Computer, not star, power at the USBO

Despite stiff threat from The Day After Tomorrow, the $125-million survival drama, Shrek 2, did not budge from top position and earned an 'ogre'some $73 million over the weekend, taking its 12-day tally to an estimated $237.8 million.

The film, which is faring better than anyone's expectations, stands a realistic chance of overtaking the champion, Mel Gibson's The Passion Of The Christ, which has grossed a mighty $380 million. Despite solid competition the next weekend from Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban, the computer-animated fable Shrek 2 could still earn big green bucks. By the coming Friday, it could have overtaken the $270 million its predecessor had grossed in its entire run. 

While Shrek 2 got mostly fulsome reviews, The Day After Tomorrow received sneers from major critics. Yet, audiences gave it a cheerful welcome, leading to an impressive $70 million gross in three days. Even if the film follows the usual path for sci-fi and horror films and comes down by 50-55 per cent next week, it could still reach $200 million in North America alone.

The 20th Century Fox film that was released worldwide on the same day as in America (May 28), grossed a solid $80 million worldwide. On the other hand, Shrek 2, which is showing in a handful of Southeast Asian countries, will open worldwide only after two or three weeks, to coincide with summer holidays in major countries.

Unlike many other summer films with bloated budgets and big stars, The Day After Tomorrow is one of the few summer films without a significant star cast. The film, in which severe climate change turns New York into a frigid wasteland, had to dazzle the audiences by its inventive sci-fi scenes and inherent drama. Directed by Roland Emmerich, who has recorded his first huge hit since the 1996 hit Independence Day, the new hit features such dependable actors as Dennis Quaid and the young Jake Gyllenhaal, starring in his first major film.

With the two top films grossing over $140 million, the box-office tally soared in North America, proving that there was indeed place for two huge hits in the same week.

Troy, an overpowering hit abroad, is limping at the box office in North America. It was the No 3 film of the week with a $11.5 million gross, but it had lost about 52 per cent of its clout.

It was closely followed by the Kate Hudson comedic melodrama, Raising Helen, that opened with a modest $11.2 million. The film, co-produced by Ashok Amritraj, is his third consecutive film to be on the top 10 list. Made for $35 million, it could end with a decent profit once it hits the DVD and video circuit and completes its run abroad.

The film, in which Hudson plays a career-oriented, unmarried woman who takes up the challenge of raising the three children of her late sister, also showed that Hudson could open a film with decent numbers. But for director Gary Marshall, whose hits include The Princess Diaries, and the two Julia Roberts money machines, Runaway Bride and Pretty Woman, the new film is certainly a disappointment, reviews and career-wise.

The urban comedy Soul Plane, starring Snoop Dogg and aimed at African Americans, made just $5.7 million at No 5 but the film that cost a meagre $18 million could still be profitable in the long run. 
 
Still hanging around, but limping, is Van Helsing, which, at the sixth position, earned $4.9 million while dropping 54 per cent from the previous week. Its 24-day total rose to $108.8 million. Though some Hollywood observers deem the film to be a bomb, more knowledgeable folks think the movie, which is headed for a $250 million gross worldwide, would earn some profit in a year or two, following its release on DVD.

The box office this week:

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