STUDIO SPOTLIGHT Corporate instability hindered Polygram Filmed Entertainment in 1998 as the new player released five films into wide release in addition to one well-publicized limited release. About half of Polygram's grosses came from its expensive fall picture What Dreams May Come which absorbed $55.4M. In January, the mini-studio battled director Robert Altman over the final cut of The Gingerbread Man which resulted in a neglected limited release in less than 25 locations. Despite the film being buried, its $1.6M gross gave it a red hot $74,000 per-theater average (Armageddon averaged about $64,000 in over 3,000 theaters).

Polygram's other films in 1998 were The Borrowers ($22.4M), Barney's Great Adventure ($11.1M), Return to Paradise ($8.3M), and Very Bad Things ($10M).