Sunday
Apr222012

Weekend Box Office: April 20-22

Courtesy of Box Office Mojo:

1.  Think Like a Man - $33 million

2.  The Lucky One - $22.8 million

3.  The Hunger Games - $14.5 million

4.  Chimpanzee - $10.2 million

5.  The Three Stooges - $9.2 million

6.  The Cabin in the Woods - $7.7 million

7.  American Reunion - $5.2 million

8.  Titanic 3D - $5 million

9.  21 Jump Street - $4.6 million

10.  Mirror Mirror - $4.1 million

Two new releases managed to knock The Hunger Games from the top spot this weekend as Think Like a Man, the relationship comedy based on the novel by Steve Harvey took first place with an estimated $33 million.  It was a good weekend for the ladies overall this weekend, as The Lucky One, yet another Nicholas Sparks adaptation, also opened well with $22.8 million.  In its fifth weekend, The Hunger Games fell to third place with $14.5 million.  Worldwide, that film has grossed an estimated $572 million.

The documentary Chimpanzee also performed well this weekend with $10.2 million - the highest opening for any of the Disneynature films so far. 

As far as last week's holdovers (besides The Hunger Games), word-of-mouth seemed to benefit The Cabin in the Woods, which dropped only 47% - a relatively low drop for a horror movie.  With just $27 million, it's still not doing great, but it's hanging in there.  The Three Stooges hung around in fifth place, dropping 46% to earn $9.2 million.

Next weekend, our last until summer officially kicks off with The Avengers on May 5, will see the releases of the Edgar Allen Poe thriller The Raven, Jason Statham latest actionfest Safe, the romantic comedy The Five Year Engagement, and the animated Pirates! Band of Misfits.

Saturday
Apr212012

New Dark Knight Rises Trailer Attached To The Avengers

 

The Avengers is sure to be a huge hit around the world and any trailers before the movie will gain major exposure. Nolan Fans has found the scoop from the WB Exhibitor site that a third Dark Knight Rises trailer will be shown with all versions of the first big superhero movie of the summer. This includes, 2D, 3D, and IMAX 2D/3D showings, so that's quite a wide audience. The debate will continue on which movie will rake in the most cash for the year and it's really hard to tell at this point. Early on I would have easily went with TDKR taking the top spot, but the hype surrounding Avengers lately is gaining a lot of ground. 

No word on when the TDKR trailer will hit the web.  

Friday
Apr202012

Lobo Movie Has New Writer/Director - Warner Brothers' Sanity Called Into Question

Guy Ritchie was supposed to do a Lobo movie. Then he realized it's not the mid 90s anymore and he'd rather do another Sherlock Holmes instead.

Warner Brothers thinks there's an audience somewhere as they've assigned Brad Peyton, fresh off the surprise success of Journey 2: The Mysterious Island to write and direct reports "TOLDJA." They're still licking those Green Lantern wounds and after The Man of Steel next June they'll no longer have the Christopher Nolan tit to suckle from anymore.

And they have a stock-pile of DC scripts taking space at the Burbank offices like The Flash, Wonder Woman, Justice League and even obscure stuff like The Spectre and Adam Strange. Where's the logic in picking DC's intergalactic bounty hunter instead?

Thursday
Apr192012

Francis Lawrence Will (Most Likely) Be Catching Fire

If Francis Lawrence wants it, it's his.

Simple as that, reports Heat Vision. Lionsgate has sent a formal offer to the I Am Legend director to take reign from the departing Gary Ross for Catching Fire, the highly-anticipated sequel to the still-killing-in-theaters The Hunger Games.

A conclusion everyone saw coming miles away just using common sense given the circumstances. An unspecified fall start-date looming, prime November 2013 release date and star Jennifer Lawrence caught in a tug-o-war between Lionsgate and Fox, currently playing nice so they can both benefit from having her. Lionsgate can be picky all they want with who they say they'd like calling, "Action!" on set. But if they're serious about getting the next Hunger Games out by late next year (and God are they!), they couldn't afford to take their sweet ass time.

So the journeyman Lawrence it is. The ball is officially in his court to accept or decline. But we all expect to hear the former.

Thursday
Apr192012

Australia Cast As Japan in "The Wolverine"

Yep, believe it or not, this movie is finally happening.  As reported today by Australia's News.com.au, The Wolverine, long delayed by director dropouts and natural disasters in Japan, is officially set to begin filming this summer, with Sydney standing in for the film's Japanese setting. 

I would imagine this is good news, and not just for Hugh Jackman, who will once again get to work close to home (2009's X-Men Origins: Wolverine was also filmed in Australia), but the land Down Under itself, as the production will reportedly give the local economy an $80 million boost and create upwards of 2000 jobs between local film crew and extras.  That's always good to hear, although I'm curious just how Sydney will transform into Japan.

Hugh Jackman appeared via satellite from the Les Miserables set in London - in full Jean Valjean makeup, no less - to schmooze with the hosts of Australia's Today show about the new movie:

 

By the way, having seen the stage version of Les Miserables nine times, I know exactly what scene they were shooting today.  And dammit, I'm crying already.

The Wolverine, which will not make me cry, will be directed by James Mangold.  It is set for release on July 26, 2013.

Thursday
Apr192012

Megan Ellison to Serve Up 'American Bullshit' with Russell, Bale, & Cooper

Though it's unlikely to be called this once released, Deadline is reporting that Megan Ellison and her production company, Annapurna Pictures, are in majors talks to fund the political/crime drama, American Bullshit, with David O. Russell attached to direct as well as Christian Bale and Bradley Cooper set to star.

American Bullshit is said to be centered around the 1970s sting operation, Abscam, that took down a number of corrupt U.S. Congressmen.  No word yet on who Bale and Cooper will play, though it's safe to assume Bale will play a government agent of sorts and Cooper will likely bring back his "prick-like" qualities he so glowingly showed off in Wedding Crashers to play a corrupt politician.

This will be a reunion of sorts for the three as Bale and Russell previously teamed for The Fighter (which earned Bale an Oscar) as well as Cooper and the director having recently worked on The Silver Linings Playbook, due out later this year.

For those who don't recall, it was reported about a month ago that Russell and Bale were circling the project, though Russell came out and somewhat denied the validity of the story.  Funny how these things turn out.

No official word yet on when production will begin but all assuming things go well with contract negotiations and such (always such a delicate process in Hollywood), it's a sure bet this thing will go before the lens by the end of the year.

More on this project as it becomes available.

Thursday
Apr192012

Meyers Media Group Captures Night Of The Living Dead: Origins 3D

Newly-formed international sales company Meyers Media Group announces today that they have picked up all international rights to director Zebediah De Soto’s NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD: ORIGINS 3D from Simon West Productions. Simon West (director of “Expendables 2”) will produce alongside Jib Polhemus (“The Mechanic”), Gus Malliarodakis and Matty Mangone-Miranda. Written by De Soto, David Reuben Schwartz and Warren Davis, the film is a motion capture re-imagining of the George A. Romero zombie classic that stars Danielle Harris (“Halloween V”), Tom Sizemore (“Saving Private Ryan”) and Tony Todd (“Candyman”). The deal was brokered by Lawrence Meyers and Randy Dannenberg of Meyers Media Group and Polhemus on behalf of Simon West Productions.
 
In the film, New York lies in ruin when zombies have overtaken the city. For the few people left alive there is only one dream – survival. That includes Ben (Tony Todd) and Barbra (Danielle Harris), two survivors who find themselves trapped and fighting to escape the hordes of undead that walk the streets. 
 
Shot completely in a CG environment using stereoscopic 3D, the film employs the next generation facial capture technology that is a step beyond any previous versions used for this type of film. The look is a marriage between the graphic novel and modern animation, making it a true ‘graphic film’ that younger audiences will be more accustomed to experiencing.
 
"Horror films, especially zombie based films, already have a huge audience so it is particularly exciting to reinvent the genre with a totally new look," said Simon West.
 
“NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD is the most important franchise for the zombie genre, and to be a part of this re-imagining alongside Simon and Jib is exciting for us as a company,” said Lawrence Meyers, President of Meyers Media Group.
 
This is helmer De Soto’s debut as a feature director.  Also rounding out the cast are Bill Moseley (“Devil’s Rejects”) and Joe Pilato (“Day of the Dead”).
 
The film has been produced with the cooperation of The Graphic Film Company in association with Giant Studios, whose credits include motion capture work on TIN TIN and AVATAR.
 
Simon West Productions is currently in post-production on STOLEN, starring Nicholas Cage and written by David Guggenheim (“Safehouse”), and EXPENDABLES 2 with Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis, Jason Statham, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jean-Claude Van Damme. 
 
NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD: ORIGINS 3D will be one of the titles Meyers Media Group will be representing at the upcoming Cannes Film Market.  Additional titles for their slate are currently being assembled.

Thursday
Apr192012

"Virginia" Trailer From Dustin Lance Black

Written and directed by Dustin Lance Black (MILK), VIRGINIA stars Jennifer Connelly in the title role as a beautiful yet unhinged single mother who struggles to raise her son Emmett (Harrison Gilbertson) while dreaming of escaping her small Southern boardwalk town. Her long time affair with the very married, Mormon Sheriff Richard Tipton (Ed Harris) is thrown into question when he decides to run for public office. Things are further complicated when Emmett begins a romantic relationship with Tipton’s daughter (Emma Roberts). Virginia and the town—populated by Amy Madigan, Toby Jones, Yeardley Smith—are full of secrets and everyone knows Virginia can only keep things together for so long. VIRGINIA is a funny, touching drama that looks at the American Dream and what it takes to keep it together.

Thursday
Apr192012

Scorsese & DiCaprio Officially Reteaming for The Wolf of Wall Street

Shutter Island was never going to be their last hurrah. The work's been too good to be done, for good. Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio, nonetheless, needed some R&R away from each other and play in that sandbox we call filmmaking with others. Enough time has passed and batteries recharged it's time for their fifth project together, The Wolf of Wall Street, based on the 2008 autobiography of Jordan Belfort.

The relevancy of the material, I'm sure, played a hand instead of the plethora of other films the director/actor duo are attached to. Hey, it's about a 1%er, and you know that's topical because all our financial problems are because of greedy Wall-Street assholes! Just ask our President and the media.

I bitch but you know it'll be great and Scorsese, being the filmmaker he is, will make this engrossing without talking down to our dumbshits in Flyover Country.

Here's the press release:

"Martin Scorsese will direct 'The Wolf of Wall Street' starring Leonardo DiCraprio. The deal, which brings Scorsese and DiCaprio together for their fifth feature collaboration, was made official today.

Red Granite Pictures owns the rights to Jordan Belfort’s best-selling memoir The Wolf of Wall Street, on which the film is based. Red Granite principals Riza Aziz and Joey McFarland are producing along with Leonardo DiCaprio (Appian Way), Martin Scorsese and Emma Koskoff (Sikelia Productions) and Alexandra Milchan (EMJAG Productions). Irwin Winkler and Georgia Kacandes will executive produce.

Leonardo DiCaprio will star as Jordan Belfort – the 'Wolf of Wall Street.'

Terence Winter ('The Sopranos,' 'Boardwalk Empire') adapted the screenplay, which chronicles Belfort’s dramatic rise and fall on Wall Street, along with his hard-partying lifestyle and tumultuous personal life, which included drug and alcohol addiction.

'Everything about this film plays to Martin Scorsese’s genius and visionary storytelling, said Riza Aziz. 'At its heart, 'The Wolf of Wall Street' is about the rise of new 'modern' gangsters in New York. Wall Street gangsters that redefined excess, greed and arrogance. We're excited to see Mr. Scorsese take the reins of this visceral, tumultuous ride.'

'All of us at Appian Way are thrilled to collaborate, once again, with Martin Scorsese,' said Jennifer Killoran, partner in Appian Way. 'With Martin's unique vision and our partnership with Red Granite Pictures and EMJAG, we are excited to bring this story to film.'

Production on 'The Wolf of Wall Street' is slated to begin in August in New York."

Thursday
Apr192012

Who is Bruce Willis Staring At in G.I. Joe: Retaliation Poster?

If you had a speaking role in G.I. Joe: Retaliation and didn't get a character poster, you better get on the phone with your agent and Paramount legal. While you sort that out, enjoy one of the eleventy-hundred posters to overload the Internet today. Not going to post every all of them but I couldn't resist IGN Movies' exclusive one for Joe Colton, the original G.I. Joe played here by Bruce Willis.

Is it the bad photoshop or Willis' continual boredom in film (Why is it making that face? Does he have to poop?) that has me chuckling. As long as he keeps his cholesterol down and, yes, I will ware that joke down until its reduced to blood and bones.