Box Office Breakdown: Rambo Outgunned by Spartans
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: 20th Century Fox, Buena Vista, Disney, Fox Searchlight, Lionsgate, Paramount, Sony, Warner Bros, Action, Adaptation, Drama, Horror, Satire, Sequels, Comedy, Thrillers, Box Office, Lists, New Releases
Although Sylvester Stallone was hoping to end the Rambo series on an up note, it appears the actor/writer/director will just have to settle for second place. Many had expected the fourth installment would come away with the weekend’s spoils, unfortunately the aging action hero was overpowered by a group of toga-clad warriors.
It should be said though that Meet the Spartans had an extremely narrow victory. The spoof of 2007’s 300 edged out the action flick by just $300,000. But a win is still a win, right? The satire also had the best per screen average of any movie in the Top Ten ($7104).
Click to continue reading Box Office Breakdown: Rambo Outgunned by Spartans
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| Variety
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‘Cloverfield’ Ready for Big Box Office Debut
Posted by K.C. Morgan Categories: Paramount, Horror, Thrillers, Box Office, New Releases
Scheduled to open January 18, the big-budget sci-fi thriller Cloverfield stands to make a box office killing. At least, that’s the hope. The Paramount release doesn’t have a lot of big-name stars, but teaser trailers have been running for months now and strong promotion generally creates ticket holders. Unique shooting techniques and hard-core action make Cloverfield compelling and serve to give viewers the feeling of being in the story - something that worked well for movies using similar techniques (like The Blair Witch Project).
The movie sets the stage by introducing all the characters while putting viewers right in the mix. One friend plans a journey to Japan to find his own identity and way in the world, as others make a tape for him so he can hold happy memories close. But Cloverfield is about no happy party - for soon enough, terror strikes. In this way, this film is very much like any other horror movie ever made.
What’s different about Cloverfield? Lots of money, slick production, and in-your-face glimpses of the monster give this film a polished feel often lacking in other horror flicks. The movie strives for a natural, authentic feeling sure to keep viewers right on the edge. And the monster, it’s said, is well worth the wait.
Read More | Hollywood Reporter
In Theaters This Weekend (12/21)
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: DreamWorks, Disney, Sony, Universal, Warner Bros, Action, Adaptation, Adventure, Drama, Horror, Musicals, Romance, Comedy, Sports, Thrillers, Box Office, Lists, New Releases
Here are some possible suggestions for your upcoming weekend:
- Charlie Wilson’s War (R): starring Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, Philip Seymour Hoffman (directed by Mike Nichols)
- National Treasure: Book of Secrets (PG): starring Nicolas Cage, Jon Voight, Helen Mirren (directed by Jon Turteltaub)
- P.S. I Love You (PG-13): starring Hilary Swank, Gerard Butler, Lisa Kudrow (directed by Richard LaGravanese)
- Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (R): starring Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Sacha Baron Cohen (directed by Tim Burton)
- Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (R): starring John C. Reilly, Jenna Fischer, Kristen Wiig (directed by Jake Kasdan)
- Steep* (PG): starring Ingrid Backstrom, Doug Coombs, Shane McConkey (directed by Mark Obenhaus)
*limited and/or gradual release
Box Office Breakdown: The Golden Compass Lacks Luster
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: 20th Century Fox, Disney, MGM, New Line, Paramount, Warner Bros, Weinstein Company, Action, Adaptation, Adventure, Animation, Drama, Family, Horror, Music, Romance, Comedy, Thrillers, Box Office, Lists, New Releases
A Narnia-esque adaptation partnered with a holiday release date and an A-list cast should have conjured box office magic for The Golden Compass. Surprisingly, this weekend’s release from New Line Cinema brought in barely enough money to cover the film’s catering budget.
Compass, based on Philip Pullman’s children’s series His Dark Materials, was Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig’s second disappointing collaboration this year (the first being The Invasion). While it was enough for a first place finish, the $25 million debut was hardly impressive given the film’s $180 million price tag.
In other news, holiday flick This Christmas remained in third place while the critically-panned Fred Claus bumped up two spaces from last week. Meanwhile, Juno and Atonement did well with their very limited releases.
Be looking for the highly-promoted I Am Legend (and Alvin and the Chipmunks) to enter next week’s charts.
Click to continue reading Box Office Breakdown: The Golden Compass Lacks Luster
Read More | E! Online
Box Office Breakdown: Jessica Alba Can’t Keep Audiences Awake
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: 20th Century Fox, Disney, MGM, Paramount, Warner Bros, Weinstein Company, Action, Adaptation, Animation, Drama, Family, Horror, Romance, Comedy, Thrillers, Box Office, Lists, New Releases
There’s nothing like a good snub to restore your faith in moviegoers.
Although Awake was the only new wide release this past weekend, discerning audiences kept it from succeeding by default. (NOTE: Cute squirrels will always trump Jessica Alba.) The movie, also co-starring Star Wars’ Hayden Christensen, opened with a dismal $6 million - less than half of what Alba’s last stellar film, Good Luck Chuck, did. (The latter opened at $13.7 million.) I wonder if this currently makes Jessica Biel the most successful Jessica out there.
Aside from Awake’s entry, the rest of the Top Ten changed very little from last week. Enchanted refused to budge from its perch and earned another $16 million over the past three days. Meanwhile, Beowulf surged back up a notch, trading spots with holiday flick, This Christmas.
Although the box office numbers were unspectacular overall, we can expect big changes in just a few days; that’s when New Line’s The Golden Compass makes its debut.
Click to continue reading Box Office Breakdown: Jessica Alba Can’t Keep Audiences Awake
What’s in ‘The Mist’?
Posted by K.C. Morgan Categories: MGM, Adaptation, Horror, New Releases
Actual mist is created with suspended droplets of moisture, and is not to be confused with fog (which has greater visibility) or haze (which is a different color altogether). And Stephen King, pop kitsch horror writer-turned movie mogul, is not to be confused with a writer who actually offers some value. If weather phenomenon frighten you and you’re at all interested in seeing yet another movie about losing visibility and being beset by scary occurrences, go see The Mist. If you started to get bored with King, stay away.
So, here’s the setup. Bunch of people living in Maine, everyone’s just doing their thing. All of a sudden, a strange mist (not a fog, mind you, a mist) rolls into town. Frightened and dismayed, citizens hole up in a grocery store to escape this ever-encroaching mist. How likely is that, honestly? You’re out and about, you’re shopping, a thick mist rolls in. Do you lock the doors, batten down the hatches and wait it out? Or do you just take your groceries home? Honestly now. Anyway, the film takes place
entirelyin the grocery store and features CGI effects which at least saves the movie from being a complete waste of time. Did I mention there are some sort of weird monsters living in the mist? Mist monsters?
Click to continue reading What’s in ‘The Mist’?
Read More | Hollywood Reporter
In Theaters This Weekend (11/30)
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Fox Searchlight, Weinstein Company, Adaptation, Documentary, Drama, Foreign, Independent, Mystery, Period, Political, Science Fiction, Comedy, Thrillers, Lists, New Releases
- Awake (R): starring Hayden Christensen, Jessica Alba, Terrence Howard (directed by Joby Harold)
- Badland* (R): starring Jamie Draven, Linda St. George, Linda Naney (directed by Francesco Lucente)
- Chronicles of an Escape* (R): starring Rodrigo De La Serna, Pablo Echarri (directed by Adrian Israel Caetano)
- Divine Intervention* (R): starring Wesley Jonathan, Jazsmin Lewis, James Avery (directed by Van Elder)
- The Diving Bell and the Butterfly* (PG-13): starring Mathieu Amalric, Emmanuelle Seigner (directed by Julian Schnabel)
- Oswald’s Ghost* (NR): (directed by Robert Stone)
- Protagonist* (R): starring Hans-Joachim Klein, Mark Pierpont, Joe Loya (directed by Jessica Yu)
- The Sasquatch Gang* (NR): starring Jon Gries, Jeremy Sumpter, Justin Long (directed by Tim Skousen)
- The Savages* (R): starring Laura Linney, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Philip Bosco (directed by Tamara Jenkins)
- Sex and Breakfast* (R): starring Macaulay Culkin, Alexis Dziena, Eliza Dushku (directed by Miles Brandman)
- Teeth* (R): starring John Hensley, Jess Weixler, Hale Appleman (directed by Mitchell Lichtenstein)
*limited and/or gradual release
Box Office Breakdown: Metal Blades Take Down Machine Gun Leg
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Disney, Paramount, Sony, Warner Bros, Weinstein Company, Action, Animation, Drama, Family, Horror, Period, Sequels, Comedy, Sports, Thrillers, Box Office, Lists, New Releases
Not even the combined directing muscle of Team Tarantino/Rodriguez could take away the gold medal from Team Ferrell/Heder. Despite the publicity onslaught, Grindhouse didn’t even score a silver. Heck, it didn’t even make the medal platform. But I guess it could have been worse. Two-time Oscar winner Hilary Swank not only placed fifth—but she too was beat out by a family friendly Ice Cube. I think it’s now safe to say that the plagues have officially commenced..
1. Blades of Glory, Paramount, $22,522,330
2. Meet the Robinsons, Disney, $16,715,437
3. Are We Done Yet?, Sony, $14,262,724
4. Grindhouse, Weinstein Co., $11,596,613
5. The Reaping, Warner Bros., $10,025,203
6. 300, Warner Bros., $8,368,382
7. Wild Hogs, Disney, $6,644,971
8. Shooter, Paramount, $5,856,494
9. TMNT, Warner Bros., $4,825,445
10. Firehouse Dog, Fox, $3,838,916
Box Office Breakdown: Blades Has The Cutting Edge
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Disney, New Line, Paramount, Sony, Warner Bros, Action, Adventure, Animation, Drama, Family, Horror, Mystery, Period, Science Fiction, Comedy, Sports, Thrillers, Box Office, Lists, New Releases
It really shouldn’t have been hard to predict that a Will Ferrell movie—or frankly a better movie—would take the top spot away from those fightin’ turtles. Audiences simply love watching him mock their beloved sports. It’s also worth nothing that TMNT sunk so low…it was even surpassed by the old fave, 300. Cowabunga?#$%!
Here’s how the rest of the weekend broke down:
1. Blades of Glory, Paramount, $33,014,202
2. Meet the Robinsons, Disney, $25,123,781
3. 300, Warner Bros., $11,434,437
4. TMNT, Warner Bros., $9,232,362
5. Wild Hogs, Disney, $8,662,893
6. Shooter, Paramount, $8,364,413
7. Premonition, Sony, $5,213,264
8. The Hills Have Eyes II, Fox Atomic
9. Reign Over Me, Sony, $3,835,022
10. The Last Mimzy, New Line, $3,815,600
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