'King Kong' Bombing Big Time at Box Office

FoxNews ^ | December 16,2005 | Roger Friedman

[heldmyw]

'King Kong' Bombing Big Time at Box Office Friday, December 16, 2005 By Roger Friedman

What's happened? Peter Jackson's "King Kong" — a three-hour, $300 million extravaganza that wowed advance screening audiences — is a catastrophe in the making.

On Thursday, Kong's take was a measly $6,295,755 — off $35.5 from Wednesday's weak $9,755,745 opening day. Kong ranks now as the 21st best Wednesday opening ever — a dubious distinction.

Something is certainly wrong. It could be the movie's daunting length, or even a slow middle section that would have benefited from cutting. The leads are all solid actors — Naomi Watts, Adrien Brody, Jack Black — but none of them is a star attraction. That might be the trouble, but I doubt it.

In fact, Kong seems like a no-brainer. Great special effects, and a main character — the ape — that is more three-dimensional than a lot of humans in movies this winter.

But there's some kind of snafu, and if Universal doesn't figure it out shortly, "King Kong" could turn into a king-sized headache.

[oceanview]

good.

[JennysCool]

Boy, is THIS a premature article. Things could be very different after the weekend grosses come in.

[ncountylee]

Good news, Hollywood made it's bed.

[Revolting cat!]

good.

better.

[Petronski]

Wonder what the PER SCREEN box office is.

[satchmodog9]

Maybe everyone is going to see the turd burglar cowboy movie the media has been talking about for three straight days.

[Petronski]

Whoops:

Should be "PER SCREENING" box office. It's a long film, it can't be shown as many times per day.

[HitmanLV]

Narnia did gangbusters its first weekend and I can't wait to see it!

[wardaddy]

Adrien Brody is a really good young actor in my opinion.

[birbear]

The leads are all solid actors — Naomi Watts, Adrien Brody, Jack Black — but none of them is a star attraction. That might be the trouble, but I doubt it.

Solid actors? Maybe I'm out of it, a little, but I have no clue who Adrien Brody is, I thought Naomi Watts was a black model, and I can't picture Jack Black in anything other than a comedy.

DIE KONG, DIE!

[JAWs]

I don't know. I know we disline H`wood and the entertainment industry, but Jackson is more of an outsider who is fan friendly. Anyhow it's too early to dance on this flick's grave.

[dagoofyfoot]

THIS is a premature article


I think you're right on that one. I intend to see it this weekend, who has time to go to a 3 hour movie during the week anyway?

[mainepatsfan]

He was incredible in "The Pianist".

[marajade]

Plus I heard the picture cost 200 mil to make... not 300. It'll easily make that. How much more than that, who knows?

[bigsigh]

The box office point will be made after this weekend. Who knows?>p>I let my son drag me to it. About 20 minutes into it I was falling asleep, after an hour I was hoping for a forgotten root canal appointment.

The movie is technically very well done, but so what. How many times should an average movie be remade, just because we can make it look better?

Jack Black was good in a role he was well-suited for. Many of the others wasted. I thought she was better than Lange in the role and less than Faye.

[wardaddy]

yes....he's good in everything....sympathetic...which helps

any actor who is always endeared to his audience has a huge advantage over his peers

Nicholson....fine example of that

[dagoofyfoot]

Solid actors?


I thought you would be happy that it's not starring Sean Penn, Susan Sarandon, or Richard Greer.


What' wrong with Naomi Watts, or Adrein Brody anyway?

[HairOfTheDog]

Yeah - and for a non-controversial, fairly wholesome film... not sure why we'd gloat about that anyway.

[sassbox]

I wonder how the weather might have affected the box office gross too. Much of the midwest, south, and northeast have been getting freezing rain this week. Who's going to drive out in that for no better reason than to see a movie which can wait til the weekend?