'Blair Witch 2' Lacks Box Office Magic

"Book of Shadows" was not able to cast the same spell over moviegoers this weekend that the original "The Blair Witch Project" did last year.

'Lucky Numbers' interviews
'Little Vampire' movie clip

"Blair Witch 2" brought in $13.1 million in an estimates ticket sales this pre-Halloween weekend, but it was not enough to knock comedy "Meet the Parents" out of its No. 1 spot.

The Robert DeNiro-Ben Stiller movie took in an estimated $15.1 million to earn the top box office spot for the fourth week in a row.

"Lucky Numbers," starring John Travolta and Lisa Kudrow, also had a poor debut, grossing $4.6 million for seventh place. The black comedy tells the story of a TV weatherman and lotto-ball girl who rig the Pennsylvania lottery.

It finished behind another new movie, the family film "The Little Vampire," which played in 500 fewer theaters but debuted at No. 6 with $5.5 million.

"We're definitely disappointed," said Rob Friedman, vice chairman of Paramount motion-pictures group. "We felt it was the sort of offbeat, dark comedy that audiences would embrace, and they didn't."

"Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2" pulled in less than half what its predecessor did during its first weekend of wide release in July 1999. "The Blair Witch Project" grossed $29.2 million on its way to a $140 million domestic gross after playing to sold-out theaters in limited release for two weekends.

"Blair Witch" began as a low-budget independent movie about three filmmakers who vanished in the woods while pursuing the legend of a witch. Presented as a documentary, the fictional movie tricked some people into thinking it was real.

"I guess you can fool moviegoers once, but they won't go for it a second time," box-office analyst Robert Bucksbaum of Reel Source Inc. told reporters.

The sequel scrapped the documentary approach, adopting a more traditional horror narrative about five people who visit the woods after getting caught up in the phenomenon of the first movie.

"I think the fan base is still there, but everybody knew this was a different movie," Paul Pflug, spokesman for Artisan Entertainment, told reporters. Artisan released the "Blair Witch" movies. "The first film was one of those industry phenomena that no one can predict."

"Blair Witch 2" cost about $15 million to make. The original cost an estimated $60,000 to shoot, plus around $300,000 to improve the sound and other steps to make it ready for theaters.

Artisan still expects to turn a good profit on the sequel by the time its domestic gross, overseas rights, television sales and video revenue are added up, Pflug said.

A third movie, a prequel relating how the "Blair Witch" legend started, is planned for release next year.

"Meet the Parents" became the first movie to top the box office four straight weekends since last year's blockbuster "The Sixth Sense."

Estimated ticket sales are for Friday through Sunday at North American theaters, according to Exhibitor Relations Co. Inc. Final figures are to be released Monday.

1. "Meet the Parents," $15.1 million
2. "Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2," $13.1 million
3. "Remember the Titans," $8 million
4. "Bedazzled," $7.7 million
5. "Pay It Forward," $6.9 million
6. "The Little Vampire," $5.5 million
7. "Lucky Numbers," $4.6 million
8. "The Contender," $2.5 million
9. "The Legend of Drunken Master," $2.3 million
10. "Best in Show," $1.8 million