Entertainment, Movies - Navy Times

Fresh films fire up box office

Running low on sequels and fresh off a $4 billion record summer at theaters, this was supposed to be a season of Hollywood rebuilding. But something strange happened on the way to the cineplex: Originality played.

Halfway through summer, four out of the five biggest movies are not franchise installments. And ticket sales are 4 percent ahead of last year’s pace, according to Nielsen EDI.

“Fresh ideas are always going to sell if you execute them, if you take your time making your movie and telling a good story,” says Chuck Viane, distribution chief for Disney, which released “WALL-E.” “It’s cliche, but good movies will always find an audience.”

Bert Livingston of 20th Century Fox says the summer also has benefited from an unusually competitive environment.

“Last year, I think, no one wanted to open their movies on the same weekend” as the third installments of “Spider-Man,” “Shrek” and “Pirates of the Caribbean,” he says. “This year, the feeling is that any weekend is competitive, and there have been solid movies out there to choose from.”

Not that all has been rosy. A few stars and filmmakers who once were the industry’s most dependable wilted. And it remains to be seen whether Hollywood can keep up the torrid pace.

But so far, the hits have well outnumbered the misses:

The winners

“Iron Man.” Chatter for the superhero began last year with sneak footage at Comic-Con and never waned. The Robert Downey Jr. flick became the first to eclipse $300 million and could challenge “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” as summer’s biggest. “We made a movie that fans love, and it spread virally,” says Marvel Studios’ Dave Maisel.

“Animated fare.” Families can’t get enough. “Kung Fu Panda” remains in the top five after a month, and “WALL-E” gave Pixar its ninth No. 1. “The interesting thing to watch is it’s not just one parent bringing the kids,” Viane says. “Now, both parents are coming because we’re making movies adults enjoy, too.”

“Sex and the City.” Some thought the R rating and finite cable audience would keep the ladies down, but Sarah Jessica Parker and company have racked up $140 million. “That was lightning in a bottle,” says Paul Dergarabedian of Media By Numbers.

The losers

“Speed Racer.” The long-awaited adaptation from “Matrix” creators Andy and Larry Wachowski never kicked it into gear. Its visual effects gave parents headaches, and kids found its campiness too corny. The $120 million film has taken in just $43 million.

“The Love Guru.” Mike Myers once could spin potty humor into gold. But he found the comedic landscape had changed in the half-decade since his last live-action film. The critically savaged “Love Guru” has mustered just $25 million, less than half its budget.

Still undecided

“The Incredible Hulk.” Though a bigger hit with fans than the 2003 “Hulk,” the new version has grossed $115 million and probably will not smash the original’s $134 million take. No word yet on whether a sequel is in the works.

“Mamma Mia!” Musicals remain a question mark with audiences. For every “Hairspray” ($119 million), there seems to be a “Rent” ($29 million). The ABBA-inspired film has rabid fans, but so does “The Dark Knight,” which opens on the same date: July 18.