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Scary Movie Sets October Box Office Record
Sunday, October 26, 2003 3:56 PM EST
The "Scary Movie" franchise has risen from the grave, with part three of the horror-spoof series opening as the top weekend flick with $49.7 million, the best October debut ever.
"Scary Movie 3" bumped the previous weekend's No. 1 movie, "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre", to second place with $14.7 million.
Premiering in third place with $14 million was the feel-good drama "Radio", starring Cuba Gooding Jr. in the real-life story of a mentally disabled man befriended by a high school football coach (Ed Harris).
Angelina Jolie — whose career had been on the skids with the flops "Original Sin" and "Life or Something Like It," plus a weak return on last summer's "Tomb Raider" sequel — delivered another turkey with "Beyond Borders".
A downbeat story of doomed romance between humanitarian-aid workers (Jolie and Clive Owen), "Beyond Borders" opened at No. 11 with just $2 million.
The overall box office soared, with the top 12 movies taking in $121.1 million, up 39 percent from the same weekend last year.
"Scary Movie 3" was a lesson in resurrecting a declining franchise. Created by the Wayans brothers, "Scary Movie" was a surprise hit in summer 2000, with a total gross of $157 million. Their "Scary Movie 2" the following spring smacked of a rush job and did less than half the business of its predecessor.
Miramax, whose Dimension banner releases the "Scary Movie" flicks, tapped David Zucker, part of the team behind the disaster-film spoof "Airplane!" and the police parody "The Naked Gun", to direct "Scary Movie 3".
The audience was mainly younger than 25, but Zucker's involvement may have helped bring in older adults.
Miramax also broadened the audience to younger teens by toning down the raunchy sight gags, holding "Scary Movie 3" to a PG-13 rating. The first two "Scary Movie" installments were rated R.
Zucker is returning to direct "Scary Movie 4". due out late next year.
Disney's latest animated flick, "Brother Bear", debuted impressively in limited release, taking in $285,000 in two New York City and Los Angeles theaters. The movie, which features the voice of Joaquin Phoenix as an Inuit boy seeking to undo misdeeds that have transformed him into a bear, opens in wide release of about 3,000 theaters this coming weekend.
Also opening strongly in limited release was Jane Campion's dark murder thriller "In the Cut", starring Meg Ryan taking in $95,000 at six theaters.
Final figures will be released Monday. For more information, visit our Box Office Report.
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