Company Town Film Profit Report

The report is based on projections of total U.S. box-office gross from a consensus of industry sources and studio financial models. The U.S. returns represent only 20% of a film’s final revenue, which includes income from video, TV and overseas theatrical. Typical industry marketing costs are factored into this profit analysis, as is the relative strength of specific film genres in foreign markets. Results for the weekend of Nov. 19 21:

The 19th James Bond film should continue on the same course as its predecessors, grossing twice as much overseas as in the U.S. The Paramount/Mandalay co-production “Sleepy Hollow” should reap a good profit and the quirky “Being John Malkovich” looks to make back its budget and little more.

$$ Mega-Moneymakers

*--*

Projected Box- Estimated U.S. box-office office cost, in receipts, Movie title Studio rank millions in millions The Sixth Sense Buena Vista 11 $40 $275 The World Is Not Enough MGM 1 110 120 Pokemon: The Movie Warner Bros. 3 8 105

*--*

$ Moneymakers

*--*

Projected Box- Estimated U.S. box-office office cost, in receipts, Movie title Studio rank millions in millions Sleepy Hollow Paramount 2 $70 $100 The Bone Collector Universal/Sony 4 48 62 House on Haunted Hill Warner Bros. 12 15 40

*--*

? Tossups

*--*

Projected Box- Estimated U.S. box-office office cost, in receipts, Movie title Studio rank millions in millions Dogma Lion’s Gate 5 $11 $24 The Bachelor New Line 8 21 22 Being John Malkovich USA 10 13 16

*--*

Money Losers

*--*

Projected Box- Estimated U.S. box-office office cost, in receipts, Movie title Studio rank millions in millions The Insider Buena Vista 7 $68 $28 The Messenger Sony 9 60 16 Anywhere but Here Fox 6 23 15

*--*

Notes: Cost estimates are for production only. Only half of box-office receipts come back to the studio.

Researched by RICHARD NATALE

If you have information or comments about the chart, call (213) 237-2001 or send e-mail to company.town@latimes.com. Send faxes to (213) 237-7837.

For weekly box-office listings, see Calendar section on Tuesdays.