FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS

Flags Of Our Fathers was equally co-financed by DreamWorks and Warner Bros and director Clint Eastwood finished production ahead of schedule and the brought the picture in under budget, around $55 million — not the $80 million – $95 million estimates that circulated.  While in pre-production DreamWorks was acquired by Paramount, which would distribute the film in the US.  Warner Bros released Flags Of Our Fathers in most overseas territories.  Paramount opened the film in the US in 1,876 theaters and it was tracking within the $15 – $18 million range and was expected to win the weekend.  Flags Of Our Fathers pulled in a very soft $10,245,190 — placing #3 for the weekend led by new opener The Prestige and The Departed in its third frame.  Paramount had hopes that Flags would have strong legs at the box office and have a huge multiplier like previous Eastwood films Million Dollar Baby and Mystic River, which opened with similar numbers and cumed $100 million and $90 million domestic.  While Flags had modest weekly drops, it stalled at just $33,602,376.  Paramount would see back about $18.4 million after theaters take their percentage of the gross, leaving part of their P&A spend in the red and Dreamwork’s half of the budget at a loss.  Overseas, Warner Bros saw a decent $13.1 million in Japan, but the film pulled in poor numbers in most markets and its total was $32.2 million.  Warner Bros would see back about $17.7 million after theaters take their cut, again less than their P&A spend.  The film sold very well in the US on home video, bringing in $45 million (less after resellers take their cut and manufacturing costs).