Studio Says ‘Road’ Is in It for the Long Haul

Sony’s sci-fi sequel “Men in Black II” grossed $24.4 million to remain the No. 1 film for a second weekend, but did DreamWorks miss a golden opportunity to see its new Sam Mendes gangster drama, “Road to Perdition,” win the box-office derby?

With perennial box-office draw Tom Hanks in the lead role, “Road to Perdition” grossed $22.1 million for a strong No. 2 debut. But had DreamWorks released the film much wider than 1,797 screens, it would have stood a good chance of beating “Men in Black II,” whose grosses tumbled 53% from its opening weekend.

DreamWorks distribution chief Jim Tharp defended the studio’s decision, saying the lower release pattern was about seeing the film play strongly through the summer.

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Weekend Box Office

*--* Movie (Studio) 3-day gross/ Screens/ Avg Wks. in Release Total (millions) 1.”Men in Black II” $24.4 3,611 2 (Sony/Columbia) $132.7 $6,760 2.”Road to $22.1 1,797 1 Perdition” (DreamWorks) $22.1 $12,287 3.”Reign of Fire” $15.6 2,629 1 (Disney/Touchstone) $15.6 $5,946 4.”Halloween: $12.3 1,954 1 Resurrection” (Dimension) $12.3 $6,291 5.”Mr. Deeds” $10.8 3,239 3 (Sony/Columbia) $94.0 $3,347 6.”Crocodile $9.5 2,525 1 Hunter” (MGM) $9.5 $3,777 7.”Lilo & Stitch” $8.0 2,940 4 (Disney) $118.4 $2,730 8.”Like Mike” $7.8 2,436 2 (Fox) $32.8 $3,216 9.”Minority Report” $7.2 2,419 4 (Fox) $110.1 $2.983 10.”The Bourne $5.8 2,199 5 Identity” (Universal) $99.0 $2,620 Source: Exhibitor Relations Co

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