Chinese Online Class - 'Evan Almighty' debuts with $32 million

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'Evan Almighty' debuts with $32 million

(AP)
Updated: 2007-06-25 08:43


LOS ANGELES - Steve Carell proved not nearly as all-powerful as Jim
Carrey. "Evan Almighty," with Carell taking over for Carrey in a
follow-up to the comedy smash "Bruce Almighty," debuted a solid No. 1
with $32.1 million, though that was less than half the $68 million
opening of its predecessor, according to studio estimates Sunday.

Released by Universal, "Evan Almighty" has Carell as a new congressman
instructed by God (Morgan Freeman) to build an ark for a coming flood.

Carrey's "Bruce Almighty" was an adult comedy, while the PG-rated "Evan
Almighty" was aimed at a family crowd, which could give it longer shelf
life, said Nikki Rocco, head of distribution at Universal.

"Family films have an incredible ability to just play and play," Rocco
said. "I'm very optimistic about it playing out over the course of the
summer."

"Evan Almighty" needs to hold up well in subsequent weeks to make good on
its $175 million budget, an enormous sum for a comedy, resulting largely
from costly visual effects.

If it can hold on in theaters and then score well overseas, on television
and in home video, "Evan Almighty" could earn its money back, said Paul
Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Media By Numbers.

"Opening weekend no longer is the only barometer by which you can
determine whether or not a film can turn a profit," Dergarabedian said.
"If it finds life in the foreign marketplace, on home video, all those
revenue streams are really important. It just has to do well in the long
term, then have life after its theatrical distribution."

The Stephen King adaptation "1408," a Weinstein Co. horror tale with John
Cusack and Samuel L. Jackson in the story of a man trapped in a hotel
room with malevolent spirits, debuted in second place with $20.175
million.

Paramount Vantage's "A Mighty Heart," starring Angelina Jolie as the wife
of kidnapped and slain journalist Daniel Pearl, had a so-so debut, coming
in at No. 10 with $4 million.

Michael Moore's health care documentary "Sicko" got a head start on its
nationwide debut Friday with an early opening at one New York City
theater, where it took in $70,000 for the weekend.

"Sicko" also had sold-out sneak previews Saturday night at 43 other
theaters around the country, where tickets were so in demand they were
being scalped for as much as $40 each, said Harvey Weinstein, co-chairman
of the Weinstein Co., which is releasing "Sicko" along with Lionsgate.

The early screenings were intended to get interest focused on the movie
itself, rather than publicity over a U.S. Treasury Department
investigation of Moore's trip to Cuba for the film to get medical care
for ailing Sept. 11 rescue workers.

When notified of the investigation in May, the filmmakers worried the
government might try to seize the film or impede its release.

"It's trying to get people talking about the movie, rather than the idea
of the government trying to shut down the movie," Weinstein said. "It's
saying to the government, 'Hey, this movie is out there being appreciated
by people. Think twice before you try to confiscate or take any legal
action.'"

The previous weekend's No. 1 movie, the 20th Century Fox sequel
"Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer," finished just behind "1408"
with $20.15 million, raising its 10-day total to $97.6 million.

Like last month's "Spider-Man," "Shrek" and "Pirates of the Caribbean"
sequels that opened big then took huge drops in subsequent weekends,
revenues for "Fantastic Four" fell a steep 65 percent in the movie's
second weekend.

Universal's comedy "Knocked Up" maintained strong word of mouth among
audiences, pulling in $10.6 million, down just 24 percent from a weekend
earlier. Ranking No. 5, "Knocked Up" raised its four-week total to $109
million.

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. "Evan Almighty," $32.1 million.

2. "1408," $20.175 million.

3. "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer," $20.15 million.

4. "Ocean's Thirteen," $11.3 million.

5. "Knocked Up," $10.6 million.

6. "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End," $7.2 million.

7. "Surf's Up," $6.7 million. 8. "Shrek the Third," $5.8 million.

9. "Nancy Drew," $4.5 million.

10. "A Mighty Heart," $4 million.












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