`Matrix' money means new view on `R' rating

`Matrix' money means new view on `R' rating

Wednesday, 21 May 2003

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The $134.3 million earned by "The Matrix Reloaded" its first four days in theaters not only set some impressive box-office records, but it also set a new standard for how big an R-rated film can open these days.

During its Friday through Sunday showings alone, "Reloaded" earned a whopping $91.8 million. This total easily set a record for the biggest opening weekend for an R-rated film, surpassing "Hannibal," which opened with a gross of $58 million more than two years ago.

"Reloaded" is now on the fast track to becoming the most successful R-rated film ever released. It needs to earn at least $234.8 million to catch up with the current champ, "Beverly Hills Cop."

"I think it will easily do over $300 million," predicted box-office analyst Robert Bucksbaum, president of ReelSource Inc. "This is like a rating-proof movie."

Bucksbaum and other box-office experts said Monday that "Reloaded" served as an important R-rated barometer for the movie industry, which last year saw 19 of the top-20-grossing films rated PG-13 and below.

"The most amazing thing about this (`Reloaded') gross is the notion of an R-rating and what it can do in terms of affecting box office," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box office tracker Exhibitor Relations Co. "You had a lot of families going to see this film. Mom, Dad and the teens couldn't wait to experience `The Matrix.' "

Warner Bros., which released the movie, said the film's audience was evenly split between those older than and younger than 25. Males were the strongest demographic, making up 62 percent of the audience while 38 percent were female.

"The R-rating on this film has had no effect on its performance," said Dan Fellman, Warner Bros. president of distribution.

After making an estimated $5 million during Wednesday night previews then about $38 million Thursday, "Reloaded" continued to draw huge audiences through the weekend.

Other R-rated movies that have opened to big numbers have typically suffered a huge drop by the second week. Last year "8 Mile" had a stellar $51.2 million opening then quickly dropped off and finished its run with a gross of $116.7 million. But "Reloaded" is expected to buck that trend and continue to have strong momentum for several weeks to come.

"Reloaded" is the middle film in a trilogy that began with 1999's "The Matrix" and will conclude with November's "The Matrix Revolutions." All three films are rated R, but analysts said there is little to separate the movie from many PG-13 releases.

"Since the first film was rated R, in order to keep the integrity of the franchise in the minds of fans, you have to keep the rating consistent throughout the series," Dergarabedian said.

Bucksbaum added: " `X2: X-Men United' is almost as violent and graphic as `The Matrix Reloaded.' If a film is well-done and marketed right, then it is not going to affect the conservative moviegoers in Middle America, the Bible Belt where people aren't going to go for R-rated movies."

Meanwhile, the demand for tickets to opening day and to first-weekend showings of "Reloaded" resulted in a windfall for the online ticket industry. Major players Fandango Inc. and MovieTickets.com began selling tickets to "Reloaded" a full two weeks before the movie's May 15 debut and on Monday reported record advance sales.

Fandango sold a record $8 million in tickets, representing about 6 percent of the film's total gross so far. This total was enough to soar past "Two Towers" to become the best-selling film in Fandango's history. MovieTickets.com reported $7.1 million in advance sales, and "Matrix" is on pace to become the service's all-time biggest seller.

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