2007 Holiday Movie Guide
Posted by K.C. Morgan Categories: 20th Century Fox, Columbia Pictures, DreamWorks, Disney, Yari Film Group Releasing, Animation, Drama, Family, Romance, Comedy, Box Office, Casting, Upcoming Releases,
The music, the décor, the treats…the weather. The holidays are drawing near, and that can only mean one thing: lots of sappy heart-wrenchers are going to start appearing in our movie theaters. Even the films couched as comedies are sure to evoke a deeper meaning, all in an effort to open our holiday hearts.
Whether you want tears, laughter, or good old-fashioned family entertainment, this year Hollywood is running the gamut on movies designed to tempt you away from the malls and into the theaters. But will you actually see any of them? Get the scoop on all the upcoming movies being released this holiday season.
Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium
I saw the trailer and immediately dismissed this movie out of hand. Never mind that it has Dustin Hoffman and Natalie Portman (a big star cast if ever there was one); this is a movie about a magic toy shop. HUH? Who actually got Hoffman and Portman to agree to this? Designed especially for kids and family, Magorium is about an inventor (Hoffman) and his manager’s (Portman) attempts to keep the shop open, despite intervention from an accountant (Jason Bateman).
This one’s for the little tykes, people. Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium comes to theaters November 16.
Click to continue reading 2007 Holiday Movie Guide
AOL Movies
Advertisement
Box Office Breakdown: Fred Claus No Match for Jerry Seinfeld
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: DreamWorks, Disney, MGM, Lionsgate, New Line, Sony, Touchstone, Universal, Warner Bros, Animation, Drama, Family, Horror, Political, Romance, Comedy, Sports, Thrillers, Box Office, Lists, New Releases,
In a shocking turn of events, Bee Movie came buzzing back to life this weekend stealing the #1 spot from recent victor, American Gangster. Bee’s $25 million take also embarrassed the newest comedic entry, Fred Claus.
Although fellow ‘Frat Packer’ Will Ferrell rang bells with November 2003’s Elf, Vince Vaughn couldn’t come close to matching his friend’s $31.1 million debut. The news was especially surprising given Vaughn and director David Dobkin’s recent collaboration on 2005’s Wedding Crashers. Could this mean Vaughn’s only appealing when he’s part of a larger comedic team?
Also noteworthy this weekend was the disappointing performance of Lions for Lambs. Lions wasn’t expected to take in Mission Impossible-esque numbers, but the film did still boast Tom Cruise, Meryl Streep and actor/director Robert Redford. As it was, the movie grossed less than any other Cruise-attached wide release in more than 20 years. At least Streep can say this topical film debuted higher than her last attempt (Rendition).
P2, the only other new Top Ten entry, racked up ninth place.
Click to continue reading Box Office Breakdown: Fred Claus No Match for Jerry Seinfeld
This Week on HD DVD and Blu-ray: November 6, 2007
Posted by Johnny Mercedes Categories: Buena Vista, Disney, Universal, Warner Bros, Action, Adaptation, Adventure, Animation, Short Films, Drama, Family, Foreign, Foreign Language, Period, Sequels, Comedy, Thrillers, Distribution, Home Entertainment, Lists, New Releases,
Disney/Pixar’s quaint animated story about Remy the rat and his penchant for the culinary arts releases on Blu-ray this week, shortly after taking the US and UK by storm. And with no other major title to contend with (Chuck & Larry do not count), Ratatouille is sure to take high-def home entertainment by storm too.
Other titles worth noting include a cross-format The Aviator from Warner, South Korean cult film Old Boy from Tartan, and some modestly-priced box sets from Warner and Disney.
Check the full list of high-def releases after the jump.
Click to continue reading This Week on HD DVD and Blu-ray: November 6, 2007
Box Office Breakdown: A Gangbusters Weekend for Washington, Crowe
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: DreamWorks, Disney, Miramax, Lionsgate, New Line, Sony, Touchstone, Universal, Warner Bros, Action, Animation, Drama, Family, Horror, Romance, Comedy, Thrillers, Box Office, Lists, New Releases,
Combine Russell Crowe and Denzel Washington’s star-wattage and you’re bound to get a hit. But did anyone expect a $43 million debut for American Gangster? Why did these Oscar-winners do so well when others have only done okay? How did an R-rated film beat out an animated PG flick? Why didn’t the movie’s long running-time (157 minutes) turn people away?
Gangster’s #1 spot was just one of the film’s many weekend achievements. The movie also marked the biggest opening weekend for both lead actors (Russell’s Gladiator earned $35 million; Washington’s Inside Man grossed $29 million). It also had the 2nd best debut for a drama in November (right behind 2002’s 8 Mile).
Unfortunately, all this good news was lost on comedian Jerry Seinfeld—the hardest working self-promoter of 2007. Even though NBC spent countless hours of airtime sucking up to its former Golden Boy, Seinfeld’s Bee Movie was stung with a 2nd place finish. Although $38 million take is nothing to complain about, I expect next week’s Fred Claus will slide right in to become the week’s best-grossing comedy.
Click to continue reading Box Office Breakdown: A Gangbusters Weekend for Washington, Crowe
Box Office Breakdown: Saw Slices Its Way to #1
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: 20th Century Fox, Disney, Miramax, Lionsgate, Sony, Touchstone, Warner Bros, Adaptation, Drama, Family, Horror, Romance, Sequels, Comedy, Sports, Thrillers, Box Office, Lists, New Releases,
This weekend’s success of Saw IV proved that ‘torture porn’ is very much alive and well…at least right before All Hallows Eve. (Apparently originality is not a prerequisite when you’re in the haunting mood.) The horror series, which took in $55 million domestically when it debuted in 2004, bloodied the competition with its recent $31 million take. It will now likely hit the $80 million mark the last two installments surpassed.
Although Dan in Real Life, lagged behind with only $11 million, the film at least managed to place second. Hopefully Dan will have legs in the weeks to come; it’s a nice counter-programming option for those desperately seeking romance on their date nights. Those hunting for acceptable kids fare may have it a bit harder though—- which probably explains why The Game Plan has remained firmly planted in the Top Five.
Click to continue reading Box Office Breakdown: Saw Slices Its Way to #1
Lindsay Lohan’s 2008 Plans
Posted by K.C. Morgan Categories: Celebrity Gossip,
Lindsay Lohan, still fresh from her third stint in rehab, will host a New Year’s Eve party to ring in 2008. According to US Magazine, Lindsay will hold the party at LAX nightclub. Sources say that Lohan is contractually obliged to hold the party, as she owes Pure Management (the group running LAX) money. (And I thought Disney movies paid well.) A sister club of LAX, PURE, was supposed to hold a 21st birthday party celebration for Lindsay over the summer. The star was forced to cancel when she went off to rehab, though she did pay PURE back the money they offered her. Now she’ll fulfill her commitment with a New Year’s Eve bash.
Don’t fall off the wagon, Lindsay!
AOL News
Box Office Breakdown: 30 Days of Night Sucks Up the Competition
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: 20th Century Fox, Disney, Miramax, New Line, Paramount, Sony, Touchstone, Warner Bros, Animation, Drama, Horror, Comedy, Sports, Lists, New Releases,
I never thought I would ever find myself writing this: ‘A Josh Hartnett-led film has opened at #1.’ Of course, he did have a little help from a vampire or two..
The horror film, 30 Days of Night, had an impressive debut for what was actually an unimpressive weekend. With only $16 million, the Alaskan-set vampire flick beat out a host of movies filled with Oscar-nominated stars. Ben Affleck’s well-reviewed directorial debut, Gone Baby Gone, opened up in 6th place. Rendition, starring are-they-or-aren’t-they-dating Reese Witherspoon and Jake Gyllenhaal, barely cracked the Top Ten. Meanwhile, Things We Lost in the Fire placed a dismal 15th despite the presence of Halle Berry and Benicio Del Toro (and promotion on Oprah).
The success of 30 Days and the surprise return of Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas - which placed 8th even though it was only in 564 theaters - clearly spells out the audience’s need for some Halloween fare. This bodes well for the release of Saw IV which opens next weekend. (Yay!)
Click to continue reading Box Office Breakdown: 30 Days of Night Sucks Up the Competition
Box Office Breakdown: Tyler Perry vs. George Clooney
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: 20th Century Fox, Disney, Lionsgate, Paramount, Sony, Universal, Warner Bros, Action, Adventure, Drama, Family, Horror, Independent, Musicals, Romance, Science Fiction, Sequels, Comedy, Sports, Thrillers, Box Office, Lists, New Releases,
This weekend saw George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, Joaquin Phoenix and Cate Blanchett all fighting for your box office dollars—so who would have thought Tyler Perry would come out the big winner?
Even though two of his last three films opened with impressive numbers, very few predicted the writer/actor/producer/director would topple the competition. Now the number crunchers know better. Though the debut underperformed 2005’s Diary of a Mad Black Woman ($21.9 million) and 2006’s Madea’s Family Reunion ($30 million), Tyler Perry’s Why Did I Get Married? still scored $10 million more than its nearest competitor.
Additionally surprising was the lasting success of Disney’s The Game Plan. The film finally dropped one notch to #2 in its third week—also beating out We Own The Night and Michael Clayton. Although kid-friendly fare is rarity these days, the movie’s ability to remain so strong is quite impressive.
Click to continue reading Box Office Breakdown: Tyler Perry vs. George Clooney
Box Office Breakdown: The Rock Upsets The Heartbreak Kid
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: 20th Century Fox, DreamWorks, Disney, Lionsgate, New Line, Paramount, Sony, Universal, Action, Drama, Family, Period, Romance, Science Fiction, Comedy, Thrillers, Box Office, Lists, New Releases,
Despite what you may have learned in school, Ben Stiller + The Farrelly Brothers does not necessarily equal box office gold.
The team behind There’s Something About Mary took a backseat to last weekend’s winner: The Game Plan. The Heartbreak Kid, a remake of the 1972 Neil Simon comedy, raked in only $14 million. While Mary did open with a smaller gross back in 1998 ($13.7M), it’s doubtful this critically-panned movie will become another sleeper hit for the trio. Thankfully co-star Michelle Monaghan will have the upcoming Gone Baby Gone to wash this disappointment away.
The only other new entries into the Top 10 included the fantasy flick, The Seeker ($3.7M), and the J.Lo-produced dance film, Feel the Noise ($3.1M). Meanwhile, the well-reviewed Michael Clayton pulled impressive numbers in limited release ($46,000 per screen). Expect the George Clooney vehicle to open wide this weekend.
Click to continue reading Box Office Breakdown: The Rock Upsets The Heartbreak Kid
Box Office Breakdown: The Game Plan Scores the Win
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Disney, Lionsgate, New Line, Sony, Universal, Warner Bros, Action, Drama, Horror, Independent, Musicals, Political, Romance, Science Fiction, Sequels, Comedy, Thrillers, Box Office, Lists, New Releases,
The execs at Disney must be loving themselves this week. Not only are are they attached to one of hottest concert tours of the year, they have just taken a surprise win at the box office. Although many had predicted good things for the terrorism thriller, The Kingdom, a simple father/daughter bonding film moved theatergoers this weekend.
At $22.9 million, The Game Plan took in almost $6 million more than the Jamie Foxx/Jennifer Garner vehicle. The movie about a football player who meets the daughter he never knew he had (how exactly is that a Disney storyline?) gave “The Rock” Dwayne Johnson his second best opening (behind 2002’s The Scorpion King).
Meanwhile, Julie Taymor’s Across the Universe made its first entry into the Top 10. After several weeks in limited release, the musical—which uses 33 Beatles songs to tell its story—will expand into more theaters come October 12th.
Click to continue reading Box Office Breakdown: The Game Plan Scores the Win
Advertisement
© Gear Live Media, LLC. 2007 – User-posted content, unless source is quoted, is licensed under a Creative Commons Public Domain License. Gear Live graphics, logos, designs, page headers, button icons, videos, articles, blogs, forums, scripts and other service names are the trademarks of Gear Live Inc.