Abandon
Rate Movie[Total: 8 Average: 2.9]
- Directed By: Stephen Gaghan
- Written By: Stephen Gaghan
- Release Date: October 18, 2002
- Domestic Distributor: Paramount
- Cast: Katie Holmes, Benjamin Bratt, Charlie Hunnam, Zooey Deschanel
Box Office Info:
| Budget: $25 million | Financed by: Paramount; Spyglass Entertainment; Munich Film Partners New Century |
|---|---|
| Domestic Box Office: $10,727,683 | Overseas Box Office: $1,574,536 |
Abandon was budgeted at $25 million and co-financed by Paramount and Spyglass Entertainment and in 2001 Paramount tapped the German tax shelter fund Munich Film Partners New Century, which also provided coin toward two Paramount titles — Abandon and Marci X. Spyglass also took international rights to the Katie Holmes vehicle in Japan and Germany. Spyglass, which was based at Disney at the time, had Disney handle rights in Latin America, Asia, the UK, and Australia. Paramount took on domestic distribution. Edward Zwick was originally set to direct, but he stepped down and screenwriter Stephen Gaghan took over directing duties — making this stinker his directing debut.
Abandon was dated for October 18, 2002 and received terrible reviews. Paramount booked the picture into 2,341 theaters and it bowed against The Ring and Formula 51. Abandon tanked with $5,064,077 — placing #7 for the weekend led by The Ring. Audiences gave the movie a rare and hateful D cinemascore and it sank 53.6% the following frame to $2,348,345 and then plummeted 62.7% in its third session to $876,788. Abandon was out of release with a poor $10,727,683. Paramount would see returned about $5.8M after theaters take their percentage of the gross, which left most of their P&A spend in the red and the budget at a loss.
Spyglass/Disney dumped the film straight to video or television in most overseas markets and the few territories it found a theatrical release, it pulled in a mere $1,574,536. Gaghan rebounded with his second directing effort Syriana.