'MEET THE FOCKERS' Continues Box Office Dominance, With First Place Finish for Third Weekend in a Row

'MEET THE FOCKERS' Continues Box Office Dominance, With First Place Finish for Third Weekend in a Row First Non-Holiday Weekend in 2005 Goes to Universal, With 47% of Weekend Gross; 'WHITE NOISE' Debuts in Strong Second Place UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif., Jan. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Continuing its dominance at the domestic box office, Universal Pictures'/DreamWorks Pictures' "Meet the Fockers" remained in first place for the third weekend in a row, taking in $28,498,160 at 3,527 playdates for a strong per theater average of $8,080, down just 32% from the previous weekend. The film now stands at $204,297,870, having crossed the $200 million cumulative threshold on Sunday. After just 19 days in release, "Meet the Fockers" also sets a new record as Ben Stiller's highest grossing film, topping "There's Something About Mary"'s previous record of $176.5 million. The paranormal thriller "White Noise" -- the debut Gold Circle Films production distributed by Universal Pictures under the studio's first-look domestic distribution deal -- opened in nearby second place. The film, starring Michael Keaton, took in $24,113,565 at 2,261 playdates for a per theater average of $10,665. "White Noise" is directed by Geoffrey Sax, written by Niall Johnson and produced by Paul Brooks and Shawn Williamson. Together, both "Meet the Fockers" and "White Noise" accounted for an impressive 47% of the weekend's total box office grosses. Though predicted to be a slow weekend, the surprisingly brisk business improved over last year's same weekend totals by 11%; total box office take was $112.4 million. "With just a 32% drop in business, 'Meet the Fockers' still has a great deal of playability in front of it," said Nikki Rocco, president, distribution, Universal Pictures. "The unexpected success of 'White Noise' can be attributed to Universal Pictures' marketing group, whose on the mark materials and campaign really got the film out there and created a 'must see' feeling in the marketplace. This terrific weekend is a really great start to 2005 for Universal Pictures." Four years ago, audiences were invited to come along with male nurse Greg (a.k.a. Gaylord) Focker (Ben Stiller) on a weekend as he lost his luggage, set the backyard on fire, went a little over-the-top in a game of water volleyball, spray painted the cat and was administered a lie-detector test by Jack Byrnes (Robert De Niro), his girlfriend's father (who turned out to be not a horticulturalist, but an ex-CIA operative reluctant to allow Greg into The Byrnes Family Circle of Trust) in the blockbuster comedy "Meet the Parents." The film became the runaway hit of the fall of 2000, tallying more than $300 million worldwide. Now, Greg has managed to earn his way inside the Circle of Trust and things are going great. He and his fiancee Pam (Teri Polo) are excitedly planning their wedding and there's only one tiny, itsy-bitsy little thing left to smooth the way to the altar: the future in-laws need to spend a weekend together. So, Greg and Pam climb aboard Jack's new state-of-the-art RV for a trip to Focker Isle, the Cocoanut Grove domicile of Bernie and Roz Focker (Dustin Hoffman and Barbra Streisand). The next 48 hours will provide the parents of the intended bride and groom a little time to get to know each other, but more importantly, give Jack the opportunity to study Greg's parents. Things start off well enough, but that's before Jack discovers that the lawyer and doctor Greg presented are, in fact, a liberal stay-at-home dad and a senior citizens' sex therapist. Then there's the RV toilet episode, the overly zealous game of touch football, the saucy Cuban caterer with the secret, the incident with the toddler and the glue ... People have always searched for a way to communicate with the other side -- fascinated, motivated, driven to find a way to connect with loved ones who have passed on. Electronic Voice Phenomenon (EVP) is the process through which the dead communicate with the living through household recording devices. These extraordinary recordings -- captured by people all over the world, in their homes, with a simple tape or video recorder -- seem to confirm what many of us have dared to believe: it is possible for the dead to communicate with us ... And all we have to do is listen. Now, from Universal Pictures and Gold Circle Films comes the suspense thriller that explores this very real, otherworldly communication -- "White Noise." Michael Keaton plays successful architect Jonathan Rivers, whose peaceful existence is shattered by the unexplained disappearance and death of his wife, Anna (Chandra West). Jonathan is eventually contacted by a man (Ian McNeice), who claims to be receiving messages from Anna through EVP. At first skeptical, Jonathan then becomes convinced of the messages' validity, and is soon obsessed with trying to contact her on his own. His further explorations into EVP and the accompanying supernatural messages unwittingly open a door to another world, allowing something uninvited into his life. Universal Pictures and DreamWorks Pictures Present A Tribeca/Everyman Pictures Production of A Jay Roach Film: Robert De Niro, Ben Stiller, Dustin Hoffman and Barbra Streisand in "Meet the Fockers," starring Blythe Danner, Teri Polo. The music is by Randy Newman. The costume designer is Carol Ramsey. The co-producer is Jon Poll. The film is edited by Jon Poll and Lee Haxall. The production designer is Rusty Smith; the director of photography is John Schwartzman, A.S.C. The executive producers are Nancy Tenenbaum and Amy Sayres. It is based on characters created by Greg Glienna & Mary Ruth Clarke. The film is produced by Jane Rosenthal, Robert De Niro and Jay Roach. The story is by Jim Herzfeld and Marc Hyman, with a screenplay by Jim Herzfeld and John Hamburg. "Meet the Fockers" is directed by Jay Roach. (C) 2004 Universal Studios and DreamWorks LLC www.meetthefockers.com Universal Pictures and Gold Circle Films Present A White Noise (UK) and Brightlight Pictures Production In Association with Endgame Entertainment: Michael Keaton in "White Noise," starring Deborah Kara Unger, Chandra West and Ian McNeice. The casting is by Maureen Webb. The music is composed by Claude Foisy. The costume designer is Karen Matthews; the production designer is Michael S. Bolton. It is edited by Nick Arthurs. The director of photography is Chris Seager, B.S.C. The executive producers are Scott Niemeyer, Norm Waitt, Simon Brooks and Stephen Hegyes. "White Noise" is produced by Paul Brooks and Shawn Williamson; it is written by Niall Johnson and directed by Geoffrey Sax. (C) 2004 Universal Studios www.whitenoisemovie.com Universal Pictures is a division of Universal Studios (www.universalstudios.com). Universal Studios is part of NBC Universal. NBC Universal is one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience. Formed in May 2004 through the combining of NBC and Vivendi Universal Entertainment, NBC Universal owns and operates the No. 1 television network, the fastest-growing Spanish-language network, a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group, and world-renowned theme parks. NBC Universal is 80%-owned by General Electric, with 20% controlled by Vivendi Universal. Source: Universal Pictures CONTACT: Paul Pflug, Universal Pictures, +1-818-777-0020 Web site: http://www.universalstudios.com/ http://www.whitenoisemovie.com/ http://www.meetthefockers.com/ ------- Profile: International Entertainment