The Shipping News

  • The Shipping News box office
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    [Total: 3 Average: 2.7]
  • Directed By: Lasse Hallström
  • Written By: Robert Nelson Jacobs
  • Release Date: December 25, 2001
  • Domestic Distributor: Miramax
  • Cast: Kevin Spacey, Julianne Moore, Judi Dench

Box Office Info:
Budget: $38 million Financed by: Miramax
Domestic Box Office: $11,434,216 Overseas Box Office: $13,256,225


The Shipping News was initially going to be a co-production between Columbia and Miramax, but Columbia pulled out of the project.  To keep The Shipping News from going into turnaround, Miramax took on full financing duties and brokered a deal with Columbia that would return their early production investment — which was just under $5 million.  The budget was set at $38 million.

Production stretched later than expected into July and post production had to be accelerated so Miramax could position The Shipping News as an end of the year Oscar contender with an all-category push.  After critic screenings and an LA premiere, Harvey Weinstein had Lasse Hallström cut about five minutes off the picture and it was completed just prior to its platform release beginning on Christmas.

The Shipping News received weak reviews, which cooled off most interest and it opened in 186 theaters over a very crowded holiday frame with $1,205,174 and a $6,479 per screen average.  Miramax also saw disappointing results that weekend with their wide release Kate and Leopold.  The planned wide release was nixed and The Shipping News expanded to only 434 theaters during its domestic run and closed with $11,434,216.  Miramax would see back about $6.2 million after theaters take their percentage of the gross, which would not even cover their modest P&A costs.

Miramax’s parent company Disney released the film in a few overseas territories through their Buena Vista International label and the film tanked in every market.  Disney saw $365,955 from France, $825,583 from Italy and Concord saw the film’s strongest showings in Germany with $2.2 million.  The overseas cume was $13,256,225 across a few distributors.

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