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The Producers Film Takes in A Million and Half Dollars at the Box Office
By: BWW News Desk Dec. 27, 2005
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The box office intake is disappointing, considering the pedigree and publicity that went into the making of the movie musical, which reunites Tony Award-winning director and choreographer Susan Stroman with original stars Matthew Broderick and Tony Award-winner Nathan Lane. The Producers failed to break into the top ten box office; King Kong, The Chronicles of Narnia, Fun with Dick and Jane, Cheaper by the Dozen 2, The Family Stone, Memoirs of a Geisha, The Ringer, Rumor Has It, Wolf Creek and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire were the holiday weekend's top earners. However, it should be noted that The Producers opened in wide release on Christmas Day--a Sunday; the weekend box office tally encompasses December 23rd through 25th.
The Producers is currently playing in 975 theaters across the country. In its first weekend of limited release on six screens, it brought in $156,000. On January 13th, 2006, The Producers will open on more US screens.
The Producers, which was released by Universal Pictures and Columbia Pictures and produced by Mel Brooks and Jonathan Sanger, stars its original bonanza team of Lane as Max Bialystock and Broderick as Leo Bloom, Max' partner in theatrical crime. Based on the classic 1968 comedy-with music, The Producers finds Leo and Max in search of the show that most has "flop" written all over on it (they choose Springtime for Hitler, of course). Once the show bombs, they can pocket the money to Rio, but they don't pause to wonder...what if the flop is a hit? The film features a new song--"There's Nothing Like a Show on Broadway"--by Mel Brooks; it is heard over the end credits.
Joining Lane and Broderick in the film are original stars Gary Beach as director Roger De Bris and Roger Bart as his slinky assistant Carmen Ghia, as well as Uma Thurman as Swedish sexpot Ulla and Ferrell as Nazi playwright Franz Liebkind. Debra Monk and Andrea Martin play two Little Old Lady Investors, and John Barrowman, Brad Oscar and Jon Lovitz also have small roles in the film.As with the Broadway musical, The Producers features a score by Brooks and a book by Brooks and Thomas Meehan. Stroman is making her feature film debut with the movie musical. All won Tonys for the show, which swept the Tony Awards in 2001 and won 12 awards, including Best Musical. Currently starring John Treacy Egan as Max and Hunter Foster as Leo, The Producers has so far chalked up a run of over 1900 performances. It opened at the St. James Theatre (246 W. 44th St.) on April 19th, 2001. The Producers also features costumes by William Ivey Long, sets by Robin Wagner, and lighting by Peter Kaczorowski, as well as musical direction by Patrick S. Brady and orchestrations by Douglas Besterman.
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