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21 (2008)

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Heavy Metal Plays Well At Box Office
6 May 2008 (StudioBriefing)
Moviegoers did not stay at home to play the latest Grand Theft Auto videogame over the weekend, as some analysts had predicted. Indeed the only grand theft evident was the one committed by Paramount/Marvel's Iron Man, which took in $98.6 million domestically over the three-day weekend, according to figures released Monday by Media by Numbers. The film averaged a stand-out $24,024 per theater. Nevertheless, it failed to meet the studio's expectations on Sunday. While it raked in $35.23 million on Friday and $37.35 million on Saturday, its Sunday receipts fell to $26.03 million. Sony's Made of Honor opened in second place with $14.8 million, while last weekend's winner, Universal's Baby Mama, slipped to third with $10.07 million. While, taken on its own, the total weekend box-office take of $150.7 million seemed impressive, it paled in comparison to last year's, when Spider-Man 3 debuted over the comparable weekend with $151.1 million alone. The overall box office was down 16.92 percent from last year. Since the beginning of the year, total revenue is down 3.4 percent, while attendance is down 6.1 percent.

The top ten films over the weekend, according to final figures compiled by Media by Numbers (figures in parentheses represent total gross to date): 1. Iron Man, Paramount, $98,618,668, 1 Wks. ($102,118,668); 2. Made of Honor, Sony, $14,756,850, (New); 3. Baby Mama, Universal, $10,065,010, 2 Wks. ($32,062,480); 4. Harold & Kumar Escape From Guantánamo Bay, Warner Bros., $61,143,73, 2 Wks. ($25,369,337); 5. Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Universal, $6,059,920, 3 Wks. ($44,732,340); 6. The Forbidden Kingdom, Lionsgate, $4,187,897, 3 Wks. ($45,112,303); 7. Nim's Island, Fox, $2,677,543, 5 Wks. ($42,471,660); 8. Prom Night, Sony, $2,403,313, 4 Wks. ($41,350,731); 9. 21, Sony, $2,002,471, 6 Wks. ($78,959,237); 10. 88 Minutes, Sony/Tristar, $1,545,084, 3 Wks. ($15,368,925).

Moviegoers Turn 'Iron' Into Gold
5 May 2008 (StudioBriefing)
Box office analysts marveled at the weekend performance of Iron Man over the weekend as the superhero movie starring Robert Downey Jr. hauled in an estimated $100.7 million. The film earned nearly that amount -- $96.7 million -- in its overseas debut as well to bring its worldwide total to $201 million, including late-night screenings on Thursday. Adding to the industry-wide celebration was word that Sony's counterprogramming strategy -- pitting the romantic comedy Made of Honor opposite the superhero thriller -- also paid off, as the movie brought in $15.5 million. Nevertheless, the combined amount did not equal what Spider-Man 3 earned on its own a year ago, when it debuted over the comparable weekend with $151.1 million domestically. No one, however, expressed disappointment. Noting that Iron Man did better than expected -- Paramount, its distributor, had predicted it would make about $60 million; most analysts had forecast about $70 million -- Paul Dergarabedian, head of the box-office tracking firm Media by Numbers, told the AP: "This is certainly the shot in the arm the marketplace has needed."

The top ten films for the weekend, according to studio estimates compiled by Media by Numbers: 1. Iron Man, $100.7 million; 2. Made of Honor, $15.5 million; 3. Baby Mama, $10.3 million; 4. Forgetting Sarah Marshall, $6.1 million; 5. Harold & Kumar Escape From Guantánamo Bay, $6 million; 6. The Forbidden Kingdom, $4.2 million; 7. Nim's Island, $2.8 million; 8. Prom Night, $2.5 million; 9. 21, $2.1 million; 10. 88 Minutes, $1.6 million.

Spring Box Office Goes Out On An Up-Note
29 April 2008 (StudioBriefing)
For the second week in a row, the box office was up a bit over the comparable week a year ago, but it did not perform quite so well as studio estimates had originally presumed. The top film, Baby Mama, from Universal, wound up with $17.4 million versus the $18.2 million that had been forecast. On the other hand, the No. 2 film, Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantánamo, drew a bit more than was expected, posting $14.9 million compared with the $14.6 million that had been expected.

The top ten films over the weekend, according to final figures compiled by Media by Numbers (figures in parentheses represent total gross to date): 1. Baby Mama, Universal, $17,407,110, (New); 2. Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantánamo Bay, Warner Bros., $14,908,404, (New); 3. The Forbidden Kingdom, Lionsgate, $11,212,364, 2 Wks. ($38,237,498); 4. Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Universal, $11,028,060, 2 Wks. ($35,090,955); 5. Nim's Island, 20th Century Fox, $4,548,792, 4 Wks. ($38,977,518); 6. Prom Night, Sony, $4,508,122, 3 Wks. ($38,222,732); 7. 21, Sony, $4,018,064, 4 Wks. ($75,792,625); 8. 88 Minutes, Sony, $3,593,890, 2 Wks. ($12,625,951); 9. Horton Hears A Who!, 20th Century Fox, $2,486,903, 6 Wks. ($147,959,806); 10. Deception, 20th Century Fox, $2,312,146, (New).

Box Office A Laugh-In
28 April 2008 (StudioBriefing)
Audiences were apparently in a mood to laugh as three comedies, two of them new, opened with solid results during what is usually a droopy weekend ending the spring season. The Tina Fey-Amy Poehler comedy Baby Mama from Universal topped the box office with an estimated $18.3 million, followed by Harold & Kumar Escape From Guantánamo Bay, which opened at No. 2 with $14.6 million. Last week's top film, Universal's Forgetting Sarah Marshall grossed about $11 million, a touch below The Forbidden Kingdom, which opened with $11.2 million. (Those two films might reverse positions when final results are reported later today.) Another new film, 20th Century Fox's Deception, starring Ewan McGregor, Hugh Jackman and Michelle Williams performed even worse than most analysts had expected. It pulled in only $2.2 million, but nevertheless wound up on the top-ten list -- albeit in tenth place. That so many comedies could do so well surprised many analysts. "This pokes a huge hole in that old myth that you can't open two comedies back to back or one comedy against another," Nikki Rocco, the distribution chief for Universal, which had Baby Mama competing against Sarah Marshall, told the Los Angeles Times. "The market did expand," she said, adding separately in an interview with Variety: "We had 40 percent of the market share this weekend, which is nice for any studio." Overall, the box ended on an up note, producing better results than a year earlier for the second week in a row.

The top ten films for the weekend, according to studio estimates compiled by Media by Numbers: 1. Baby Mama, $18.3 million; 2. Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantánamo Bay, $14.6 million; 3. The Forbidden Kingdom, $11.2 million; 4. Forgetting Sarah Marshall, $11 million; 5. Nim's Island, $4.5 million; 6. Prom Night, $4.4 million; 7. 21, $4 million; 8. 88 Minutes, $3.6 million; 9. Horton Hears a Who!, $2.4 million; 10. Deception, $2.2 million.

Movies Play At Nearly Empty Theaters Overseas
28 April 2008 (StudioBriefing)
Overseas, the box office remained in the doldrums, with Forgetting Sarah Marshall placing first with just $7 million, according to Daily Variety -- $4.1 million from the U.K. alone. It was the best British opening for a Judd Apatow comedy yet and was likely helped by the fact that it costars stand-up comic Russell Brand, host of a popular Saturday night radio show that airs on the BBC. Sony's 21 and Fox's Horton Hears a Who! tied for second place overseas with $6.2 million, just ahead of Fox's Street Kings, which wound up with $6.1 million. Analysts suggested that the overseas box office was in a holding pattern until the launch of the summer season next weekend with the opening of Paramount's Iron Man.

Massachusetts Debates Tax Incentives For Studios
24 April 2008 (StudioBriefing)
Producer Dana Brunetti has acknowledged that he and fellow producer Kevin Spacey had originally planned to film most of his gambling movie 21 in Toronto or Chicago until he was lured to Massachusetts by a $5-million tax credit. Brunetti told Bloomberg News that the other incentives were significantly less attractive and that Boston offered a better setting since the true story concerned a group of MIT card sharks. Nevertheless, the tax credits that the filmmakers received have sparked political debate over the role of government in supporting private businesses. "There's something obscene about giving Hollywood producers, with all their money, a tax break," Republican state Senate Minority Leader Richard Tisei told the news service. And Michael Widmer, president of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation in Boston, said, "We're not getting sufficient payback of this as an investment." Bloomberg reported that in the past two years the state has contributed $138 million to 88 film ventures and generated $544 million in wages and other production spending. Nicholas Paleologos, head of the Massachusetts Film Office observed that that amount doesn't include such things as additional wages for workers at hotels serving film crews.

Chan and Li Make 'Kingdom' Hot
22 April 2008 (StudioBriefing)
A major-studio feature starring two Chinese actors -- something that in itself would have been unthinkable even a few years ago -- wound up at the top of the U.S. box office over the weekend. Not only did The Forbidden Kingdom bring together Jackie Chan and Jet Li, but it was also produced entirely in China mostly with Chinese crews, again something that would have been unheard of until recently. Finally the martial arts film was aimed at a family audience -- without the bloody violence of virtually all previous films of the genre. Nevertheless, it wound up with $21.4 million, at the high end of analysts' expectations, handily beating Universal's Forgetting Sarah Marshall, which many analysts had suggested was the film most likely to come out on top. Instead, the R-rated comedy settled for second place with $17.7 million. Together the top 12 films grossed $82.88 million, up 13.46 percent from last year's $73.05 million. This was only the second week out of the past ten that the box office has seen a rise.

The top ten films over the weekend, according to final figures compiled by Media by Numbers (figures in parentheses represent total gross to date): 1. The Forbidden Kingdom, Lionsgate, $21,401,121, (New); 2. Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Universal, $17,725,330, (New); 3. Prom Night, Sony, $8,670,364, 2 Wks. ($32,133,926); 4. 88 Minutes, Sony, $6,957,216, (New); 5. Nim's Island, 20th Century Fox, $5,687,072, 3 Wks. ($32,894,115); 6. 21, Sony, $5,520,362, 4 Wks. ($70,004,505); 7. Street Kings, Fox Searchlight, $4,179,505, 2 Wks. ($20,058,143); 8. Horton Hears a Who!, 20th Century Fox, $3,511,834, 5 Wks. ($144,418,495); 9. Leatherheads, Universal, $3,049,465, 3 Wks. ($26,605,235); 10. Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed, $2,970,848, (New).

'Kingdom' Wears Box-office Crown
21 April 2008 (StudioBriefing)
The Forbidden Kingdom, the martial-arts family film that brought together Jackie Chan and Jet Li for the first time, wound up at the top of the domestic box office over the weekend with an estimated $20.9 million in ticket sales. In an interview with Bloomberg News, Paul Dergarabedian, president of Media By Numbers, said, "The film is a good, solid action movie and audience, especially young audience, is looking for that shot of adrenaline. ... This was kind of warming up to summer." Coming in second was the Judd Apatow R-rated comedy Forgetting Sarah Marshall, written by and starring Jason Segel, which brought in $17.3 million. Several analysts had predicted that it would emerge as the weekend winner, citing its much-talked-about billboard campaign that had heightened awareness of the movie. Two other newcomers flopped. Sony's 88 Minutes, starring Al Pacino, which had been mercilessly drubbed by critics, opened in fourth place with just $6.8 million, while the Ben Stein documentary Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed, which argued on behalf of "intelligent design" -- that is, the biblical view of creation -- failed to bring out church groups in big numbers and settled for just $3.1 million to wind up in ninth place. Overall, the box office was up for the first time in five weeks, with the top 12 films earning $82.1 million, up 12 percent from the comparable weekend a year ago. "There is a collective sigh of relief in Hollywood," Dergarabedian told the Associated Press. So far this year, revenue is down 3.4 percent from last year while attendance is down 6.5 percent.

The top ten films for the weekend, according to studio estimates compiled by Media by Numbers: 1. The Forbidden Kingdom, $20.9 million; 2. Forgetting Sarah Marshall, $17.3 million; 3. Prom Night, $9.1 million; 4. 88 Minutes, $6.8 million; 5. Nim's Island, $5.7 million; 6. 21, $5.5 million; 7. Street Kings, $4 million; 8. Horton Hears a Who!, $3.5 million; 9. Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed, $3.1 million; 10. Leatherheads, $3 million.

'Prom Night' Slashes Box Office
15 April 2008 (StudioBriefing)
After a series of horrible performances at the box office by horror flicks, Sony's Prom Night graduated with honors over the weekend as it took in $20.8 million, far more than the studio said that it expected -- and about what it cost to produce. It beat the Keanu Reeves cop drama Street Kings, which opened with $12.5 million, by a wide margin. Overall, the box office grossed $95 million down from $118 million for the comparable weekend a year ago -- a drop of 19.6 percent. Through the first 15 weeks of the year, ticket sales are off 3.5 percent and attendance, 6.6 percent from last year.

The top ten films over the weekend, according to final figures compiled by Media by Numbers (figures in parentheses represent total gross to date): 1. Prom Night, Sony, $20,804,941, (New); 2. Street Kings, Fox Searchlight, $12,469,631, (New); 3. 21, Sony/Col, $10,470,173, 3 Wks. ($61,738,420); 4. Nim's Island, 20th Century Fox, $9,111,667, 2 Wks. ($25,391,566); 5. Leatherheads, Universal, $6,276,665, 2 Wks. ($21,976,580); 6. Horton Hears a Who!, 20th Century Fox, $5,920,566, 4 Wks. ($139,548,920); 7. Smart People, Miramax, $4,092,465, (New); 8. The Ruins, Paramount, $3,385,395, 2 Wks. ($13,548,871); 9. Superhero Movie, MGM, $3,216,247, 3 Wks. ($21,304,164); 10. Drillbit Taylor, Paramount, $2,044,988, 4 Wks. ($28,436,029).

'Horton' Remains at Top of Overseas Box Office
14 April 2008 (StudioBriefing)
Horton Hears a Who! remained at the top of the overseas box office during another lackluster weekend at theaters in most countries. Daily Variety reported that the animated feature took in $10.6 million at 5,300 theaters in 56 countries, or a modest $2,000 per theater. Its overseas gross has now crossed $100 million and stands at $104.9 million. Only two other films have hit the $100-million mark overseas this year, 10,000 BC and Jumper. Placing second was 21, which brought in $8.1 million. Continuing to amaze was the French film Bienvenue chez les Ch'tis, which brought in an additional $6.5 million in France, Belgium and French-speaking Switzerland, to raise its gross to more than $190 million and admissions to 18 million. It is aiming to overtake Titanic, which recorded 20.8 million admissions.

Theaters Celebrate 'Prom Night'
14 April 2008 (StudioBriefing)
After months of frightful box-office performances by horror flicks, Sony/Screen Gems's Prom Night debuted with $22.7 million over the weekend at the high end of analysts' predictions. It was the best debut for a horror film this year. In second place was Fox Searchlight's R-rated Street Kings, starring Keanu Reeves and Forest Whitaker, which brought in an estimated $12 million. In its third week, 21 was still showing a strong hand as it took in $11 million. Everything else on the theater marquees looked weak, however, as the box office wound up with less revenue than it did a year ago for the fourth straight weekend. The top 12 films earned $82.6 million, more than 19 percent below what it took in during the comparable weekend last year. The fourth-ranked film, Fox's Nim's Island, brought in $9 million, while the George Clooney comedy Leatherheads rounded out the top five with $6.2 million. The only other film to open wide this weekend, Miramax's Smart People, wound up with $4.2 million, to place seventh.

The top ten films for the weekend, according to studio estimates compiled by Media by Numbers: 1. Prom Night, $22.7 million; 2. Street Kings, $12 million; 3. 21, $11 million; 4. Nim's Island, $9 million; 5. Leatherheads, $6.2 million; 6. Horton Hears a Who!, $6 million; 7. Smart People, $4.2 million; 8. The Ruins, $3.3 million; 9. Superhero Movie, $3.1 million; 10. Drillbit Taylor, $2.1 million.

'Leatherheads' Loses More Yardage
8 April 2008 (StudioBriefing)
As expected, Universal's George Clooney starrer Leatherheads was thrown for a bigger loss than studio executives had predicted. The period football comedy, which many analysts had suggested would be a sure winner at the box office over the weekend, came in a disappointing third with only $12.7 million. Analysts had forecast a $15-20-million take for the film. Second place went to the Jodie Foster family film Nim's Island from 20th Century Fox, which opened with $13.2 million. Holding on to the top spot was Sony's gambling flick 21, which raked in $15.3 million. Although comparisons with last year's box office was difficult because it fell on the Easter holiday then, analysts said that the overall gross was down significantly from the comparable weekend in recent years.

The top ten films over the weekend, according to final figures compiled by Media by Numbers (figures in parentheses represent total gross to date): 1. 21, Sony/Columbia, $15,337,418, 2 Wks. ($46,77,0,173); 2. Nim's Island, 20th Century Fox, $13,210,579, (New); 3. Leatherheads, Universal, $12,682,595, (New); 4. Horton Hears A Who!, 20th Century Fox, $9,115,987, 3 Wks. ($131,076,768); 5. The Ruins, Paramount, $8,003,421, (New); 6. Superhero Movie, MGM, $5,417,920, 2 Wks. ($16,899,661); 7. Meet The Browns, Lionsgate, $3,418,255, 3 Wks. ($37,662,502); 8. Drillbit Taylor, Paramount, $3,405,937, 3 Wks. ($25,490,483); 9. Shutter, 20th Century Fox, $2,830,336, 3 Wks. ($23,138,277); 10. 10,000 B.C., Warner Bros., $2,797,409, 5 Wks. ($89,649,915).

'21' Good for Gambling Site
8 April 2008 (StudioBriefing)
The website GamblingResort.com, where travelers can book hotel reservations and access casino information at numerous gambling resorts throughout the country, is crediting the movie 21 with increasing traffic on its site. In a statement, the website said, "The movie has no doubt remotivated the gambler to try his luck at the tables sooner rather than later." The website notes that 21 was filmed at casinos in Las Vegas including the Red Rock, Planet Hollywood and the Riviera. Links to Google maps on its site give directions to those casinos.

Clooney Clobbered
7 April 2008 (StudioBriefing)
George Clooney may have wanted to seek treatment in the E.R. over the weekend as he suffered a nasty beating at the box office. Although Leatherheads, the film he directed and starred in, had been expected to earn $15-20 million and thereby win the box office contest, it instead wound up with just 13.5 million and had to settle for second place, according to studio estimates, with some analysts predicting it will actually come in third when Sunday receipts are finally tallied. Sony/Columbia's 21, which surprisingly came in at No. 1 last week, surprisingly came in at No. 1 for the second week in a row with ticket sales of $15.1 million. The Jodie Foster family film Nim's Island from 20th Century Fox came in third with $13.3 million. A third newcomer, the fright film The Ruins placed fifth with $7.8 million. In limited release, Martin Scorsese's documentary concert film Shine a Light, featuring a performance by The Rolling Stones, opened solidly with $1.5 million from 276 theaters, 93 of them giant IMAX venues. Overall, the box office fell 23 percent compared to the same weekend a year ago. Some analysts blamed television's coverage of the NCAA basketball championships, which in particular may have drawn audiences away from the sports-themed Leatherheads.

The top ten films for the weekend, according to studio estimates compiled by Media by Numbers: 1. 21, $15.1 million; 2. Leatherheads, $13.5 million; 3. Nim's Island, $13.3 million; 4. Horton Hears a Who!, $9.1 million; 5. The Ruins, $7.8 million; 6. Superhero Movie, $5.4 million; 7. Meet the Browns, $3.51 million; 8. Drillbit Taylor, $3.5 million; 9. Shutter, $2.9 million; 10. 10, 000 B.C., $2.8 million.

'21' Aces No. 1
1 April 2008 (StudioBriefing)
Box office forecasters crapped out over the weekend as the film they had bet on to lead the competition came in third and a film they had expected to flop wound up at the top. In fact, Sony's gambling movie 21 far surpassed predictions, taking in $24.1 million over the weekend. Fox's Horton Hears a Who!, meanwhile, continued to take advantage of the kids' Easter break from school and slid just $27 percent to $17.4 million, putting its three-week total well above the $100-million mark. But Superhero Movie clearly did not have the kind of muscle analysts thought it did, winding up with just $9.5 million in its debut -- a far cry from the $15-20 million that had been predicted for it. Paramount's Stop-Loss -- despite generally strong reviews -- was not expected to do well, and it didn't. It came in eighth with just $4.6 million.

The top ten films over the weekend, according to final figures compiled by Media by Numbers (figures in parentheses represent total gross to date): 1. 21, Sony/Columbia, $24,105,943, (New) ); 2. Horton Hears a Who!, Fox, $17,740,106, 3 Wks. ($117,589,254); 3. Superhero Movie, MGM/The Weinstein Co., $9,510,297, (New); 4. Meet the Browns, Lionsgate, $7,481,508, 2 Wks. ($32,549,825); 5. Drillbit Taylor, Paramount, $5,713,585, 2 Wks. ($20,487,226); 6. Shutter, Fox, $5,221,016, 2 Wks. ($18,998,604); 7. 10,000 B.C., $4,947,174, 4 Wks. ($84,992,525); 8. Stop-Loss, Paramount, $4,555,117, (New) ); 9. College Road Trip, Disney, $3,457,756, 4 Wks. ($38,322,829); 10. The Bank Job, Lionsgate, $2,780,168, 4 Wks. ($19,521,672).

'21' Blackjacks Its Rivals
31 March 2008 (StudioBriefing)
Defying analysts' odds, the gambling flick 21 topped the box office over the weekend with $23.7 million. Superhero Movie, which most industry forecasters had picked to win the competition, wound up with just $9.5 million to place third. The third week of Horton Hears a Who turned out to be music to the ears of Fox executives as it wound up with $17.4 million, taking it well past the $100-million mark to $117.2 million. Meanwhile, Stop-Loss, the best-reviewed new film, became the latest anti-Iraq-war movie to be shot down at the box office, as it opened in eighth place with just $4.5 million. Not even making the top-ten list was the Picturehouse comedy Run, Fat Boy, Run, which barely got off the blocks with $2.4 million in ticket sales.

The top ten films for the weekend, according to studio estimates compiled by Media by Numbers: 1. 21, $23.7 million; 2. Horton Hears a Who!, $17.4 million; 3. Superhero Movie, $9.5 million; 4. Meet the Browns, $7.8 million; 5. Drillbit Taylor, $5.8 million; 6. Shutter, $5.3 million; 7. 10,000 B.C., $4.9 million; 8. Stop-Loss, $4.5 million; 9. College Road Trip, $3.5 million; 10. The Bank Job, $2.8 million.

Sturgess Couldn't Get Arrested in Las Vegas
31 March 2008 (WENN)
Across The Universe star Jim Sturgess desperately tried to get arrested in Las Vegas, so he could fully experience the risky life of a card counter for his new gambling film 21. The Brit plays a mathematics whiz kid who joins a gang of figures-smart youths who team up to win big in Sin City. Sturgess and his co-stars trained with real-life Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) card counters and top gamblers for the new Kevin Spacey film - but he couldn't get arrested. He explains, "We would mess around at the tables pulling our ears, scratching our noses and make out like we were counting cards, hoping we would get caught. But we were only playing with five dollar chips so it wasn't very impressive." Sturgess insists he couldn't be a real-life card counter because he doesn't have the mathematical skills. He adds, "I'd sit down at the (poker) table, apologize for being English and not having a clue how to play the game. I became as confident as you see in the film but unfortunately I don't have the mathematical ability to count cards and win any kind of money."

Elephant Stalkers
28 March 2008 (StudioBriefing)
There's no consensus among box-office prognosticators on which film will likely emerge as the top box-office draw over the weekend. Four new films will be entering the fray, hoping to displace Horton Hears a Who!, which has held the top spot for the past two weeks and could do so again, with many kids winding up their Easter-week holiday. No film is expected to take in more than $20 million in ticket sales, however. Each film has a lot going against it. The Weinstein Co.'s Superhero Movie, which many analysts predict will come out ahead, was not even screened for critics and faces the possibility of a boycott and/or picketing by angry Star Wars fans, who object to the Weinsteins' handling of the unreleased film Fanboys. The drama 21, about young math whizzes who tackle the odds in Las Vegas, may have a lot going for it in terms of story and stars, but not in general awareness, according to tracking surveys, or reviews. The R-rated Stop Loss may also have some glamorous stars, but films about the Iraq war have been roadside bombs at the box office. The PG-rated comedy Run, Fat Boy, Run comes to the U.S. after a successful run in the U.K., where it was produced, but British comedies traditionally struggle at the U.S. box office.

Movie Reviews: '21'
28 March 2008 (StudioBriefing)
21 craps out with many of the nation's critics. "A feature-length bore about some smarty-pants who take Vegas for a ride" is how Manohla Dargis describes it in the New York Times. Claudia Puig in USA Today sums up: "21 does not offer audiences a winning hand." Michael Phillips in the Chicago Tribune remarks, "While you may stick with the film--it's a slick time-waster--you never believe it. It feels hoked-up and pumped-up and phony." And Rick Groen in the Toronto Globe and Mail calls it "a big cheat of a movie." The film stars Jim Sturgess, Kate Bosworth and Kevin Spacey. In fact, it is the third film in which Bosworth and Spacey have appeared together, as the two previously co-starred in Superman Returns and Beyond the Sea (directed by Spacey).