Michelle Hutton is an Alt Film Guide contributor and box office aficionada.
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'Eclipse' Movie: Kristen Stewart & Robert Pattinson Romantic Fantasy Shatters Records
July 16 update: The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, the romantic fantasy-adventure starring Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, and Taylor Lautner, passed the $250 million milestone at the North American box office on Thursday, July 15 '10. Directed by David Slade, Eclipse took in $3.72 million on Thursday, totaling $251.37 million after 16 […]
'Knight and Day': Tom Cruise Not Responsible for Box Office Misfire?
Tom Cruise, Cameron Diaz, Knight and Day June 28 update: “Blame me, don't blame Tom Cruise. We did lots of focus groups for this film, and no one ever said there was a star problem. Never. Tom Cruise was not the issue. I take full responsibility. And if the movie […]
Remake and Sequel Pass $100 Million: Box Office
June 20 update: Lee Unkrich's Toy Story 3 beat studio estimates, grossing $110 million at North American theaters this past weekend according to Box Office Mojo. Featuring the voices of Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Ned Beatty, Michael Keaton, Don Rickles, Estelle Harris, Laurie Metcalf, and others, Toy Story […]
'Iron Man 2' Tops 'Robin Hood' & Trails 'New Moon'?
Russell Crowe in Ridley Scott's Robin Hood May 21 update: On what surely was its last day at the top of the North American box office, Robert Downey Jr's Iron Man 2 grossed $3.03 million (down 3.4 percent) at no. 1 – barely staying above the $3 million per day […]
Freddy Krueger Tops + Miley Cyrus Out
Freddy Krueger in A Nightmare on Elm Street 2010 (top); Mongolian child in Thomas Balmes' Babies May 8 update A Nightmare on Elm Street, starring Jackie Earle Haley as creepy Freddy Krueger, collected $9.119 million at no. 2 this weekend at the U.S. and Canada box office, according to actuals […]
Most Influential People Robert Pattinson + Lady Gaga & Ashton Kutcher?
Emilie de Ravin, Robert Pattinson, Remember Me April 29: Singer Lady Gaga, actor Robert Pattinson, artist Banksy, Apple entrepreneur Steve Jobs, Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh, talk-show hostess Oprah Winfrey, actor-tweeter Ashton Kutcher, talk show host Conan O'Brien, artist Zaha Hadid, filmmaker James Cameron, and Nelson Mandela's wife Graça Machel […]
Jennifer Lopez & Alex O'Loughlin Tops + Zoe Saldana Flops
Jennifer Lopez, Alex O'Loughlin star in Alan Poul's The Back-up Plan (top) April 29 update: Starring Alex O'Loughlin and Jennifer Lopez, Alan Poul's romantic comedy The Back-up Plan remained at the top of the North American box office chart on Wednesday, earning $832K (-18.7 percent) according to figures found at […]
'Avatar' 3D Rerelease
Miley Cyrus in the film version of Nicholas Sparks' The Last Song (top); James Cameron, Sam Worthington Avatar (bottom) April 22 update: Matthew Vaughn's Kick-Ass, with Aaron Johnson, Chloë Grace Moretz, and Nicolas Cage, held a very slight lead at the North American box office, with $1.297 million (down 12.8 […]
'Kick-Ass' Movie Disappoints: 'Pioneering' R-Rated Comic Superhero Box Office
Aaron Johnson, Kick-Ass April 17 update: Kick-Ass may have disappointed somewhat – perhaps expectations had been too high – but it was still the #1 movie this past weekend in the U.S. and Canada. Final studio figures have been released at Box Office Mojo. Matthew Vaughn's R-rated action-packed, expletive-filled comic-book […]
'Clash of the Titans': Sam Worthington Beats Tina Fey
Clash of the Titans with Polly Walker as Cassiopeia, Ralph Fiennes as Hades. April 16 update: Louis Leterrier's Clash of the Titans, starring Avatar's Sam Worthington, held the top spot at the North American box office chart on Thursday, April 15, according to Box Office Mojo. In all likelihood, that […]
'Rob' Pattinson Drama Finally Surpasses Budget' & 'Alice' Passes $300 Million
How to Train Your Dragon with Ruffnut (top); Miley Cyrus The Last Song (middle); Helena Bonham Carter's Red Queen in Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland (bottom) April 2, '10, update: Featuring the voices of Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler, Craig Ferguson, and America Ferrera, How to Train Your Dragon was back […]
'Avatar' Trailing 'Ben-Hur'? & James Cameron 3D Fantasy vs. 'Alice in Wonderland'
'Avatar' set with James Cameron and Sam Worthington. Avatar inflation-adjusted domestic box office chart James Cameron's socially conscious sci-fi/fantasy/adventure mix Avatar hasn't been the top grosser at the North American box office for nearly two months. Starring Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, and Sigourney Weaver, Avatar was initially dethroned by the […]
'The Bounty Hunter' Beaten & Kristen Stewart Biopic Disappoints
'The Bounty Hunter' with Gerard Butler as another über-macho character. Box office: 'Alice in Wonderland' leaves 'Diary of a Wimpy Kid,' 'The Bounty Hunter' far behind March 21 '10 update: Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland grossed an estimated $34.5 million at the North America box office this weekend (March 19–21, […]
Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson Box Office & Reviews: Who's Tops?
Robert Pattinson: Actor's box office appeal tested in 'Remember Me.' Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson box office comparison Kristen Stewart or Robert Pattinson? Who came out on top at the North American box office in March 2010 – or about three months prior to the June 30 opening of mega-blockbuster-to-be […]
Matt Damon & Robert Pattinson Movies Flop
Matt Damon in 'Green Zone': Political thriller is latest Universal and Iraq War box office bomb. Box Office: Matt Damon political thriller 'Green Zone,' Robert Pattinson romantic melodrama 'Remember Me' flop March 15, '10, update: Starring Matt Damon, Paul Greengrass' Iraq War thriller Green Zone landed far behind top movie […]
'Alice in Wonderland' Record-Breaking Box Office, Kristen Stewart Indie Disappoints
'Alice in Wonderland' with Mia Wasikowska: Girl in blue dress and white rabbit smash several box office records. 'Alice in Wonderland' smashes box office records Sunday, March 7, '10, update: Despite wildly mixed reviews, Alice in Wonderland has shattered a number of box office records after grossing $116.3 million this […]
'Shutter Island' Scorsese-DiCaprio Biggest Hit?
'Shutter Island' with Leonardo DiCaprio: Things and people aren't necessarily what they seem to be in Martin Scorsese thriller. 'Shutter Island' to become biggest Martin Scorsese-Leonardo DiCaprio box office hit? Feb. 28, '10, update: Starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Mark Ruffalo, Martin Scorsese's thriller Shutter Island has remained at the top […]
'Avatar' Box Office vs. 'Titanic': Box Office (Adjusted) Comparison
Avatar hasn't been the top weekend grosser at the U.S. and Canada box office since late January. First, it was dethroned by the Channing Tatum-Amanda Seyfried tearjerker Dear John; then came Garry Marshall's Valentine's Day, Joe Johnston's The Wolfman, and Chris Columbus' Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief. […]
'Valentine's Day' Beats Percy Jackson & The Wolfman
'Valentine's Day' 2010 movie: Bradley Cooper and Julia Roberts in poorly received box office hit. Box office: 'Valentine's Day' tops as 'Avatar' slides further down and controversial political drama 'My Name Is Khan' surprises Feb. 14, '10, update: Valentine's Day will have grossed an estimated $52.4 million by Sunday night […]
'Dear John' Ousts 'Avatar'
'Dear John' with Channing Tatum and Amanda Seyfried: Love in times of terrorism. 'Avatar' no longer no. 1 as Channing Tatum & Amanda Seyfried melodrama 'Dear John' tops box office Feb. 8, '10, update: Starring Channing Tatum and Amanda Seyfried, Lasse Hallström's romantic tearjerker Dear John topped the domestic box […]
'Avatar' Gross: No. 3 All-Time Domestic vs. the Inflation Factor
'Avatar' with Sigourney Weaver: Worldwide box office milestone reached. 'Avatar' passes $2 billion milestone worldwide, to surpass 'Titanic' in U.S. & Canada – but not in ticket sales Jan. 31, '10, update: Avatar's estimated weekend (Jan. 29-31) gross was at the higher end of expectations: $30 million at 3,074 locations. […]
'Avatar' Box Office to Surpass 'Star Wars'? Or Still Trailing Robin Williams Comedy?
'Avatar' box office: Na'vi-by-design Sam Worthington to beat 'Star Wars' or Robin Williams comedy? 'Avatar' box office gross to surpass 'Star Wars' – or no. 87 (or lower) on all-time domestic box office chart? Jan. 10, '10, update: Starring Sam Worthington, James Cameron's Avatar box office has increased by an […]
Box Office: 1947 Is Banner Domestic Year & 2009 Sets International Record 'Harry Potter' No. 1 Worldwide
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince with Daniel Radcliffe hanging on to the title of Worldwide Box Office Leader. In 2009, the six major U.S. studios broke box office records around the world thanks to global blockbusters such as Warner Bros.' Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, 20th Century Fox's […]
Box Office Records: Manufactured or Real? + the 'Avatar' Billion & the 'Nine' Bomb
Avatar: Zoe Saldana wears Na'vi blue digital make-up in global blockbuster that has passed the $1 billion milestone worldwide. James Cameron's mix of fantasy, adventure, and environmental conscience has already shattered several box office records – among them “fastest to $1 billion worldwide” – with more sure to come. Besides […]
'Avatar': James Cameron Fantasy Is Global Blockbuster But December Record Goes Unbroken
Avatar: James Cameron directed and wrote the environmentally conscious futuristic action-adventure fantasy known as Avatar, a 3D extravaganza that has captured the imagination of popcorn-gobbling moviegoers the world over. British-born, Australian-raised actor Sam Worthington stars as paraplegic U.S. marine Jake Sully, who, once on the planet of Pandora, goes – […]
'Samson & Delilah': Aborigine-Centered Drama Tops Australian Film Institute Awards
Samson & Delilah: 2009 film toplining newcomers Marissa Gibson and Rowan McNamara was the big winner at the Australian Film Institute (AFI) Awards, collecting eight statuettes, among them Best Film, Best Director (Warwick Thornton), Best Original Screenplay (also Thornton), Best Cinematography (Thornton once again), and two Young Actor awards for […]
'Avatar' Reviews & Budget: James Cameron Fantasy to Become Next 'Titanic' or Next 'Cleopatra'?
Avatar war: Titanic or Cleopatra? Not taking inflation into account, James Cameron's futuristic 3D action fantasy is the most expensive 20th Century Fox production ever. Once inflation is factored in, Joseph L. Mankiewicz's CGI-less Cleopatra remains not only Fox's costliest production but also the second most expensive movie ever made, […]
'New Moon' Breaks Box Office Records Except Key One + Debilitating 'Twilight' Weakness
New Moon with Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner, and Kristen Stewart. The second installment in The Twilight Saga movie franchise, New Moon has surpassed expectations, having become one of the biggest global blockbusters of the year – while nearly seizing from The Dark Knight (and runner-up Spider-Man 3) the title of […]
British Independent Film Awards: Moon Mystery Tops + Andrzej Wajda Passion & Death Tale Is FIPRESCI Winner
Moon with Sam Rockwell. This year's British Independent Film Awards Best Picture winner, Duncan Jones' Moon has elements in common with, among other sci-fi/mystery thrillers, Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey and Basil Dearden's The Man Who Haunted Himself. Astronaut Sam Bell (Sam Rockwell) and supercomputer GERTY (which sounds kinda […]
NBR: Carey Mulligan Pushes Meryl Streep Aside & Fave Clint Eastwood Returns
Up in the Air with George Clooney and Vera Farmiga. As the United States remains mired in one of its worst economic crises ever, the National Board of Review (NBR) has selected Jason Reitman's Up in the Air – the story of a frequent-flying, company-downsizing expert – as the year's […]
'Everybody's Fine' Is Anything But + '2012' Is the Feel-Good Cataclysm Movie of the Year
Everybody's Fine with Robert De Niro. An American remake of Giuseppe Tornatore's 1990 Italian melodrama Stanno tutti bene, Kirk Jones' sentimental family drama Everybody's Fine has turned out to be a major box office disappointment. Starring Robert De Niro in the old Marcello Mastroianni role, the film follows a widower […]
Asia-Pacific Screen & Mar del Plata Film Festival Awards + Watch Gotham Awards Online
2009 Asia-Pacific Screen Award winners: Australia's Gold Coast on Nov 26. 2009 ("*" denotes the winner in each category) Writer-director Warwick Thornton's Samson & Delilah, Australia's submission for the 2010 best foreign-language film Academy Award, took best film honors at the 3rd Asia-Pacific Screen Awards held in Queensland, Australia. Samson & Delilah tells the story […]
Golden Globes 2010 Predictions: Best Actor - Comedy or Musical
2010 Golden Globe Predictions: Best Actor - Comedy or Musical George Clooney, Up in the Air (with director Jason Reitman) A professional downsizer finds his ideal frequent-flying partner right when he's about to get grounded. Sacha Baron Cohen, Brüno An Austrian fashionista wants to become the next red-white-and-blue sensation. Matt […]
Golden Globes 2010 Predictions: Best Actress - Drama
2010 Golden Globe Predictions: Best Actress - Drama Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side (replacing original choice Michelle Pfeiffer in Chéri) The matriarch of a well-to-do white family “adopts” a teenage inner-city black teenager Helen Mirren, The Last Station Radical ideologue Leo Tolstoy's wife Sofya has to put up with him […]
Golden Globes Predictions: Best Actor Drama
Early 2010 Golden Globe Predictions: Best Actor - Drama Nominations Colin Firth, A Single Man In 1960s Los Angeles, a gay college professor wants to end his life after learning that his lover has died in an accident. Morgan Freeman, Invictus By staging the Rugby World Cup in South Africa, […]
Golden Globes Predictions: Best Picture Drama - Iraq War vs. Pandora War
2010 Golden Globe Predictions: Best Picture - Drama The Hurt Locker, Kathryn Bigelow; scr: Mark Boal A US Army elite unit disarms bombs in Iraq. Invictus (above, with Matt Damon), d: Clint Eastwood; scr: Anthony Peckham Newly elected South African president Nelson Mandela campaigns to stage the Rugby World Cup […]
Noel Clarke 'Adulthood': IFC Festival Direct
Noel Clarke's Adulthood, which was screened at this year's Karlovy Vary Film Festival, opens this week on IFC Festival Direct, a distribution outlet presenting “a collection of the best and most innovative cinema” from film festivals around the world, exclusively on demand. Adulthood is a follow-up to Kidulthood (2005), which […]