Box Office Breakdown: Audiences Drawn to Obsessed
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Disney, Lionsgate, Paramount, Sony, Universal, Warner Bros, Action, Animation, Documentary, Drama, Family, Musicals, Sequels, Comedy, Thrillers, Box Office, Lists,
It was a battle between two Dreamgirls stars at the box office this weekend.
After back-to-back roles in music-related dramas, Beyonce Knowles proved she could deliver without having to sing a note. Obsessed, a thriller produced for approximately $20 million, pulled in nearly $29 million for a 1st place finish. The film, also featuring two NBC stars (The Office’s Idris Elba and Heroes’ Ali Larter), more than doubled last week’s champ, 17 Again.
Meanwhile, an Academy Award winner and an Iron Man joined forces for a surprising fourth place finish. The Soloist, costarring Jamie Foxx and Robert Downey Jr., didn’t even cross the $10 million mark. Although it was once considered as a pre-Oscars release, the film’s debut grossed less than last week’s nominee-filled entry, State of Play.
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| Variety
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Box Office Breakdown: 17 is the Lucky Number
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Disney, Lionsgate, Paramount, Universal, Warner Bros, Action, Animation, Drama, Horror, Music, Sequels, Comedy, Thrillers, Box Office, Lists,
Zac Efron may be cute, but he’s no Hannah Montana.
This weekend the Disney veteran got a chance to prove his worth in his first starring role. And though he managed to hit #1, Efron pulled in approximately $8.6 million less than Miley Cyrus did last week. The premiere of 17 Again also opened to $18.3 million less than High School Musical 3 did last October. (Then again, those two family-friendly films were a bit more accessible with their G-ratings.)
Russell Crowe, in the meantime, had far much more to groan about. The Oscar winner found his new movie, State of Play, sandwiched in between the two tween idols. The thriller, costarring Ben Affleck and Rachel McAdams, earned nearly $10 million less than the age-reversal comedy for a second place finish.
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Read More | Variety
In Theaters This Weekend: April 17, 2009
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Lionsgate, New Line, Universal, Action, Documentary, Drama, Foreign, Music, Political, Romance, Science Fiction, Sequels, Comedy, Thrillers, Lists, New Releases,
Here are some possible suggestions for your upcoming weekend:
- 17 Aagain (PG-13): starring Zac Efron, Leslie Mann, Matthew Perry (directed by Burr Steers)
- Crank: High Voltage (R): starring Jason Statham, Amy Smart, Clifton Collins Jr. (directed by Mark Neveldine, Brian Taylor)
- State of Play (PG-13): starring Russell Crowe, Ben Affleck, Rachel McAdams (directed by Kevin MacDonald)
- American Violet* (PG-13): starring Nicole Behaire, Will Patton, Alfre Woodard (directed by Tim Disney)
- The Butterfly Tattoo* (NR): starring Duncan Stuart, Jessica Blake, Aidan Magrath (directed by Phil Hawkins)
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First Look: Affleck and Bateman in Extract Trailer
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Miramax, Comedy, Trailers, Upcoming Releases,
Yes, Ben Affleck may now be a father of two—but that’s not the reason for his disheveled appearance. Later this fall, the the actor will reunite on the big screen with his State of Play costar, Jason Bateman, for a film from Mike Judge (Office Space).
In Extract, Bateman plays a factory owner who experiences a series of problems personally and professionally. Affleck stars as his best bud.
The comedy - also featuring Mila Kunis, Kristen Wiig and J.K. Simmons (Juno) - premieres on September 4.
Read More | Extract
Vaughn and Favreau Reunite on Couples Retreat
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Universal, Comedy, Casting, Celeb News, Upcoming Releases,
Real-life buds Jon Favreau and Vince Vaughn are scheduled to reunite this fall in a comedy for Universal. Since hitting it big with their 1996 hit, Swingers, the two have collaborated on several projects (Made, The Break-Up) together.
In the Favreau-penned Couples Retreat, four couples will go on a supposedly romantic vacation to a tropical resort. Although only one pair arrives with the intent of fixing their marriage, the other husbands and wives are forced to participate in the island’s therapy sessions. Jason Bateman and Faizon Love (Elf) are also lined up for the project.
Filming on Retreat begins this October. After production wraps, Jon will then being preparations for the next Iron Man installment.
Favreau and Vaughn can also be seen this November 26 in Four Christmases, a festive film co-starring Reese Witherspoon. A trailer for that comedy can be seen after the jump.
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Variety
Casting Corner: James McAvoy, Ben Affleck, Nicolas Cage
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Miramax, Adaptation, Animation, Drama, Comedy, Casting, Celeb News, Upcoming Releases,
Here’s a quick look at some of the casting announcements made recently:
It seems as if there isn’t a woman James McAvoy can’t romance. In the past few years, he’s been paired with Gillian Anderson, Keira Knightley, Anne Hathway and, of course, Angelina Jolie. Now the rising actor will be taking on his biggest chemistry challenge yet.
In Gnomeo and Juliet, McAvoy and Emily Blunt (The Devil Wears Prada) will voice characters in a CGI-animated version of the Shakespeare drama. But those looking for any Montagues or Capulets will be pleasantly surprised. In this version, the lovers will actually come from rivaling families of garden gnomes.
This film, co-produced by Elton John, will also feature music from the Lion King musician. The feature should be completed by 2010.
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Hollywood Reporter
Box Office Breakdown: Batman Smokes Pineapple Express
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Disney, New Line, Sony, Universal, Warner Bros, Action, Adaptation, Adventure, Animation, Drama, Family, Musicals, Science Fiction, Sequels, Comedy, Thrillers,
Pineapple Express’ strong open last week made number crunchers wonder: Would this be the week Batman was finally taken down? Unfortunately, breaking the record for ‘Any Wednesday in August’ doesn’t necessarily mean a movie will succeed on Friday or Saturday or Sunday. And despite Pineapple‘s promising start (the movie grossed $12.1 million on its first day), the comedy found itself smoked by the Caped Crusader.
The Dark Knight‘s recent $26 million take has now pushed the film past $441 million. When the sequel passes Star Wars’ $461 million (which should happen shortly), it will become the #2 film of all time. By staying on top for the fourth weekend in a row, Knight has also accomplished something that hasn’t been done since 2003’s Lord of the Rings: Return of the King.
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Yahoo! Movies
Box Office Breakdown: The Dark Knight Fights Off the Mummy
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: 20th Century Fox, Disney, Sony, Universal, Warner Bros, Action, Adaptation, Adventure, Animation, Family, Music, Mystery, Romance, Sequels, Comedy, Box Office, Lists, New Releases,
It was a close one. A very close one. But after a tight contest, The Dark Knight once again emerged as the box office winner this weekend.
Although it initially appeared as if The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor was going to bring Batman down, the three-quel lost steam at the end. The film, which grossed $40.4 million over the past three days, narrowly lost out to Knight and wound up being the lowest performer in its series. (The Mummy opened at $43.4 million in 1999 while The Mummy Returns scored $68 million in 2001.)
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Variety
Box Office Breakdown: The Dark Knight Hits $300 Million
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: 20th Century Fox, Disney, Sony, Universal, Warner Bros, Action, Adaptation, Adventure, Drama, Family, Musicals, Romance, Science Fiction, Sequels, Comedy, Box Office, Lists, New Releases,
Despite the combined forces of Ferrell/Reilly and Duchovny/Anderson, Team Bale/Ledger could not be slowed down.
This past week, The Dark Knight added a few more records to the franchise’s box office mantle:
- The film became the fastest movie ever to surpass the $300 million mark. (Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest crossed that line in 16 days; Knight did it in 10.)
- The sequel is now predicted to break $400 million in approximately 18 days. Shrek 2 took 43 days to the same in 2004.
- IMAX theaters also continue to benefit from the blockbuster’s success. Another $4.6 million was grossed over the weekend.
- It’s now believed the latest Batman installment could soar to $500 million - making it only the second movie to do so. Domestically, Titanic ($601 million) still reigns as the box office champ. (The original Star Wars pocketed $461 million while Shrek 2 earned $436 million.)
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Variety
Box Office Breakdown: Record-Breaking Weekend for The Dark Knight
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: 20th Century Fox, Disney, Sony, Universal, Warner Bros, Action, Adaptation, Adventure, Animation, Drama, Family, Musicals, Science Fiction, Sequels, Comedy, Box Office, Lists, New Releases,
Okay, let’s not beat around the bush. We all know The Dark Knight was huge. But how big exactly was it? Let’s break the numbers down:
- The film grossed approximately $158.3 million, beating the record set by Spider-Man 3 ($151.1 million) last year. The total already comes within reach of Tim Burton’s Batman. (The $251.2 million grosser has been the best earner in the franchise so far.)
- Knight pulled in $18.5 million during its Friday midnight screenings alone. The previous record holder was 2005’s Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith ($16.9 million).
- The movie had the best Friday total ever: $67.8 million.
- The sequel earned $6.2 million from IMAX showings alone. That number, again, beat Spider-Man 3 ($4.7 million).
- In one weekend, The Dark Knight grossed more than the last three Batman installments made in their opening weekends combined.
- The Christopher Nolan feature, along with the strong performance from Mamma Mia!, helped the industry attain the best box office weekend ever. Mamma‘s $27.6 million outperformed last year’s Hairspray ($27.5 million) to become the biggest musical opener ever.
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Variety
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