PERFECT STRANGER

Perfect Stranger

Perfect Stranger was financed for an estimated $60 million by Revolution Studios and Revolution’s financing slate agreement with Sony had Sony contribute 42.5% of the budget and 100% of the marketing costs. Sony received a 12.5% fee for distributing in most countries. This turkey staring Bruce Willis and Halle Berry, had Sony position it as a day and date release in 75% of the world markets, which is unusual for a non-event type film. If a film sputters in one market early in release, the marketing campaign can be tweaked as the worldwide release rollouts, but Sony took a gamble on Perfect Stranger and it did not pay off. Perfect Stranger opened against Disturbia and the two titles were tracking for the #1 spot with a high teens opening — also opening were the duds Pathfinder, Redline, Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film For Theaters and Slow Burn. Perfect Stranger came in below expectations with $11,206,163 — placing #4 for the weekend, which Disturbia won. It pulled in a terrible $8.6 million from 39 countries in its first overseas frame. $1,692,521 from France and $1,921,042 from Spain were the only markets it performed moderately well in. US audiences gave the film a toxic C+ cinemascore and the film proved to have poor legs and fell 63.4% in its second weekend to $4,104,808 and closed out its run with just $23,984,949. Sony opened the film in the UK to a dismal $547,930 and it flopped out of theaters with only $1,401,605. Perfect Stranger closed its France run with a soft $4.3 million and a respectable $5.6 million from Spain. The overseas total was $49.1 million bringing the worldwide total to $73 million. Sony would see back about $40.1 million after theaters take their percentage of the gross, far less than the worldwide P&A spend and leaving the budget in the red for Revolution and Sony. Recorded domestic home video sales were a decent enough $23.8 million (less after resellers take their cut and manufacturing costs).