Antitrust
Rate Movie[Total: 8 Average: 2.5]
- Directed By: Peter Howitt
- Written By: Howard Franklin
- Release Date: January 12, 2001
- Domestic Distributor: MGM
- Cast: Ryan Phillippe, Rachael Leigh Cook, Tim Robbins, Claire Forlani
Box Office Info:
| Budget: $30 million | Financed by: MGM; Hyde Park Entertainment |
|---|---|
| Domestic Box Office: $11,328,094 | Overseas Box Office: $6,867,516 |
It was announced in June 1998 that United Artists purchased Howard Franklin’s Antitrust pitch for high six-figures. The project then moved over to corporate parent MGM, which co-financed with the newly formed Hyde Park Entertainment for $30 million. Hyde Park’s first slate of films were all MGM releases and all flops, with Antitrust being the inaugural picture, followed by What’s The Worst That Could Happen?, Original Sin and then Bandits capped off their awful 2001. Ryan Phillippe landed a $1 million payday for toplining Antitrust and inked the deal in October 1999, just a few months after he starred in the low budget hit Cruel Intentions.
MGM originally planned on a late 2000 release, but dumped Antitrust into a crowded marketplace on January 12, 2001, when Oscar hopefuls were expanding into wide release and other teen fare Save The Last Dance was opening and directly competing for auds. Double Take also bowed that weekend, along with the national expansions of Thirteen Days and Finding Forrester.
Antitrust was panned by critics and MGM had modest expectations that the pic would reach high single digits, but it was dead on arrival with $5,486,209 — placing outside the top 10 at #12 for the weekend. Antitrust sank 57% the following weekend to $2,341,209 and faded away very quickly with a mere $11,328,094 at the box office. MGM would see back about $6.2 million after theaters take their percentage of the gross, far below their P&A expenses and exposure to the budget. In the quarter financial report, MGM was expected to take at least a $20 million write-down on Antitrust, which offset the profit the studio was pulling in from Hannibal.
The film played poorly overseas with a $6.8 million haul across numerous distributors.
I don’t think Hyde Park had a genuine hit until 2003’s “Bringing Down The House”. The less said about that supposedly crappy film the better. But I wouldn’t know because I haven’t seen that film.