Original Sin
Rate Movie[Total: 10 Average: 1.2]
- Directed By: Michael Cristofer
- Written By: Cornell Woolrich, Michael Cristofer
- Release Date: August 3, 2001
- Domestic Distributor: MGM
- Cast: Antonio Banderas, Angelina Jolie, Thomas Jane
Box Office Info:
| Budget: $26 million | Financed by: MGM; Hyde Park Entertainment |
|---|---|
| Domestic Gross: $16,534,221 | Overseas Gross: $18,868,099 |
Original Sin was in active development at the Warner Bros and Canal Plus owned Bel Air Entertainment in 1999, but the projected moved over to MGM with Hyde Park Entertainment co-financing. MGM invested $8 million into the $26 million production and handled domestic distribution for this trashy melodrama. International rights were to be split between the lion and German based Intermedia, but the deal fell apart and MGM sold off overseas distribution. Co-financier Hyde Park’s first slate of films were all MGM releases and all flops, with Antitrust being their first picture, followed by What’s the Worst That Could Happen?, Original Sin and then Bandits capped off their awful 2001.
After landing an Oscar for her A-list making role in Girl, Interrupted (1999) Angelina Jolie toplined the hits Gone in 60 Seconds (2000) and Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001), but Original Sin kicked off a series of flops for her — Life or Something Like It (2002), Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life (2003), Beyond Borders (2003), Taking Lives (2004), her supporting turns in Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (2004) & Alexander (2004), before finally landing a hit with Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005).
Original Sin was going to be set for a late 2000 release, but was pushed back to February 23, 2001 and then delayed until August 3rd. The movie received awful reviews and opened in 2,194 theaters as summer counter-programming for adults against Rush Hour 2 and The Princess Diaries.
Original Sin tanked with $6,402,741 — placing #6 for the weekend led by the Rush Hour sequel. Auds gave the movie a lousy C+ cinemascore and it sank 52% the following weekend to $3,075,072 and then fell 63.8% to $1,112,692 in its third frame and promptly lost most of its theater count. Original Sin closed its domestic run with only $16,534,221. MGM would see returned about $9 million after theaters take their percentage of the gross, which would not cover their P&A expenses or any of their exposure to the budget.
Original Sin was mostly a dud overseas as well, grossing $18.8 million across numerous distributors.