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 "Beauty and the Beast," the studio's latest live action
update of a cartoon classic, waltzed its way to a towering $170
million debut this weekend, setting a new record for a March
opening and solidifying the Mouse House's status as the dominant
player in the film business. No other company can match the
streak that Disney is currently enjoying, thanks to a series of
multi-billion acquisitions that put the likes of Pixar, Marvel,
and LucasFilm in its Magic Kingdom.
"Beauty and the Beast" represents another part of Disney's
branded strategy. It's the latest fairy tale adaptation to hit
screens. Others in the lucrative group include "Alice in
Wonderland," which picked up $1 billion worldwide, "Cinderella"
with its $543.5 million global haul, and last year's "The Jungle
Book," which racked up a mighty $966.6 million after finishing
its run. Remakes of "Dumbo" and "Mulan" are already in the
works, as Disney commits to putting a live action spin on the
bulk of its animated properties (Fans of "Treasure Planet" may
be out of luck).
The latest fairy tale follows Belle, a bookish girl in France
played by Harry Potter film veteran Emma Watson, who helps a
tortured Beast (Dan Stevens of "Downton Abbey" fame) break out
of his shell. In the process she lifts a curse that's left the
Beast's kingdom populated by talking household items. "Beauty
and the Beast" didn't muck about with the elements that made the
1991 film so beloved. Director Bill Condon kept the basic plot
intact, while fleshing out a bit more of Belle's backstory, and
retaining a soundtrack that includes "Be Our Guest" and "Belle."
All those elaborate musical numbers and chatty cutlery don't
come cheap. "Beauty and the Beast" carries a hefty $160 million
budget. It should make that money back manyfold after ticket
sales are tallied and new lines of princess wear are whipped up
to satisfy new generations of Belle lovers.
Most major studios steered clear of "Beauty and the Beast." The
only other new release of note, "The Belko Experiment," debuted
to $4.1 million, which its backers say is success given its
model. The film boasts a unique distribution strategy. "The
Belko Experiment" opened in 1,341 locations, roughly a third of
the theater count for a major studio offerings. The theaters are
chosen because they are more popular with horror fans. Orion, an
MGM label, backed the film and is distributing it with BH Tilt.
That label is overseen by "The Purge" and "Insidious" producer
Blumhouse. It's trying to find more cost-efficient ways to bring
smaller films to the masses. "The Belko Experiment" follows a
group of American corporate types, who are locked in a high-rise
office in Bogota, Colombia. They are ordered by a voice on the
intercom to kill one another in a gray flannel-version of Social
Darwinism.
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With "Beauty and the Beast" dominating ticket sales, last weekend's
champ, "Kong: Skull Island," fell 53% to $28.8 million. That pushes
the monster movie's domestic haul to $110.1 million. Warner Bros.
and Legendary Entertainment teamed up to produce the remake of King
Kong.
Fox's "Logan" took third place, pulling in $17.5 million and
bringing the R-rated superhero tale's stateside total to $184
million. Universal and Blumhouse's "Get Out," a thriller about a
black man whose girlfriend's white family holds a sinister secret,
nabbed fourth position. It made $13.2 million, bringing its gross to
$133.1 million. With a budget of $4.5 million, the film is one of
the year's most profitable. Lionsgate's "The Shack" rounded out the
top five generating $6.1 million and pushing the faith-based drama's
earnings to over $42.6 million.
In limited release, "T2 Trainspotting," a sequel to the 1996 cult
comedy about a group of heroin addicts, opened in five locations,
earning $180,000. Ewan McGregor reprises his role as a drug-addict
Scot. The actor also has a supporting turn playing Lumiere, a
candlestick, in "Beauty and the Beast." Sony is releasing "T2,"
which is heavily geared towards European audiences. The drama has
already made $34 million overseas.
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