Serving Sara
Rate Movie[Total: 6 Average: 1.5]
- Directed By: Reginald Hudlin
- Written By: Jay Scherick, David Ronn
- Release Date: August 23, 2002
- Domestic Distributor: Paramount
- Cast: Matthew Perry, Elizabeth Hurley, Bruce Campbell
Box Office Info:
| Budget: $29 million | Financed by: Mandalay Pictures; KC Medien |
|---|---|
| Domestic Box Office: $16,930,185 | Overseas Box Office: $3,215,965 |
The budget for Serving Sara was $29 million and Mandalay Pictures financed and received some coin from the German tax shelter fund KC Medien. Summit sold off overseas distribution. Mandalay was based at Paramount since 1998 and the studio handled domestic distribution for Mandalay’s pictures. The two companies did not re-up their contract just before the release of this stinker and Serving Sara and Beyond Borders were the last two movies released before the split. Paramount made a two picture deal with Matthew Perry before the release of the movie, which never materialized after it bombed.
This disposable comedy was dated for the end of summer dumping ground on August 23, 2002 and bowed against Simone and Undisputed. Tracking was pointing to a mid-teens weekend, but Serving Sara landed some of the worst reviews of the year and tanked with $5,758,236 — placing #6 for the slow frame led by Signs in its 4th weekend. Audiences gave the movie a terrible C+ cinemascore and the following weekend the pic declined 40.6% to $3,421,951 and then fell 49.2% to $1,737,089 in frame three. The domestic run closed with just $16,930,185. Paramount would see returned about $9.2 million after theaters take their percentage of the gross, leaving much of their P&A expenses in the red.
Serving Sara was dumped straight to video in most overseas markets by the many distributors who picked up the film and it pulled in just $3,215,965 from a small theatrical rollout. Lionsgate owned 45% of Mandalay since 1997 and ended its stake in the company less than three months after Serving Sara flopped.