The Weather Man
Rate Movie[Total: 3 Average: 3]
- Directed By: Gore Verbinski
- Written By: Steve Conrad
- Release Date: October 28, 2005
- Domestic Distributor: Paramount
- Cast: Nicolas Cage, Michael Caine, Hope Davis, Nicholas Hoult
Box Office Info:
| Budget: $22 million | Financed by: Paramount; Escape Artists |
|---|---|
| Domestic Box Office: $12,482,775 | Overseas Box Office: $6,556,995 |
The Weather Man spec script was in a heated auction between FOX, United Artists, Focus and Fine Line, but sold to Escape Artists for low-six against high-six figures in April 2003. The production company was based at Sony and the project was set up at the studio for financing. Sony quickly dropped the project and Escape Artists took it over to Paramount in November.
The budget for The Weather Man
was $22 million and Paramount majority financed and Escape Artists also contributed coin.
The film was ready for release in late 2004, but was pushed back to April 2005 to avoid conflict with the Nicolas Cage starrer National Treasure. Paramount then pushed The Weather Man back until October 28 for an awards season release, which was less than two months after the Nic Cage vehicle Lord Of War opened and flopped.
The picture landed mixed reviews and had little buzz and opened in a scaled back wide release in 1,510 theaters. The Weather Man bowed against Saw II, The Legend of Zorro and Prime and tanked with $4,248,465 — placing #6 for the weekend led by Saw II. Audiences that showed up gave The Weather Man a hateful D+ cinemascore, but it saw a modest 32.4% second weekend decline to $2,870,706, but could not make up ground after the terrible opening numbers and it closed with only $12,482,775.
The Weather Man pulled in a small $6,556,995 overseas. The worldwide total was $19M and Paramount would see returned about $10.4M after theaters take their percentage of the gross — leaving tens of millions worth of P&A expenses in the red and the budget untouched by the theatrical receipts.
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