SPARTAN

Spartan

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  [Total: 8 Average: 2.9]
  Genre(s): Action | Thriller

• Directed By: David Mamet
• Written By: David Mamet
• Release Date: March 12, 2004
• Domestic Distributor: Warner Bros
• Cast: Val Kilmer, Derek Luke, William H. Macy
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Box Office Info:

Budget: $19 – $23 million (you never know with Franchise Pictures)	Financed by: Franchise Pictures; Signature Pictures; ApolloMedia
Domestic Gross: $4,434,432	Overseas Gross: $3,678,280

David Mamet’s Spartan was financed for an estimated $19 million – $23 million by the ever corrupt Franchise Pictures, the company notorious for inflating the budgets of their productions on paper, so their financing partners end up shouldering most of the costs.  Spartan also received capital from Signature Pictures and German based ApolloMedia.  Franchise sold off most overseas rights at the 2003 American Film Market.  Spartan was the second Mamet and Franchise collaboration after the flop Heist (2001).

Warner Bros distributed in the US through their output deal with Franchise Pictures.  Warner Bros opened the movie only moderately wide in the US in 832 theaters against Secret Window and Agent Cody Banks 2: Destination London.  Reviews were mixed and Spartan took in $2,011,435 with a $2,417 per screen average — placing #10 for the weekend led by The Passion Of The Christ in frame three.  It collapsed 58.9% in its second weekend to $827,275 and promptly lost most of its theater count.  Spartan was pulled from release after five weeks with $4,434,432.  Warner Bros would see back about $2.4 million after theaters take their percentage of the gross, which barely puts a dent in their modest P&A spend.

Warner Bros dumped Spartan in the UK in 25 theaters to a total of $139,073 and the overseas cume was a mere $3,678,280 across numerous distributors.  The film was sent straight to video in France, Germany and many smaller markets.