cinema reflections
'Star Wars 7' news: Laser sword shatters box office records. 'Star Wars 7' news: 'The Force Awakens' shatters 'Jurassic World' & Christmas records Dec. 27, '15, update: As expected, Star Wars 7 a.k.a. Star Wars: The Force Awakens has broken three major box office records this Christmas weekend (Dec. 25–27, '15): Best second domestic weekend ever. Fastest movie to reach $500 million at the domestic […]
'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' with Oscar Isaac: Poe Dameron and pals NOT to become all-time box office champs? 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' NOT to become worldwide top-grossing movie of all time? Dec. 21, '15, update: J.J. Abrams' futuristic adventure movie Star Wars: The Force Awakens was the most eagerly awaited film release since … let's see … Marlon Brando and Maria Schneider made […]
'The Force Awakens' with Daisy Ridley: 'Star Wars 7' negative reviews have been few, but bluntly acerbic. 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens': Negative reviews have been few, but pointed Star Wars: The Force Awakens is currently enjoying a 91 percent approval rating among Rotten Tomatoes' top critics. The average rating of the latest movie in the George Lucas-founded Star Wars franchise is 8.3/10. That's quite […]
'The Martian' with Matt Damon: Box office record? 'The Martian' fights 'Gravity' for October box office record; actual winner, however, is an Earthbound comedy Released by 20th Century Fox, Ridley Scott's extremely well-received The Martian, starring Matt Damon in the title role as a U.S. astronaut fighting for his life after being left behind all alone on Mars, opened with an estimated $18 million on […]
'Hotel Transylvania 2.' 'Hotel Transylvania 2' far surpasses expectations at domestic box office: Adam Sandler a hit when heard but not seen Adam Sandler has been having his share of domestic box office flops lately. Chris Columbus' Pixels, which opened in late July to scathing reviews and indifferent audiences, was the latest one: a reported $88 million production (plus marketing and distribution expenses) that earned […]
'Maze Runner 2: The Scorch Trials' with Dylan O'Brien. 'Maze Runner 2' to beat Johnny Depp 'Black Mass' The 20th Century Fox release Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials, the sequel to the 2014 hit The Maze Runner, and Warner Bros.' Johnny Depp star vehicle Black Mass will be battling it out at the North American box office this coming weekend, Sept. 18-20, the last (astronomical) […]
Christopher Nolan: 'Batman' trilogy director's next movie has release date. Next Christopher Nolan movie release date Warner Bros. will release the first post-Interstellar Christopher Nolan movie on July 21, '17. The film has yet to be baptized. Warners, which began its days as the Rin Tin Tin studio, also released Nolan's Batman trilogy movies, which collected $2.463 billion worldwide. Besides, the studio handled the sorta […]
Lucille Ball: The glamour look. Cate Blanchett to play Lucille Ball: Actress won Oscar for incarnating Ball's fellow RKO contract player Katharine Hepburn Two-time Oscar winner Cate Blanchett is reportedly slated to star in a biopic of former RKO and MGM actress and big-time television comedienne Lucille Ball. Aaron Sorkin, Oscar winner for David Fincher's The Social Network, will be responsible for the screenplay. According […]
James Woods in Videodrome. James Woods in $10 million Twitter lawsuit feud: Crassly vocal right-wing actor goes after two crassly vocal users who attacked him In a letter dated Aug. 21, '15, Twitter attorney Ryan Mrazik ridiculed Surf's Up and Scary Movie 2 actor James Woods, while also highlighting the potentially dangerous precedent of a $10 million lawsuit the 68-year-old entertainer filed against a Twitter […]
'War Room' movie: The Power of Prayer. The Power of Prayer at the domestic box office: 'War Room' (sort of) beats 'Straight Outta Compton' A miracle was needed for any of this weekend's new entries to beat the sleeper hit of 2015, F. Gary Gray's Straight Outta Compton, at the North American box office. As long as studio estimates are on target, that miracle has […]
'Straight Outta Compton' poster. Weekend box office: 'Straight Outta Compton' to beat weak competitors, but still far from being top blockbuster directed by black filmmaker If you thought last weekend was bad at the U.S. and Canada box office, you should see what's in store for this weekend, Aug. 28-30, '15. For starters, only one movie, F. Gary Gray's sleeper hit Straight Outta Compton, is […]
Robert Pattinson: Actor to play E.T. astronaut. Robert Pattinson to star for Claire Denis If all goes as planned, Robert Pattinson will get to star in French screenwriter-director Claire Denis' recently announced – and as yet untitled – English-language sci-fier, penned by Denis and White Teeth author Zadie Smith and her novelist husband Nick Laird, from an original idea by Denis and writing partner Jean-Pol […]
Sinister 2 poster. 'American Ultra,' 'Hitman: Agent 47' & 'Sinister 2': Weekend box office bombs American Ultra, Hitman: Agent 47, and Sinister 2 are the new entries at the North American box office this weekend, Aug. 21-23, '15. All three of them are expected to underperform – with American Ultra having a particularly disastrous bow, especially for a movie starring Best Actor Oscar nominee Jesse […]
'The Man from U.N.C.L.E.' 2015: Henry Cavill and Armie Hammer. 'The Man from U.N.C.L.E.' movie is a domestic box office bomb: Will it be saved by international filmgoers? Directed by Sherlock Holmes' Guy Ritchie and toplining Man of Steel star Henry Cavill and The Lone Ranger co-star Armie Hammer, the Warner Bros. release The Man from U.N.C.L.E. has been a domestic box office disaster, performing […]
'The Man From U.N.C.L.E.' with Henry Cavill and Armie Hammer. 'The Man from U.N.C.L.E.' box office: Bigger domestic flop than expected? Before I address the box office debacle of Warner Bros.' The Man from U.N.C.L.E., I'd like to remark on the fact that 2015 has been a notable year at the North American box office. That's when the dinosaurs of Jurassic World smashed Hulk and […]
'The Man from U.N.C.L.E.' with Henry Cavill. 'The Man from U.N.C.L.E.' box office: Hollywood's third major domestic bomb in a row Right on the heels of Chris Columbus-Adam Sandler's Pixels and Josh Trank's Fantastic Four comes The Man from U.N.C.L.E., a big screen adaptation of the 1960s television series, directed by Guy Ritchie and starring Man of Steel hero Henry Cavill and The Lone Ranger […]
'Fantastic Four' 2015: Miles Teller as Reed Richards a.k.a. Mister Fantastic in box office bomb-in-the-making. Box office: 'Fantastic Four' 2015 bombs, 'Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation' to pass $100 million mark Derided by critics and fans alike, 20th Century Fox's Fantastic Four is about to become one of 2015's domestic box office bombs. After earning a paltry $11.3 million on Friday – including Thursday evening […]
'Fantastic Four' 2015: Expensive box office dud stars Miles Teller, Kate Mara, The Thing (Jamie Bell) and Michael B. Jordan. 'Fantastic Four' 2015 box office: A costly domestic flop in the making? Fantastic Four 2015, a 20th Century Fox release “in association with Marvel Entertainment,” is about to become the biggest big-budget superhero(es) dud at the domestic office since at least The Green Hornet (not […]
'The Dark Knight Rises' logo. 'The Dark Knight Rises' lone terrorist gets life in prison The man who killed 12 people and injured 70 others at a July 2012 screening of The Dark Knight Rises in Aurora, in the Greater Denver area, has been sentenced to life in prison without possibility of parole. The sentence was announced today, Aug. 7, '15. Some were expecting that […]
'Jurassic World' velociraptor kicks Iron Man ass at worldwide box office. 'Jurassic World' officially surpasses 'The Avengers' at worldwide box office Directed by Colin Trevorrow; starring Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, and Vincent D'Onofrio; and co-executive-produced by Steven Spielberg, Jurassic World has officially become the third biggest worldwide box office hit in history. The Jurassic Park sequel – or reboot, as it's basically the same […]
Pixels movie with Adam Sandler. 'Pixels' movie weekend box office: Adam Sandler vs. 'Ant-Man' Despite its underwhelming domestic box office debut last weekend, Marvel's Ant-Man may turn out to be the winner in North America this weekend, July 24–26, thanks to another underwhelming debut: that of the Adam Sandler Pixels movie. According to weekend box office projections found at Variety, the Chris Columbus-directed Pixels is […]
Ant-Man: Paul Rudd as Scott Lang. 'Ant-Man' box office below expectations: Lowest Marvel Cinematic Universe domestic debut Starring Paul Rudd as a bug-like (sizewise) action hero, Ant-Man was expected to open with $60-$65 million from 3,856 U.S. and Canada locations this past weekend, July 17-19. That didn't happen. A mere three days ago, Variety enthused that Ant-Man was “marching to a solid $65 million weekend […]
'San Andreas' movie with Dwayne Johnson. 'San Andreas' movie box office: $100 million domestic milestone today As the old saying (sort of) goes: If you build it, they will come. Warner Bros. built a gigantic video game, called it San Andreas, and They have come to check out Dwayne Johnson perform miraculous deeds not seen since … George Miller's Mad Max: Fury Road, released two […]
Kristen Stewart in 'On the Road': Dancing with Garrett Hedlund. Down memory lane: Garrett Hedlund and Kristen Stewart 'On the Road' images At the time best known as The Twilight Saga's conflicted human Bella Swan, Kristen Stewart was cast as the exuberant Marylou in Walter Salles' film adaptation of Jack Kerouac's iconic 1950s novel On the Road. Salles had been impressed with Stewart's (pre-Twilight) work […]
Kristen Stewart and Jesse Eisenberg: American Ultra. Kristen Stewart, Jesse Eisenberg to join Woody Allen movie cast? American Ultra stars Kristen Stewart and Jesse Eisenberg will reportedly be reunited later this year in another project: Woody Allen's next as-yet-untitled feature. Bruce Willis is the third cast member whose name has been publicly announced. The source for this information is an “exclusive” report via Deadline.com's Mike […]
Harrison Ford: Private plane pilot/actor as Colonel Graff in 'Ender's Game.' Harrison Ford injured in plane accident Star Wars and Raiders of the Lost Ark actor Harrison Ford was supposed to be in critical condition – later reports have upgraded the alarmist news to “fair” or “stable” condition – following an accident with a small airplane in Los Angeles' Westside. Earlier this afternoon (March 5, […]
Kristen Stewart in 'Clouds of Sils Maria.' Kristen Stewart joins Untitled Kelly Reichardt Project This news bit has been everywhere online, but just in case you've missed it: History-making César Award winner Kristen Stewart has joined three-time Oscar-nominee Michelle Williams and two-time Oscar nominee Laura Dern in an as yet untitled drama set in Montana to be directed by Kelly Reichardt.[1] Deadline.com first broke the […]
Still Alice with Julianne Moore and Kristen Stewart. 'Still Alice' and 'Maps to the Star's box office: Julianne Moore Oscar helps only one movie (See previous post: “'The Lazarus Effect' Box Office: Olivia Wilde Horror Movie Arrives Comatose.”) The Oscars do matter. As mentioned in the previous post, Alejandro González Iñárritu's Birdman was up an estimated 125 percent this weekend, Feb. 27-March 1, '15, following […]
'The Lazarus Effect' with Olivia Wilde. 'The Lazarus Effect' box office: Olivia Wilde and Mark Duplass horror movie arrives comatose (See previous post: "'Focus': Will Smith Has One of Worst Opening Weekends of His Career.") Despite recent news that human head transplants are a mere two years away, the Mark Duplass-Olivia Wilde horror movie The Lazarus Effect – about bringing the dead back to life […]
'Focus' movie with Will Smith: Weekend box office dud. 'Focus' movie: Will Smith has third weakest weekend box office debut of his career According to those referred to in polite society as “conservatives,” winter storms and freezing temperatures are evidence that there's no such thing as global warming. Let's not even go there. Instead, let's focus (bad pun intended) on the Focus movie starring Will […]
Greg Plitt: Workout and diet motivational speaker, fitness trainer. Workout and diet motivational speaker Greg Plitt dead at 37: Plitt was the 'body' of Dr. Manhattan in 'Watchmen' movie Actor, fitness model, and workout and diet motivational speaker Greg Plitt, best known for adorning countless fitness magazine covers and for his participation on the reality TV show Work Out, was killed by a passenger train […]
'Idol's Eye' would-be co-star Robert Pattinson. 'Idol's Eye' production shut down: Robert De Niro, Robert Pattinson and Rachel Weisz to have starred in Olivier Assayas' action-thriller Production on screenwriter-director Olivier Assayas' action-thriller Idol's Eye, which was to have starred two-time Oscar winner Robert De Niro (The Godfather: Part II, 1974; Raging Bull, 1980), Robert Pattinson (the Twilight movies, The Rover), and Oscar winner Rachel Weisz […]
'Gone Girl': David Fincher directs Ben Affleck. 'Gone Girl' weekend box office: Biggest David Fincher opening weekend ever? Directed by David Fincher, Gone Girl is expected to top the North American box office this weekend, Oct. 3-5, '14, while boasting Fincher's biggest domestic opening ever. Or maybe not – if the demonic doll Annabelle has her say and if one takes into account one pesky […]
'The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1' poster featuring Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen. 'The Hunger Games: Mockingjay' trailer The Hunger Games: Mockingjay trailer – or more specifically, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 trailer – has been around for a little while. So this is one of those better-late-than-never posts. Directed by Francis Lawrence, who also handled the previous film in the franchise, […]
'No Good Deed' movie with Idris Elba. 'No Good Deed' movie going unpunished to top weekend box office? Apologies for the bad wordplay above, but if Friday estimates are a reliable indicator, No Good Deed should indeed go unpunished to the top of the domestic box office this weekend, September 12-14, 2014. But why “unpunished”? Well, so far the Sam Miller-directed thriller starring four-time Emmy […]
Chris Hemsworth in 'Snow White and the Huntsman.' 'The Huntsman' release date announced as 'Snow White and the Huntsman 2' drops Snow White a.k.a. Kristen Stewart Universal's Snow White and the Huntsman 2 has a new title, as the “sequel” to Rupert Sanders' 2012 fantasy adventure Snow White and the Huntsman is scheduled to arrive on screens in 2016 without Snow White – played by […]
'Star Wars: Episode VII' cast announced (image: 'Star Wars: Episode VII' cast member Max von Sydow in 'Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close') Star Wars: Episode VII cast members have been announced. The world had been waiting with bated breath. Who will The Force be with? Well, not with humankind and its fellow Earth dwellers (apart from cockroaches and various types of worms) – if news […]
Robert Pattinson out of 'Mission: Blacklist' movie (image: Dane DeHaan and Robert Pattinson in 'Life') Robert Pattinson and Mission: Blacklist have parted ways. Pattinson, whose name had been attached to the project for two years – since Cannes 2012 – has reportedly dropped out due to scheduling issues. Now, what could those issues be? Well, Robert Pattinson, best known (at least for the time being) […]
'The Other Woman' 2014: Cameron Diaz, Kate Upton and Leslie Mann. 'The Other Woman' 2014 box office: Cameron Diaz and Leslie Mann comedy to top North American box office chart despite mostly bad reviews Starring Cameron Diaz, Leslie Mann, Kate Upton, and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, the Nick Cassavetes-directed comedy The Other Woman will easily top the North American box office this weekend, April 25-27, 2014. The […]
'Captain America: The Winter Soldier' box office: 'Captain America 2' to pass $100 million on opening weekend? (image: Chris Evans and Robert Redford in 'Captain America: The Winter Soldier') The Avengers effect has yet to subside. Captain America: The Winter Soldier, a sequel to both The Avengers and Captain America: The First Avenger, debuted with an estimated $10.2 million from Thursday night (April 3, '14) […]
Joel Kinnaman in 'RoboCop' 2014 'RoboCop' 2014 movie: Full-fledged flop at domestic box office Directed by José Padilha, and starring Joel Kinnaman and Abbie Cornish, Sony Picture's $100 million-budgeted RoboCop 2014 remake opened with disappointing numbers on Wednesday, Feb. 12. Things improved a bit over the weekend, but there's no denying that RoboCop 2014 will become a major domestic box office bomb. (See also: José […]
Zac Efron movies: 'That Awkward Moment' box office disappoints on Super Bowl weekend – though grosses may surpass budget Zac Efron can be seen this weekend, January 31-Feb. 2, 2014, in That Awkward Moment, a romantic comedy directed by Tom Gormican, and co-starring Miles Teller (the star of Sundance 2014 double winner Whiplash), Michael B. Jordan (the star of Sundance 2013 double winner Fruitvale Station), […]
Hot Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow in one of the character posters for Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Hot Scarlett Johansson in latest 'Captain America: The Winter Soldier' poster Scarlett Johansson has created quite a bit of a stir in recent days. Yesterday, Jan. 30, Captain America: The Winter Soldier posters came out, revealing Chris Evans as Captain America, Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, and a tightly […]
'I, Frankenstein' box office: Frankenstein reboot is second domestic box office bomb of 2014 (image: buffed up, shirtless Aaron Eckhart in 'I, Frankenstein') Made for a reported $65 million (not including marketing and distribution expenses), the Lionsgate-distributed I, Frankenstein is surely not about to become a movie franchise. Directed by Stuart Beattie and starring Aaron Eckhart as the “I” of the title, I, Frankenstein collected […]
Shirtless Kellan Lutz in 'The Legend of Hercules,' with Gaia Weiss. Kellan Lutz 'The Legend of Hercules': New Summit release has 0 percent Rotten Tomatoes approval rating Starring Kellan Lutz, best known as the hunky and likable vampire Emmett in the Twilight movies, The Legend of Hercules opens today, January 10, 2014, in North America. That's the good news for Kellan Lutz fans. Now, the […]
'Montezuma': Steven Spielberg next movie (or at least a Spielberg movie some time in the future)? Will Steven Spielberg next tackle the life and times of Aztec king Montezuma, from a screenplay by none other than former Hollywood Ten member Dalton Trumbo? If so, that won't be the first time that Spielberg has adapted a Trumbo screenplay (more on that below). Anyhow, following Lincoln, which […]
Top box office movie Iron Man 3, starring Robert Downey Jr. With a total gross of $409.01 million, the biggest commercial hit of 2013 in the U.S. and Canada is Shane Black's Iron Man 3; the third installment in the Robert Downey Jr.-led franchise has easily surpassed both of its Jon Favreau-directed predecessors, Iron Man ($318.41 million in 2008) and Iron Man 2 ($312.43 million […]
The Hobbit 2 a.k.a. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug with Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins. The sequel to the Lord of the Rings prequel The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, Peter Jackson's The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug opened below expectations – and below its predecessor – in the U.S. and Canada. The good news is that The Hobbit 2, as expected for a big-budget 3D movie, is […]
Justin Bieber in Justin Bieber's Believe. A sort of sequel to Paramount's 3D box office hit Justin Bieber: Never Say Never, Justin M. Chu's concert documentary Believe follows Canadian singer and teen/pre-teen sensation Justin Bieber as he embarks on the multi-continent, 33-city Believe Tour promoting his 2012 album of the same name. Unlike Never Say Never, the Open Road Films-distributed Believe opened with a thud […]
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes trailer with Andy Serkis as Caesar. In Matt Reeves' dystopian thriller Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, the relatively few human survivors of the Simian flu apocalypse are pitted against the genetically modified apes under the leadership of the chimpanzee Caesar (Andy Serkis). Just like early 21st-century “conservatives” pining for the first half of the 20th century […]
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire with Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen. In 2012, Gary Ross' dystopian adventure drama The Hunger Games went on to gross $408.01 million in the U.S. and Canada; its Francis Lawrence-directed 2013 sequel, Catching Fire, will likely surpass it at the domestic box office and will surely beat it internationally. In Twilight Saga-style, both Hunger Games movies center on a young […]
Tom Cruise and Jack Nicholson: 'A Few Good Men' stars to be reunited in 'El Presidente'? Tom Cruise and Jack Nicholson together again in a movie named El Presidente? Well, that's a possibility. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Cruise has been trying to convince his A Few Good Men co-star to play the title role in the comedy (for now) to be directed Doug Liman. […]
'Fifty Shades of Grey' release date postponed to Valentine's Day 2015 (image: Shirtless Jamie Dornan) Valentine's Day 2015 will get a lot kinkier than Valentine's Days of years past – well … depending on your concept of “kink.” Universal Pictures has announced that the movie version of E.L. James' Fifty Shades of Grey, likely to get either a tame (for sex) R or an even […]
Judi Dench in 'Philomena' movie: The one British Independent Film Award nominee surely to get BAFTA, Academy Award nominations Among the 2013 British Independent Film Award nominees, only one has a truly good chance of being shortlisted for both the BAFTAs and the Academy Awards. That's Best Actress BIFA nominee Judi Dench for Stephen Frears' “based on a true story” drama Philomena, in which Dench […]
Judi Dench, Scarlett Johansson: 2013 British Independent Film Awards nominations (image: Judi Dench in 'Philomena') Since the likes of Judi Dench, Scarlett Johansson, James McAvoy, and Tom Hardy are in the running for the 2013 British Independent Film Awards, expect at least a little overlapping between the determinedly indie-oriented BIFAs and other awards season nominees and/or winners elsewhere. (See also: "Judi Dench Sole BIFA Nominee […]
'Ender's Game' movie to go the way of 'John Carter' & 'The Golden Compass'? Nov. 11, '13, update: Directed by Gavin Hood and starring Asa Butterfield and Harrison Ford, Ender's Game is going the way of Andrew Stanton's John Carter and Chris Weitz's The Golden Compass at the domestic box office. After opening with a disappointing $27.01 million last weekend (including Thursday evening shows), the […]
'Thor 2' box office: 'The Avengers' bump not enough to propel Thor into 'super man' territory Nov. 10, '13, update: Directed by Alan Taylor and starring Chris Hemsworth, Thor 2 – officially Thor: The Dark World – debuted in the U.S. and Canada on Friday, Nov. 7, '13, collecting an estimated $31.63 million from 3,841 sites, according to figures found at Boxofficemojo.com. That amount includes […]
2013 Gotham Awards 2013: Nominations (image: Best Actress nominee Cate Blanchett in 'Blue Jasmine,' directed by Woody Allen) See previous post: "Gotham Awards Nominations: No Oscar Guarantee (or Even Likelihood)?" Best Feature 12 Years A Slave. Steve McQueen, director; Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Bill Pohlad, Steve McQueen, Arnon Milchan, Anthony Katagas, producers. (Fox Searchlight Pictures) Ain't Them Bodies Saints, David Lowery, director; Tony […]
Gotham Awards 2013: Nominations don't necessarily mean Oscar 2014 recognition (image: Gotham Award nominee Robert Redford in 'All Is Lost') Nominations for the indie-oriented, East Coast-based Gotham Awards, announced a few days ago, don't necessarily translate into nominations for the equally indie-oriented, West Coast-based Spirit Awards. And they certainly don't mean the likelihood of a matching Academy Award nod. (See list of 2013 Gotham Awards […]
'Gravity' film to pass $200 million at domestic box office next weekend? Oct. 23, '13, update: Starring Academy Award winners Sandra Bullock and George Clooney, Alfonso Cuarón's thriller Gravity will quite likely pass the $200 million milestone at the North American box office this coming weekend, Oct. 25–27, '13. Gravity's domestic cume currently stands at $174.91 million, after having added $30.02 million last weekend (Oct. […]
Tom Hanks' 'Captain Phillips' weekend box office: One of Hanks' biggest domestic openings in the past decade Oct. 13, '13, update: Starring two-time Oscar winner Tom Hanks in the title role – though you wouldn't know it by looking at the film's poster – Paul Greengrass' inspired-by-real-life-events Captain Phillips grossed an estimated $8.5 million from 3,020 venues on Friday, October 11, 2013, including $600,000 from […]
'Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2' 'Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2' box office: Sequel easily tops North America's Friday chart Sept. 28, '13, update: By Sunday evening, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 will have provided further evidence that moviegoers are eager for new and original stories, after having been overflooded with sequels, prequels, reboots, and spin-offs. Sure. A Sony Pictures […]
Daniel Radcliffe: Gay sex scene in 'Kill Your Darlings' will 'startle' fans (image: Daniel Radcliffe and Dane DeHaan in 'Kill Your Darlings') Daniel Radcliffe, 24, has survived Harry Potter. Last year, he starred in the horror thriller The Woman in Black, a major sleeper hit in the United Kingdom and a moderate one in several other countries, including the United States and Mexico. Radcliffe's next […]
Bryce Dallas Howard. Bryce Dallas Howard in 'Jurassic World'? Howard possibly the next female star in 'Jurassic Park' franchise Bryce Dallas Howard, Rush director Ron Howard's daughter perhaps best known for playing the Vengeful Vampire Victoria in David Slade's The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, is “in talks” to star in Jurassic World a.k.a. Jurassic Park 4, to be directed by Safety Not Guaranteed's Colin Trevorrow. At […]
Alan Rickman as Ronald Reagan, Jane Fonda as Nancy Reagan in 'The Butler' 'The Butler': 'True story' drama passes $100 million milestone at North American box office Sept. 17, '13, update: Hailed as a sleeper hit upon its North American release in mid-August, Lee Daniels' The Butler, featuring an all-star cast that includes Forest Whitaker, Oprah Winfrey, Vanessa Redgrave, Jane Fonda, James Marsden, and Robin […]
Vin Diesel 'Riddick' box office: Underwhelming domestic debut Universal's distribution chief Nikki Rocco may have called Riddick's opening-weekend figures “a great result,” but an estimated $18.7 million from 3,107 North American theaters – $2.5 million of that total from 314 IMAX locations – for an action-packed sequel starring Vin Diesel is a disappointing debut. In fact, if studio estimates for the September 6-8, 2013, weekend […]
Robert Pattinson Life. Robert Pattinson 'Life': Pattinson to play James Dean photographer and travel companion Dennis Stock Robert Pattinson is keeping himself busy. Pattinson is reportedly going to play Life magazine photographer Dennis Stock in the aptly titled Life, to be directed by Anton Corbijn, himself a photographer. Dane DeHaan is slated to co-star as Stock's traveling companion and photographic subject James Dean. The screenplay, […]
Shirtless Charlie Hunnam in Pacific Rim. Charlie Hunnam: 'Fifty Shades of Grey' gets its Christian Grey In the last couple of weeks, the world has been rocked by several revelations that have left earthlings – depending on their particular expectations, prejudices, and mental health – infuriated, terrified, shocked, thrilled. Am I referring to the reported chemical attacks in Syria and the Obama administration's determination that […]
One Direction members Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Zayn Malik, and Louis Tomlinson 'One Direction: This Is Us' movie weekend box office: One of steepest Friday-to-Saturday drops ever The 3D concert movie One Direction: This Is Us failed to get even close to the $20 million mark at the North American box office this Labor Day weekend (Fri-Sun) despite relatively strong opening-day grosses. Featuring […]
Oprah Winfrey to help 'The Butler' top the domestic box office? (Image: Oprah Winfrey, Terrence Howard in 'The Butler') About a week ago, Oprah Winfrey was in the news for being told that a $38,000 crocodile-skin purse at a store in Zurich wasn't really for her. The uproar was related to racism: possibly, supposedly, maybe the saleswoman-for-the-filthy-rich felt that a black woman wouldn't be able […]
Matt Damon 'Elysium' movie box office: weekend leader? Aug. 11, '13, update: Directed by the widely acclaimed District 9's Neill Blomkamp, the R-rated futuristic sociopolitical thriller Elysium, starring Matt Damon and Jodie Foster, should have no trouble landing in the top spot at the North American box office this weekend. According to studio estimates found at Boxofficemojo.com, on Friday, August 9, 2013, Elysium took in […]
Mel Gibson. Mel Gibson & Antonio Banderas 'confirmed' for 'The Expendables 3' cast Mel Gibson and Antonio Banderas have been “confirmed” as the latest The Expendables 3 cast members, according to TheWrap, quoting a Sylvester Stallone representative. The Expendables 3 is to be directed by Patrick Hughes, from a screenplay by Stallone and Richard Wenk. (Image: Mel Gibson in his days as the star of […]
Na'vi Sam Worthington in 'Avatar' 'Avatar 2' and follow-up sequels' release dates revealed Avatar, James Cameron's late 2009 (and early 2010) blockbuster that spearheaded the (currently dwindling) popularity of 3D movies, will have three sequels. Why exactly that has come as a surprise revelation for some is unclear. Sigourney Weaver, who for quite a while has been scheduled to return for the Avatar sequels, had […]
'2 Guns' weekend box office: Mark Wahlberg, Denzel Washington pairing disappointing? A limp “low $20 million” range, is what 2 Guns U.S. distributor Universal claims it's expecting at the North American box office from the first-ever pairing of Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg – as momentous a cinematic occasion, if the American media is to believed, as the first pairing of Bette Davis and Joan […]
'The Wolverine' 2013 movie box office: Latest domestic summer season disappointment Starring Hugh Jackman, the James Mangold-directed The Wolverine debuted with a way lower than expected $21 million from 3,924 venues (3,063 of which in 3D) on Friday, July 26, 2013, including $4 million from Thursday evening and midnight shows, according to studio estimates found at Boxofficemojo.com. Generally speaking, $4 million or whereabouts from midnight […]
paranormal investigator Patrick Wilson in The Conjuring The Conjuring movie may have broken horror genre box office record – even considering inflation July 22, '13, update: James Wan's Warner Bros.-distributed horror movie The Conjuring, starring Patrick Wilson (Little Children, Watchmen) and 2009 Best Supporting Actress Oscar nominee Vera Farmiga (Up in the Air), opened with more than twice its reported $20 million production budget at […]
Adam Sandler in Grown Ups 2. Adam Sandler Grown Ups 2: One of Sandler's biggest domestic openings ever? Directed by Dennis Dugan, and starring Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, David Spade, and Kevin James, Grown Ups 2 opened with $41.5 million from 3,491 North American locations this past weekend, July 12-14, according to weekend box office actuals found at Boxofficemojo.com. That figures includes an estimated $2.3 […]
Channing Tatum in a rare non-shirtless moment in Magic Mike. Channing Tatum to direct 'Magic Mike 2'? Channing Tatum, whose White House Down opens this evening in North America, may co-direct the sequel to his 2012 sleeper domestic hit Magic Mike. Unlike the original film, directed by Academy Award winner Steven Soderbergh (Traffic) and loosely based on Tatum's own experiences as a stripper, the star […]
'Despicable Me 2' Despicable Me 2 easily tops domestic box office as 'The Lone Ranger' 2013 bombs July 8, '13, update: Here's a quick rundown of the July 5-7, '13, top twelve movies at the North American box office, according to studio estimates found at Boxofficemojo.com. As expected, the $76 million-budgeted Despicable Me 2, featuring the voices of Steve Carell and Kristen Wiig, easily topped […]
possibly after his Man of Steel workout, Henry Cavill chats with director Zack Snyder Man of Steel 2013 box office: $250 million milestone in North America July 3, '13, update: Directed by Zack Snyder, and starring Henry Cavill, Man of Steel passed the $250 million milestone at the North American box office on Monday, July 1, 2013. On that day, Man of Steel added $3.04 […]
Melissa McCarthy and Sandra Bullock in The Heat Sandra Bullock The Heat: Bullock's biggest opening weekend at domestic box office? July 1, '13, update: Starring Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy, Paul Feig's buddy comedy The Heat opened with a remarkable – and better than initially expected – $39.11 million at 3,181 U.S. and Canada locations according to the June 28-30, 2013, weekend box office figures […]
Monsters University and World War Z box office: Monsters hungry for knowledge and zombies hungry for humans bring down Man of Steel June 24, '13, update: Here's a quick rundown of this past weekend, June 21–23, '13, at the North American box office. If studio estimates found at Boxofficemojo.com are on target, Pixar / Disney's Monsters University surpassed expectations, grossing $82 million at 4,4004 locations. […]
World War Z with Brad Pitt as a zombie-fighter. Unenthusiastic reviews. 'World War Z' reviews Several World War Z reviews are in, and for the most part they have been hardly enthusiastic. Directed by Marc Forster and starring Brad Pitt (who also wears a producer's hat in the film), World War Z has been a troubled production from the get-go: there were financing woes, the […]
After Earth box office: Will Smith / M. Night Shyamalan sci-fier to open at highly disappointing no. 3? (Image: Will Smith and Jaden Smith in After Earth) Starring Will Smith and his son, Jaden Smith, M. Night Shyamalan's After Earth opened with a highly disappointing $9.8 million – including $1 million from Thursday evening and midnight screenings – at 3,401 North American theaters on Friday, […]
'Twiharder' poster with John Gearries, Tanya Zoeller and Christopher Sean. Twilight parody $500-million lawsuit against Lionsgate Pictures and Summit Entertainment: Serious business Twiharder, not the son of Twilight and Die Harder but just Another Twilight Parody, reportedly had a planned late 2012 release date to coincide with the release of Lionsgate Pictures / Summit Entertainment's own The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2, the […]
Dwayne Johnson in 'Fast & Furious 6' Fast & Furious 6 weekend box office: Biggest Fast and Furious domestic opening ever? Fast & Furious 6 will easily top Memorial Day weekend at the North American box office. According to studio estimates found at Boxofficemojo.com, the Justin Lin-directed action thriller featuring Paul Walker, Dwayne Johnson, Vin Diesel, and Jordana Brewster earned $38.2 million at 3,658 locations […]
Jerry Lewis in 'Max Rose.' Jerry Lewis Max Rose panned: Cannes Film Festival Jerry Lewis and Charles Chaplin both made comedies. What else do they have in common? One possible answer: Claire Bloom, Chaplin's Limelight “discovery” (Bloom had already been featured in the 1948 British drama The Blind Goddess) and Lewis' leading lady in Max Rose. (Image: Jerry Lewis in Max Rose.) Jerry Lewis' first […]
Watch On the Road online at SundanceNow (image: Sam Riley, Kristen Stewart, Garrett Hedlund) On the Road, Walter Salles' film adaptation of Jack Kerouac's semi-autobiographical novel, is now available on SundanceNow. Initially screened at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival, where it drew mixed reviews, and later reedited for the Toronto Film Festival and the North American market, On the Road stars Garrett Hedlund (TRON: Legacy, […]
Jonathan Rhys Meyers to star in Star Wars: Episode VII? Jonathan Rhys Meyers is “in talks” to star in J.J. Abrams' Star Wars: Episode VII, according to Latino Review. Best known for his role as King Henry VIII in the Showtime series The Tudors, which also features upcoming Man of Steel Henry Cavill, Rhys Meyers has already been featured in one Abrams movie: Mission: Impossible […]
Star Trek: Into Darkness weekend box office: Downright disappointing domestic debut (image: Benedict Cumberbatch as Khan in Star Trek: Into Darkness) J.J. Abrams' Star Trek: Into Darkness, featuring Chris Pine as Captain Kirk, Zachary Quinto as Spock, and Benedict Cumberbatch as Khan, took in an estimated $22 million at 3,668 North American venues on Friday, according to studio figures found at Boxofficemojo.com. Is that good […]
Gravity trailer goes 'bong!' as George Clooney and Sandra Bullock go flying George Clooney and Sandra Bullock become the victims of an unfortunate incident while watching the sun rise. Skin cancer? Nope. Do they get mugged? Nope. What happens then? As you can see in the Gravity trailer below, following a loud Bong, Bam, Boom! Clooney and Bullock quite literally go flying. Something – was […]
'The Great Gatsby' 2013 at Cannes: Leonardo DiCaprio on logically soggy red carpet Baz Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby opened the 2013 Cannes Film Festival on Wednesday evening. The Gatsby red carpet looked like a cross between the Academy Awards (Steven Spielberg, Leonardo DiCaprio, Carey Mulligan, Tobey Maguire) and Dancing with Stars (loud music, with a handful of dancers performing in '20s-costumes). (Image: Leonardo DiCaprio on […]
Into the Woods movie: Chris Pine and Jake Gyllenhaal singing? (image: Chris Pine Star Trek: Into Darkness) Chris Pine (Star Trek: Into Darkness) and Jake Gyllenhaal (Brokeback Mountain) – maybe, possibly, who knows – to be featured in a musical directed by Rob Marshall. Sounds weird? Well, why? If Russell Crowe can be cast as a mumbling – ahem, singing – Javert in Tom Hooper's […]
Will Smith: The Wild Bunch remake (image: Will Smith in After Earth) Will Smith has been mentioned in connection with Focus, the caper tale that was to have starred Ben Affleck and Kristen Stewart, and is to star in Edward Zwick's Hurricane Katrina drama The American Can. But that's not all. His producing company is working on a remake of the Broadway musical Annie – […]
Catalina Denis cast in Paul Walker thriller Model and film actress Catalina Denis has been cast as the female lead opposite Paul Walker (Fast & Furious 6) and David Belle (Malavita) in Camille Delamarre's Brick Mansions. The action thriller is EuropaCorp and Relativity Media's English-language remake of the 2004 French-made action / thriller District B13. In Brick Mansions, Paul Walker incarnates an undercover cop out […]
The Candy Store coupon cast: Christoph Waltz, Robert De Niro, Jason Clarke, Omar Sy (image: Christoph Waltz in Django Unchained) Get your coupons ready, as The Candy Store cast keeps growing: Besides Robert De Niro, Jason Clarke, and Omar Sy, writer-director Stephen Gaghan's thriller will also feature this year's Best Supporting Actor Academy Award winner Christoph Waltz. Co-written by Gaghan (Traffic, Syriana) and Shannon Burke […]
'The Great Gatsby' 2013 with Leonardo DiCaprio. Leonardo DiCaprio The Great Gatsby movie box office: DiCaprio's second biggest opening ever – but trailing Titanic in ticket sales May 13, '13, update: The Great Gatsby movie adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic novel earned $50.08m at the North American box office this past weekend, including $3.25 million from late Thursday night showings, according to weekend box […]
Robert Pattinson Mission: Blacklist movie: Filming in August? Mission: Blacklist is not the upcoming fifth installment in the Mission: Impossible franchise starring Tom Cruise. For the time being, that's concisely called Mission: Impossible 5. So, what's Mission: Blacklist? Well, as every ardent Robert Pattinson fan will tell you, that's a Pattinson movie project initially announced in early May 2012. Pattinson is attached to this Embankment […]
Richard Madden: Game of Thrones' King of the North to play Prince Charming in Cinderella Richard Madden, Game of Thrones' King of the North Robb Stark, has been cast as Prince Charming in Disney's live-action retelling of the Cinderella fairy-tale. A few days ago, Lily James (Wrath of the Titans, Downton Abbey) was announced as the actress to try on Cinderella's tiny glass slippers. The […]
'Iron Man 3' with Robert Downey Jr. 'Iron Man 3' box office: Second biggest domestic debut ever? May 4, '13, update: Directed by Shane Black and starring Robert Downey Jr, Iron Man 3 will likely boast the second biggest opening weekend ever at the North American box office – not factoring in inflation. According to studio estimates found at Boxofficemojo.com, Iron Man 3 grossed $68.31 […]