Busting the Block: Does Sex and the City Have the Power?
Posted by K.C. Morgan Categories: Paramount, Romance, Comedy, Box Office, New Releases,
With mega-hits like Indiana Jones also premiering this summer, what chance does the female-oriented Sex and the City movie really have for big box office numbers? A somewhat raunchy cable show that ran on a network which worshiped The Sopranos, Sex enjoyed its fair share of popularity during its six-year stint. But come on, four years have gone by. Could Sex really make it to the status of summer blockbuster?
If the New York crowds which gathered for every single day of shooting, all waving cameras and screaming their heads off, are any indication, the Sexy movie could surpass all expectations and change everything we know about a series-turned-cinema event. “Crowd control was difficult to deal with,” said Sarah Jessica Parker on filming the movie (largely based in New York City, as was the series). “It’s a wonderful problem to have that kind of interest; it was exciting to have that energy around us.”
Creator Darren Star and executive producer Michael Patrick King have each said they wanted the series to seem more like a movie - which is why it was often shot on the streets of New York with glossy, careful direction. That’s why Star thinks the series lends itself beautifully to a run on the silver screen.
The movie has had it’s gala premiere (er, it’s had three), and all that’s left now is a big opening weekend. It all happens Friday.
MTV.com
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Terminator Sequel More Family-Friendly
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Warner Bros, Action, Adventure, Science Fiction, Sequels, Upcoming Releases,
In hopes of broadening their movie’s audience, the producers of Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins have announced they’re aiming for a PG-13 stamp. This move would be a departure from the first three installments which were all rated R.
Devotees of the series might find this bit of news a little upsetting. Would a dialed-down film also mean a watered-down Terminator? Meanwhile, younger fans of the FOX series are probably thrilled by this announcement. Now they’ll get to follow along on the big screen.
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Variety
Jackie Chan Disappointed By ‘Rush Hour’ Films
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: New Line, Action, Comedy, Celeb News,
Should we excuse an actor for making a film he didn’t even like—especially when it takes in millions of our theater dollars?
Jackie Chan, who co-starred with Chris Tucker in the Rush Hour series, is now admitting his indifference toward all three installments.
Although he never really understood the humor, the Hong Kong star participated in the original 1998 version in hopes of establishing crossover appeal. Money and ‘fan satisfaction’ were simply the motivators for the next two. Granted, he wouldn’t be the first person to admit he made a sequel for the paycheck—but he may be one of the few to admit he wasn’t a fan of his own work (especially when his movie is still in the theaters). And while the fight scenes might have been too watered down for Chan’s taste, American audiences liked them enough to help each film gross over $137 million or more.
So what do you think about this? Do you believe Chan should leave his preferences/opinions behind if he’s going to make a film in the US? Is it right for him to bash a series he was partially responsible in making? Or do you agree with his perspective on the Rush Hour series overall?
Read More 
| USA Today
Box Office Breakdown: Geeks Fight Off Statham, Jet Li
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: 20th Century Fox, Lionsgate, New Line, Paramount, Sony, Universal, Warner Bros, Weinstein Company, Action, Adaptation, Adventure, Drama, Foreign, Horror, Music, Musicals, Romance, Science Fiction, Sequels, Comedy, Thrillers, Box Office, Lists, New Releases,
No, you are correct. Superbad is one of the few movies that has managed to stay at #1 for more than one week this summer. The movie that only cost $20 million to make now shares the Two-Timers title with Spider-Man 3 and Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World’s End. (And I’m guessing those movies cost a bit more to produce).
Not only did the high-schoolers hold back the action-packed War (starring Jason Statham and Jet Li), but so did the aging Bourne Ultimatum and British goof Rowan Atkinson (Mr. Bean’s Holiday).
Unfortunately, the Top 5 was so testosterone-laden that it didn’t leave any room for the film adaptation of The Nanny Diaries. I’m wondering if more women were eager to see that hunky Statham than be reminded of their bratty kids waiting at home…
1. Superbad, Sony, $18,044,369
2. The Bourne Ultimatum, Universal, $12,472,215
3. Rush Hour 3, New Line, $11,706,643
4. Mr. Bean’s Holiday, Universal, $9,889,780
5. War, Lionsgate, $9,820,089
6. The Nanny Diaries, Weinstein Co., $7,480,927
7. The Simpsons Movie, Fox, $4,317,689
8. Stardust, Paramount, $3,872,560
9. Hairspray, New Line, $3,265,384
10. The Invasion, Warner Bros, $3,093,428
Box Office Breakdown: It’s Super To Be Bad
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: 20th Century Fox, Disney, New Line, Paramount, Sony, Universal, Warner Bros, Action, Adaptation, Adventure, Animation, Drama, Family, Horror, Music, Musicals, Romance, Science Fiction, Sequels, Comedy, Thrillers, Books, Lists, New Releases,
The Judd Apatow train is bound to hit a roadblock at some point—but for the time being, it’s full steam ahead. Superbad opened impressively with over $30 million this weekend making it the third Apatow-related project in a row to accomplish this feat (the others being Talledega Nights and Knocked Up). This is, of course, not taking into consideration the uber-sleeper hit The 40-Year-Old Virgin.
Meanwhile, there was nothing super about Nicole Kidman’s latest outing. The Invasion, the latest version The Body Snatchers, scared up a dismal $5.9 million (and that’s despite Daniel Craig’s hunky presence). But I predict a much stronger outing for these two later this year with The Golden Compass.
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Box Office Breakdown: Audiences Not Yet Tuckered Out
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: 20th Century Fox, Disney, New Line, Paramount, Sony, Universal, Warner Bros, Action, Adaptation, Adventure, Animation, Drama, Family, Music, Musicals, Romance, Science Fiction, Sequels, Comedy, Thrillers, Box Office, Lists, New Releases,
Spider-Man 3, Shrek the Third, Pirates, Ocean’s, Bourne and now Rush Hour 3. All six three-quels premiered directly at the top of the heap this summer.
Unfortunately, a six-year gap between the second and third Rush installments may have led to what some would consider slightly disappointing receipts. On any other occasion, a $50 weekend would be something to brag about. But considering it pales to the $67.4 million brought in by the 2001 predecessor, it’s only worth a pat on the back.
But really, the Disappointment of the Week honor should really fall on Cuba Gooding Jr. When you’re accepting rejected scripts from the man who played Norbit, you have to wonder where it all went wrong (two words: Chill Factor). Sadly, Daddy Day Camp was originally slated to be a straight-to-video release but somehow tested well enough to be released in theaters. Who knows? Maybe Gooding can pull a Halle and go straight-from-Oscar-to-Razzie.
Click to continue reading Box Office Breakdown: Audiences Not Yet Tuckered Out
Box Office Breakdown: Bourne Breaks Bank
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: 20th Century Fox, Disney, Lionsgate, New Line, Paramount, Universal, Warner Bros, Action, Adaptation, Adventure, Animation, Family, Music, Musicals, Political, Romance, Science Fiction, Sequels, Comedy, Thrillers, Box Office, Lists, New Releases,
Matt Damon may still be vying for People magazine’s ‘Sexiest Man Alive’ title—but he has one thing that George Clooney and Brad Pitt don’t have: the biggest debut for an August opening ever.
The Bourne Ultimatum‘s $70 million take improved upon the previous Bourne installments and gave Damon his largest weekend to date (and that’s including all three Ocean’s movies).
Meanwhile, Lindsay Lohan should be happy that she’s holed up in rehab again—though seeing her movie kicked out of the Top Ten would have probably sent her there anyway. Apparently theatergoers can only handle one movie about Bratz at a time…
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Box Office Breakdown: A Homerun For Homer
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: 20th Century Fox, Disney, MGM, New Line, Paramount, Sony, Universal, Warner Bros, Animation, Drama, Family, Horror, Musicals, Period, Political, Romance, Science Fiction, Sequels, Comedy, Thrillers, Box Office, Lists, New Releases,
Looks like Homer ain’t gonna be needing a deal on donuts anymore….
With a $74 million opening weekend, The Simpsons Movie debuted higher than most of the animated features released…ever. Only the two Shrek sequels did better. Quite a head-shaking number since we can still see the series for free on television. But viewers from every single Springfield in the US—plus a thousand other cities out there—love the family so much, they were willing to pay for more. Especially when it comes with nudity.
What theatergoers aren’t willing to pay for is more Lindsay Lohan. I Know Who Killed Me placed a dismal 9th, possibly due to lack of promotional work by the star. How ironic that in the end it was Lindsay who was responsible for killing the movie and possibly her career.
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Read More | Variety
The Return of Mr. Spock
Posted by K.C. Morgan Categories: Paramount, Action, Science Fiction, Sequels, Casting, Upcoming Releases,
We’ve come a long way since the original Star Trek that captivated the imaginations of a generation. Several movies, four full-fledged series, and a million Trekkie conventions later, the Star Trek machine is still churning…and Leonard Nimoy is still Mr. Spock (whose first name, as we know, is unpronounceable). Nimoy will put the pointy ears on again to reprise his role in the newest Star Trek flick, which will be released in Christmas of 2008. Zachary Quinto, who looks rather like Nimoy and will play the young version of Spock, stood with the 76-year-old actor when the announcement was made at a recent convention. William Shatner is also said to have an appearance in the upcoming film, as none other than James T. Kirk, though this is as yet unconfirmed. During the convention, a fan asked Nimoy how he felt about being “replaced” by Quinto, to which Nimoy replied “It was logical.” You said it, Mr. Spock.
Read More | Yahoo News
Review: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Posted by K.C. Morgan Categories: Warner Bros, Action, Adaptation, Family, Box Office, New Releases, Theatrical Reviews,
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, the movie based on book five of the Harry series, opened yesterday in a mid-week event that had everyone scrambling to get to theatres. But, is the movie worth all the hype and hoopla?
The first scene featuring Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter himself) showed a rather buff young man who could…sort of…pass for fifteen. Maybe. Fans were immediately thrown into danger and treated to some stunning CGI, though anyone unfamiliar with the series by this point will be instantly and immediately lost. If you don’t already know the story, The Order of the Phoenix is not the place to get started.
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