As a race-car driver in "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby," he opened to a smokin' $47 million. As an ice skater in "Blades of Glory," he cruised to a cool $33 million.
Will Ferrell, who has enjoyed two of his biggest box-office hits playing buffoonish optimists in sports-themed spoofs, is likely to dominate the weekend once again, this time as a hapless basketball player in New Line Cinema's "Semi-Pro." The R-rated comedy, opening today in more than 3,100 theaters, looks like a slam-dunk for first place.
Two counter-programming efforts open against "Semi-Pro:" Sony Pictures' adaptation of the bestselling historical novel "The Other Boleyn Girl," starring Natalie Portman, Scarlett Johansson and Eric Bana; and Summit Entertainment's "Penelope," a modern romantic fable starring Christina Ricci. Both should draw well with women, though neither looks like a blockbuster.
"Semi-Pro" will snag around $26 million in opening-weekend ticket sales. Consumer tracking surveys indicate keen interest among young males, although the restrictive rating will limit that audience. "Talladega Nights" and "Blades of Glory" were both PG-13, making them available to wider crowds.
The release date will also keep "Semi-Pro" from approaching the business brought in by "Talladega." That movie came out in the heart of summer, when more kids turn out to theaters, especially on opening day.
In "Semi-Pro," which cost nearly $40 million to produce, Ferrell plays Jackie Moon, the owner-coach-player of the American Basketball Assn.'s fictional Tropics in Flint, Mich., during the swingin' '70s. Co-stars include Woody Harrelson, as a bench-warming veteran traded to the team for a washing machine, and Andre Benjamin of rap group OutKast.
The movie was slapped with an R for language and sexual content. For a taste of what raised eyebrows with the Motion Picture Assn. of America's ratings board, check out the age-restricted "red band" trailer online and see how colorfully Ferrell's character begs to differ with a referee's call.
Winning the weekend is usually a cause for celebration in Hollywood, but that won't be the case at New Line, of course, where the mood is glum after Thursday's announcement that the studio would be folded into Warner Bros. by parent Time Warner Inc. Hundreds of jobs will be cut as part of the cost-saving move.
