Code Name: The Cleaner
Rate Movie[Total: 6 Average: 1.8]
- Directed By: Les Mayfield
- Written By: Robert Adetuyi, George Gallo
- Release Date: January 5, 2007
- Domestic Distributor: New Line
- Cast: Cedric the Entertainer, Lucy Liu, Nicollette Sheridan
Box Office Info:
| Budget: $20 million | Financed by: FilmEngine |
|---|---|
| Domestic Box Office: $8,135,024 | Overseas Box Office: $2,202,453 |
FilmEngine financed Code Name: The Cleaner for a modest $20 million and the project was a negative pickup for New Line. This hack job would become the last picture packaged around Cedric The Entertainer to be given a wide release.
Code Name: The Cleaner was dated for the post-holiday dumping ground on January 5, 2007 when holdover holiday fare were still playing strong and award hopefuls were expanding. It bowed against Freedom Writers, Happily N’Ever After and the wide expansion of Children Of Men. Tracking was pointing to a poor $5M – $7M opening.
Code Name: The Cleaner received terrible reviews and opened below its low expectations with a dismal $4,244,142 — placing outside the top 10 at #12 when the holdover Night at the Museum led the weekend. The film sank 61.2% in its second frame to $1,648,524 and then promptly lost most of its theater count. It was pulled from theaters after only four weeks with just $8,135,024. New Line would see returned about $4.4 million after theaters take their percentage of the gross, which doesn’t cover much of their modest P&A spend.
FilmEngine also handled overseas sales to distributors, most of which dumped the movie. Code Name: The Cleaner was theatrically released in a handful of countries to a small $2.2 million across multiple distributors and went straight to video or TV in most markets. Director Les Mayfield previously directed the New Line flop The Man and has not landed another gig after The Cleaner.