VARIETY.com
By CARL DiORIO
HOLLYWOOD -- Anyone looking for spacious,
air-conditioned solitude found just the ticket in theaters
playing "Gigli" this weekend.
Sony/Revolution's critically ravaged romancer grossed just
$640,000 in its second weekend, which proved no less embarrassing
than its opening frame.
Jennifer Lopez-Ben Affleck starrer fell an incredible 82.9% from
its dismal opening grosses. That was something of a perverse
accomplishment, considering the high-profile wide release rung up
just $3.8 million over its first weekend.
"Gigli" -- whose regrettable title wasn't the
only thing drawing comparisons to fabled film flop
"Ishtar" -- bowed at No. 7 the previous weekend and
tumbled from the top 10 in the latest frame.
Mob-themed pic rung up a tiny $289 per venue this past
weekend. With movie tickets averaging $6, that means fewer than
50 people ambled into "Gigli" screenings in any
one venue between Friday and Sunday.
Pic is doing a little better than last year's mega-flop,
"The Adventures of Pluto Nash." The Eddie
Murphy-starrer opened Aug. 16, made $1.95 million in its opening
weekend and then plummeted 71% in its second stanza, doing just
$637,000 in ticket sales. That per-venue average was $275.
"Gigli," helmed by Martin Brest, ran its
10-day cume to $5.6 million. Revolution has estimated its
production costs at $54 million.
©2003, Cahners/Variety Publications
