12/04/05 - Theron's 'Flux' a box office failure
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Oscar-winning actress
Charlize Theron dropped her second box office bomb in two months on Sunday as her superhero saga "Aeon Flux" earned just $13.1 million during its first weekend, opening at No. 2.
"Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire," meanwhile, ruled for a third round, with sales of $20.5 million, but is likely to lose the crown next weekend to "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe," which opens Friday.
"Aeon Flux," the only wide new release during a traditionally quiet post-Thanksgiving weekend, opened at the higher end of diminished industry expectations, which ranged between $10 million and $13 million. The film cost $60 million to make, said its distributor, Paramount Pictures.
Theron plays the title character (pronounced E-ON), a futuristic secret agent who must assassinate a corrupt government leader. It is based on a series of animated shorts that originally ran on MTV. Fellow Oscar-winner
Frances McDormand ("Fargo") also stars. Karyn Kusama ("Girlfight") directs.
Paramount did not screen the film in advance for critics, a strategy usually employed when studios fear bad reviews will crimp sales. Wayne Lewellen, president of distribution at the Viacom Inc.-owned studio, said the film's target audience of young males does not respond to reviews, and he was very happy with the opening.
Theron is also in theaters with "North Country," playing a Minnesota mineworker who battles sexual harassment. It has earned just $18 million since its release on October 21. The 30-year-old South African won an Academy Award in 2004 for playing a lesbian killer in "Monster," which earned about $35 million.
Female superheroes have not been much of a box office draw recently, as evidenced by Halle Berry's "Catwoman" and Jennifer Garner's "Elektra."
The opening for "Aeon Flux" was "respectable," given that "Harry Potter" is dominating the marketplace, said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box office tracking firm Exhibitor Relations. With regard to Theron, he said she has had a tough time at the box office, but her career should be safe.
"She's stunning to look at," Dergarabedian said.
After three weekends, "Harry Potter" has earned $229.8 million, and is easily outpacing its three predecessors. It was released by Warner Bros. Pictures, a unit of Time Warner Inc., which expects it will hit the $290 million-$300 million range. Its international haul stands at $330.6 million, powered by $64.3 million from the U.K., and $44.1 million from Japan.
The Johnny Cash biopic "Walk the Line" slipped one place to No. 3 with $10 million. After three weekends, the
Joaquin Phoenix-Reese Witherspoon vehicle has earned $68.8 million. It was released by 20th Century Fox, a unit of News Corp.
"Yours, Mine & Ours," a family comedy starring
Dennis Quaid and Rene Russo as the heads of a super-sized blended family, fell one to No. 4 with $8.4 million in its second weekend. The Paramount release has earned $34.6 million to date.
The comedy "Just Friends" rose one to No. 5 with $5.9 million in its second weekend, taking its 10-day haul to $21.4 million. It was released by Time Warner's New Line Cinema.
Charlize's 'Aeon Flux' a failure
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