New Schwarzengger Flick Dominates Box Office Despite Terror Fears
The terror tale, which opened here Friday raked in 15.06 million dollars in its first three days, following a three-month delay in its release sparked by the September 11 terror attacks on U.S. targets, investor relations inc. said
The story of an avenging firefighter tracking down terrorists who killed his wife and child however did not appear to spook U.S. audiences, just as the fact that it has been panned by critics.
The former body-builder's ****Terminator 2: Judgment Day**** took in 31.7 million when it opened in 1991, while ****True Lies*** debuted with earnings of 25 million in 1994, reported AFP.
Nominations for the 2002 Oscars were due to be made on Tuesday, an announcement that invariably results in sharp spikes in box office receipts for nominated films.
Moreover, Arnold Schwarzenegger, in Rome to promote his latest film ***Collateral Damage****, denied Monday that the film was cut or changed following the September 11 terror attacks in the United States.
"There were no cuts in the film following the September 11 attacks and we didn't change a single word in the dialogue," Schwarzenegger said.
The film was due to be released last October but this was postponed following the attacks on the twin towers of New York's World Trade Center, in which nearly 3,000 people lost their lives, including many firefighters.
Schwarzenegger's character decides to seek revenge for his family in Colombia, after U.S. authorities decide not to intervene for diplomatic reasons.
Colombian communities in the United States have reacted strongly against the film, complaining that it portrays a negative and stereotypical image of their country.
****Collateral Damage**** took 15.1 million dollars (17.2 million euros) in the United States in the first weekend following its U.S. release in the beginning of February.