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Monday, May 14th 2012

2:23 PM

'Avengers' adds $103M on sprint to $1 billion!

'Dark Shadows' weak opening was no match for 'Avengers.' Very few theaters in my area had it. So I'm not surprised. 



'Avengers' add $103.2M in sprint to $1 billion

May 13, 3:37 PM (ET)

LOS ANGELES (AP) - "The Avengers" is taking a page out of Superman's comic book - flying faster than a speeding bullet to the billion-dollar mark at the box office.
The superhero blockbuster took in $103.2 million to lead for a second-straight weekend, raising its domestic total to $373.2 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.
With $95.4 million more overseas, "The Avengers" lifted its international receipts to $628.9 million and a worldwide haul of just over $1 billion, only 19 days after it began rolling out in some markets.
"You never think that it can happen this quickly," said Dave Hollis, head of distribution for Disney, whose Marvel Studios unit produced the ensemble film after a long buildup in its solo superhero outings. "You hope you can get to this day, and the fact that it is happening this early is a testament to a lot of work that went in on the Marvel side over the last six years to get us to a place where people wanted to see the Avengers assemble."

"The Avengers" easily fended off Johnny Depp and Tim Burton's vampire romp "Dark Shadows," which had a so-so domestic start of $28.8 million to finish a distant No. 2.
That's far below such past Depp-Burton collaborations as "Alice in Wonderland," which opened with $116.1 million, and "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," which debuted with $56.2 million.
"Dark Shadows" added $36.7 million in 42 overseas markets for a worldwide total of $65.5 million.
"The Avengers" was the first movie ever to pull in more than $100 million domestically in its second weekend, passing the previous best of $75.6 million for "Avatar." The film also topped $300 million domestically Saturday after just nine days in release, beating the previous record set by "The Dark Knight," which hit that mark in 10 days.
Already the year's biggest hit worldwide, "The Avengers" is on the verge of passing "The Hunger Games" at $386.9 million to become the top-grossing film domestically for 2012.

Revenue for "The Avengers" was off just 50 percent from the film's domestic debut of $207.4 million the previous weekend, a remarkable hold given how big it started.
A round-up of such Marvel idols as Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Captain America (Chris Evans) and Thor (Chris Hemsworth), "The Avengers" has shot past the revenues that its solo superhero predecessors took in for their entire runs. The best of those domestically was "Iron Man" with $318.4 million.
"There has been a surprise around every corner with this picture in terms of how high is high and how big is big," Disney's Hollis said.
Inspired by the supernatural soap opera that debuted on TV in the mid-1960s, "Dark Shadows" stars Depp as an 18th century vampire who is freed after two centuries of burial and returns to his ancestral homestead in the 1970s, aiming to rebuild the family fortunes.
The TV show has only a cult following, so the Warner Bros. update relied on the lure of a reunion between frequent collaborators Depp and Burton taking on another otherworldly tale. But "Dark Shadows" left both critics and audiences cold, failing to make much of a dent in the intense appeal of "The Avengers."

"Certainly, more is better, but it was a busy weekend, especially with 'Avengers' doing $100 million in its second weekend," said Dan Fellman, head of distribution at Warner Bros. "The box office can only expand so much, and that was a hard one to anticipate. Those numbers are staggering."
Fox Searchlight's crowd-pleaser "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" broke into the top-10 in its second weekend as it expanded from a handful of cinemas to 178 theaters. The film took in $2.7 million to finish at No. 8.
"The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" features Judi Dench, Bill Nighy, Maggie Smith and Tom Wilkinson in a tale of older Brits looking to retire to a cozy life in India.
Also in narrower release of 322 theaters, Eva Mendes' comic drama "Girl in Progress" opened at No. 10 with $1.4 million. The Lionsgate release stars Mendes as a nomadic single mom with a precocious teenage daughter.
"The Avengers" again provided the bulk of Hollywood's business. Overall domestic revenues totaled $172 million, up 23 percent from the same weekend last year, when "Thor" led with $34.7 million, according to box-office tracker Hollywood.com.
Domestic receipts for the year are at $3.83 billion, 17.6 percent ahead of last year's with a huge summer lineup yet to come.
Hollywood.com analyst Paul Dergarabedian said he expects Hollywood to break the summer revenue record of $4.4 billion it set last year and top its all-time annual high of $10.6 billion from 2009.
"I think we will surpass that given the strength of just the first two weeks of the summer and the strength of the films on the way," Dergarabedian said. "Records are just made to be broken this summer and this year."
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Hollywood.com. Where available, latest international numbers are also included. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
1. "The Avengers," $103.2 million ($95.4 million international).
2. "Dark Shadows," $28.8 million ($36.7 million international).
3. "Think Like a Man," $6.3 million.
4. "The Hunger Games," $4.4 million ($2.4 million international).
5. "The Lucky One," $4.1 million ($2.5 million international).
6. "The Pirates! Band of Misfits," $3.2 million ($2.2 million international).
7. "The Five-Year Engagement," $3.1 million ($1.7 million international).
8. "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel," $2.7 million ($1.9 million international).
9. "Chimpanzee," $1.6 million.
10. "Girl in Progress," $1.4 million.
---
Estimated weekend ticket sales at international theaters (excluding the U.S. and Canada) for films distributed overseas by Hollywood studios, according to Rentrak:
1. "The Avengers," $95.4 million.
2. "Dark Shadows," $36.7 million.
3. "American Reunion," $15.6 million.
4. "Battleship," $11.2 million.
5. "21 Jump Street," $3.2 million.
6. "Titanic" in 3-D," $3.1 million.
7. "As One," $2.6 million.
8. "The Lucky One," $2.5 million.
9. "The Hunger Games," $2.4 million.
10. "The Pirates! Band of Misfits," $2.2 million.
---
Online:
http://www.hollywood.com
http://www.rentrak.com
---
Universal and Focus are owned by NBC Universal, a unit of Comcast Corp. (CMCSK); Sony, Columbia, Sony Screen Gems and Sony Pictures Classics are units of Sony Corp.; Paramount is owned by Viacom Inc.; Disney, Pixar and Marvel are owned by The Walt Disney Co. (DIS); Miramax is owned by Filmyard Holdings LLC; 20th Century Fox and Fox Searchlight are owned by News Corp. (NWSA); Warner Bros. and New Line are units of Time Warner Inc. (TWX); MGM is owned by a group of former creditors including Highland Capital, Anchorage Advisors and Carl Icahn; Lionsgate is owned by Lions Gate Entertainment Corp.; IFC is owned by AMC Networks Inc. (AMCX); Rogue is owned by Relativity Media LLC. 

- Paul
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Sunday, May 6th 2012

11:47 PM

'Avengers' smashes 'Harry Potter' record @ Box Office


Marvel Comics & Hollywood is smiling from ear to ear. The much anticipated 'Avengers' obliterated the record debut of 'Harry Potter' finale.  


'Avengers' smashes record: $200.3 million debut

May 6, 4:07 PM (ET)

By DAVID GERMAIN
 
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Hulk, smash.
That's what Captain America tells the Incredible Hulk to do in "The Avengers," and that's what the Marvel Comics superhero mash-up did at the box office, smashing the domestic revenue record with a $200.3 million debut.
It's by far the biggest opening ever, shooting past the previous record of $169.2 million for the debut of last year's "Harry Potter" finale.
"The Avengers" added $151.5 million overseas over the weekend to bring its total to $441.5 million since it began opening internationally a week earlier.
 
That raised the film's worldwide haul to $641.8 million in barely a week and a half, more than its Marvel superhero forerunners "Iron Man,""Iron Man 2,""Thor" and "Captain America" took in during their entire runs.
If distributor Disney's domestic estimate Sunday holds when the final weekend count is released Monday, "The Avengers" would be the first movie ever to haul in $200 million in a single weekend.
While the number could dip below $200 million come Monday, Disney spent the weekend revising its forecasts upward as business kept growing.
"There aren't even words, to be honest. I'm running low on double takes. Every time we looked at a number, it just got bigger than what we could have hoped for in the best-case assumption," said Dave Hollis, Disney's head of distribution. "With this film, this weekend, anything is possible."
"The Avengers" started with solid midnight crowds Friday, though nowhere near a record. Then it did $80.5 million for the full day Friday, second only to the "Harry Potter" finale's $91.1 million first day.

Revenues held up much better than expected with $69.7 million Saturday, and Disney estimated that the film would bring in $50.1 million more on Sunday.
The record weekend was the culmination of years of careful planning by Marvel Studios, which has included teasers for an "Avengers" dream team collaboration in its solo superhero adventures.
Directed by Joss Whedon ("Buffy the Vampire Slayer"), "The Avengers" features Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man, Chris Evans as Captain America, Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Mark Ruffalo as the Hulk, Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow, Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye and Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury.
A $200 million total for every movie in release is considered a great weekend for the business as a whole, so "The Avengers" redefines the standards for a blockbuster debut.
"If 'The Avengers' is any indication, we're going to see a leap rather than a gentle little nudge into new territory, and the lineup is there to justify it going forward," said Greg Foster, chairman and president of the huge-screen IMAX cinema chain.

Crowds were so anxious to see the film on IMAX's giant screens that Foster said the company had only one problem: it ran out of seats to sell.
Overall domestic revenues came in at $248 million, climbing 49 percent compared to the same weekend last year, when "Thor" opened with $65.7 million, according to box-office tracker Hollywood.com. "The Avengers" accounted for four-fifths of the weekend's domestic receipts.
Hollywood launched a potentially record-shattering summer with a vengeance, "The Avengers" landing as just the first of three huge superhero tales that highlight a lineup filled with other blockbusters in the making.
"The Amazing Spider-Man" follows on July 3 and "The Dark Knight Rises" wraps up the current Batman series on July 20.
Until the "Harry Potter" finale, 2008's "The Dark Knight" had held the revenue record with a $158.4 million debut. Before that, the record-holder was 2007's "Spider-Man 3" with $151.1 million.
So anticipation for those two films could rival that of "The Avengers."
As admission prices rise, Hollywood's record-breakers often take in more money but sell fewer tickets than previous blockbusters. But "The Avengers" took in so much money that it's the undisputed champ among debuts.
Based on average admission prices the years they were released, "The Dark Knight" and "Spider-Man 3" had led with about 22 million tickets sold each over opening weekend. Today's average prices put "The Avengers" tally at around 25.6 million tickets sold.
Along with the superhero films, Hollywood's summer lineup includes the action tales "Men in Black 3,""G.I. Joe: Retaliation,""Battleship,""Total Recall" and "Prometheus," director Ridley Scott's return to the sci-fi territory of his horror hit "Alien."
Big family fare includes the animated adventures "Brave," from "Toy Story" creator Pixar Animation, and the sequels "Ice Age: Continental Drift" and "Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted."
The comedy lineup features Adam Sandler's "That's My Boy," Will Ferrell's "The Campaign" and Sacha Baron Cohen's "The Dictator."
"'The Avengers' kicks off what looks to me to be the summer box-office equivalent of the 100-year flood," said Hollywood.com analyst Paul Dergarabedian. "This is perhaps the most perfect summer lineup in box-office history."
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Hollywood.com. Where available, latest international numbers are also included. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
1. "The Avengers," $200.3 million ($151.5 million international).
2. "Think Like a Man," $8 million.
3. "The Hunger Games," $5.7 million ($4.3 million international).
4. "The Lucky One," $5.5 million ($5.5 million international).
5. "The Pirates! Band of Misfits," $5.4 million ($2.6 million international).
6. "The Five-Year Engagement," $5.1 million ($2.3 million international).
7. "The Raven," $2.5 million.
8. "Safe," $2.47 million ($2.2 million international).
9. "Chimpanzee," $2.4 million.
10. "The Three Stooges," $1.8 million.
---
Estimated weekend ticket sales at international theaters (excluding the U.S. and Canada) for films distributed overseas by Hollywood studios, according to Rentrak:
1. "The Avengers," $151.5 million.
2. "American Reunion," $34 million.
3. "Battleship," $11 million.
4. "Jannat 2," $6.1 million.
5. "The Lucky One," $5.5 million.
6. "The Hunger Games," $4.3 million.
7. "Titanic" in 3-D, $4.2 million.
8. "Mirror Mirror," $3.7 million.
9. "As One," $3.6 million.
10. "Thermae Romae," $2.9 million.
---
Online:
http://www.hollywood.com
http://www.rentrak.com
---
Universal and Focus are owned by NBC Universal, a unit of Comcast Corp. (CMCSK); Sony, Columbia, Sony Screen Gems and Sony Pictures Classics are units of Sony Corp.; Paramount is owned by Viacom Inc.; Disney, Pixar and Marvel are owned by The Walt Disney Co. (DIS); Miramax is owned by Filmyard Holdings LLC; 20th Century Fox and Fox Searchlight are owned by News Corp. (NWSA); Warner Bros. and New Line are units of Time Warner Inc. (TWX); MGM is owned by a group of former creditors including Highland Capital, Anchorage Advisors and Carl Icahn; Lionsgate is owned by Lions Gate Entertainment Corp.; IFC is owned by AMC Networks Inc. (AMCX); Rogue is owned by Relativity Media LLC. 

Are you ready for this week? Yep, 'Dark Shadows' opens this Friday. I loved this show growing up. After watching this, I'm going to long for a serious remake. But I still want to see it!

- Paul
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Wednesday, May 2nd 2012

12:29 AM

Award Shows and their long term deals.

Don't fret about Oscar anymore. He signed another lease on his old digs. What had been Kodak Theater is Dolby Theater now. The deal includes a new audio upgrade too.   

Oscars to stay in same theater for 20 more years

May 1, 4:57 PM (ET)

By DERRIK J. LANG
 
LOS ANGELES (AP) - The Oscars will be in Dolby.
The CIM Group, which owns the Hollywood & Highland Center, announced a 20-year deal on Tuesday with the audio technology company Dolby Laboratories Inc. to rename the Academy Awards venue as the Dolby Theatre.
In a separate deal, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences revealed a new agreement to keep the annual Oscars extravaganza at the theater for 20 more years.
"We are thrilled that Dolby is now the name of the theater because Dolby stands for excellence," said Tom Sherak, president of the motion picture academy. "It's a no-brainer for us."
 
The posh four-level, 3,400-seat theater, formerly known as the Kodak Theatre, has been home to the Academy Awards since 2002. CIM Group dropped the Kodak name from the theater earlier this year after a bankruptcy court judge approved the early exit of 131-year-old Eastman Kodak Co. from a 20-year naming rights deal it signed with CIM Group in 1999.
During this year's Oscar ceremony, host Billy Crystal jokingly referred to the space as the "Chapter 11 Theatre."
Sherak said the motion picture academy, which did not immediately renew its deal with CIM Group last year, briefly considered moving ceremonies to another venue but decided to keep the Oscars in Hollywood.
"We got a number of suggestions from people saying, 'we'd love to have you,'" said Sherak. "We talked to them, and they gave us some offers that they would have loved to negotiate with us, but we stopped there because the board met and we decided we wanted to be in Hollywood with the awards show."
Sherak said the motion picture academy has approval over the theater's name as part of the deal it negotiated with the theater's previous owner.
No financial details of the new agreements were disclosed. Kodak previously paid a $3.6 million annual fee for the naming rights.
Dolby, which creates audio technologies spanning from homes to theaters, said in a statement that it will use the Hollywood venue to "create a world-class showcase for Dolby's current and future technologies, beginning with the company's revolutionary new Dolby Atmos sound technology released last week."
The 47-year-old company said it would began enhancing the theater's sound system this summer when the naming agreement commences.
The 85th annual Academy Awards are scheduled for Feb. 24, 2013.
---
Follow Derrik J. Lang on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/derrikjlang 

Are you watching Dick Clark? The judge ruled in favor of his long-term production deal. Yes, the Golden Globe Awards will stay on NBC through 2018 with DCP as the producer.  

NBC to keep Golden Globes for years, judge rules
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Apr 30, 8:50 PM (ET)

By ANTHONY McCARTNEY
 
LOS ANGELES (AP) - A federal judge ruled Monday that producers of the Golden Globe Awards acted properly when they negotiated a deal keeping the glitzy gala on NBC through 2018.
U.S. District Judge A. Howard Matz's 89-page ruling states that the production company, dick clark productions, has a right to negotiate the deal and work on the show as long as it airs on NBC. That right was a key part of a long-running dispute between the company, known as dcp, and the Globes' organizers, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.
The association sued over the broadcast deal in November 2010, but the two sides have worked together on the past two awards shows. The production company has claimed it has a perpetual right to work on the show as long as it airs on NBC, but the association argued that it never agreed to those terms and it was facing the loss of its creation.
The Globes have become big business, with Hollywood A-listers appearing each year. The journalists' group and producer split the multimillion-dollar annual profits evenly.

There was no immediate comment from the HFPA. Matz has said he doesn't expect his ruling will end the dispute, but that it will likely lead to an appeal.
Matz's ruling states the dcp only has a right to work with NBC, but that it does not need to receive approval for its broadcast deal directly from the HFPA anymore because of a 1993 amendment to their working relationship.
"We are pleased the court affirmed our contract and look forward to working with the HFPA and NBC to nurture and expand the Golden Globes franchise for years to come," dcp wrote in a statement.
The company's CEO, Mark Shapiro, said he wished Dick Clark, who died April 18, had lived to see the ruling.
"My only sadness is that Dick wasn't here to see the win," Shapiro said. "This was the brainchild of Dick Clark. It was his idea to do a long-term deal."
The judge stated the unusual agreement came about largely because of HFPA's own leadership problems. "HFPA suffered from the absence of sound, business-like practices," Matz wrote.
He noted the group's complicated internal politics and frequent elections, some of which "triggered bitter feelings."
"HFPA members have always been dedicated to the success of the Golden Globes Award Show," Matz wrote. "But often they succumbed to bouts of pronounced turmoil and personal feuds."
The judge's ruling came after he heard nine days of testimony earlier this year over the deal negotiated by dcp. Clark sold the last of his interest in the company in 2007, but the dispute focused heavily on events that took place while he still owned it in 1993.
The judge had to determine whether a 1993 agreement between the HFPA and dcp gave the production company the right to work on the show perpetually, provided it airs on NBC. The association contended it never agreed to the perpetuity clause, and that if it were upheld it would the HFPA control over its signature property, the Globes.
Attorneys for dcp argued that the clause was to ensure continuity and protect the production company, which had just negotiated a multi-year deal to return the Globes to broadcast airwaves for the first time since a scandal knocked them from CBS in the early 1980s.
Matz noted the contrast between the production company and the journalists' group in his ruling.
"In contrast, dcp acted in a consistently business-like fashion, and for almost all of the 27 year relationship it had with HFPA before this suit was filed dcp was represented by one experienced executive who was adept at dealing fairly and effectively with the often amateurish conduct of HFPA," he wrote.
The disputed deal is worth $150 million, but the association contends the broadcast rights are worth much more now. The show, while not a reliable predictor of Oscar night glory, attracts the top stars from both television and film and attracts millions of viewers each year. The booze-filled gala is more unpredictable and less staid than other major reality shows, which has only been amplified by host Ricky Gervais in recent years.
Matz noted that the agreement between the HFPA and dcp - and his ruling - tie the two groups together as long as the show remains on NBC. If the network drops the show, the production company's rights to work on the gala would also end.
Shapiro said that despite the trial and the cloud of uncertainty it has cast over the Globes, dcp has a strong relationship with NBC that includes several other shows.
---
Anthony McCartney can be reached at .http://twitter.com/mccartneyAP 

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- Paul
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Monday, April 30th 2012

11:57 AM

'Pirates' proved to be 'The Lucky One' this weekend!

Movie goers saved their green for 'Avengers' next weekend. When dates will be forgotten and 'Pirates' will fall to our super heroes. Personally, I'm looking forward to 'Dark Shadows.' 



'Avengers' hurtles to $178.4M overseas debut

Apr 29, 4:19 PM (ET)

By DAVID GERMAIN
 
LOS ANGELES (AP) - The superhero saga "The Avengers" lived up to its blockbuster buzz with $178.4 million in overseas ticket sales days before it opens in U.S. theaters.
Domestic audiences generally passed on a bunch of new flicks as fans seem to be in anticipation mode for Disney's "The Avengers," which debuts Friday in the United States after launching in 39 other countries a week earlier.
The huge overseas launch will help fan the frenzy already in place for "The Avengers," the superhero mash-up of Marvel Comics idols whose cast includes Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Jeremy Renner and Samuel L. Jackson.
"You hope that the magnitude of this kind of opening sends a signal that this is a for-everyone film," said Dave Hollis, head of distribution for Disney. "You can't put up these kinds of numbers if it's just for guys or just for the fans. These numbers say that it is for everyone, 8 to 80."

The Sony Screen Gems ensemble comedy "Think Like a Man" was No. 1 domestically for the second-straight weekend with $18 million.
Four movies were bunched up for the No. 2 spot in the $11 million range: Sony's animated comedy "The Pirates! Band of Misfits" with $11.4 million; the Warner Bros. romantic drama "The Lucky One" with $11.3 million; Lionsgate's blockbuster "The Hunger Games" with $11.25 million; and Universal's romantic comedy "The Five-Year Engagement" with $11.2 million.
Those four flicks were so close that their rankings from Sunday studio estimates could change once final numbers are released Monday.
Along with "Pirates," whose voice cast was led by Hugh Grant, and "Five-Year Engagement," which stars Jason Segel and Emily Blunt, the other newcomers were Jason Statham's action tale "Safe" from Lionsgate at No. 6 with $7.7 million and John Cusack's Edgar Allan Poe mystery "The Raven" from Relativity Media at No. 7 with $7.3 million.
"I think going to the movies will be the No. 1 priority next weekend but clearly was not the No. 1 priority this weekend," said Paul Dergarabedian, analyst for box-office tracker Hollywood.com. "There's so much anticipation for 'The Avengers' that the newcomers kind of got lost in the shuffle."

(AP) Actor Robert Downey Jr. attends the premiere of "The Avengers" during the 2012 Tribeca Film...
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"The Hunger Games" climbed to $372.5 million domestically, putting it less than $10 million behind last year's "Harry Potter" finale, the top-grossing entry of that fantasy franchise.
"Think Like a Man" raised its domestic total to $60.9 million, while "The Lucky One" lifted its haul to $39.9 million.
Along with the United States, "The Avengers" has yet to open in other big markets that include Japan, China and Russia.
Among the overseas totals for "The Avengers": $24.7 million in Great Britain; $19.7 million in Australia; $15.9 million in Mexico; $12.9 million in South Korea; and $12.9 million in France.
Directed by Joss Whedon ("Buffy the Vampire Slayer"), "The Avengers" has strong word-of-mouth domestically from fans who were able to see advanced screenings.

Critics also have given the film high marks, and the publicity blast from the overseas revenues could push the movie into record-debut territory. The "Harry Potter" finale now has the top opening weekend domestically with $169.2 million, followed by "The Dark Knight" with $158.4 million and "The Hunger Games" with $152.5 million.
"Who knows?" Disney's Hollis said. "It's a film that comes with very high expectations but leaves audiences exceptionally satisfied. I'd say there's opportunity for some repeat viewing just in the first weekend that will help make it big."
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Hollywood.com. Where available, latest international numbers are also included. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
1. "Think Like a Man," $18 million.
2. "The Pirates! Band of Misfits," $11.4 million ($5.5 million international).
3. "The Lucky One," $11.3 million ($4.8 million international).
4. "The Hunger Games," $11.25 million ($7.4 million international).
5. "The Five-Year Engagement," $11.2 million.
6. "Safe," $7.7 million ($2.4 million international).
7. "The Raven," $7.3 million.
8. "Chimpanzee," $5.5 million.
9. "The Three Stooges," $5.4 million.
10. "The Cabin in the Woods," $4.5 million ($1.5 million international).
---
Estimated weekend ticket sales at international theaters (excluding the U.S. and Canada) for films distributed overseas by Hollywood studios, according to Rentrak:
1. "The Avengers," $178.4 million.
2. "Battleship," $22.5 million.
3. "Titanic" in 3-D, $18.5 million.
4. "American Reunion," $14.5 million.
5. "The Hunger Games," $7.4 million.
6. "The Pirates! Band of Misfits," $5.5 million.
7. "The Lucky One," $4.8 million.
8. "Le Prenom," $4.4 million.
9 (tie). "Mirror Mirror," $3.2 million.
9 (tie). "Wrath of the Titans," $3.2 million.
---
Online:
http://www.hollywood.com
http://www.rentrak.com
---
Universal and Focus are owned by NBC Universal, a unit of Comcast Corp. (CMCSK); Sony, Columbia, Sony Screen Gems and Sony Pictures Classics are units of Sony Corp.; Paramount is owned by Viacom Inc.; Disney, Pixar and Marvel are owned by The Walt Disney Co. (DIS); Miramax is owned by Filmyard Holdings LLC; 20th Century Fox and Fox Searchlight are owned by News Corp. (NWSA); Warner Bros. and New Line are units of Time Warner Inc. (TWX); MGM is owned by a group of former creditors including Highland Capital, Anchorage Advisors and Carl Icahn; Lionsgate is owned by Lions Gate Entertainment Corp.; IFC is owned by AMC Networks Inc. (AMCX); Rogue is owned by Relativity Media LLC. 

Now is the time to shop Adventureland @ Amazon. Any & all commissions earned are pledged to save my local drive-in. I will be doing this through out 2012.

Cash donations would also be appreciated. Anyway you can, I hope you will support Skyvue. If you have your own drive-in be sure you support them through your patronage. 

-Paul
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Monday, April 30th 2012

1:19 AM

Celebs recall film faves @ CinemaCon

I found this to be an interesting article. This should expanded into a book with more celebs. For all I know, maybe it has been done before. If not, one of you should get started.

For me, it would be 'E.T.' This sticks out from my childhood as my first movie in a theater. But my age suggests that I'm wrong. Anyway, it has always been a favorite.

Celebs recall early film faves at CinemaCon

Apr 27, 4:12 PM (ET)

By MIKE CIDONI LENNOX
 
LAS VEGAS (AP) - This week, Sin City looked a bit more like Tinseltown, as some 5000 folks from virtually all walks of the film universe gathered for the theater operators' convention known as CinemaCon.
Among attendees were dozens of major and emerging movie stars who like to meet and greet exhibitors in hopes of getting their new releases into more cineplexes.
Actor-musician Tyrese Gibson of "Transformer" fame was there for another reason - to mentor eight student filmmakers with dreams of getting their own films shown on the big screen.
Oddly enough, Gibson's first cinema memory came not in a cinema but at home, on videotape. "I don't remember going to the theater," he said at the theater operators' closing-night gala. But he noted his first favorites on VHS were "Back to the Future" (1985) and "Ghost Busters" (1984). "These were, some way, somehow, the only two VHS tapes that we had in our house. So, I must have seen 'Back to the Future' over 150 times. We knew all the words to both the movies."

Actor Taylor Kitsch, who appears in May's "Battleship," also cited "Future" as "the first movie that I saw in a cinema that really knocked me out," he said. "You were taken away. It was done so well, especially at the time. And that's what movies do. That's what it's about. Escape."
Actress Jennifer Garner, pushing August's Disney family dramedy "The Odd Life of Timothy Green," recalled going to the theater to see the Lily Tomlin comedy, "The Incredible Shrinking Woman" (1981). "It was such a big deal that we went," recalled Garner. "It was my older sister's birthday, and I got to tag along. . I thought it was the coolest thing I'd ever seen in my life."
"The Lion King" (1994) was the first film fave for Diego Boneta of the June musical "Rock of Ages.""Until this day, I always cry when (the father) Mufasa dies, and my favorite animal is a lion and I wish I could be (the cub who would be king) Simba."
"One of the movies that I watched over and over was 'Space Jam' (1996), the cartoon movie with Michael Jordan in it," remembered Josh Hutcherson of the "Hunger Games.""And I think the movie that changed how I viewed movies was 'Fight Club' (1999). It just blew my mind. It's a big leap, from 'Space Jam' to 'Fight Club,' but just bear with me on that."
Anna Faris of May's "The Dictator" said, "My mom took me to the movies to see 'Annie' (1982) when I was 4 or 5. And she bought me some candy, those candy orange segments, which were amazing. I remember being terrified at (Carol Burnett's villainous) Miss Hannigan, and then later on I came to admire her very much," Faris added, with a sinister smile.
"I never saw it in a theater until my 13th birthday," said Chloe Grace of the forthcoming "Dark Shadows.""But it's the movie that struck me the most, as a young girl and as an actress, 'Breakfast at Tiffany's' (1961), because I saw Audrey Hepburn on the screen, and you wanted to be in her world, you wanted to be beside her. You wanted to be walking down Fifth Avenue with her, sharing that croissant."
Charlize Theron of June's "Snow White and the Huntsman" revealed she "learned everything from love, watching 'Splash' (1984), and that's why I'm still single," generating big laughs from the audience. "So, thanks Tom Hanks, Daryl Hannah, for that." 

Please, help me save my local drive-in. It faced closure once before and was spared at the last minute. Sadly, we are in that position once again. We would really appreciate it.

http://www.gofundme.com/save-skyvue

About  300 drive-ins are said to be open in the united states today. More are lost each year for various reasons. This is one two drive-ins serving east central Indiana.

With so few drive-ins remaining, it is vital that we support them. Mother nature is hiding many from developers until we can restore them to their glory. We must do that too.

- Paul
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Friday, April 27th 2012

12:44 AM

News & Notes from CinemaCon favorites.

This is the place to be for theater owners and managers. They get sneak peak of new movies, concessions, technology and more. Great for networking, too, of course.



Scorsese says all his future movies will be 3-D

Apr 25, 7:36 PM (ET)

By CRISTINA SILVA
LAS VEGAS (AP) - Martin Scorsese has become so enamored with 3-D filmmaking that he expects to use the technology in all his future projects.
The Academy Award-winning director of "The Departed" told a crowd of theater owners at the CinemaCon convention in Las Vegas on Wednesday that he wishes his landmark films "Raging Bull" and "Taxi Driver" had been three-dimensional. Scorsese is so convinced of the power of 3-D, he said he only saw "Hugo," his first 3-D movie released to critical acclaim last year, once in 2-D.
"There is something that 3-D gives to the picture that takes you into another land and you stay there and it's a good place to be," he said.
Scorsese spoke at a filmmaking panel alongside director Ang Lee, who won an Oscar in 2006 for the gay cowboy love story "Brokeback Mountain." Scorsese and Lee are among a growing crop of prominent directors who claim 3-D technology is the future of filmmaking. 
Scorsese said the added dimension of digital films allows movie fans to feel a stronger connection to the story and actors on screen. He recalled filming "Hugo" and watching as Sacha Baron Cohen, who portrayed a stern train station inspector, leaned forward on set, and the motion that created on a monitor.
"He sort of came right off the screen and we sort of felt like we were little kids again," Scorsese said.
Scorsese said he never thought he would have the opportunity to make a 3-D film. He said conquering the technology was challenging at first, but he ultimately decided to experiment as much as possible and watched 3-D versions of Alfred Hitchcock's "Dial M for Murder" and "The House of Wax," the 1953 horror film, for inspiration.
"Hugo," based on Brian Selznick's award-winning "The Invention of Hugo Cabret," an illustrated novel about a Parisian boy and a broken automaton, won several technical Oscars at this year's Academy Awards and earned the most nominations, including a best director nod.
"It's like seeing a moving sculpture of the actor and it's almost like a combination of theater and film combined and it immerses you in the story more," Scorsese said. "I saw audiences care about the people more."
Scorsese and Lee lamented how inaccessible 3-D technology is to low-budget or independent filmmakers.
Lee, whose "Life of Pi" 3-D fantasy adventure is set to be released in December, said learning to tell a story with the multidimensional technology required everyone on set to reimagine the boundaries of film, including the lowliest crew members.
"The technology improves so fast. Like every three months you are behind," Lee said. "The learning curve is really humongous."
Scorsese compared 3-D to the rise of color movies. He said as a film student at New York University in the early 1960s, he was shocked when he heard predictions that all future movies would be filmed in color. He said anyone harboring doubts about the rising influence of 3-D technology should consider how color movies have taken over the industry.
The 3-D craze allows filmmakers to accomplish the original goals of cinema, Scorsese said.
"The minute it started people wanted three things: color, sound and depth," Scorsese said. "You want to recreate life."
Lee also urged theater owners to continue investing in their movie houses. Adapting to digital projectors has been a challenge for some small and independent theater owners.
"Keep them open," Lee said. "Especially with 3-D, this is a new era coming. We have to keep up with it." 

The old 3D never impressed me. But I understand that it has changed for the better. I hated those crappy glasses. It could because I wear glasses I guess.

Paul Walker filming Katrina drama in New Orleans

Apr 25, 8:00 PM (ET)

By STACEY PLAISANCE
 
NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Actor Paul Walker is shifting gears in New Orleans, where he is playing a father struggling to keep his newborn daughter alive in a New Orleans hospital ravaged by Hurricane Katrina.
Makers of the suspense drama, "Hours," say this is one of the most challenging film projects yet for "The Fast and the Furious" star.
Walker plays the lead character Nolan, a grief-stricken man struggling with his wife's death while trying to keep his prematurely born daughter alive in an incubator through power outages and rising floodwater and chaos when the two are abandoned in a New Orleans hospital after Katrina strikes.
"Paul is literally in every scene," said the film's producer, Peter Safran, whose other films include the blockbuster parody "Scary Movie.""I love how this project challenges him."

Production got under way this week.
Shooting on Wednesday involved a scene in which Walker was trying to flag down a helicopter from the roof of a parking garage that will appear in the movie to be the roof of the hospital in which Walker's character and his daughter are trapped.
Filmmakers point out that the movie isn't just a Katrina story.
"It's about parenthood," said screenwriter Eric Heisserer ("Final Destination 5" and "The Thing"), who is making his directing debut with "Hours.""As I was writing this screenplay, I could see every scene. There comes a point where you fall in love with a project so much you just can't let go of it."
Walker, who has a 13-year-old daughter, said the premise of a father fighting to keep his child alive is what drew him in.
"This father is doing everything he can to just keep things going, keep electricity going, to keep this little baby going," Walker said. "My little girl means the whole world to me. I really want to believe that if I was placed in the same situation that I would rise above, that I would be able to see it through the end and do what it would take to make sure my baby came out on top."
"Hours," which also stars Genesis Rodriguez ("Man on a Ledge" and "Casa de mi Padre"), will be filming in New Orleans through next month.
It's one of a cluster of productions filming in south Louisiana. Others include "The Tomb" starring Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger and "Django Unchained," the Quentin Tarantino-directed film starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Samuel L. Jackson and Jamie Foxx.
Besides "The Fast and the Furious" movie series about Los Angeles street racers, Walker's other film projects include "Fast Five,""Varsity Blues,""Flags of Our Fathers" and "Into the Blue."
"Hours" is expected to be screened at the Sundance Film Festival in January and will be released early next year, Safran said. 

I am looking forward to this movie. Not just because I am a Paul walker. It will be nice to him in a more mature role for a change. Not that I would pass on another 'Fast & Furious.'

First Look: Whitney Houston shines in 'Sparkle'

Apr 25, 10:47 PM (ET)

By CRISTINA SILVA
LAS VEGAS (AP) - Cee Lo Green, Mike Epps and Jordin Sparks help Whitney Houston return to the big screen for the last time in the girl group movie "Sparkle."
Houston served as executive producer of the movie, which had already finished filming in Detroit when she died in Beverly Hills on Feb. 11 at age 48.
A brief preview shared with theater owners Wednesday night at the CinemaCon conference in Las Vegas featured Houston's trademark dazzling smile as she danced in a living room in celebration.
The remake of the 1976 movie stars Houston as the mother of three girls who form a singing group and struggle with fame and drug addiction. The movie, scheduled for release in August, was seen as a comeback vehicle for the superstar, whose career suffered in recent years as she battled with drug and alcohol abuse.
The preview footage largely focused on Sparks, who was seen playing a piano in a modest home, glasses dangling from her nose. In later scenes, she appeared glammed up in sparkling, curve-hugging gowns. It's the American Idol winner's first notable Hollywood role.
Green also sings in the movie.
Houston labored for 12 years to get "Sparkle" on the big screen. The film marked her first return to cinema since 1996's "The Preacher's Wife." Her Hollywood debut came 20 years ago in the blockbuster movie "The Bodyguard."
Houston, a multi-platinum singer, earned her first No. 1 hit by age 22.
An autopsy showed she accidentally drowned in a hotel room bathtub on the eve of the Grammy Awards. Heart disease and cocaine use were contributing factors. 

This would be low on my must see list. I was not a Whitney Houston fan. That said, I wish she were here to see it. Hope her daughter gets the help she needs.

First Look: 'Men in Black 3' tackles time travel

Apr 25, 11:36 PM (ET)

By CRISTINA SILVA
LAS VEGAS (AP) - Will Smith jumps off the Chrysler Building and lands in 1969 to save the world from an alien invasion in the upcoming "Men in Black 3."
The action comedy franchise that saw Smith and Tommy Lee Jones first team up in 1997 returns to movie theaters next month.
Footage from the time-travel bromance was shared Wednesday night with theater owners at the CinemaCon conference in Las Vegas. In the preview, Smith and Jones survive a fight with an oversized fish at a Chinatown restaurant ripe with alien patrons, only for Jones' character Agent K to suddenly disappear.
"You look like you come from the planet Damn," Smith's Agent J tells the fish before attacking it with mustard-filled squirt bottles. They end up trading blows on a street as confused Chinatown residents look on. This is what happens when you flush fish down the toilet, Smith warns them.

"I am getting too old for this," Smith tells Jones at one point. "I can't even imagine how you feel."
The franchise's first film saw Jones' straight-man veteran introduce Smith to the secretive government agency that fends off alien attacks and keeps immigrants from other planets hidden and in check.
In the latest installment, Smith has 24 hours to go back in time and save his partner and the world. Multiple spaceships hover menacingly in the sky.
In 1969, Josh Brolin portrays the younger Agent K. His co-workers include artist Andy Warhol, who tracks down aliens when he isn't hosting glamorous parties with hippies and models.
Smith continues his snappy lines, warning Warhol that he isn't above "pimp slapping" him.
Smith's journey through time also has him fending off a Tyrannosaurus rex. 

Have you had enough of 'Men In Black?' I hope not, because Will Smith & Tommy Lee Jones just don't give up. Will there be another sequel? Probably, Hollywood loves sequels.

First Look: Garfield stars in 'Amazing Spider-Man'

Apr 25, 11:51 PM (ET)

By CRISTINA SILVA
LAS VEGAS (AP) - Peter Parker flirts with a police officer's daughter, rides a skateboard through Manhattan and fends off an oversized lizard he helped create in "The Amazing Spider-Man."
Footage from the latest take on Marvel Comics' iconic web slinger was shared with theater owners at the CinemaCon convention in Las Vegas on Wednesday night. The preview saw Andrew Garfield as Spider-Man soaring through the Manhattan skyline, taunting bad guys, hunting for his father and working up the nerve to ask out Emma Stone, who portrays romantic interest Gwen Stacy.
Rhys Ifans is the villainous Lizard, who used to work with Parker's father in a lab and turns evil after injecting himself with some kind of serum that Parker helped create.
Parker concedes fending off villain after villain isn't easy, but what has really haunted him his entire life is the desire to find out "the truth about my parents."
 
Stone's character is the daughter of a police officer who soon sets his sights on taking down Parker's masked vigilante. In one scene, he seems to succeed as he unmasks Parker, who kneels on the ground, his arms handcuffed behind him.
Stacy and Parker's courtship starts in a high school hallway. He struggles to ask her out after his uncle reveals that Parker keeps her picture on his computer screen.
Garfield's Parker is far less tongue-tied around bad guys. He pretends to be afraid of a knife in one scene before flinging the weapon away with his web.
The superhero flick has cars flying off bridges, Stone and Garfield locking lips, and moral warnings about choice and responsibility.
"No one seems to grasp the concept of the mask," Parker laments after yet another law enforcement figure asks about his identity.
The 3-D movie directed by Marc Webb opens July 3. 

Like 'Men In Black,' I started to tire of 'Spiderman.' But this sounds like it could be interesting. Ready for another super hero? Personally, I'm ready for another 'Knight Rider.'

Please, join me in my fight to save 'Skyvue Drive-in.' I have created a Facebook Group and Donation Site just for this. We need all of the help we can get.

- Paul
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Monday, April 23rd 2012

4:19 AM

Harvey & Sparks out muscle 'Hunger Games' 4 top 2 spots!

'Hunger Games' fell to #3 - behind 'Think Like a Man' and 'The Lucky One' - ending a 4 week lead. The Box Office also fell for a second and possibly a third consecutive week.  

'Think Like a Man' muscles in at No. 1 with $33M

Apr 22, 4:20 PM (ET)

By DAVID GERMAIN
 
LOS ANGELES (AP) - The date-night movies "Think Like a Man" and "The Lucky One" finally have knocked "The Hunger Games" off its No. 1 box-office perch.
"Think Like a Man," based on Steve Harvey's dating-advice best-seller, debuted as the top weekend draw with $33 million, according to studio estimates Sunday. That's almost double what studio executives had expected for the Sony Screen Gems ensemble movie, which features Michael Ealy, Taraji P. Henson and Gabrielle Union.
The Warner Bros. drama "The Lucky One," starring Zac Efron in an adaptation of Nicholas Sparks' romance novel, opened at No. 2 with $22.8 million. It also came in a bit above studio expectations going into the weekend.
"Think Like a Man" was produced for about $13 million and took in nearly that much on opening day Friday alone, with business getting even better on Saturday. Sony executives had figured the movie might pull in about $17 million for the whole weekend.

"It was a wild ride. It just got better and better as the night went on Friday. Then to be up so much on Saturday," said Rory Bruer, head of distribution at Sony.
Lionsgate's blockbuster "The Hunger Games" took in $14.5 million, slipping to third-place after four weekends at No. 1. The film raised its domestic total to $356.9 million.
"The Hunger Games" added $13 million overseas, where its total now stands at $215.8 million, for a worldwide haul of $573 million.
Disney's nature documentary "Chimpanzee" opened at No. 4 with $10.2 million.
Despite some healthy newcomers, Hollywood's overall revenues dipped for the second weekend in a row. Domestic receipts totaled $129 million, down 5 percent from the same weekend last year, when "Rio" led with $26.3 million, according to box-office tracker Hollywood.com.
Revenues likely will decline again next weekend, with no huge newcomers expected to come close to the $86.2 million debut of "Fast Five" over that same weekend last year.
But business should shoot back up after that as the superhero ensemble "The Avengers" launches one of Hollywood's biggest summer lineups ever over the first weekend of May.
"'Fast Five' basically performed to summer box-office numbers in pre-summer last year," said Hollywood.com analyst Paul Dergarabedian. "We're not going to have a 'Fast Five' in late April this year, but that's OK, because we've got 'Avengers a week later, and that'll more than make up for it."
So far in 2012, domestic revenues are at $3.1 billion, up 16.6 percent from last year's, according to Hollywood.com.
Paramount's 3-D version of James Cameron's blockbuster "Titanic" added $5 million to bring its three-week domestic total to $52.8 million. The film's lifetime domestic haul now stands at $653.6 million.
With $34.3 million more overseas, the 3-D version's international total rose to $225 million, pushing the lifetime worldwide gross of "Titanic" to $2.1 billion.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Hollywood.com. Where available, latest international numbers are also included. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
1. "Think Like a Man," $33 million.
2. "The Lucky One," $22.8 million ($3.8 million international).
3. "The Hunger Games," $14.5 million ($13 million international).
4. "Chimpanzee," $10.2 million.
5. "The Three Stooges," $9.2 million.
6. "The Cabin in the Woods," $7.8 million ($3.3 million international).
7. "American Reunion," $5.2 million ($9.5 million international).
8. "Titanic" in 3-D, $5 million ($34.3 million international).
9. "21 Jump Street," $4.6 million ($3.1 million international).
10. "Mirror Mirror," $4.1 million ($5.8 million international).
---
Estimated weekend ticket sales at international theaters (excluding the U.S. and Canada) for films distributed overseas by Hollywood studios, according to Rentrak:
1. "Battleship," $58.4 million.
2. "Titanic" in 3-D, $34.3 million.
3. "The Hunger Games," $13 million.
4. "American Reunion," $9.5 million.
5. "Wrath of the Titans," $8 million.
6. "The Pirates! Band of Misfits," $7.8 million.
7. "Mirror Mirror," $5.8 million.
8. "Dr. Seuss' the Lorax," $5.1 million.
9. "Houba," $4 million.
10. "The Lucky One," $3.8 million.
---
Online:
http://www.hollywood.com
http://www.rentrak.com
---
Universal and Focus are owned by NBC Universal, a unit of Comcast Corp. (CMCSK); Sony, Columbia, Sony Screen Gems and Sony Pictures Classics are units of Sony Corp.; Paramount is owned by Viacom Inc.; Disney, Pixar and Marvel are owned by The Walt Disney Co. (DIS); Miramax is owned by Filmyard Holdings LLC; 20th Century Fox and Fox Searchlight are owned by News Corp. (NWSA); Warner Bros. and New Line are units of Time Warner Inc. (TWX); MGM is owned by a group of former creditors including Highland Capital, Anchorage Advisors and Carl Icahn; Lionsgate is owned by Lions Gate Entertainment Corp.; IFC is owned by AMC Networks Inc. (AMCX); Rogue is owned by Relativity Media LLC. 

As you may know, I joined the fight to save the $50K movie theater. Well, all weed is an additional $5K to close the deal. If you can help us, please do so here.

http://www.gofundme.com/aywdg

- Paul

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Sunday, April 15th 2012

11:51 PM

'Hunger Games' slaps down 'Stooges' to keep top spot!

As predicted, 'Hunger Games' enjoys a 4th. week on top thanks to their $22M take this weekend. Can they hold on to the top spot for a 5th. weekend? 

The take this week was down about 10%. This is only the 2nd. weekend this year that the box office fell. Certainly not bad after recent years of sluggish ticket sales.



'Hunger Games' earns $21.5M to slap down 'Stooges'

Apr 15, 4:22 PM (ET)

By DAVID GERMAIN
 
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Movie fans have chosen real violence over the slapstick variety as "The Hunger Games" held off "The Three Stooges" to remain the No. 1 weekend movie.
Lionsgate's "The Hunger Games," the blockbuster about teens competing in a televised fight to the death, stayed on top for a fourth-straight weekend with $21.5 million. That raises the film's domestic total to $337.1 million.
"I think a couple of weeks ago, if someone had told us where we'd be, we would have said, 'We'd like to see that number, but it would be a pleasant surprise.' So we're in that pleasant surprise spot at this point," said Richie Fay, head of distribution for Lionsgate.
Peter and Bobby Farrelly's slapstick update "The Three Stooges" opened in second-place with $17.1 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.

That was well above industry expectations of around $10 million for the 20th Century Fox update starring Chris Diamantopoulos as Moe, Sean Hayes as Larry and Will Sasso as Curly.
Fox executives had figured the movie would appeal mainly to young males. But it also pulled in older men who grew up on the Stooges and a fair number of women and girls as whole families turned out to see it, said Chris Aronson, the studio's head of distribution.
"If you're predisposed to open your mind, it's a laugh riot," Aronson said.
The acclaimed horror tale "The Cabin in the Woods" debuted in third-place with $14.9 million. A smart, twisting take on the genre produced and co-written by Joss Whedon ("Buffy the Vampire Slayer"), the long-delayed "Cabin in the Woods" had been one of the films caught up in MGM's bankruptcy but was finally released by Lionsgate.
On the 100th anniversary of the ship's sinking on April 15, 1912, the 3-D version of James Cameron's "Titanic" sailed past the $2 billion mark worldwide.

"Titanic" is just the second blockbuster to top $2 billion, trailing only the next film Cameron made - the sci-fi sensation "Avatar," which took in $2.8 billion.
Domestically, "Titanic" held the No. 4 spot with $11.6 million. The 3-D re-release has taken in $44.4 million domestically to lift the film's lifetime total to $645.2 million.
"Titanic" also pulled in $88.2 million in 69 overseas markets, including a huge $58 million 3-D debut in China. That brought the 3-D reissue's overseas total to $146.4 million and the worldwide sum for re-release to $190.8 million.
Added to the $1.84 billion take from the original release of the 1997 hit, "Titanic" has climbed to a lifetime total of about $2.03 billion.
Another big overseas haul came with Universal's "Battleship," which opened with $58 million in 26 countries five weeks ahead of its U.S. debut on May 18. The action tale featuring Taylor Kitsch and Liam Neeson is inspired by the game Battleship.
"The Hunger Games" added $15 million overseas to bring its international total to $194 million and its worldwide haul to $531 million.
The weekend's other new domestic wide release, Film District's sci-fi story "Lockout," opened at No. 9 with $6.3 million. The movie stars Guy Pearce trying to quell an uprising at an orbiting space prison.
With no big new debut on the domestic front, the overall box office slipped for only the second weekend this year. Domestic revenues totaled $117 million, down 10 percent from the same weekend last year, when "Rio" led with $39.2 million, according to box-office tracker Hollywood.com.
Domestic revenues this year are at $2.98 billion, 19.3 percent ahead of 2011's, putting Hollywood on a record money pace with a big summer lineup just weeks away. The superhero tale "The Avengers" kicks off the summer season May 4.
Revenues may continue to lag over the next couple of weeks compared to last year, when the action hit "Fast Five" boosted business just before the summer season.
"This year, we don't really have something like that, but with the 20 percent lead we have over last year, we don't really need it. We are in terrific shape going into summer," said Hollywood.com analyst Paul Dergarabedian.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Hollywood.com. Where available, latest international numbers are also included. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
1. "The Hunger Games," $21.5 million ($15 million international).
2. "The Three Stooges," $17.1 million.
3. "The Cabin in the Woods," $14.9 million ($3.4 million international).
4. "Titanic" in 3-D, $11.6 million ($88.2 million international).
5. "American Reunion," $10.6 million ($11.8 million international).
6. "Mirror Mirror," $7 million ($10.2 million international).
7. "Wrath of the Titans," $6.9 million ($16 million international).
8. "21 Jump Street," $6.8 million ($4 million international).
9. "Lockout," $6.3 million.
10. "Dr. Seuss' the Lorax," $3 million ($8.6 million international).
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Estimated weekend ticket sales at international theaters (excluding the U.S. and Canada) for films distributed overseas by Hollywood studios, according to Rentrak:
1. "Titanic" in 3-D, $88.2 million.
2. "Battleship," $58 million.
3. "Wrath of the Titans," $16 million.
4. "The Hunger Games," $15 million.
5. "American Reunion," $11.8 million.
6. "Mirror Mirror," $10.2 million.
7. "Dr. Seuss' the Lorax," $8.6 million.
8. "The Pirates! Band of Misfits," $8.4 million.
9. "Houba," $6.8 million.
10. "The Intouchables," $5.7 million.
---
Online:
http://www.hollywood.com
http://www.rentrak.com
---
Universal and Focus are owned by NBC Universal, a unit of Comcast Corp. (CMCSK); Sony, Columbia, Sony Screen Gems and Sony Pictures Classics are units of Sony Corp.; Paramount is owned by Viacom Inc.; Disney, Pixar and Marvel are owned by The Walt Disney Co. (DIS); Miramax is owned by Filmyard Holdings LLC; 20th Century Fox and Fox Searchlight are owned by News Corp. (NWSA); Warner Bros. and New Line are units of Time Warner Inc. (TWX); MGM is owned by a group of former creditors including Highland Capital, Anchorage Advisors and Carl Icahn; Lionsgate is owned by Lions Gate Entertainment Corp.; IFC is owned by AMC Networks Inc. (AMCX); Rogue is owned by Relativity Media LLC. 

Rest in peace Thomas Kinkade. While some are debating your "art," I considered you my Norman Rockwell. With both guys, everyone could afford a "work of art" in some form. Be that a framed painting or a framed calendar/magazine cover.

I want to remind that Indiana Theater in Washington is still available. And yours truly would love to have it. Keep that in mind while you play the lottery this week.

-Paul
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Friday, April 13th 2012

10:31 PM

Sneak Peek @ Weekend Box Office!

If you haven't been to the theater yet, then here are some of the choices that await you. Simple reviews by the Associated Press. I know, your real interest is in 'Hunger Games.' Paul Dergarabedian has that for us. 


Capsule reviews of new movie releases

Apr 12, 12:26 PM (ET)

By The Associated Press
 
"The Cabin in the Woods" - Stop reading this review right now. Go see the movie, then come back and we can have a conversation about it. The less you know going into it, the better. We can say this much: The hype is justified. And that's saying something when we're talking about geek god Joss Whedon, who produced and co-wrote the script with director Drew Goddard, a veteran of such revered TV shows as "Lost" and Whedon's own "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." Goddard makes his directing debut with this long-awaited film but he keeps all the moving parts humming along with thrilling fluidity and ease. "The Cabin in the Woods" walks a very difficult line and manages to find the right tone pretty much the entire time. Anyone can spoof and parody and wink at the camera in making fun of a specific genre, especially one like horror in which the conventions are so deeply ingrained and staying a couple steps ahead of the characters is part of the fun. But the trick is to avoid going overboard and to play it somewhat straight. "Cabin" affectionately toys with the familiarity of certain types and plot points but it also dares to take a step back and examine why we need to return to these sorts of films, why we love to laugh and jump, why we hunger for carnage and thirst for blood. It pays homage to the kinds of frights horror fans know and love while managing to provide surprises and twists, layers upon layers, over and over again. It's humorously self-aware without being smugly sarcastic. Five friends go away for the weekend to a remote cabin by a lake. Clearly, they won't all make it out alive. R for strong bloody horror, violence and gore, language, drug use and some sexuality/nudity. 95 minutes. Three and a half stars out of four.
- Christy Lemire, AP Movie Critic

I have loved horror movies for most of my life, so I am eager to see this. Sadly, I think the genre has lost steam in recent years. Or perhaps I have see too many of them.

"Lockout" - If a futuristic space prison with 500 of the world's most violent and dangerous criminals cryogenically frozen was to somehow undergo an inmate revolt, who would emerge as the unquestioned leader of such an intergalactic gang of gruesome murders? Why the Scots, of course. At least that's according to this sci-fi circa 2079 action flick, directed by a pair of Irish filmmakers: James Mather and Stephen St. Leger. They co-wrote it with producer Luc Besson, the prodigious if seldom proficient French action filmmaker. The MS One is a hulking, orbiting jail that puts its prisoners in "stasis," or a deep sleep. But when the president's daughter (Maggie Grace) visits to question its methods, a prisoner easily gets loose and soon the ship is overrun by criminals who immediately fall in line behind the Scottish Alex (Vincent Regan) and his more psychotic sibling Hydell (Joe Gilgun). Obviously, such awkward circumstances can only be resolved by a solo, heroic mission from a reluctant, irascible protagonist. Ours is Snow (Guy Pearce), an agent who has been unjustly deemed a criminal after a mission gone wrong. This is a brawnier Pearce ("L.A. Confidential,""Mildred Pierce"), and if "Lockout" is meant as an action hero audition, he certainly has the needed charisma. He's the only reason to see the film. The cheap visual effects are so bad that you'll be wondering if you misplaced your 3-D glasses. PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, and language, including some sexual references. 95 minutes. Two stars out of four.
- Jake Coyle, AP Entertainment Writer

I would happily watch this and do it with an open mind. But I'm not overly excited by or drawn to this. And it has nothing to do with this lack-luster review. 

"The Three Stooges" - A little nyuk-nyuk-nyuk goes a long way in Peter and Bobby Farrelly's feature-length homage to the classic slapstick comedy trio. The Farrelly brothers have wanted to make this movie for years, and for the most part they didn't try to inflict their signature gross-out sensibility upon known and revered source material. As directors and writers (with screenplay help from their boyhood friend Mike Cerrone), the Farrellys have shown surprising restraint. Their "Three Stooges" is sweeter than you might expect, and it's certainly more tolerable than their last movie, the crass "Hall Pass" from last year. But it's hard to imagine who the film is for today beyond hardcore fans of the original shorts and 10-year-old boys who double over giggling at the sight of grown men doubling over in pain. There are a few cute ideas, though, and some clever casting choices. Every once in a while a pun is good for a chuckle. But the head-bonking and the eye-poking, the face-slapping and the finger-snapping and the constant clang of sound effects are too much to bear over an extended period of time. If anything, the Farrellys'"Three Stooges" might make you want to go back and revisit the original threesome - in short doses - for a reminder of how influential their brand of comedy has become. With Sean Hayes as Larry, Will Sasso as Curly and Chris Diamantopoulos as Moe. PG for slapstick action violence and some rude and suggestive humor including language. 91 minutes. Two stars out of four.
- Christy Lemire, AP Movie Critic 

Now, I was not a big fan of 'The Three Stooges.' Frankly, I was turned off by what I perceived as a violent relationship. Oddly enough, I now find myself wanting to see this. 

Box Office Preview: 'Hunger' going for 4 in a row

Apr 12, 8:12 PM (ET)

By PAUL DERGARABEDIAN
 
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Lionsgate's "The Hunger Games" has topped the domestic box office chart each day since its release and audiences will continue to pay their tribute, putting another $20 million in its quiver for a fourth consecutive weekend win.
A 24-day total of over $335 million going into the weekend will already place the film in the Top 25 all-time performers at the North American box office.
Second place with a gross in the low teens should go to the well-reviewed, R-rated horror entry "The Cabin in the Woods." The much-buzzed-about Lionsgate release features a screenplay co-written by Joss Whedon that puts an inventive twist on the fright genre.
Also nyuking for a spot in the top three is Fox's updated spin on "The Three Stooges," with an expected take of more than $10 million. Directed by the Farrelly brothers, the beloved goofball trio of Larry, Moe and Curly bring their particular brand of slapstick to a modern setting.

Universal's R-rated "American Reunion" heads into its second weekend with around $30 million and the potential for another $10 million in the retirement fund.
Paramount's 3-D treatment of the 1997 romantic adventure "Titanic" should add just under $10 million to the PG-13-rated classic's overall domestic total of more that $622 million.
Expected to debut outside of the top five with $6 million-plus is Film District's PG-13 action thriller "Lockout," starring Guy Pearce.
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Paul Dergarabedian is president of the Box Office Division of Hollywood.com and provides box office analysis for The Associated Press.
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Online: http://www.Hollywood.com 

As a fan of movies in general, I really hate to see the same movie hog the box office for long periods of time. But, as my grandma would say, "Only a sore loser blames the winner." 

Have you see the $50K theater that I shared on Facebook? A great gift for your favorite blogger perhaps? I would love to test my theory of how to rely on volume and not prices. 

- Paul 
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Monday, April 9th 2012

12:14 AM

'Hunger Games' stands up 2 challenge of old faves!

The Easter bunny has been good to Hollywood. Once again, the box office is up 20%. Thanks to 'Hunger Games' and its seasoned challengers 'American Pie' & 'Titanic.'

'Hunger Games' scores Easter feast with $33.5M

Apr 8, 4:50 PM (ET)

DAVID GERMAIN
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Film fans are still forking over for "The Hunger Games," which took in $33.5 million to lead the box office for a third-straight weekend.
According to studio estimates Sunday, Lionsgate's "The Hunger Games" raised its domestic total to $302.8 million. It easily out-earned two returning favorites, Universal's "American Pie" sequel "American Reunion" and a 3-D version of the blockbuster "Titanic," released domestically by Paramount and overseas by 20th Century Fox.
Both newcomers opened solidly, though. "American Reunion" pulled in $21.5 million, the lowest haul since the 1999 original but still a decent return for a comedy franchise whose last big-screen chapter came nine years ago.
"Titanic" in 3-D reeled in $17.4 million over the weekend, raising its domestic take to $25.7 million since opening Wednesday. That lifts the lifetime domestic gross of James Cameron's mega-hit to $626.5 million.

Starring Jennifer Lawrence as a teen forced to fight other youths in a televised death match, "The Hunger Games" now has topped the domestic gross of each of the "Twilight" movies and all but the first and last of the "Harry Potter" films.
With $25.5 million overseas, "The Hunger Games" raised its international total to $157.1 million. That put its worldwide take at about $460 million.
"The Hunger Games" has helped studios race to a record box-office pace, with domestic revenues for the year now at $2.8 billion, up 20 percent from 2011's, according to box-office tracker Hollywood.com.
"We're heading into summer with a tremendous amount of momentum, led obviously by 'Hunger Games,'" said Hollywood.com analyst Paul Dergarabedian. "Just about everything seems to be working."
The first big-screen "American Pie" sequel since 2003's "American Wedding," "American Reunion" brings back all key cast members from the 1999 gross-out hit, including Jason Biggs, Alyson Hannigan, Seann William Scott, Mena Suvari and Tara Reid.
The new sequel had the smallest start since 1999's "American Pie" debuted with $18.7 million. Factoring in inflation, the original movie also sold more tickets than "American Reunion."
Yet adding its $19.3 million earnings in 28 overseas markets, "American Reunion" started well with a worldwide total of $40.8 million.
"We're very content. It's a great launch worldwide," said Nikki Rocco, Universal's head of distribution. "It's a successful reboot of a franchise that we believe in."
"Titanic" follows such past hits as "The Lion King" and "Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace" to be converted to 3-D.
"This is something that has already been seen by tens of millions of people in the domestic market. To have taken the time and care that Jim Cameron did to re-create it in 3-D and to do $25-plus-million over five days is just a home run," said Don Harris, head of distribution at Paramount.
Cameron's 1997 smash added $35.5 million in 84 overseas markets, putting its 3-D worldwide total at $60.2 million.
Starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet in a tragic romance aboard the doomed ship, "Titanic" won 11 Academy Awards, including best picture. At $1.84 billion worldwide, the film remained the No. 1 modern blockbuster for 12 years until Cameron's "Avatar" bumped it off with $2.8 billion.
The 3-D version has closed the gap a bit, with the lifetime total of "Titanic" now at just over $1.9 billion.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Hollywood.com. Where available, latest international numbers are also included. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
1. "The Hunger Games," $33.5 million ($25.5 million international).
2. "American Reunion," $21.5 million ($19.3 million international).
3. "Titanic" in 3-D, $17.4 million ($35.5 million international).
4. "Wrath of the Titans," $15 million ($43 million international).
5. "Mirror Mirror," $11 million ($11.5 million international).
6. "21 Jump Street," $10.2 million ($2.9 million international).
7. "Dr. Seuss' the Lorax," $5 million ($11.8 million international).
8. "Salmon Fishing in the Yemen," $975,000.
9. "John Carter," $820,000 ($2.6 million international).
10. "Safe House," $581,000.
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Estimated weekend ticket sales at international theaters (excluding the U.S. and Canada) for films distributed overseas by Hollywood studios, according to Rentrak:
1. "Wrath of the Titans," $43 million.
2. "Titanic" in 3-D, $35.5 million.
3. "The Hunger Games," $25.5 million.
4. "American Reunion," $19.3 million.
5. "Dr. Seuss' the Lorax," $11.8 million.
6. "Mirror Mirror," $11.5 million.
7. "The Pirates! A Band of Misfits," $10 million.
8. "Houba," $6.8 million.
9. "Intouchables," $6 million.
10. "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel," $5.3 million.
---
Online:
http://www.hollywood.com
http://www.rentrak.com
---
Universal and Focus are owned by NBC Universal, a unit of Comcast Corp. (CMCSK); Sony, Columbia, Sony Screen Gems and Sony Pictures Classics are units of Sony Corp.; Paramount is owned by Viacom Inc.; Disney, Pixar and Marvel are owned by The Walt Disney Co. (DIS); Miramax is owned by Filmyard Holdings LLC; 20th Century Fox and Fox Searchlight are owned by News Corp. (NWSA); Warner Bros. and New Line are units of Time Warner Inc. (TWX); MGM is owned by a group of former creditors including Highland Capital, Anchorage Advisors and Carl Icahn; Lionsgate is owned by Lions Gate Entertainment Corp.; IFC is owned by AMC Networks Inc. (AMCX); Rogue is owned by Relativity Media LLC. 

I watched a movie in an actual theater this week. Something I had not done in years. Koda Bear & I both enjoyed the free screening of 'Hop' @ Castle Theater. They do this regularly to thank the community and we really appreciate it.

But the concession prices confirmed what many have told me about. The prices were simply absurd. I understand that they must rely on concessions for the bulk of their revenue. This is true for all theaters -- especially indies like Castle.

There was no chance that I would drop nearly $14 for 2 cokes and a popcorn. Even for a free movie. Please, drop the price to something realistic. If you had, I would buy something.

Seriously, I wanted my popcorn. Many of those who were there would agree. So, a lower price will generate volume. Imagine if everyone spent a few bucks as opposed to a few big spenders. Think about it theater owners.

For more information about Castle Theater. Visit their web site and click through to their Facebook Page. They will be celebrating the 40th. Anniversary of 'American Graffiti' soon.

http://www.castlenc.com

It was not my intention to single them out. They are a mere example of an industry wide issue. One that I hope they will address. When they do, we should support them.

- Paul
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