Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Last Samurai U S opening Date?

This is topic Last Samurai U S opening Date? in forum Film-Yak at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Warren Smyth (Member # 1838) on 01-06-2004, 07:29 PM:

Can someone please provide me with the opening date of this film in the United States? There is media interest here because a lot of it was shot in NZ for the scenery. I would also be interested to know if it has opened anywhere else, as well as an indication of how well it has done.

Posted by Bill Gabel (Member # 1105) on 01-06-2004, 07:35 PM:

It opened Dec. 5th, 2003.

Posted by David Favel (Member # 1125) on 01-06-2004, 07:50 PM:

try www.boxofficemojo.com , or talk to Grant @ Roadshow.

Or www.imdb.com
Budget $100,000,000

Opening Weekend
$24,271,354 (USA) (7 December 2003) (2,908 Screens)

Gross
$74,324,104 (USA) (28 December 2003)
$59,487,166 (USA) (21 December 2003)
$46,874,330 (USA) (14 December 2003)
$24,271,354 (USA) (7 December 2003)

Weekend Gross
$8,326,947 (USA) (28 December 2003) (2,557 Screens)
$7,769,301 (USA) (21 December 2003) (2,938 Screens)
$14,087,074 (USA) (14 December 2003) (2,908 Screens)
$24,271,354 (USA) (7 December 2003) (2,908 Screens)

[ 01-06-2004, 11:06 PM: Message edited by: David Favel ]

Posted by Claude S. Ayakawa (Member # 1401) on 01-06-2004, 10:12 PM:

Being of full Japanese ancestry and having visited Japan twice, I found many of the location backgrounds shot in New Zealand and elsewhere very bothersome because they did not look authentic in the "THE LAST SAMURAI" film.. My opinion is also based on the hundreds of Japanese films and TV shows from Japan I have seen throughout my life that were shot in that country. Although New Zealand was a perfect location for the "LORD OF THE RINGS" trilogy, it was a very poor substitute for Japan. As I have stateed, this is only my humble opinion.

-Claude

Posted by William Hooper (Member # 71) on 01-06-2004, 11:40 PM:

Silly locations are really just a norm. There was a TV show called "Pensacola" supposedly set in Pensacola, FL, & the few times I saw a piece of the show, there were mountains in the background.

Posted by Warren Smyth (Member # 1838) on 01-07-2004, 06:09 AM:

Many thanks for the information. As usual, Film Tech members come up trumps.

quote:
I found many of the location backgrounds shot in New Zealand and elsewhere very bothersome because they didn't look authentic

I haven't seen the film as it hasn't opened here yet, however, I'm sympathetic to your view Claude. This is only speculation, but because that part of the country chosen as a location for the film is near Mount Taranaki, I assume this conical shaped mountain, appears as a back drop at times. For me, any suggestion that the scene is supposed to be in Japan, will be a ridiculous joke. That's because it is this scene that I saw out my bedroom window every day as a teenager.

While American films can continue to be made here at a fraction of the cost that they can in the U.S.A., we will continue to see our scenery used in this way. The practice is not new, Hollywood has done it in other parts of the world for decades.