Box Office Breakdown: That Was It for Paranormal Activity

Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Fox Searchlight, Lionsgate, Paramount, Sony, Universal, Warner Bros, Action, Adaptation, Adventure, Animation, Biopics, Documentary, Drama, Family, Horror, Music, Period, Remakes, Comedy, Thrillers, Box Office, Lists

Based on the numbers from the past week, it looks like This Is It should remain in theaters longer than two weeks. Oh wait - it will.

Since opening late Tuesday night, the concert film has generated a total of $34.4 million domestically - $23.2 million just over the weekend - and approximately $101 worldwide. Although Michael Jackson technically didn’t beat the opener for Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour (that entry earned more over 5 days), This Is It had the best international debut ever for any concert film.

Sony’s win meant a short victory for Paranormal Activity. After a steady climb, and only 1 week at the top, the horror film slipped down to second place. Of course, the word-of-mouth hit has nothing to complain about. Not only has the movie grossed $84.6 million to date, it also had the best per screen average of any Top 10 charter.

Click to continue reading Box Office Breakdown: That Was It for Paranormal Activity

Read More | Variety

• Tools:
• Permalink
• Comments (0)
• Digg This
• Share on Facebook
• Email this story

Box Office Breakdown: Saw Outdone by Paranormal Activity

Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: DreamWorks, Paramount, Sony, Universal, Warner Bros, Action, Adaptation, Adventure, Animation, Drama, Family, Horror, Remakes, Sequels, Comedy, Thrillers, Box Office, Lists

Have audiences seen enough Saw?

Although Jigsaw is known for slaying his competition, the serial killer was no match for Katie Featherstone and Micah Sloat. This weekend, those two unknowns saw their small project, Paranormal Activity, finally top the box office charts. The movie, which was produced for approximately $15,000, reached that position after a steady climb up the ranks. (Aren’t films supposed to go down?) The horror flick also had a higher per screen average than any entry in the Top 10 despite fewer engagements.

Click to continue reading Box Office Breakdown: Saw Outdone by Paranormal Activity

Read More | Variety

• Tools:
• Permalink
• Comments (0)
• Digg This
• Share on Facebook
• Email this story

Remake News: Yellow Submarine, Poltergeist, Gunsmoke and More

Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Disney, MGM, Lionsgate, Universal, Warner Bros, Action, Adaptation, Adventure, Drama, Horror, Musicals, Remakes, Romance, Science Fiction, Comedy, Thrillers, Filmmaking, Scripts, Technology, Upcoming Releases

Yellow Submarine: Robert Zemeckis’ experience using 3-D performance-capture technology (The Polar Express, Beowulf) will soon come in handy on his remake of Yellow Submarine. Disney is reportedly working to get clearance on a list of Beatles songs for the project. (The 1968 animated film followed “Old Fred” and the Beatles as they traveled in their yellow submersible to Pepperland.) The goal is to have the film produced in time for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.

Click to continue reading Remake News: Yellow Submarine, Poltergeist, Gunsmoke and More

• Tools:
• Permalink
• Comments (0)
• Digg This
• Share on Facebook
• Email this story

Lionsgate Picks Up Kick-Ass

Posted by Robin Paulson Categories: Lionsgate, Action, Adaptation, Horror, Satire, Comedy, Distribution, Upcoming Releases

Mark Millar and John Romita Jr.‘s brutal, satirical comic book, Kick-Ass, turned quite a few heads last month when a clip from the film adaptation was showcased at San Diego Comic Con. One of those heads turned out to be the key to landing their U.S. and Canadian distributor, Lionsgate Films.

Director Matthew Vaughn has, with the help of his own company Marv Films and Plan B Entertainment, financed the film after studios turned it down (most likely due to prepubescent Hit Girl’s uber samurai-carnage).

Lionsgate, which aims to see a wide-release in 2010, beat out Universal, Paramount and Fox Searchlight (among others) for the rights.

Considering its proclivity towards violence (Saw, The Midnight Meat Train, Hostel: Part II) and eyebrow-raising material (Religulous, W.), I would say that Vaughn and company should feel safe in the company’s money-making arms.

Read More | The Hollywood Reporter

• Tools:
• Permalink
• Comments (0)
• Digg This
• Share on Facebook
• Email this story

Box Office Breakdown: High School Musical at the Top of the Class

Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: 20th Century Fox, DreamWorks, Disney, Fox Searchlight, Lionsgate, Paramount, Sony, Universal, Warner Bros, Action, Adaptation, Drama, Family, Horror, Musicals, Political, Sequels, Comedy, Thrillers, Box Office, Lists

This past week, the multiplexes had a little bit of something for everyone: politics, animals, music, dancing, thrillers, Oscar contenders and even horror. Not surprisingly, this meant a lot of dollars were shelled out in return.

As expected, the big screen debut of High School Musical 3 had tweeners (and their loving parents) all atwitter. Thanks to a $42 million debut, the G-rated film officially became the best musical opener of all time. (Mamma Mia! - with its $27.8 million - was the previous leader.)

Meanwhile, a film on the other end of the ratings spectrum was scaring up some decent dollars of its own. Saw V, which probably could have waited to premiere on Halloween, took in approximately $30 million over the last three days. Although it was pitted against the highly-anticipated Disney sequel, the movie carved out its own audience and raised first place-worthy numbers. Although the series is currently on its fifth life, the 2008 installment came within $4 million dollars of Saw III, the franchise’s best performer to date.

Click to continue reading Box Office Breakdown: High School Musical at the Top of the Class

Read More | Variety

• Tools:
• Permalink
• Comments (0)
• Digg This
• Share on Facebook
• Email this story

Box Office Breakdown: Max Payne Outvotes W for #1

Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: 20th Century Fox, DreamWorks, Disney, Fox Searchlight, Lionsgate, Paramount, Sony, Warner Bros, Action, Adaptation, Drama, Family, Horror, Political, Romance, Comedy, Thrillers, Box Office, Lists

Even though Josh Brolin was the host of last Saturday’s SNL, it was Mark Wahlberg - a minor player on that same show - who ended up on top.

This past weekend, Max Payne finally managed to do what no other movie has done yet: take Beverly Hills Chihuahua down. The video game adaptation earned $17.6 million putting nearly $6 million between itself and the family flick.

Surprisingly, a whole Oprah show dedicated to The Secret Life of Bees couldn’t provide that star-studded cast enough buzz. Despite a $10.5 million take, the drama still placed behind the four-legged film. (Bee did, though, earn more per theater than any Top Ten entry.) Meanwhile, Oliver Stone’s latest project did a respectable job for a politically-themed movie. W. also raked in $10.5 million this weekend, narrowly missing third place.

Click to continue reading Box Office Breakdown: Max Payne Outvotes W for #1

Read More | Variety

• Tools:
• Permalink
• Comments (0)
• Digg This
• Share on Facebook
• Email this story

Box Office Breakdown: Burn After Reading Smokes Past Competition

Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: DreamWorks, FOCUS, Lionsgate, Picturehouse, Paramount, Sony, Universal, Warner Bros, Action, Adaptation, Adventure, Drama, Sequels, Comedy, Box Office, Lists, New Releases

Around this same time last year, Tyler Perry was beating George Clooney in a battle at the box office. Now the Sexiest Man Alive is having his day.

This past weekend, cineplexes were kept busy with a handful of new releases. Although each film had a chance of reaching #1, Burn After Reading - starring Clooney, Brad Pitt and Frances McDormand - emerged as the eventual winner. But the news wasn’t so bad for the other three contenders. Theatergoers clearly starving for fresh material placed all four wide release entries into the chart’s four top slots.

Click to continue reading Box Office Breakdown: Burn After Reading Smokes Past Competition

Read More | Variety

• Tools:
• Permalink
• Comments (0)
• Digg This
• Share on Facebook
• Email this story

Box Office Breakdown: Bangkok Dangerous Tops Dismal Weekend

Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: 20th Century Fox, DreamWorks, Lionsgate, Paramount, Sony, Universal, Warner Bros, Action, Adaptation, Adventure, Drama, Musicals, Romance, Science Fiction, Sequels, Comedy, Box Office, Lists

Eek. And I thought a $14 million weekend was bad.

Seven days ago, Tropic Thunder reached the #1 spot despite an unimpressive box office turnout. This week, Bangkok Dangerous accomplished that same achievement—with only $7.7 million dollars.

While number crunchers weren’t expecting stellar numbers (kids are back in school, football’s back gone), the underwhelming response to Nicolas Cage‘s latest film was a bit surprising. Not only did the film industry have its worst weekend of 2008, Bangkok had the lowest take for any first-placed flick in five years. (Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star topped with $6.6 million in 2003.)

Click to continue reading Box Office Breakdown: Bangkok Dangerous Tops Dismal Weekend

Read More | Variety

• Tools:
• Permalink
• Comments (1)
• Digg This
• Share on Facebook
• Email this story

Box Office Breakdown: Tropic Thunder Makes It Three for Three

Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: 20th Century Fox, DreamWorks, Lionsgate, Paramount, Sony, Universal, Warner Bros, Action, Adaptation, Animation, Drama, Musicals, Romance, Satire, Science Fiction, Sequels, Comedy, Box Office, Lists, New Releases

At any other time of the year, a $14 million take would probably get you a decent ranking in the Top Ten. This holiday weekend, that box office total was enough to put Tropic Thunder into first place. Again.

Despite a new Vin Diesel entry, the Ben Stiller comedy led the top of the pack for the third weekend in a row. (If it reaches that mark a fourth time, it will have officially reached Dark Knight territory.) Meanwhile, Babylon A.D. settled for second place with only $11.5 million in ticket sales. I’m guessing the sci fi film’s reviews - in particular, the one from the movie’s own director - might have had something to do with the disappointing turnout.

Click to continue reading Box Office Breakdown: Tropic Thunder Makes It Three for Three

Read More | Yahoo! Movies

• Tools:
• Permalink
• Comments (0)
• Digg This
• Share on Facebook
• Email this story

New Poster of Eva Mendes in The Spirit Released

Posted by Robin Paulson Categories: Lionsgate, Action, Adaptation, Drama, Mystery, Noir, Casting, Filmmaking, Upcoming Releases

Shortly after the almighty Frank Miller eased fans’ concerns, he gives us this nice little surprise—a new poster of Sand Saref in The Spirit!

Sand Saref, played by the gorgeous Eva Mendes, is the Spirit’s old childhood sweetheart who later turns to a life of crime. Let’s hope that Frank and the crew give us a little more than this—Christmas is just far too long from now!

Read More | Yahoo! Movies

• Tools:
• Permalink
• Comments (0)
• Digg This
• Share on Facebook
• Email this story