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May 25
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Entertainment News May 25

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FOX TOPS LIST FOR BEST PRODUCTION COMPANY

Ask production folks around Hollywood which studio is the most well-oiled machine, and you hear a unanimous answer: Fox.

Ask agents, managers and lawyers which studio is the most difficult to deal with and you also hear one answer: Fox.

The Twentieth Century Fox studio has been the market-share leader this year with successful, ultra-commercial fare -- "Alvin and the Chipmunks" and "Horton Hears a Who." But while it has major tentpoles set for next year, its summer slate seems a bit chancy. And insiders are wondering whether, in a business that's proven cyclical by nature, Fox's remarkable consistency can be upheld.

Fox Filmed Entertainment has been on a winning streak since Jim Gianopulos and Tom Rothman were named co-chairmen eight years ago, posting an average operating profit margin of 17.2%. That figure, which was reported by Bernstein Research, might be common for health insurance companies, but it's a feat for a studio. Even competitors praise Fox's shrewd choice of product as well as its marketing prowess.

Yet it also creates a burden of high expectations. That's why many took notice when News Corp. announced results recently showing that the film division's operating net dropped 36% in the most recent quarter to $261 million, from $410 million a year earlier. "Juno" and "Alvin" reaped plenty of coin, but while the studio absorbed marketing costs for "Jumper" and "Horton Hears a Who," their revenue will be booked in future quarters.

Moreover, their position as market share leader this year will likely soon be eclipsed: The studio has no major tentpoles this summer, although execs insist Fox will shift into high gear later this year. Regardless, market share has never been a top priority for Fox.

"The only guideline (from News Corp.) is to make successful movies and to run the studio as profitably as possible," Gianopulos explains.


DAILY BOX OFFICE RESULTS

CLICK HERE to read the WEEKEND Box Office Results! See how much IRON MAN and NARNIA made.

Read reviews of the top 6 films at the box office this weekend

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull Directed by Steven Spielberg Starring Harrison Ford Shia LaBeouf	The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian Directed by Andrew Adamson Starring Ben Barnes Sergio Castellitto

Speed Racer Directed by Andy Wachowski Larry Wachowski Starring Emile Hirsch Christina Ricci	What Happens in Vegas Directed by Tom Vaughan Starring Cameron Diaz Aston Kutcher

Iron Man Directed by Jon Favreau Starring Robert Downey Jr. Gwyneth Paltrow	Made of Honor Directed by Paul Weiland Starring Patrick Dempsey Michelle Monaghan

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PRIMETIME TV PLATEAU - WHAT'S THE FUTURE?

ABC's deep midseason bench for next season includes the comedy "According to Jim" as well as ... wait a sec, is that right? "According to Jim" still lives?

"That's a head scratcher," says Shari Anne Brill, senior VP and director of programming at Carat USA.

The primetime graveyard is littered with shows that were cancelled before ever getting a chance to make a connection with TV auds. On the flip side, there's always a handful of shows on the skeds that somehow manage to squeak out renewals year after year.

Comedies, especially, manage to frequently escape the firing squad once they earn the rep as a utility player. Not only do advertisers gravitate toward laffers, but with so few half-hours working, the nets are more willing to stick with what they know -- even if they're marginal performers.

"Some networks just don't want to say goodbye," one webhead says.

A few years ago, the staying power of CBS' "Becker" and NBC's "Just Shoot Me" flummoxed critics. They weren't bad shows -- they just were not on anyone's radar.

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This year, low-rated entries like "Jim," CW's "Everybody Hates Chris," Fox's "'Til Death" and ABC's "Boston Legal" managed to score at least one more season. "Scrubs" had to move from NBC to ABC, but it too defied Nielsen gravity. Fox's animated staple "King of the Hill," meanwhile, has cheated death several times. And even "Law & Order" is managing to hold on -- although the Peacock has lately reduced the show's order and held it for midseason.

This year, there's also an unusually high number of sophomore-year shows that scored pickups for fall ("Life," "Dirty Sexy Money," "Lipstick Jungle," "Reaper"), but these orders can partly be attributed to inconclusive performances last year because of the writers strike.

"I've done columns about shows that should be retired," says San Francisco Chronicle TV scribe Tim Goodman, who currently puts NBC's "ER" at the top of his list. "I think they've done every possible hospital story on 'ER.' But being philosophical and thinking about viewers, there's comfort food in (shows like 'ER' and 'Law & Order')."

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