Marquee History
Week 7 - 2017
By Max Braden
February 14, 2017
BoxOfficeProphets.com
The box office picks up in mid-February as studios target the Valentine’s Day/President’s Day weekend. This week’s highlights include the 25th anniversary of Wayne’s World and 30th anniversary of Mannequin.
Here are the movies that premiered on theater marquees this week...
10 YEARS AGO
Ghost Rider - February 16, 2007
Before Iron Man marked the beginning of the Marvel Cinematic Universe films, Sony held the rights to this Marvel character; a motorcycle stuntman who sells his soul to the Devil. Nicolas Cage plays Johnny Blaze and the bounty hunter of souls who is now fighting to prevent the son of the devil (Wes Bentley) from coming to Earth. Eva Mendes and Sam Elliott co-star. Critics weren’t impressed and Cage was later nominated for a Razzie award, but the flaming skull, chain whip, and Hell Cycle effects brought in a solid audience. Ghost Rider scored the third best February opening ever with $45.3 million ($52 million over the four-day President’s Day holiday weekend) from 3,619 theaters, eventually flaming out at $115.8 million domestically, but also bringing in $113 million from foreign markets. Cage returned for the sequel in 2012, but then the character rights were transferred to Marvel Studios, and Ghost Rider appeared as a featured character on the TV series Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (portrayed by Gabriel Luna as Robbie Reyes) in 2016.
Bridge to Terabithia - February 16, 2007
This live action drama from Disney is based on the 1970s children’s novel by Katherine Paterson, and stars Josh Hutcherson and AnnaSophia Robb as friends who imagine a fantasy world in their local forest (scenes which bring in cgi effects and creatures). Similar to My Girl, the story has a tragic and bittersweet ending, something which was excluded in the adventure-themed advertising. Reviews were strong and the cast (including Bailee Madison) won Young Artist awards for their performances. Bridge to Terabithia opened at #2 with $22.5 million and eventually earned a total of $82 million.
Music and Lyrics - February 16, 2007
The last straightforward romantic comedy of Hugh Grant’s career (to date) gives him more comedy to play with, as he portrays a former 1980s pop star now struggling to remain relevant in the music business. Drew Barrymore’s character is discovered to have a surprise talent for lyrics, and together they navigate through the business where younger talent gets all the fame (Haley Bennett appears in her first film role as a young starlet). The relationships are mildly interesting but the music video for PoP! Goes My Heart is entertaining for those who grew up in the days of Wham and early George Michael. Music and Lyrics opened at #4 with $13.6 million and earned a total of $50 million, one of the better than average results for Grant since Notting Hill.
Tyler Perry’s Daddy’s Little Girls - February 16, 2007
The first of Perry’s screenplays written directly for film also keeps him behind the camera and instead stars Idris Elba as a mechanic who struggles to keep custody of his three daughters, and falls for his lawyer, played by Gabrielle Union. Daddy’s Little Girls opened at #5 with $11.2 million total. Its $31.3 million total was Perry’s weakest box office result until 2014’s The Single Moms Club.
Breach - February 16, 2007
Screenwriter Billy Ray (Volcano, Hart’s War) directed this spy thriller starring Chris Cooper as Robert Hanssen, the FBI agent who sold secrets to the Soviet Union and Russia for two decades before he was caught in February 2001. Ryan Phillippe co-stars as younger agent assigned by Laura Linney’s character to investigate Hanssen. Reviews were excellent but with a modest release pattern, Breach opened at #6 with $10.5 million and earned a total of $33.2 million.
15 YEARS AGO
John Q. - February 15, 2002
This Nick Cassavetes moral dilemma stars Denzel Washington as a father who takes hostages in a hospital in order to secure a vital organ transplant for his son. Robert Duvall plays the hostage negotiator, and James Woods, Anne Heche, and Ray Liotta have supporting roles. Despite reviews criticizing the film’s overt agenda, audiences undoubtedly showed up because Denzel had just been nominated this week for his role in Training Day. This put John Q. at #1 for the weekend with $20.2 million ($23.6 million over the four-day President’s Day holiday weekend) from 2,466 theaters, and a $71 million gross that was just shy of the $76 million earned by Training Day when that film left theaters in December.
Crossroads - February 15, 2002
Before Shonda Rhimes became the queen of ABC TV dramas she worked in film and wrote this teen road trip, which became her first produced feature film. Britney Spears stars in her debut along with Zoe Saldana and Taryn Manning. Reviews were not great and the box office wasn’t something you might expect from a huge star like Spears, but then again it significantly outperformed Mariah Carey’s Glitter, which had bombed at the box office five months earlier. Crossroads opened at #2 with $14.4 million and took in a domestic gross of $37.1 million.
Return to Never Land - February 15, 2002
Almost 50 years after the first Peter Pan, Disney released this animated sequel, featuring the daughter of Wendy in a similar adventure with the Lost Boys, Peter Pan, and Tinker Bell. This failed to excite critics and audiences, but fortunately had a modest budget to recover. Return to Never Land opened at #3 with $11.9 million and closed with $48.4 million.
Hart’s War - February 15, 2002
Something of a cross between Stalag 17 and Hogan’s Heroes, this World War II drama stars Colin Farrell as a U.S. Army soldier captured by the Germans, who becomes the defense counsel for fellow prisoners in a murder case within their POW camp. Bruce Willis plays the prisoners’ leading officer who uses the trial as a decoy for sabotage against the Germans. Terrence Howard and Cole Hauser have supporting roles, and Sam Worthington appears in his first notable role. It’s a decent film but an expensive failure: Hart’s War opened at #7 with $7.7 million and finished with only $19 million against a $70 million budget.
Super Troopers - February 15, 2002
This cop comedy from Jay Chandrasekhar’s Broken Lizard group was originally passed over by critics and audiences but has become a cult favorite. Fans probably know it as one of those stupid-funny comedies that get better with medicinal accompaniment. It opened this weekend at #9 with $6.2 million, eventually earning a decent $18.4 million. Superfans may already know: 15 years later, the sequel Super Troopers 2 is currently in production thanks to crowdsource funding.
20 YEARS AGO
Absolute Power - February 14, 1997
Still writing three decades after earning an Oscar for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, William Goldman’s screenplay (based on the David Baldacci novel) tells the story of a career catburglar (Clint Eastwood, who also directed) who witnesses a crime of passion and coverup by the President of the United States (Gene Hackman). Ed Harris plays a detective on the case, and Laura Linney plays Eastwood’s estranged daughter. Audiences made the film the leading new release at #2 behind the Special Edition of Star Wars (still #1 in its third week) with $16.7 million over the President’s Day holiday weekend from 2,568 theaters. The film’s final $50 million gross was a modest result for Eastwood compared to previous successes Unforgiven ($101 million) and The Bridges of Madison County ($71 million).
Vegas Vacation - February 14, 1997
The fourth entry in this classic comedy franchise followed some time off after the first three were released in the 1980s. Clark and Ellen Griswold (Chevy Chase and Beverly D’Angelo) take their kids Audrey and Rusty (Marisol Nichols and Ethan Embry) to Las Vegas and the Hoover Dam, meeting Cousin Eddie (Randy Quaid) there. Christie Brinkley has a cameo, reprising her role from the original National Lampoon’s Vacation. This vacation earned poor reviews and the weakest box office of the series, opening at #4 with $12.8 million and a final total of $36.4 million. The series then took a longer hiatus until the 2015 sequel/remake starred Ed Helms as Rusty, with a brief scene featuring Chase and D’Angelo.
Fools Rush In - February 14, 1997
Matthew Perry got his first starring role while in the third season of Friends in this romantic comedy along with Salma Hayek about a one-night stand that turns into impending parenthood and a rushed marriage. Reviews weren’t great but as the only romance this Valentine’s Day, it opened at #5 with $9.7 million and managed to gross $29.4 million overall.
That Darn Cat - February 14, 1997
Disney’s remake of the 1965 hit stars Christina Ricci as a girl whose cat gets her involved with a kidnapping investigation, headed by an FBI agent played by Doug E Doug. Dean Jones, who played the FBI agent in the original - his first film for Disney (followed by stardom as Herbie’s driver) - appears in supporting role, which turned out to be his last appearance in a wide release film. This remake opened to weak reviews at #6 with $6.4 million and finished with $18.3 million.
Dangerous Ground - February 14, 1997
Ice Cube stars as an ex-pat from South Africa who returns for family matters and is drawn back into the violent environment. Elizabeth Hurley co-stars as a drug addict. Reviews were lousy and the soundtrack album (featuring the single “The World is Mine”) arguably did better than the film, which opened at #12 with $2.6 million in moderate release and finished with only $5.3 million
25 YEARS AGO
Wayne’s World - February 14, 1992
One of SNL’s classic skits, Mike Myers and Dana Carvey appeared as the headbanging hosts of a public access heavy-metal enthusiast show in early 1989 and another dozen episodes before it jumping to the silver screen. In the film’s plot, Wayne and Garth step up from their basement to the big time thanks to a smooth talking TV producer (Rob Lowe). Wayne falls for a musician named Cassandra (Tia Carrere) and nearly loses her and his friendship with Garth. Among the supporting cast: their light blue AMC Pacer they use to cruise around and sing along to Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody.” Wayne’s World was a bona fide hit with critics and fans, and easily outpaced The Blues Brothers to become the best performing of SNL’s film adaptations. Opening at #1 with $18.1 million from 1,768 theaters, Wayne’s World held the #1 spot for 4 more weekends and didn’t drop out of the top ten at the box office until the end of May. It grossed $121 million in the U.S., the eighth highest total among films released in 1992. Wayne’s World 2 followed in December of 1993.
30 YEARS AGO
Mannequin - February 13, 1987
While we’re quick to dismiss Fifty Shades of Gray and Fifty Shades Darker as silly female fantasies, we should remember that the '80s had its share of silly male fantasies, often centered around a dream girl come alive for the benefit of a lonely, awkward guy: Splash and Weird Science earned audiences, while Xanadu and Date With an Angel flopped. This one stars Kim Cattrall as an ancient Egyptian princess who appears in modern day Philadelphia as a standard department store mannequin, coming to life only in the presence of the store’s window-display artist. Andrew McCarthy had become a star after St. Elmo’s Fire and Pretty in Pink. James Spader and Police Academy’s G.W. Baily play the store baddies, and Meshach Taylor plays an over-the-top (the 1980s style of depicting a “super gay” character) artist named Hollywood.
Against harsh reviews but taking advantage of the Valentine’s Day mood, Mannequin opened at #3 behind Platoon and Outrageous Fortune with $6.0 million from just 932 theaters and kept going strong all the way to $42 million. Its theme song “Nothing’s Going to Stop Us Now” was also a #1 Billboard hit for Starship and later earned an Oscar nomination for Best Original Song. The box office success, of course, spawned a sequel in 1991 (which is actually one of the worst movies ever made), in which Meshach Taylor appears among a new cast headed by Kristy Swanson. But don’t feel bad for having fun memories about Mannequin - there are many like you out there.
Over the Top - February 13, 1987
Putting away the guns and gloves for a moment, Sylvester Stallone stars in this action drama as Lincoln Hawk, a single father and truck driver. He sees the World Armwrestling Championship prize as a way to start his own business and reclaim custody of his son, but is stymied by his rich, disapproving father-in-law (Robert Loggia). Most of the memorable scenes come from the antics of the tournament competitors, which include real life pros and professional wrestlers as well as Rick Zumwalt, Hawk’s nemesis on the movie poster. David Mendenhall, who was a regular on the soap opera General Hospital in the early 1980s, "won" Razzie awards for Worst Supporting actor and Worst New Star as Hawk’s son, and Stallone was also nominated for Worst Actor. Despite hitting his box office career high just two years earlier, Over the Top was Stallone’s career low, opening at #4 with $5.1 million from 1,758 theaters and finishing with just $16.0 million - five million less than Rhinestone.
Come back next week for another edition of Marquee History!