A Losing Battle for War Films
Posted on: Monday, 13 October 2008, 06:00 CDT
By Scott Bowles
It may be time to relieve Hollywood's war films of duty.
Body of Lies, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe, was supposed to snap the industry's losing streak with Mideast war films. With a $70 million budget and Ridley Scott at the helm, it was projected to be an easy winner at the box office over the weekend.
Instead, it lost to a talking dog and a low-budget fright flick.
With a debut estimated at just $13.1 million, Lies became the ninth contemporary war drama in the past two years to go largely ignored by moviegoers. Since December 2006, the average haul for a Mideast war film has been only $11.2 million.
And some movies, such as Grace Is Gone, Home of the Brave and Redacted, have grossed less than $70,000 despite big names including Samuel Jackson, John Cusack and Brian DePalma.
"We thought we could break through with the clutter with this one," says Dan Fellman of Warner Bros., which released Body of Lies. "But I think the climate out there makes for bad timing with anything dealing with terrorism."
But some say moviegoers are as leery of Hollywood's reputation as its product.
"The movies are repeating the same themes people see on TV and the Internet," says Brandon Gray of BoxOfficeMojo.com. "But there's also the perception that if Hollywood does take a political stand, it's going to be liberal and Democrat."
So some studios are reaping the benefits of being politics-free.
Disney moved Beverly Hills Chihuahua from summer to fall to offer a lighthearted alternative, and the film took the top spot for the second weekend with $17.5 million, according to estimates from Nielsen EDI. (Final figures are due today.)
And the $12 million Quarantine was a surprise No. 2 with $14.2 million. Says Rory Bruer of Sony Pictures, which released the creepy thriller: "People are steering toward things that are pure escape from the world we're living in." (c) Copyright 2008 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc.
Source: USA TODAY
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