"Final
Destination 3" Grosses $19,173,000 in Strong Box Office Debut
2/15/06
Performance Marks Biggest Opening Weekend in Franchise's History
LOS ANGELES, CA -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 02/15/06 -- New Line Cinema's
"Final Destination 3" opened with an impressive $19,173,000
performance at the box office this weekend, marking the most successful
opening in the franchise's history.
"Final Destination 3," which opened in 2,880 theaters,
improved on the openings of the first two installments of the franchise
significantly -- the first "Final Destination" opened to $10
million in 2000, while "Final Destination 2" opened to $16
million in 2003. Additionally, the opening of "Final Destination
3" surpassed the opening performance of the recent hit horror film
"Hostel." The $19,173,000 opening placed "Final Destination
3" in a close second place at the box office this weekend,
approximately $1 million behind "The Pink Panther," which opened
in nearly 600 more theaters. The $6,657 per screen average for "Final
Destination 3" was also the highest of any film for the weekend.
"This 'Final Destination 3' opening can be attributed to a number
of factors including the franchise's loyal audience; the success of the
previous films on DVD and video; the strong appeal of the 'cheating death'
concept that is at the core of the franchise; and the enduring appeal of
horror movies," says David Tuckerman, New Line's President of
Theatrical Distribution.
Set six years after the original "Final Destination" film,
"Final Destination 3" centers around a high school senior who
has a premonition of a fatal roller coaster accident involving herself and
all her friends. When the premonition proves true, those who have
"cheated death" and survived the accident are forced to deal
with the repercussions of escaping their fate. "Final Destination
3" stars Ryan Merriman ("The Ring Two") and Mary Elizabeth
Winstead. The film is directed by James Wong ("Final
Destination").
About New Line Cinema Corporation:
Founded almost 40 years ago, New Line Cinema is the most successful
independent film company in the world. Its mission is to produce
innovative, popular and profitable entertainment in the best creative
environment. In addition to the production, marketing and distribution of
theatrical motion pictures, the fully-integrated studio has divisions
devoted to home entertainment, television, music, theater, merchandising
and an international unit. In 2005, New Line partnered with HBO to form
Picturehouse, a new theatrical distribution company to release independent
films. A pioneer in franchise filmmaking, New Line's Oscar-winning
"The Lord of the Rings" trilogy is one of the most successful
film franchises in history. New Line is a division of Time Warner, Inc. (TWX).