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American Morning
"The Producers" Wins Big at Tonys; Sony and the Phantom Critic
Aired June 04, 2001 - 11:43 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Time for "Showbiz" news.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Let's check in with Laurin Sydney.
Hi, Laurin.
LAURIN SYDNEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Daryn.
Good news for the show, but bad news for you and I. We're going to get to see that play in about 2010, because Broadway's love affair with Mel Brooks culminated in a big record-setting wet kiss last night. "The Producers," Brooks' smash-hit musical, adapted from his movie, won 12 Tony awards last night, breaking the previous record of 10 held by "Hello, Dolly!"
The show won best musical, best actor for Nathan Lane and best direction and choreography for Susan Stroman.
Our very own Bill Tush talked to Brooks after the awards last night, where the comic genius started things off by ranting about corporations taking over the creative process.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MEL BROOKS, COMEDIAN: I would not sell my score...
BILL TUSH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Right.
BROOKS: ... of "The Producers" to Marvin Hamlisch, you know?
TUSH: What would he do with it?
BROOKS: I don't know. He might sell it to Warner Bros., you know what I mean?
(CROSSTALK)
BROOKS: But what I mean, I would never sell my score.
TUSH: It's yours. And it's...
BROOKS: It's mine. It's always mine.
When you create something as good as "The Producers," you don't -- and it is good. Let's face it.
TUSH: Well, obviously, yes. You can't get a ticket.
BROOKS: Well, it must be good.
(LAUGHTER)
TUSH: Yes. And good for you.
BROOKS: I've never met so many Jews in my life who will say they're my relatives.
(CROSSTALK)
BROOKS: I don't know who these people are. They say, "But your father Max and his cousin, and Bialostok (ph) knew Bernie. And the guy, the hunchback, knew him. Get me a ticket!" I said, "I don't know you. Get out of my life."
TUSH: But aren't you happy about tonight? I have to get something in here about the Tony Awards.
BROOKS: OK.
TUSH: OK.
BROOKS: Let's make believe we didn't have the beginning there.
I am so thrilled about tonight. Can you imagine a sweep? Twelve Tonys.
TUSH: Right.
BROOKS: In my wildest imagination, I never thought that anything like this could happen. And here it's happened. And, boy, it makes you believe in God. It's just a wonderful, wonderful thing.
TUSH: But did you ever think?
BROOKS: Never in my life did I think. I'm going back on his -- the road he wants to take. No. I never thought.
TUSH: Now, see, I was a big fan of the movie when it was out. And people didn't get it. A lot of people didn't get it back then.
BROOKS: I know. I know.
TUSH: I loved it. I had the soundtrack.
BROOKS: You were smart.
TUSH: I learned the dialogue.
BROOKS: You're kidding? Really?
TUSH: No. I swear. BROOKS: Put it there.
TUSH: Honest to God.
BROOKS: This is a good guy. I like this guy.
TUSH: Yes.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SYDNEY: Mel, if you're watching, I am your relative.
Anyway, another pearl of a weekend at the box office for "Pearl Harbor."
And joining us now from L.A. is our box-office analyst, Mr. Marty Grove.
And, Marty, this weekend not quite as good as last for the World War II film.
MARTIN GROVE, "HOLLYWOOD REPORTER": Laurin, that's typical. Movies only decline. But Disney doesn't have to man the lifeboats quite yet.
Over the weekend, they estimated $30 million for "Pearl Harbor." This morning, Disney tells me the number they will announce later today: $29.9 million. It's off 50 percent. I know that sounds terrible, but it is not. Big movies opening Memorial Day weekend take big drops. Last year, "Mission: Impossible 2" dropped 53 percent. In 1997, "Lost World: Jurassic Park" dropped 53 percent also; 50 percent looks good compared to that.
This picture is a winner. It's heading for somewhere between, oh, let's say $250-275 million just in the U.S. and Canada. It will be probably double that worldwide. I think they're in good shape.
SYDNEY: Marty, meanwhile, "Shrek" was hot on "Pearl Harbor"'s heels. And it might just be the big winner of the whole summer.
GROVE: Well, yes. "Shrek" is doing very, very good business, Laurin -- "Shrek" doing about $28.5 million this weekend. It's already up to almost $149 million. It's heading for $250-270 million. The difference is that "Shrek" didn't cost nearly as much as "Pearl Harbor" -- "Pearl Harbor" about $140 million -- "Shrek" somewhere in the $40 million.
So there were stories earlier that it cost in the $70 millions. DreamWorks says no, somewhere in the 40s. So they will make a lot of money from "Shrek." And, of course, it will be around for years to come in video and re-released theatrically and all that -- a big, big winner for DreamWorks.
SYDNEY: And now, Marty, a fascinating story that you could talk to: Rob Schneider's "The Animal," it did well this weekend, but parent studio Sony is kind of in trouble concerning the advertising. GROVE: Well, they are, Laurin. The picture opened to almost $20 million. It only cost $22 million to make. So it is, I mean, an unqualified success. They will make money on it. The problem is that, in their advertising, they have some reviews from a critic who actually doesn't exist, apparently.
David Manning is his name. His publication is "The Ridgefield Press." And there are stories out today on the wires and so forth that say "Newsweek" investigated all this and discovered there is no David Manning. Now, what is really stupid is that you can always find critics to say what you want. So somebody in the advertising department at Columbia apparently just got a little bit too creative.
You know, they used review quotes in several ads, one for a "Knight's Tale," where they called Heath Ledger this year's hottest new star. Now, you don't have to invent a critic to say that because it happens to be true. I'll say it: Heath Ledger, this year's hottest new star. Quote me next week.
(LAUGHTER)
SYDNEY: OK. We will do that. And Marty Grove does exist. But so does the clock. And we are out of time for now, Marty.
So we are going to take this break and come back with much more news right after this.
Thank you, Marty.
We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SYDNEY: Meanwhile, there was another awards show this weekend, one that was a little bit wackier than the Tonys. The stars turned out in Hollywood for MTV's irreverent Movie Awards, the one with such honors as best screen kiss. We'll take you backstage, as music and movie moguls will mingle in Tinseltown. And that will be in our 2:35 p.m. Eastern "Showbiz Today Reports."
Until then, in New York, I'm Laurin Sydney.
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