Family films wage war over holiday filmgoers

While hobbits, samurai and Civil War soldiers battle for attention at the box office this Christmas, the fiercest competition may be between a family of 14 and a boy who refused to grow up.

This year, three family films open on Christmas Day: “Cheaper by the Dozen,” “Peter Pan” and Disney’s Imax film “The Young Black Stallion.” Family films, usually underrepresented and free of competition at the box office, are entering their biggest season.

“Anytime you have families off work and out of school, there’s a bigger available audience, making this a great time to release a family film,” says Paul Dergarabedian of Exhibitor Relations. “But you have to make your money pretty quickly, because once January hits, you have to hope that the audience that is back to school and back to work still has an interest in those films.”

“The Young Black Stallion” will play only on Imax screens, but “Cheaper by the Dozen” and “Peter Pan” will open in wide release, bringing them into a direct contest.

“The trick this holiday season will be for both films to find an audience without cannibalizing one another,” says Dergarabedian.

Although both films are stories that have been told before, “Pan” represents the bigger risk, with its $100-million budget and the number of times its source material has been mined, from Disney’s 1953 animated adaptation to Mary Martin’s live-action musical version.

Despite the high budgets of films like “Pan” and Disney’s recent animated movies, family films have traditionally been a safe investment. Without having to rely on A-list stars, they appeal to an audience with a voracious appetite and a forgiving critical eye.

“Kids want to see everything and parents need these movies to keep their kids interested,” says Dergarabedian.

Even the critically slammed “The Cat in the Hat” opened at No. 1 with $38 million, although the month-old film has yet to gross $100 million.

Another movie that’s been in theaters for six weeks may give the Christmas family movies their stiffest competition. “ ‘Elf’ is grabbing every audience, even the family audience,” says Dergarabedian. “I wouldn’t count it out as a factor against these newcomers.”

-- Patrick Day