SevenSlave
04-04-2004, 04:31 PM
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=638&ncid=762&e=1&u=/nm/20040404/en_nm/leisure_boxoffice_dc
'Hellboy' Bedevils North American Box Office
By Dean Goodman
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A comic-book character replaced a cartoon dog at the top of the North American box office on Sunday, as "Hellboy" emerged from the fiery depths to lead three other newcomers aiming to capitalize on school spring vacations.
"Hellboy," based on a comic book series about a sensitive, crime-fighting devil, sold an estimated $23.5 million worth of tickets over the weekend.
The live-action film stars Ron Perlman in the title role, a beet-red cigar smoker who battles bad guys while pining for a troubled girl. Budgeted at $66 million, it was directed by Mexican filmmaker Guillermo del Toro, who previously shot "Blade II," another comic book fable.
"Hellboy" was released by Columbia Pictures, and produced for the Sony Corp.-owned unit by closely held Revolution Studios. It marks the best-reviewed movie of the two-dozen that Revolution has produced in its three-year history, said company partner Tom Sherak.
Last weekend's champion, "Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed," fell to No. 3 with $15.1 million; its 10-day total rose to $50 million. The film, a live-action movie with an animated dog, is based on the Hanna-Barbera TV cartoon series about a cowardly canine and a gang of sleuths. It was released by Warner Bros. Pictures, a unit of Time Warner Inc .
Former wrestler Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson opened at No. 2 with his remake of "Walking Tall." The vigilante thriller, released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc., sold $15.3 million worth of tickets. The $45 million movie opened in line with expectations, but continued Johnson's downward trajectory, following 2003's "The Rundown" ($18.5 million) and 2002's "The Scorpion King" ($36.1 million).
'Hellboy' Bedevils North American Box Office
By Dean Goodman
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A comic-book character replaced a cartoon dog at the top of the North American box office on Sunday, as "Hellboy" emerged from the fiery depths to lead three other newcomers aiming to capitalize on school spring vacations.
"Hellboy," based on a comic book series about a sensitive, crime-fighting devil, sold an estimated $23.5 million worth of tickets over the weekend.
The live-action film stars Ron Perlman in the title role, a beet-red cigar smoker who battles bad guys while pining for a troubled girl. Budgeted at $66 million, it was directed by Mexican filmmaker Guillermo del Toro, who previously shot "Blade II," another comic book fable.
"Hellboy" was released by Columbia Pictures, and produced for the Sony Corp.-owned unit by closely held Revolution Studios. It marks the best-reviewed movie of the two-dozen that Revolution has produced in its three-year history, said company partner Tom Sherak.
Last weekend's champion, "Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed," fell to No. 3 with $15.1 million; its 10-day total rose to $50 million. The film, a live-action movie with an animated dog, is based on the Hanna-Barbera TV cartoon series about a cowardly canine and a gang of sleuths. It was released by Warner Bros. Pictures, a unit of Time Warner Inc .
Former wrestler Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson opened at No. 2 with his remake of "Walking Tall." The vigilante thriller, released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc., sold $15.3 million worth of tickets. The $45 million movie opened in line with expectations, but continued Johnson's downward trajectory, following 2003's "The Rundown" ($18.5 million) and 2002's "The Scorpion King" ($36.1 million).