PARAMOUNT RECORDS
BUMPER YEAR
Copyright 2002 www.tombraiderchronicles.com |
Source Variety Magazine
[ January 3rd 2002 ]
Paramount
Pictures has recorded a solid box office return
for the year 2001 generating considerable profitability
thanks to minimal financial risk, Variety Magazine
reports today. "Consistent management and consistent
high levels of performance economically is a big
draw to filmmakers," said Par vice chairman Robert
Friedman.
Friedman
continued: "It gives you a lot of advantages with
the creative community as they know from one day
to the next who they are going to be talking to,
where their projects should be submitted, who
will develop them and that they will finish their
life at the studio."
But Par's
year-end saw one of its riskiest creative pics
ever in Vanilla Sky, the Tom Cruise/Cameron Crowe
vehicle that despite a $25 million opening weekend,
proved a disappointment both critically and financially
(though pic was reportedly budgeted in the $60
million range); it ended 2001 with a $71 million
gross.
In more
traditional fashion, teen romancer Save the Last
Dance proved a classic Par success story in early
2001, exceeding expectations both creatively and
commercially by grossing $91.1 million domestically.
It also was somewhat of a showcase for the studio's
synergistic muscle - the harnessing of Par-based
MTV Films to capitalize on the music net's youth
audience, utilizing its enviable marketing reach
and supplying a hip soundtrack.
The studio's
summer tentpole Lara Croft: Tomb Raider delivered
rock solid receipts, grabbing $131.2 domestically,
the studio's highest grosser of the year. Par's
stable of modestly budgeted thrillers also provided
a strong revenue stream. Suspenser "Along Came
a Spider" delivered a highly profitable $74.1
million domestically while "The Score" grossed
over $71.1 million domestically in return for
Par's small financial investment.
Pootie
Tang, however, proved a dud and the studio also
suffered from Sept. 14 release date on the Keanu
Reeves starrer Hardball. The Comedy Zoolander
was a modest success for creator Ben Stiller,
Par's first feature venture with VH1. Par's latest
collaboration with Nickelodeon, kiddie pic Jimmy
Neutron: Boy Genius, scored solidly with Christmas
audiences.
Next
year, Par is pinning its hopes on the next installment
in its Star Trek franchise, Star Trek: Nemesis,
its Mel Gibson topliner We Were Soldiers, the
Ben Affleck starrer The Sum of All Fears and its
Michael Crichton pic Timeline.
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