Box Office Breakdown: Watchmen Finally Gets Its Time to Shine
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: 20th Century Fox, FOCUS, Disney, Fox Searchlight, Lionsgate, Sony, Warner Bros, Action, Adaptation, Adventure, Animation, Drama, Family, Music, Romance, Comedy, Thrillers, Box Office, Lists

When is a $55.7 million weekend considered a slight disappointment?
- When the film is the only new major release that weekend.
- The movie involves superheroes.
- The story is based on a popular graphic novel.
- The project has received a significant amount of attention due to a lengthy court battle.
- The director earned more for his last film. (300 grossed $70.9 million over its first three days back in 2007.)
- The R-rated film features plenty of gore and nudity.
- It cost between $120-$150 million to make.
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| Variety
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Box Office Breakdown: Tyler Perry Surprises the Jonas Brothers
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: 20th Century Fox, FOCUS, Disney, Fox Searchlight, Lionsgate, Sony, Warner Bros, Action, Adaptation, Drama, Family, Music, Romance, Comedy, Thrillers, Box Office, Lists

Back in February 2008, Hannah Montana grossed a record $31.1 million during its first weekend. Now, just over a year later, the Jonas Brothers can say they pulled in less than 1/2 as much.
Although there were high hopes for Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience, the musical trio was unable to match the work of dual personalities. (The movie even played in twice as many screens as the Miley Cyrus version.) As it was, the teen heartthrobs were only the second biggest draw this weekend. The good news? The boys did have the best per screen average of any entry in the Top Ten.
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| Variety
Box Office Breakdown: Madea Sets Record for Lionsgate
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: 20th Century Fox, FOCUS, Disney, Fox Searchlight, Lionsgate, Sony, Warner Bros, Action, Adaptation, Animation, Drama, Family, Horror, Sequels, Comedy, Thrillers, Box Office, Lists

While Slumdog Millionaire was making news for India, Tyler Perry was busy breaking records for his studio.
The latest installment in Tyler Perry’s franchise surpassed all expectations this weekend. Madea Goes to Jail, with its $41 million premiere, was the box office’s biggest opener since November’s Twilight. It was also the best debuter for Lionsgate…ever. (October 2006’s Saw III was the previous topper at $33 million.)
Unfortunately, Friday the 20th didn’t go as well for Friday the 13th. After only one week on the charts, last weekend’s record breaker dropped a frightening 81% to 6th place.
Click to continue reading Box Office Breakdown: Madea Sets Record for Lionsgate
The 2009 Academy Awards: Live Commentary
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Awards

After a year away from live Oscars coverage, I’m thrilled to be back for the 2009 Academy Awards.
Even though Dark Knight‘s snub will probably keep a number of viewers away (how many can honestly say they’ve seen The Reader?), I’m eagerly anticipating several moments from this evening’s broadcast.
Will Heath Ledger’s family bring the house to tears? Is Mickey Rourke going to make the producers wince? Will the cameras pan to Brangelina after Jennifer Aniston’s presentation? Are Vanessa Hudgens and Zac Efron really (really?) going to do a song and dance number?
To find out if this will be the year of the Slumdog or the underdog, stay tuned here for the live results!
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Box Office Breakdown: Friday the 13th Slashes the Holiday Competition
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: 20th Century Fox, FOCUS, Disney, Fox Searchlight, Sony, Warner Bros, Action, Adaptation, Animation, Drama, Horror, Romance, Sequels, Comedy, Thrillers, Box Office, Lists

Twelve turned out to be a lucky number for good old #13.
Blood-thirsty audiences helped push Friday the 13th into the record books this holiday weekend. (There’s no better way to spend a Valentine’s Day than scared in your honey’s arms.) The franchise’s twelfth installment scared up $43.6 million over the last four days to become the top horror opener of all time. Friday also had the second best showing ever for a President’s Day weekend debut. (Ghost Rider pulled in $52 million in 2007.)
The horror film wasn’t the only newsmaker this February. Paul Blart: Mall Cop, this week’s sixth-place finisher, added on another $13.8 million to officially break the $100 million mark. (The comedy currently stands at $112.3 million.) That’s the first time a January opener has ever done that.
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| Variety
Box Office Breakdown: He’s Just Not That Into You Debuts on Top
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: 20th Century Fox, FOCUS, Fox Searchlight, New Line, Paramount, Sony, Warner Bros, Action, Adaptation, Adventure, Animation, Drama, Family, Horror, Romance, Sequels, Comedy, Thrillers, Box Office, Lists

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie may have returned home with more losses this weekend, but Jennifer Aniston was a big winner.
For the third time in a row, the Friends star found herself in a familiar position. Although it is technically an ensemble piece, He’s Just Not That Into You became the 39-year-old’s latest chart topper. (The Break-Up and Marley & Me also debuted at #1.) The adaptation’s $28 million gross helped push another romantic comedy offering, New in Town, completely out of the Top Ten. (The Renee Zellweger film had only been there for one week.)
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| Variety
Box Office Breakdown: Audiences are Taken with Liam Neeson
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: 20th Century Fox, Fox Searchlight, Lionsgate, Paramount, Sony, Warner Bros, Action, Adventure, Drama, Family, Horror, Romance, Sequels, Comedy, Thrillers, Box Office, Lists

While it would seem logical to find a female-oriented movie on top after Super Bowl Sunday, an action thriller proved there was more than enough testosterone to go around. Taken, starring Oscar-nominee Liam Neeson, took in $24.7 million making it the second best opener ever during the same football period. (Last year’s Hannah Montana concert film grossed $31.1 million.)
Meanwhile, a romantic comedy starring an actual Oscar winner, failed to do what counterprogramming options are meant to do: score a touchdown. New in Town, starring Renee Zellweger and Harry Connick Jr., earned $6.7 million and a disappointing 8th place. (Apparently Academy Awards don’t guarantee future success.) The romantic comedy raked in about 1/2 as much as Zellweger’s Leatherheads did…and that’s saying a lot.
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| Variety
In Theaters This Weekend: January 30, 2009
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: 20th Century Fox, DreamWorks, Lionsgate, Action, Adaptation, Drama, Foreign, Horror, Romance, Comedy, Thrillers, Lists, New Releases

Here are some possible suggestions for your upcoming weekend:
- New in Town (PG): starring Renee Zellweger, Harry Connick, Jr., Nathan Fillion (directed by Jonas Elmer)
- Taken (PG-13): starring Liam Neeson, Maggie Grace, Famke Janssen (directed by Pierre Morel)
- The Uninvited (PG-13): starring Elizabeth Banks, Emily Browning, David Strathairn (directed by Charles and Thomas Guard)
Click to continue reading In Theaters This Weekend: January 30, 2009
Casting Corner: Liam Neeson, Amy Adams, Michael Chiklis and More
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Adaptation, Drama, Romance, Comedy, Thrillers, Casting, Celeb News, Upcoming Releases

Here’s a quick look at some of the casting announcements made recently:
Liam Neeson: The Batman Begins actor has signed on to star with Christina Ricci in a psychological thriller. In After.Life, Ricci - who replaced Kate Bosworth - will play a woman who is caught between life and death. Neeson is slated for the role of the funeral director, a man who mysteriously posseses a “gift of transitioning the dead.” Production on the film begins in November.
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| Variety
Casting Corner: Steve Carell, Tina Fey, Ashton Kutcher, Orlando Bloom
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: 20th Century Fox, Columbia Pictures, Adaptation, Drama, Comedy, Casting, Celeb News, Upcoming Releases

Here’s a quick look at some of the casting announcements made recently:
Two of NBC‘s Thursday night stars will soon be joining forces for a big-screen comedy.
Actors Steve Carell (The Office) and Tina Fey (30 Rock) are both lined up to star in Date Night, a film for 20th Century Fox.
The comedians will play a married couple who end up with more than just a “dinner and a movie” on their regular date night. The movie will be helmed by Shawn Levy, the same man currently directing Night at the Museum 2: Battle of the Smithsonian.
Production on Date Night should begin sometime next year.
Click to continue reading Casting Corner: Steve Carell, Tina Fey, Ashton Kutcher, Orlando Bloom
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| Variety
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