Immortals #1 With So-So $32M Domestic But $36M Foreign, Jack And Jill $26M

SUNDAYAM,3RDUPDATE: Latest Top10 grosses showbetter North American box office than previously thought thanks to the Veterans Day holiday weekendwhen school is out in 60% of the country. The good news isa break from slumping attendance with a $137M total moviegoing weekend, up+18% from last year.But the bad news is that these movies are still way underperforming what they should have done on a holiday weekend. That’s because these major studio pics were definitely not crowd-pleasers. Just check out their Rotten Tomatoes scores. But the real question is why Hollywood released two young male-skewing movies the weekend right after two major video games were released. Anecdotal evidence is that the guys were otherwise engaged. Full analysis coming: 1. Immortals 3D (Relativity) NEW [3,112 Theaters] Friday $14M, Saturday $10M, Weekend $32M Richard Branson didn’t waste any time blogging to his peeps today: “Congratulations to Jason and the whole team at Virgin Produced for Immortals, their follow up film to Limitless, going straight to number one at the box office this weekend. Jammy bastards!!” He’s as good at spinning underwhelming box office as Relativity’s Ryan Kavanaugh. Truth is Immortals started out slow: it did an unexciting $1.4M in Thursday midnight gross from approximately 900 locations then expanded runs and grossesfor Friday but lost -30%Saturday.Pic eked out a $30+M weekend bow, which is a rarity these days. But you also must realize that Immortals is a 300-clone yet didn’t make even45% of the $70.8M opening amount that the original 2D movie did. Even with the higher 3D ticket prices. Immortals should have made $50+M, folks, given the genre and promotion. “300 was absolutely a big success, but we are in a different economy, marketplace, and time of year,” a Relativity exec told me Friday night. “Young males have been hard to get over the past year. Its a significant accomplishment that we got them. We are well positioned to be the 3rd highest R-rated film this year and the highest R-rated action film this year. This is a win for us.” Needless to say, Relativity is known for its bluster. But it also claims reduced risk from foreign pre-sales on the supposedly $75M-budgeted film.Then explain to me why, for 2 years, Relativity was telling everybody and their mother that the budget ofImmortals was $120M. (Don’t believe me? Go back and do a Google search). It sold the filminternationally to foreign buyers with a budget of $120M.Now, all of asudden, the budget is $75 million because of what Relativity says are tax rebates for shooting and doing post productionin Montreal? Puh-leeze. Audiences gave Immortals a ‘B’ CinemaScore but Rotten Tomatoesrecorded just37% positive reviews. That’s lousy considering the pic is fromthe producers of 300 (Mark Canton, Gianni Nunnari and Ryan Kavanaugh). Yet Relativity tries to claim this new epic adventure is “completely original — its not derived from a comic book; is not based on a novel; and is not a sequel.”Tarsem Singh (The Cell, The Fall) directed andCharles Parlapanides & Vlas Parlapanides are the credited screenwriters.Marketing was aggressive and therefore expensive. Itkicked off at Wondercon in April, followed by Comic-Con in July, and what even the studios says was a “barrage” ofpublicity media appearances, in-theater marketing, outdoor advertising, and radio/TV spots.Partnerships/alliances includedBest Buy.Relativity owns worldwide rights to Immortals; Lionsgate handled foreign sales. Alliance Films is releasing in Canada. About 70% of locationsplayed the film in 3D. Pic opened in over 35 international territories including China, UK, Germany, Italy, Japan, South Korea and Russia. Current estimated weekend box office is approximately $36M with a number of territories (including Indonesia and India) still to report.Relativity says this wasthe first title releasing through Sky Land, its joint venture with IDG and Saif Partners in China.The list of foreign output partners and additional territories is as long as my arm, including Austria/Constantin,Bulgaria/MGN,China/Sky Land,Finland/Nordisk,Germany/Constantin,Greece/Village,India/Soundspace,Israel/Forum,Italy/RAI,Japan/Universal,Netherlands/A-Film,Russia/CIS/MGN,Romania/MGN,South Africa/Nu Metro,South Korea/Next,Sweden/Nordisk,Turkey/Aqua,UK/Universal,United Arab Emirates/Gulf,Malaysia/PT Parkit,Taiwan/SSG. 2. Jack And Jill (Sony Pictures) NEW [3,438 Theaters] Friday $9.8M,Saturday $9.6M,Weekend $26M Sony Pictures’ Jack And Jill starring Adam Sandler was hard-pressed to equal his usual $30+M opening comedies. (Maybe moviegoers aren’t as moronic as Hollywood thinks they are.) Rotten Tomatoes gave this turkey only a 3% positive score.Picreceived a ‘B’ CinemaScore but also an ‘A-” from audiences under age 18. After releasing a trailer that was as viciously derided as I’ve ever seen on Deadline, Sony is relieved this Christmas-themed PG movieat least opened. So Adamis off the hook. “It’s a family film so it will play to a better multiple through the season than his normal movies,” one rival studio exec tells me. But you’ve gotta wonder if Sandler is developing a Jim Carrey problem and the public will stop supporting him if he’s in too many stinkers like this. Sony is somewhat alarmed that Adam keeps working with the same cronies in almost every film,but the studio also can’t tell its long-time golden goose Happy Madison to stop laying eggs. Sony sources claim the film was made for $80M and, unlike many comedians,Adam’s filmsdo healthy business overseas because he’s worked at becoming a foreign draw. “So we will be in good shape when all is said and done,” the studio assures me. Unless moviegoers keep rememberingwhat a suckfest this was and can’t get that bad taste out of their mouths when theythink of paying for another film. Folks, it’sreleases like this that are killing thebiz. That said, Sony did its usual stellar job building awareness for this turkey directed by Dennis Dugan andproduced bySandler, Jack Giarraputo, and Todd Garner. The screenplay os credited to Steve Koren & Adam Sandler with story by Ben Zook. The marketing campaign targeted Sandler’s core fans, and the concept was easy to grasp. (Uh, that was the problem…) Adam did his usualplethora of appearances and promotions to supportthe pic.In addition to the stuff you’d expect (Leno, Kimmel, Conan, Letterman, Today Show, Regis and Kelly, ad nauseum), he also taped an intro for Game 1 of the American League Championship Series, and did a recent episode of Dr. Phil featuring the real life twins from the movie. There were integrationswith The X Factor and Survivor: South Pacific,interstitials on Nickelodeon, tie-ins on Comedy Central as well as promotions on TBS, ABC Family, and Univision, among others. Online Sony heldan awkward sibling photo contest (awkwardfamilyphotos.com) and networked on social media with Sandler’sextensive fanbase, including his25 million friends on Facebook. 3. Puss In Boots 3D (DreamWorks Animation/Par) Week 3 [3,903 Theaters] Friday $8M,Saturday $9.8M,Weekend $25M,Cume $108.8M Anotherstrong +23% hold for the catbecause Puss In Boots clearly has nine lives. Until The Muppets open next weekend, that is. 4. Tower Heist (Universal) Week 2 [3,370 Theaters] Friday $4.8M,Saturday $5.5M,Weekend $13.1M (-45%), Cume $43.8M That superficially seems like a good hold. Until you realize Tower Heist wayunderperformed last weekend so it’s hardly impressive.Brett Ratner’s lousy week just keeps getting lousier. 5. J. Edgar (Warner Bros) NEW – opened Wednesday [1,901 Theaters] Friday $3.5M, Saturday $4.4M,Weekend $11.4M, Cume $11.5M Hollywood was disappointed there wasn’ta stronger per screen average for Clint Eastwood’s and Leonardo DiCaprio’s Oscar-buzzed biopic. But top critics on Rotten Tomatoes surprisingly gave J. Edgar only 55% positive reviews, and audiences only a ‘B’ CinemaScore. MORE 6. Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas (NL/Warner Bros) Week 2 [2,875 Theaters] Friday $2.2M, Saturday $2.4M,Weekend $5.9M (-64%),Cume $23.2M 7. In Time (Fox) Week 3 [3,127 Theaters] Friday $1.5M, Saturday $1.7M,Weekend $4.1M, Cume $30.6M 8. Paranormal Activity 3 (Paramount) Week 4 [2,776 Theaters] Friday $1.3M, Saturday $1.6M,Weekend $3.6M,Cume $100.8M 9. Footloose (Paramount) Week 5[2,215 Theaters] Friday $1M, Saturday$1.2M,Weekend $2.7M, Cume $48.8M 10. Real Steel (DreamWorks/Disney) Week 6[1,758 Theaters] Friday $650K, Saturday $850K,Weekend $2M, Cume $81.7M 4 PM: Since it’s Veteran’s Day, it’s a different kind of Friday with school out in 60% of the country. So I’m hesitant calling anything off matinees and will wait until tonight firms up. But if current trends continue,Sony Pictures’ Jack And Jill starring Adam Sandler looks hard-pressed to equal his usual $30+M opening comedies. (Maybemoviegoers aren’t as moronic as Hollywood thinks they are.)While the 300-clone Immortals, the3D pic from Relativity,may not makemore than40% ofthe $70.8M opening weekend amount that the original 2D movie did. Immortals right now is looking tobe the #1 movie at the North American box office but “could be anybody’s ballgame tonight,” a rival studio exec cautions me. Immortals did $1.4M in midnight gross from approximately 900 locations which is so-so. On the other hand, Warner Bros’ J. Edgar is looking at a strong per screen average for Clint Eastwood’s and Leonardo DiCaprio’s Oscar-buzzed biopic.Top 5 like this but check in later: 1. Immortals 3D (Relativity) $28M estimated weekend from 3,112 Theaters for debut 2. Jack And Jill (Sony Pictures) $25M estimated weekend from 3,438Theaters for debut 3. Puss In Boots 3D(DreamWorks Animation/Paramount) $22M estimated weekendfrom 3,903 Theaters for Week 3 4.J. Edgar (Warner Bros) $18M estimated weekend from1,901 Theaters after opening Wednesday in limited run 5. Tower Heist (Universal) $15M estimated weekendfrom 3,370 Theaters for Week 2