Heartbreakers

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    [Total: 9 Average: 3.3]
  • Directed By: David Mirkin
  • Written By: Robert Dunn, Paul Guay, Stephen Mazur
  • Release Date: March 23, 2001
  • Domestic Distributor: MGM
  • Cast: Sigourney Weaver, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Ray Liotta, Gene Hackman

Box Office Info:
Budget: $38 million Financed by: MGM; Winchester Films; Advanced Medien
Domestic Gross: $40,240,342 Overseas Gross: $17,419,801

Heartbreakers was financed for $38 million by MGM and they split the costs with the UK based Winchester Films, which handled foreign pre-sales.  The German company Advanced Medien took rights for Germany and in addition took an equity stake in the production from their deal with Winchester.  The overseas sales to distributors sold very well and accounted for $26 million.

MGM handled domestic distribution and dated the pic for March 23.  Two weeks before its release, MGM held 602 nationwide sneak previews to help spread word of mouth and the following weekend they previewed it at about 1,000 locations.

Heartbreakers opened against two other comedies, The Brothers and Say It Isn’t So and won the slow weekend with $11,801,323.  It eased only 33.9% the following weekend to $7,802,097 and held on again in its third frame, declining 35.8% to $5,009,640.  Heartbreakers closed with a mediocre $40,240,342.  MGM would see returned about $22.1 million after theaters take their percentage of the gross, which would not cover some P&A costs and leave their exposure to the budget in the red.  Despite the movie underperforming, MGM landed a very lucrative TV deal valued at $10 million with NBC, Turner and Comedy Central — the broadcasters thought the broad comedy would have great replay value.  Even with the strong foreign and TV sales, MGM still took an unspecified write-down on Heartbreakers due to the marketing expenses and the pic, along with Antitrust and Josie And The Pussycats, dented the fiscal quarter and offset profits from Hannibal.

Heartbreakers was a dud overseas for the many distributors that scooped up the pre-sales rights and it cumed $17.4 million.  It went straight to video in Russia.

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