Mid-Term Movie Studio Report Card: Are Studios Making the Grade in 2009?

We’re nearly halfway through 2009 and, although there has yet to be a major break-out hit on the level of Iron Man or The Dark Knight, there have definitely been a few success stories. And, let’s be frank, a few failures. Keeping that in mind, we asked ourselves – which movie studios should be happiest at the mid-term point of 2009? Who should give their marketing team a July bonus? And which studios have been producing with the most consistent level of quality? To determine who makes the grade, first, we took all of the major films released and averaged their Rotten Tomatoes percentage to determine the critical response to their releases. Yes, it may not be the most scientific way to decide if a studio has had a “good” or “bad” year so far, but it does give something of a quality gauge for a studio’s output from a critical perspective. (Plus it’s just a deliciously dorky thing to do.) Then, using the RT score and our own opinion of a studio’s output, we gave each studio – well, each studio that has widely released at least three films so far in 2009 – a critical grade.

Of course, critically acclaimed films are only half the battle. We also looked at all box office grosses to date and gave a grade for financial success. We then averaged the two for our 2009 Mid-Term Studio Report Card, ranked by overall grade using reviews and grosses for films released through 6/12/09. (Some of you are shaking your heads right now and others – probably fantasy sports fans – are smiling and thinking “Groovy…”)  So, now that you understand our criteria, here’s how the major movie studios have been making the grade so far in 2009.

[Note: We excluded small studios like IFC Films and Magnolia because they didn’t have any widely released films in 2009 so far. The threshold for inclusion was at least three films (so Weinstein didn’t make the cut) with at least one having been widely released. With the last standard in mind, the inclusion of Sony Pictures Classics could be considered questionable, but Rudo y Cursi has played on a few hundred screens at once, so they barely made it in.]

MID-TERM MOVIE STUDIO REPORT CARD FOR 2009 SO FAR

1. Focus Features

Focus Features had a limited output in the first half of 2009 (as they usually do), but they produced the best foreign language film of the year to date in Sin Nombre, arguably the best animated film of ‘09 in the beautiful Coraline, and are currently marketing one of the best performances of the year from Maya Rudolph in Away We Go. The box office jury is still out on the latter (although we expect it will do reasonably well), but the company found a way to push Coraline to an astonishing $75 million domestically, making it the second highest grossing film in the history of the studio (after Brokeback Mountain), and all three films register as “Fresh” on Rotten Tomatoes with a stunning 80% average. We wish more people got out to see Sin Nombre (and wonder if the marketing push couldn’t have been better there) and Away We Go is good-not-great, but Focus Features undeniably had a strong first half of ‘09 for what they delivered with Coraline alone. Let’s hope the second half is just as good. Critics (80% average): A-. Box Office: B+. Overall: A-.

2. Sony Pictures Classics

The art branch of Sony has been producing some seriously high quality films this year, but they still struggle a bit with people going to see them. Still, you have to admire the output, one that has averaged an amazing 83% on Rotten Tomatoes, in terms of what it has brought to the world of cinema. Sugar, Tyson, Rudo y Cursi, Adoration, Every Little Step, and Moon are some of the most beloved films of the year for a good reason. But the studio hasn’t been able to get any of them to even $2 million at the box office with only one (Rudo) crossing the $1 million mark. We know there’s a ceiling for small films that seems to be getting even shorter, and it’s a depressing commentary on how few people are willing to see such well-reviewed films, but SPC needs to do something different in their marketing department. There’s no reason Sugar couldn’t have been a breakthrough hit if more people had the chance to see it and Tyson could easily appeal to a wider audience. Let’s hope they find a way to get the great Moon to as wide an audience as possible. Critics (83% average): A. Box Office: B- Overall: B+

3. DreamWorks

Critics and audiences loved Monsters vs. Aliens and I Love You, Man with both films getting great reviews and fantastic audience response. DreamWorks promoted the crap out of both movies, propelling Monsters vs. Aliens to the #2 position on the year to date and nearly $200 million domestically. I Love You, Man didn’t deliver quite as well as the studio hoped that it would at the box office, but critics adored the comedy that will clearly have a long life on DVD. The biggest problem for the studio was how to handle the long-delayed The Soloist, which didn’t thrill too many critics and couldn’t even make $40 million domestically. What was once one of the most anticipated films of the end of 2008 became one of the bigger bombs of 2009, but MvA and I Love You were enough for more than a passing grade on first term. Critics (60% average): B. Box office: B. Overall: B.

4. Paramount

As of 6/12/09, Paramount can lay claim to the biggest movie of the year. Star Trek is in the top ten all-time for the studio already and will likely get to the #7 spot in the history of the company (and that includes DreamWorks films), right behind Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Up has a good chance of moving past Star Trek on the yearly list (and The Hangover might even do it too) but there’s no denying that the roughly $250 million the film will bring in has satisfied the company and rebooted the franchise. Oh yeah, and it’s great. Star Trek is a critical and financial ‘A’. What about the rest of the studio’s output? If you add the studio’s #2 & #3 highest rated films on the Tomatometer – Hotel for Dogs and Imagine That – they barely surpass the Star Trek total of 95%. They did find a way to get the moderately received Hotel for Dogs to nearly $73 million but Eddie Murphy’s latest was another bomb and the less said about Dance Flick the better. Critics (53% average): B-. Box office: B. Overall: B.

5. Disney

Pixar’s Up looks like it’s going to beat the last two Pixar movies at the box office and is easily the most critically acclaimed film of the year with an insane 98% on Rotten Tomatoes. The wonderful flick alone earns Disney/Pixar a double-A on their report card. A more complex aspect of Disney’s first term comes when you look at the other films that Disney released – Hannah Montana: The Movie, Race to Witch Mountain, Confessions of a Shopaholic, Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience, and Earth. It’s not exactly a stellar line-up (with perhaps Earth excepted). Shopaholic, in particular, was a massive critical bomb with less than one out of four (23%) recommending the Isla Fisher film which could only scratch and claw its way to $44 million (although the $101 worldwide makes that financial picture a bit rosier). The much bigger bomb was the Jonas Brothers concert film which could only muster $19 million – $12 million less than the Hannah Montana concert film made in its opening WEEKEND. And then there’s Hannah. Her concert film makes $65 million and we think expectations were high that her feature film would shatter that or at least produce High School Musical 3 type numbers. Thus, the $78 million gross for Hannah Montana: The Movie has to be seen as a slight disappointment (although the budget must have been low). And then there’s Race to Witch Mountain. The $66 million for that film paled next to their last Rock family movie outing with The Game Plan making $90 million. But, once again, Disney keeps costs low and makes a reasonable amount at the box office and everyone’s happy. Critics (53% average): B-. Box office: B. Overall: B.

6. Universal

Universal had one of the most interesting first terms of any studio in that they couldn’t seem to find a way to have a film that was both critically well-received and that audiences wanted to see. Duplicity, State of Play, and Drag Me to Hell were massively well-received by critics, but their combined grosses don’t equal the $150 million plus of the critically loathed Fast & Furious. Just kick-starting that franchise back to such financially successful life earns Universal a few points, but how on Earth did both Duplicity and State of Play fail to cross $50 million? Is there really that low an audience for films aimed at adults? To be honest, the critical success of those films (and the great Drag Me to Hell) would have probably placed Universal in the #3 or 4 spot after the first term but then they had to go and release arguably the biggest bomb of the summer, Land of the Lost. At least that time there was some agreement. Both critics and audiences hated it. Critics (60% average): B. Box office: C. Overall: B-.

7. Warner Brothers

Thank God for some drunk guys in Vegas. Without The Hangover, Warner Brothers would have had a horrendous first half of the year. They can lay claim to two of the bigger bombs – Terminator: Salvation and Watchmen – and most of their other product failed to connect. Observe and Report couldn’t cross $30 million. The $65 domestic take for Friday the 13th has to be a bit disappointing (compared to the $81 million of the Texas Chainsaw remake of a few years ago) and even the $62 million domestic take for the highly promoted 17 Again is a bit lackluster. But nothing compares to the $108 million domestic take of Watchmen, a total that we can guarantee you the studio thought would be twice as high. But fate is a funny thing. The fact that The Hangover will be the highest grossing film of first term 2009 for the studio (and possibly all studios based on its trajectory) – it has already passed Watchmen and Terminator – is remarkable and amazing. And WB deserves a ton of credit for how well the film has done – screening it for word-of-mouth well in advance, advertising the hell out of it, and releasing it at just the right time in the season. The Hangover is a critical and financial ‘A’ for the studio. The rest? Ouch. Critics (52% average): C+. Box office: C+. Overall: C+.

8. Lionsgate

What would Lionsgate be without the Jigsaw killer and Tyler Perry? Every year, the latter gives the studio a fall boost and the former usually has a first-half film that rakes it in, no more than 2009’s Madea Goes to Jail, which made an amazing $91 million domestically. As for the critics, they pretty much hate everything that comes out from the studio. Their films with the highest acclaim were My Bloody Valentine 3D and Crank 2. Wow. And the fact is that for every Valentine or Haunting in Connecticut, both of which crossed a very respectable $50 million domestically, there is a New in Town (a dismal $17 million) or a Battle for Terra ($2 million). Critics (38% average): C-. Box office: C. Overall: C.

9. Sony

The fact that the mighty Sony had a worse first term than the often troubled Lionsgate is an amazing fact but they released six major films and none registered as “Fresh” on Rotten Tomatoes. And all but one of their films could be considered a bomb. In fact, if it wasn’t for a pudgy mall security guard, Sony would be even further down this list. Paul Blart: Mall Cop was the pre-Hangover sleeper of the year and proved that Kevin James can actually be a movie star by making $146 million domestically. But the rest of Sony’s slate? The International couldn’t cross $30 million. The Pink Panther 2 didn’t make HALF of the first film. The less said about Fired Up the better. And even The Taking of Pelham 123 was greeted with a nationwide should shrug. Angels & Demons? Critics hated it and the film is going to struggle to cross $140 million domestically or $80 million less than the last film. That’s a bomb. (Although, to be fair, the worldwide gross of Angels will certainly turn a nice profit.) Critics (37% average): C-. Box office: C-. Overall: C-.

10. New Line

What will happen to New Line? The studio that is essentially a part of the Warner Brother machine had one nice hit in He’s Just Not That Into You ($94 million) but Inkheart ($17 million) was a total disaster and Matthew McConaughey proved that he needs Kate Hudson to find box office gold with Ghosts of Girlfriends Past performing worse than Maid of Honor or What Happens in Vegas from last summer. The fact is that the studio hasn’t delivered a $100 million performer yet this year and is performing like a company on its way out more than a vibrant branch of one of the biggest studios in the world. Critics (37% average): C-. Box office: C-. Overall: C-.

11. Summit

The house that Twilight built is clearly waiting for the next film in that franchise to turn around their 2009, but they threw four films into the marketplace in the first half of 2009 and critics hated 75% of them and audiences only saw 25%. Not a great term. The one that connected with audiences was Knowing, but even that could only get to $80 million after a huge opening. And The Brothers Bloom connected with a lot of critics, but audiences never found the much-delayed film. As for Push and Next Day Air, everyone except the people who made the films ignored those two. As for their second term of ‘09, Summit is the player to watch as far as moving up this list with The Twilight Saga: New Moon a virtually guaranteed performer at the box office and the studio releasing one of the best films of the year, The Hurt Locker, next month. Critics (34% average): D+. Box office: C-. Overall: C-.

12. Fox

Fox can tout three of the top ten films of the year – X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Taken, and Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian – but there has rarely been a major studio to have such a critically reviled season. They released ten films and not a single one of them could cross Rotten Tomatoes’s 60% “Fresh” threshold with Taken being their most critically acclaimed film of the year. The critical and financial success of Taken along with the box office take of their summer hits would have placed Fox much higher if they hadn’t also released total junk like Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li, Miss March, 12 Rounds, Bride Wars, and Dragonball: Evolution. And even their summer “hits” have fallen a little flat. Origins will make less than the last X-Men film and Museum 2 won’t match the first film. Critics (28% average): D. Box Office: C-. Overall: D+.

13. Rogue

Universal’s “youth-skewing” mini-studio released three films under their own banner this year, so they get their own report card. The films? The Unborn, Last House on the Left, and Fighting. Ugh. We liked Last House but most critics weren’t kind to it and audiences really stayed away, bringing it to only $33 million domestically. That’s less than My Bloody Valentine 3D or even The Haunting in Connecticut. It bombed. So did Fighting with only $23 million. The $42 million for The Unborn is pretty respectable, especially when one considers the film was so bad that it should have gone straight to video. January horror movies to counter-program against awards season films is a financially viable market that studios like Rogue knows how to play well. Critics (31% average): D. Box Office: D+. Overall: D+.

14. Screen Gems

What can you say about Screen Gems? Their three films this year? Not Easily Broken, Underworld: Rise of the Lycans, and Obsessed. The latter two didn’t screen for critics and the first one barely screened for paying audiences. The third Underworld film made less than the first two (although will get close to $100 million with worldwide gross, keeping the studio from an F at the box office for the first term). The $68 million for Obsessed has to be seen as a success but the critics who eventually saw it, hated it (18%). Critics (29% average): D. Box Office: D+. Overall: D+.

Michael Bay Quitting Action Movies

Fresh off the news that he’s won a spot in the Guiness Book of World Records for directing “the biggest explosion on film with actors present,” reports say Michael Bay has filmed his last Transformers movie and has had enough of big-budget blockbusters.
Bay says he’s sick of receiving negative reviews from critics who dislike his movie-making style and is determined to move away from the genre. He says, “It’s easy to go shoot an art movie in a winery in the South of France. But people have no idea how hard it is to create something like Transformers. They review me before they’ve even seen the movie.”
And Bay admits that if film bosses give the go ahead for a third Transformers movie, they will have to find a different director. He adds, “After the three and a half years I’ve spent making these movies, I feel like I’ve had enough of the Transformers world. I need to do something totally divergent, something without any explosions.” [movietickets - note: I'm not sure how reliable this source is]
Michael Bay trying to live a life after explosions would make a classic fish-out-of-water reality show. It would be like when Superman gives up his powers in Superman II, or that old State sketch where an aging pornstar becomes a gas station attendant, and keeps pulling the nozzle out and spraying the gas all over the hood. It’ll be like that except with Michael Bay going, “What do you mean I can’t bring my tiger in here? Now the chaps are just going to look ridiculous. Yeah? Yeah? Same to you, buddy. I wouldn’t let my tiger crap in this dump.”

Meet the new Conan, same as the old Conan

By Steven Zeitchik and Nellie Andreeva

Kickinger, left, and Schwarzenegger as Conan

Lionsgate and Nu Image/Millennium, the two companies behind the Conan reboot, might have found their new Conan — and he bears striking similarities to the old Conan.

The companies are in talks with a 41-year-old Austrian actor named Roland Kickinger to play the title role that Arnold Schwarzenegger made famous in the 1982 classic “Conan the Barbarian.”

There are more than a few eerie parallels between the personalities.

Like Schwarzenegger, Kickinger is a bodybuilder- turned-actor from the Central European country.

Like the California governor, he also had a role as a T-800 in the “Terminator” franchise (in Warner Bros.’ current “Terminator Salvation”).

And in a you-can’t-make-this-stuff-up turn, Kickinger actually played a Conan-era version of Schwarzenegger in “See Arnold Run,” the 2005 A&E biopic about the actor-turned-politician.

Universal’s original “Conan,” which vaulted Schwarzenegger to fame and a slew of action tentpoles, follows a man who seeks revenge on the person who sold him into slavery.

Few details on the new pic have been revealed, though the character is expected to be given a polish, with the filmmakers drawing influences from more recent action pics. Shooting will begin in the fall at Avi Lerner’s Bulgaria-based studio. Marcus Nispel, who helmed New Line’s “Friday the 13th” reboot, is set to direct.

No word on whether Arnold will make a cameo — or on whether Kickinger will run for governor.

Recession Be Damned—Sundance Prevails

The recession didn’t greatly impact this year’s Sundance Film Festival, which (economically speaking) did incredibly well. A recent study by the University of Utah’s Bureau of Economic and Business Research (BEBR) reveals the 2009 Sundance Film Festival generated an overall economic impact of a record $91.2 million for the state of Utah, supported close to 2,000 jobs, generated more than $18 million in media exposure and provided millions in tax revenues. These findings, announced by the nonprofit Sundance Institute, were generated using an economic impact model known as RIMS II, developed by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Since 1994, Sundance (which celebrated its 25th anniversary this year) has brought in more than $550 million in economic activity to the state of Utah. The 2009 festival attracted an estimated 40,291 visitors, of which 66 percent (or 26,592) were from out-of0state or abroad. As festival organizers predicted, due to the effects of the global financial crisis, this year’s figure is down 11 percent from the estimated 45,056 people who attended in 2008. The largest share of nonresident attendees traveled from California, followed by New York and Florida.

“I am proud of the Sundance Institute’s contributions to arts and culture on the national and international stage,” says Jill Miller, the Sundance Institute’s managing director. “These numbers demonstrate that the Sundance Film Festival plays a vital role as an economic driver within the state of Utah, supporting job growth, generating tax revenue and adding value to the state’s commitment to tourism. Broadly speaking, this data illustrates the vital role of arts in society, not only in terms of fostering dialogue but also as a contributor to economic success.”

The 2010 Sundance Film Festival will be held January 21 – January 31. For more information on the renowned fest, visit to www.sundance.org/festival.

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen TV Spots 11 & 12!

The TV spots just keep on coming for Michael Bay’s Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen and you can watched #11 and #12 at Superhero Hype!.

Opening in conventional and IMAX theaters on June 24th, the anticipated sequel stars Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, Kevin Dunn, Julie White, John Benjamin Hickey, Ramon Rodriguez, Isabel Lucas and John Turturro.

Two New Harry Potter 6 TV Spots

Warner Bros. Pictures has started airing two new TV spots for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, coming to theaters on July 15. You can watch the TV spots using the players below. We hope to have better versions of these clips soon.

See Steve Carell and Tina Fey’s Date Night!

Steve Carell and Tina Fey filmed scenes for the Shawn Levy-directed Date Night in Downtown Manhattan, New York City, and we’ve got the photos! The 20th Century Fox release, opening April 9, 2010 co-stars Mark Wahlberg, James Franco, Leighton Meester, Common, Taraji Henson, Kristen Wiig, Ray Liotta, Mila Kunis, Mark Ruffalo and William Fichtner. The story follows a couple who find their routine date night becomes much more than just dinner and a movie.

Audiences can’t get over ‘Hangover’

“The Hangover”
That hijacked New York City subway car failed to crack through the juggernauts that are “The Hangover” and “Up” at the North American boxoffice on Friday.

While Sony’s “The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3,” director Tony Scott’s R-rated thriller starring Denzel Washington and John Travolta, posted an estimated $8.3 million for the day, it opened in third place. Bowing in 3,074 theaters, it should go on to a weekend total in the low-to-mid $20 million range.

Paramount’s PG-rated Eddie Murphy vehicle “Imagine That” had a more difficult time establishing itself at that boxoffice. Opening in 3,008 theaters, it attracted just $1.8 million for a sixth place showing.

Meanwhile, Warners’ Las Vegas-set comedy “The Hangover” continued its torrid pace, easily capturing first place. It entered its second weekend with a Friday haul of $10.4 million, down just about 38% from its opening day, and should be flirting with the $100-million mark by weekend’s end.

In its third weekend, Disney/Pixar’s “Up” was also lively, occupying the second place slot with a daily take of $8.9 million.

Rounding out the top five, Fox’s “Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian” took in $2.9 million in fourth place. And in fifth, Universal’s “Land of the Lost” kicked off its second weekend with about $2.9 million for the day.

50 Glorious Scifi Movie Intro Voiceovers

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// Any movie that starts with Morgan Freeman’s cask-aged voice, telling us we’re screwed, is off to a great start. Many science-fiction movies open with voiceovers, which prepare you for greatness… or bombard you with backstory. Here are 50 of our favorites.

Too bad War Of The Worlds goes downhill a bit after that amazingly portentous opening. No movie could live up to the promise of Morgan Freeman reading H.G. Wells, more or less verbatim, but it’s still a sad thing.

The greatest voiceovers tell you what kind of movie you’re in for, and also give you the information you need to hit the ground running. Take Sean Connery’s iconic voiceover from Highlander, which is so awesome, you need it written out for you to appreciate its greatness:

//

Sadly, most voiceovers that launch movies either try to pack in way, way too much backstory (“And then there was a man named 92ZorkX, who built a mega-cube in his pants”) or go way, way overboard with the cheese. Here are 48 more voiceovers that mostly go way over the top, sorted by type:

In The Year 2727, Some Messed Up Shit Happened!

Perhaps my favorite kind of opening voiceover is the kind where the narrator starts out by intoning, “In the year 2027, we realized we had gone out of the house without any lower garments, and the Earth was reduced to rubble as a result. The survivors lived in caves, eating scraps of jerky. Until one day, a new hope appeared.” Here are ten of the most awesome voiceovers that begin with a date and end with a sad recitation.

Anything Sounds Cool If You Say It In A Creamy English Accent

It’s really true. You can narrate anything in a smooth English accent, and it sounds awesome. It’s like spreading brie all over your frontal cortex, eliminating all of your B.S.-detectors. Someone with an English accent is saying it, so it must be brilliant. Right?

What The Hell Are You Talking About, Crazy Announcer Guy?

You know a science fiction movie is going to be totally absurd when it starts off with a voiceover that just throws a giant ball of crazy at your head. Someone who is trying not to giggle gives a little speech about how there was a guy named Zaark 795, and he rose up against his brother, the Bishop of Pluto, because they both wanted the power of the Dodecahedron-o-gram. Yeah. Anyway, here are the nonsensical opening voiceovers that make us happy to be alive.

You Can’t Have An Apocalypse Without A Gloomy Speech

It’s just the law of apocalypses: You can’t feature the destruction of all (or most) life on Earth, without throwing in a gloomy monologue explaining exactly how we blew it all to hell. It’s the way things work around here. Typically, these monologues include scenes of devastation as well as a droning voice talking about viruses or bombs or people not washing their hands. Here are some of the greatest.

Science Fiction Movies That Start With Deep Personal Monologues

Some science fiction movies start out with a more personal touch — one character giving an internal monologue about their feelings. Either it’s a character being introspective, or it’s some kind of noir deal, where the person talks about their pain in a hardcore, tough-guy way. Here are some of our faves.

Voiceovers That Turn Into Conversations, And Weird Voiceover Spoofs

This is sort of a catch-all for two categories that didn’t quite deserve their own pages: monologues that start out as a voiceover, and then turn into someone talking to the camera; and voiceovers that are just sort of demented, silly or satirical. They’re both a bit different from your standard science fiction voiceover, in any case.

Additional reporting by Alexis Brown.

Riyadh Shows First Movie in Decades

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (June 7) – For the first time in three decades, Saudis in the nation’s capital did something that most Westerners take for granted — they went to the movies. But it wasn’t exactly date night. No women were allowed.

Saturday’s screening of the Saudi film, “Menahi,” brought a taste of the moviegoing experience to Riyadh more than 30 years after the government began shutting down theaters — a move driven by religious conservatives who view cultural activities such as movie screenings and concerts with concern because they could lead to mixing of the sexes and violate Islamic values.

Men and children, including girls up to 10, were allowed to attend Saturday’s show at a government-run cultural center. Young male organizers of the event manned a checkpoint on the road leading to the gated center so no women could reach the theater.

And in a sign of the challenges that face every small step toward reform, a group of conservative men gathered outside the entrance to the center to try to discourage the moviegoers from going in. People largely ignored them, savoring the chance to munch popcorn and enjoy the cinema.

“It was just beautiful to see people look so animated and happy,” said Misfir al-Sibai, a 21-year-old Saudi businessman who attended the screening. “That was the best part of the evening.”

Despite the exclusion of half of Riyadh’s population, the decision to show the film, produced by a company owned by royal tycoon Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, was a daring step. It followed a trend in opening up the kingdom, culturally and in other ways, that began when King Abdullah came to power in 2005.

That has angered conservatives, who have issued edicts against such cultural events. One of them, Youssef al-Ahmed, has even accused Alwaleed and another Saudi businessman of being as dangerous as drug dealers because the TV channels they own broadcast movies.

Inside the center on Saturday, the atmosphere was lively as the moviegoers bought popcorn and posed for pictures with the film’s cast.

Two Saudi men tried — but failed — to disrupt the evening. One of them stood up after evening prayers at the mosque attached to the cultural center and urged worshippers not to take the few steps to the theater, said al-Sibai.

Shortly after the film began, the viewers could hear another man shout that they should refrain from spending their money on such decadent pursuits, said al-Sibai. He was led away by security.

Al-Sibai said the disturbances didn’t dampen people’s mood, and the film — a comedy about a Bedouin who has a difficult time adapting to life in Dubai — was shown in its entirety to an almost full house.

Saudi movie directors and aficionados have tried to revive cinema in Saudi Arabia in the past few years, encouraged by the more open environment in the kingdom.

There has been an upsurge in Saudi-produced movies, some of which have taken part in international film festivals. The kingdom held its first Saudi film festival last year in the city of Dammam. The event was attended by the information minister in a clear sign of official approval.

Alwaleed, a nephew of King Abdullah and the world’s 13th-richest person as ranked by Forbes magazine, has been outspoken about the need for movie theaters, saying in February he is certain that one day there will be cinemas in Saudi Arabia.

Although there are no theaters in the country, Saudis can watch movies at home on television. Some hold informal screenings in their living rooms or travel to nearby Bahrain to catch the latest releases. There are also numerous video stores that stock the latest films after kisses and other such scenes have been cut. Several Saudi newspapers even have a weekly movie page.

“Menahi” was shown to a mixed audience in the more open western seaport city of Jiddah and the resort of Taif a few months ago. According to a statement by Rotana, which produced “Menahi,” 25,000 viewers watched the movie, including 9,000 women.

Ibrahim Badi, Rotana spokesman, said the company could not get permission from authorities for women to attend in more conservative Riyadh.

Publicity for the film in Riyadh was discreet, apparently out of fear opponents would gather en masse to stop the screening. A couple of newspapers reported the coming event Saturday and listed the few places where tickets could be bought. Three more shows are expected in the coming days.

Talal Saleh, a 25-year-old who attended the screening, said it’s better to keep women away at the beginning.

“This is a conservative society that’s not used to mixing,” said Saleh. “Change should happen gradually.”