Going into the summer movie season, "Dying Young" looked like 20th Century Fox's ace in the hole. Positioned against a barrage of action-adventure and special-effects films like "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves" and "Terminator 2," the love story starring Julia Roberts, the world's No. 1 female box-office star, appeared to be inspired counterprogramming. And with the last-minute postponement of her marriage to Kiefer Sutherland, Roberts was landing more ink than any other actress.
But "Dying Young," which opened June 21, seems to be dying fast. Though the movie took in a respectable if unspectacular gross of $9,725,885 in its first weekend and $13,948,798 for the week, box-office grosses for the second weekend plunged 52 percent.Some blame the downbeat subject matter: a relationship between Roberts and a young man dying of leukemia (Campbell Scott), which has been a particular liability with older women. "Younger people are less afraid of disease, less in touch with their mortality," said one film executive. "Older people have a lot more baggage and experience. Why pay money to see what you're trying to avoid in life?"
The title - which the studio had all along considered changing - may have been a particularly tough hurdle. It was a tough decision to keep the title, "but it may have been a little too much for some people," one market analyst said. "The tenor of the times is conservative. People aren't looking for `happy' movies as much as `escapist' ones. `Robin Hood' is a fairy tale, `Naked Gun 21/2' an escapist comedy, `Terminator 2' escapist science fiction.
"In the end, though, it probably boils down to quality. A major star in the right vehicle can `open' a movie . . . and Julia did," the analyst continued. "But word of mouth on `Dying Young' isn't strong enough to counter the influx of new movies."
Roberts' off-camera romantic escapades, everyone agrees, haven't affected the film's performance. "What the American public understands - or doesn't understand - about Julia's personal life doesn't affect the fact that they're crazy about her," says one industry observer. "She's one personality who can do no wrong." - ELAINE DUTKA
- Terminating screen credits:
Anyone who has seen either the original "Terminator" or "Terminator 2" knows the cyborg from the future is practically unstoppable. As though snuffing out dozens of people while raking in millions at the box office isn't enough, it turns out he can do one more thing: remove screen credits. At least that's what Edgar Award-winning writer Harlan Ellison thinks. And he ought to know. It's his credit.
After the original "Terminator" was released in 1984, Ellison sued the filmmakers, saying that portions of the film had been lifted from his works. The well-known science-fiction writer eventually won the case. Although, as part of the agreement, the principals were not allowed to discuss the terms of the settlement, one thing is known: Ellison was to receive screen credit at the end of the film "gratefully acknowledging his work" on all showings of the movie, including television, videocassettes and laser discs. ("Terminator 2" will not carry the credit to Ellison because the sequel doesn't draw from Ellison's work.)
Now, according to Ellison, his credit on "The Terminator" has disappeared. "The agreement we entered into five years ago has been breached," says the writer, who recently bought a laser-disc copy of the film. "The credit is not on the laser disc."
Ellison and his attorney Henry W. Holmes Jr. aren't sitting still. "If there isn't a resolution, we will take appropriate action," says Holmes.
They may not have to. Patrick Cousins, director of product development for Image Entertainment, says that the company that released the "Terminator" laser disc, an older version of the film without the screen credit, had been shipped. "There are some copies floating around that predated the agreement," he says. "They were made about the same time as the film's original release."
Cousins says that the new letter-boxed version of "Terminator" that was released Monday has Ellison's credit back in.
"I'm glad to hear that," says Ellison, "but I won't believe it until I see it."
Maybe we can get the Terminator to deliver a copy to him. - ANDY MARX
- Willis isn't off the hook:
Bruce Willis may be off the "Hook" cast list, but he isn't off the hook with Hollywood's stage craft unions.
Willis recently visited the Columbia Studios set of "Hook," Steven Spielberg's extravagant version of the "Peter Pan" story. Willis was reportedly considering doing a cameo in the movie - joining Glenn Close, Quincy Jones and Michael Jackson.
Columnist Liz Smith said that Willis was roundly booed and hissed by members of the unions, and water was spilled on him from the upper reaches of the sound stage. Outside, his auto was spat upon, Smith said.
Some union members were rankled by Willis' comments about the reasons movies cost so much, made in a May 19 Los Angeles Times interview. "Unions are the No. 1 cost in making films," the actor said.
"If it (the booing) happened, I'm happy," said Ron Cunningham, the executive director and business agent of Local 44 of the International Association of Theatrical Stage Employees, whose membership represents nine crafts.
"After what he's taken out of the industry, he's an idiot to make statements like that," Cunningham said, referring to reports of Willis' salaries. Some sources put his salary for the just-completed "The Last Boy Scout" at $14 million.
But the story about the incident on the "Hook" set was disputed by Willis' agent, Arnold Rifkin. Rifkin said the sound on the stage during Willis' visit was not booing but rather the sound of "Bruuuuce, Bruuuuce, Bruuuuce."
Rifkin said Willis went to the set to visit friends in the film. As for his car, Rifkin said, "it was spotless when I saw him at dinner later that night."
Local 44's Cunningham predicted more episodes for Willis. "The membership is very angry," he said.
They may not get the chance to show their feelings anytime soon. Last week, Willis' publicist said the actor will not appear in "Hook," and Daily Variety's Army Archerd reported earlier that Willis is planning to take a year off from the business. - DAVID J. FOX
- La Femme Nikita:
The popularity of "La Femme Nikita" in the United States has taken French actress Anne Paril-laud by surprise. "It's a weird country," she says. "It's hard to understand what they are thinking."
But there's no question the acclaimed French thriller has put the actress on the map of international cinema. She vividly brings to life the enigmatic Nikita, a former junkie who is turned into a cool, sophisticated government assassin.
Parillaud received a Cesar (France's Oscar) for her performance and "Nikita," directed by boyfriend Luc Besson, was a box-office sensation last year in France. Since its release in the United States three months ago, it has become an art-house hit, grossing $3.7 million.
"Nikita" has made Parillaud sought-after in Hollywood. "I absolutely want to work in Hollywood, but I don't have the Hollywood dream," she says. "To some actresses, working in Hollywood is most important. But not me. There is very good work done in Hollywood (but) a lot isn't. It's more important to be an international actress because there is not enough work in Europe. That means working everywhere."
Parillaud completed "Nikita" over two years ago and has bided her time for a project and a role in which she believes. She found it in "Map of the Human Heart," a French-Australian-Canadian-English co-production in which she co-stars with Patrick Bergin of "Sleeping With the Enemy." Mira-max will distribute the film in the United States.
In the drama, set just before and during World War II, Parillaud plays a half-Indian, half-Canadian who falls in love with two men. The film, directed by Vincent Ward, also marks her English-language debut.
Parillaud made headlines last month at the Cannes Film Festival when a Truth or Dare game erupted at Madonna's "Truth or Dare" party. Madonna was dared to kiss Parillaud on the lips. And, not surprisingly, she did. Parillaud said it was "fun. I feel as an actress, I am a sponge. I love to expose my mind (to various people) - it is food for me. So why not go have dinner with Madonna? Nothing bad happened." - SUSAN KING
- A league of their own:
If Columbia Pictures has its way, Madonna will play Debra Winger's younger sister in Penny Marshall's "A League of Their Own," the story of an all-women's baseball team set in the 1940s. And if talks with Tom Hanks continue to go well, he'll reunite with Marshall - with whom he collaborated on "Big" - to play the team's coach.
The film, which is currently estimated to fall in the $30 million range and scheduled to start shooting in July, was originally at 20th Century Fox with Marshall - who developed the material and is one of the producers - scheduled to direct. When Joe Roth came aboard as studio chief, however, he asked her to step aside.
"That was my fatal error," says Roth. "Penny was working on `Awakenings' at the time and, in my haste to get some movies going, I took the project away. I loved the material, but I soon lost confidence in David Anspaugh ("Hoosiers"), who I'd brought on to direct. Also, the casting wasn't coming out as expected. We'd lined up Jim Belushi for the role of the coach, but weren't attracting the caliber of actress I had hoped."
Roth put the project in turnaround - freeing another studio to pick it up and reimburse Fox later for its investment. When Marshall moved to Columbia last November, she took the project with her.
Whether Madonna and Columbia can come to terms is a matter of speculation. "The studio is offering $1," quips one person privy to the negotiations. "She's asking $1 billion." Some believe that Columbia - in recent years one of the more profligate studios - is bound to come around. "When has Columbia not paid people what they wanted?," wonders one top executive. "Debra Winger, Tom Hanks, Madonna . . . of course they'll pay."
Not so quick, responds a Columbia insider. "The studio has spent a lot getting this package together, hiring writers Lowell Ganz and Ba-baloo Mandel, who did `City Slickers,' `Parenthood' and `Splash.' Debra Winger and Penny Marshall certainly don't come cheap. Columbia may have a bad reputation inherited from the Jon Peters School of Free-Spending, but there's been considerable belt-tightening under Frank (Price)."
Anyhow, adds the executive, when it comes to Madonna's acting ability, the jury is still out. "There's still some dispute about whether she's a `movie star,' " he says. "The feeling is that, surrounded by the right people, she's fine. The big question is whether she can take on a big role and carry it off on her own." - ELAINE DUTKA