave time greater than two weeks on the grounds that spending as much time home as they do in-theater would be harmful to morale, specifically the morale of his fellow chickenhawks.

[Titonwan]

I didn't know they allowed repugs on HuffPo! My, you got an arrogant tone. Like you know anything about the military or have a right to rant about the way the troops are being fucked at this very moment. I happened to have served in the Armed Forces therefore I hold exactly one opinion. Your a jerk. You don't know jack about what's really happening right now. You eat the shit your told by your fearless chickenshit leader. These guys/gals signed on. They volunteered. Thank your lucky stars there's no draft because I'm sure your sorry ass would be on deferrment in college or working for your dada in some lawfirm most likely (hiding). And the thanks they get is extended tours and more tours, fighting a goddamned war that shouldn't have happened in the first fucking place. But you'll be one of those that'll buy their fucking conscience by putting a crappy little "support our troops" sticker on everything when in reality, if you did support the troops you'd be involved with getting them home. Now. What's being a liberal got anything to do with volunteering for your country? What's the next thing out of your neck? That a liberal is somehow less patriotic? I can tell when I hear a veteran that's seen combat and I can smell one that hasn't.

[grisgris]

Titonwan, you are my new hero.

[lebaneseliberal]

I saw "Stop-Loss" yesterday, and that movie was ok. Other than the fighting scenes (bar and battle), I found the plot line to be a little weak, not to mention the ending... The movie could have been more aggressive toward the war and this administration!
Also given the cast, I'm not surprised that the movie didn't do so well!

[BOfever]

"The movie could have been more aggressive toward the war and this administration!"

Then it would have only made $2 million instead of a pathetic $4 million. It just goes to show you how many left wingers there really are out there . . . not many.

[amanda85]

Wow, you are so proud of your country being the world's pariah...
By your standards, the entire rest of the world is "left wing." Heck, anyone left of Adolf Hitler is!!

[MfromS]

Not enough to win an election, thank God...... Keep on whining, you'll be doing it for 4 more years.

[feo]

I remember when John Wayne won the war in Vietnam. Anyway, when America does something totally stupid, why should we support it?

[Ramirez]

From "American Thinker":
*****

Another Anti-War Movie Tanks at the Box Office
Rick Moran

Will they ever learn?

Another anti-war movie is tanking at the box office. Overnights for Friday show the film "Stop Loss" garnering an anemic $1.4 million for a projected $4 million opening weekend. This despite a huge build up and massive ad campaign with great reviews from movie/war critics.

Not one Iraq war movie has been anything close to a financial success. In fact, it is fair to say that every single anti-war film to date has lost its shirt:

In the Valley of Elah (2007) - $6.8 million.
Redacted (2007) - $.06 million.
The Kingdom (2007) - $47.4 million.
Rendition (2007) - $9.7 million.
Lions for Lambs (2007) - $15 million.
Home of the Brave (2006) - $.04 million.
(HT: Cinematical)

"The Kingdom" - a drama about the FBI investigating a terrorist attacks on Americans in Saudi Arabia - ended up getting about half its $80+ million budget back in receipts. It's actually an exciting film and doesn't even mention Iraq (although the last scene shows a moral equivalence between terrorism and our efforts to stop it).
****
Read more at:
http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2008/03/another_antiwar_movie_tanks_at.html

[amanda85]

A right-wing website called "American thinker."
Now that's a real hoot!!

BTW fascist, 60+% of Americans are still against the war, according to several polls, so maybe they just don't want to see it on the big screen...

[Ramirez]

America rocks. America is a force for good in the world. Americans like being Americans, and people throughout the world risk all to reach our shores. An American passport is one of the world's most valued personal treasures.

In contrast, the Canadian population is halving every generation due to low birth rate.

[MfromS]

yeah, that's it....... or maybe it's because they don't have jobs and cant afford to go.

[TheJibreelaMonsters]

The Kingdom was bad ass

[Ramirez]

You got that right.

[BlackJAC]

Let's look at our choices, shall we?
* The fictionalized retelling of a bunch of college students sticking it to the casinos the same way the casinos have stuck it to all of us at one point or another, making tons of cash and living the good life on the weekends in a real-world
* A film targeted towards the MTV demographic whose subject matter is at least two years' past its relevancy date and features whiny small-town Texas twentysomethings who were so intent on Fighting Them Over There So We Don't Have To Fight Them Over Here that they signed their enlistment contracts before reading them and are just now discovering how severely Bait & Switch military recruiting really is

No wonder 21 was so much more popular.

[CommanderWhitehead]

Dear DJK2004 and NorthernCross,

When I read the shit that pours out the lizard brains of cretins like you, I'm tempted to rethink my (somewhat shaky) belief in Darwin's theory.

You couldn't care one wit about the men and women who's heartfelt patriotism has placed them in this hell on earth, and allowed swine like Cheney to essentially exploit their hapless situation.

You disgust me.

[DJK2004]

The truth is a difficult thing to accept. Why does anyone join the military today? Is anyone forced in?

People like you (and most other liberals) don't care one wit about the troops--although you claim that you do. What you don't understand is that our entry into Iraq has created a power vacuum. If we leave prematurely, then things will get much worse, and the Iraqi people will suffer. You will end up with a scenario like the aftermath of Vietnam, where the Iraqi's will slaughter each other. So, assuming a liberal becomes the next President (may God forbit it), we might be able to leave Iraq with 4,500 dead, but in 5 years, the civilian death toll will be in the millions (look up Pol Pot).

If Obama wins, he has already claimed that he would send troops back in if necessary. So, his military strategy is to leave in like 6 months after he assumes office, wait for the violence to start up at a higher level than what we have now, and THEN send our troops back in to refortify territory that we willingly gave up! Multiply Fallujah by 3 or 4, and that's what you can expect.

Look at what's happening right now in Basra. When the Brits elected Gordon Brown as PM (aka Mr Bean), he pulled their troops out too soon. Now, Americans and Brits are a part of an Iraqi-led mission to retake parts of the city from the Mehdi Army.

[Fletch17C]

What filmmakers need to understand is that the current war is just too painful for people to handle in a movie theatre. They need to look back and see that movies about Vietnam did not start drawing audiences until after the the US had left the combat zone. "Stop Loss" is probably an excellent film. Joseph Gordon-Levitt may be one of the most underrated young actors in the business right now. I watched the trailer online. I have a cousin and 2 friends stationed in Iraq at the moment, and another friend who expects to be deployed soon. I can honestly say that as much as I respect the making of these movies, I just cannot bear to experience them -- not just yet anyway.

[wildflowermaven]

good point, filmakers who want to succeed should follow the MASH example, and write about Vietnam instead of Iraq (as MASH was about Korea as a cover but was really about Vietnam)..

[Gumby123]

How difficult is it for people to understand that most Americans are not going to the theatres to be preached at about how horrible the Iraq war is as in such movies like 'Stop Loss' . They're going to the movies to be entertained. We get news, opinions via every other media outlet from the internet to the radion about the war.

[Titonwan]

All the more reason they ought to "rendition" pukes like you to fight over there to be reminded that this war still rages. Oh, excuse me, did I step on your remote? Pray to god there's no draft, weasel.

[bangthegong]

Most Americans are not in the least bit interested in understanding, or knowing the dark reality that these young men and women must endure on a daily basis.

Tacky yellow magnets...­awkwardly positioned on the thrunks of their automobiles seems to be all that our sleepy fellow countrymen and women care to do in the service of demonstrating any solidarity with their troops.

The Military draft would certainly change all of that.

[InedaName]

It is clear that American moviegoers just do not want to pay to see movies about this war. None of the Iraq War movies released in the last year were successful at the box office. Doesn't matter who is starring in them--not even smokin' hot slabs of beefcake like Ryan Phillippe and Channing Tatum.

[naturallight]

Let's wait and see what the ratings are of the new HBO series on the was brought to you by the makers of the Wire.

I don't think Ryan Phillippe is a good draw unless they were going for the Brokeback Mountain kinda audience.

[3fingerbrown]

I've heard some good things about Stop-Loss. The Iraq war theme is a turn-off to most people--I'm sure that's true. But the title is also a big problem: two of the most negative words in the language strung together. I guess the producers ignored the advice of the marketing department.

[JScott]

'21' is just a remake of the movie called 'Stacey's Knights' with Kevin Costner.
Not an original movie. Google it folks!!

[BlackJAC]

No, 21 is the fictionalized retelling of the MIT Blackjack Team.

[BOfever]

Based on the book "Bringing Down the House"

[amanda85]

A famous Canadian movie critic once wrote that the American movie goer has the intelligence of a 10-year-old. She keeps being proven right all the time. Look at this week's top sellers: super heroes, bombs and explosions, gratuitous sex, gambling..­. All things a 10-year-old is fascinated with.
Ask them to think and the movie will bomb.
Needless to say, "Stop-loss" will be a favourite in the rest of the world, but, of course, the average American movie goes will never know that...

[GnitenGoodLk]

amanda - there has been hardly a commercial for this movie. I think there's a deliberate blackout on the film. All sorts of weird random movie reviewers have popped up on the internet decrying it as "propaganda" and arguing against it with the logic of a crooked attorney spinning details to prove how "false" it is but the regular movie review sites thankfully haven't done that. Because of the slow economy/higher prices most folks aren't at the movie theaters like before, but rentals are up high and I expect this one to be a hot rental. the fact that it made #8 at all is actually impressive considering the frightening condition of our country right now.

We are in very real trouble here. Most of us know it.

[pahpah25]

not many americans over the age of 18-20 even goes to movie theatres any more......­......they are dirty smelly places....­......anot­her thing.....­.....these people 'volunteered' for the military,,no-one forced them to enlist....­...so stop blaming the military if these people are unhappy with the choices they made.

[Ramirez]

Can you name a "famous Canadian movie critic"?

[amanda85]

"Can you name a "famous Canadian movie critic"?"

I can. Obviously ignorant rednecks can't name anyone outside of their trailer park.

[overtheedge]

The "famous Canadian movie critic" is an ignorant fool to be making such sweeping generalizations. Actually, I'm kind of sick of the typical Hollywood crap that plays in theaters, but it's entertainment for some. Why do some people assume that watching a silly movie is a reflection of one's intelligence? When I spend a Sunday morning reading the newspaper, I really don't care to see a movie about the Iraq War in the afternoon. I suspect this is how many feel. So please, give us a few hours of goofy entertainment without judging our intelligence.

[amanda85]

When you **ONLY** watch silly movies, you finger everything that makes you think as "boring and leftist", yeah, I think it's an indicator of your intelligence.

[BlackJAC]

Movie critics are failed screenwriters. Nora Ephron's sister Hallie is a book critic herself, and she said that bad reviews are more about the reviewer than the work being reviewed.

[Calylily]

THIS WILL CHANGE . . . . I think "Stop-Loss" is off to a slow start (not advertised well) , but just like so many sleeper movies, this one is going to be a GREAT HIT! I do not like war movies, and I admit that I went to see this because of hottie Ryan Phillippe - how can you blame me??? But, I was surprised at what I found. I did not know the meaning of Stop-Loss, but it is about so much more than that!

This is NOT an anti-war movie - don't be so stilted! This is a snapshot view of how our younger generation deals with and is affected by their war . . . The Iraq War. We had our turn these past decades to demonstrate how we felt about ours . . . give them a chance to tell you about theirs. I think you will learn something, and be surprised you did! And, at the same time be very impressed with Ryan Phillippe's acting abilities, definitely deserving of an Oscar nod; not to mention newcomer Channing Tatum - and - Abbie Cornish . . . what can I say but I haven't seen this kind of slow churning and burning presence since Mary-Louise Parker showed up in "Fried Green Tomatoes" - she is a superstar in the making!

Just one thing . . . if you do go, please let me know if you liked the ending. I'm still thinking about it .

[new logic]

the movie was ambiguous.

[MfromS]

Doesn't surprise me that you are still trying to understand it.......

[Calylily]

I'll make you a deal - go see "Stop-Loss" first before you comment. . . usually a good idea. And, then I will respond to your review . . . you'll enjoy seeing what this generation has to say about the war that they get to fight in - not an anti-war movie, sir! More about how war has affected this generation of "twenty somethings" . . . you may learn something!

[DJK2004]

Stop-loss is a box-office bomb because it's premise is garbage. When you join the military, you sign paperwork that says that the government can reactivate you---every military man/woman knows this. They way the commercials sound, you'd think the "evil" military "forced" these people back into service, IN SPITE of the contracts that they signed!

[totalliberal]

Yes because everyone knows that the members of the military are wishing daily that they can leave their families and return to the Iraq zoo.

[DJK2004]

Did it ever occur to you that most people in the military are professional career men/women? Perhaps some of them actually DO want to spend a tour or two out there because it's what they want to do for a living? Perhaps they find the work rewarding?

[naturallight]

It is not the "evil" military. It is the "evil" dictator that keeps sending them back for no reason besides dolla dolla bill ya'll.

[DJK2004]

That "dictator" democratically won 2 elections----forget the 'selected not elected' trash. Also, that 'dictator' is currently a lame duck, no thanks to the democrat party.

[feo]

So, why in a volunteer army do we have "contracts?" How many other jobs are there that require "contracts?" The government, under the 14th amendment, has no authority to write such "contracts­." Such a goverment is in fact evil.

[Ramirez]

An enlistment is a contract. You sign a bunch of papers when you join. You don't just show up for work and grab a weapon.