Archive for the ‘News Items’ Category

‘The Walking Dead’ season three gets October premiere

Sunday, July 15th, 2012
The Walking Dead S02E13: 'Beside the Dying Fire'

The Walking Dead is set for an October return, it has been announced.

According to Deadline, producer Glen Mazzara revealed yesterday (July 14) at Comic-Con that the third season of the AMC show is due to premiere on October 14.

During the special Walking Dead panel at the San Diego convention, showrunner Robert Kirkman gave very little away about the upcoming season.

“We open on a scene of I can’t tell you,” Kirkman quipped.

New characters will also be introduced during the run, including the Governor, played by David Morrissey, and Michonne, played by Danai Gurira.

Fans were treated to a preview screening of the upcoming season, featuring never-before-seen footage.

Game of Thrones casts Diana Rigg, confirms season three premiere date

Saturday, July 14th, 2012

Dame Diana Rigg has joined Game of Thrones.

The Avengers actress will play Olenna Tyrell – otherwise known as the Queen of Thorns, the powerful matriarch of the Tyrell family – on the HBO show’s third season.

In a number of casting announcements made at Comic-Con 2012, Office star Mackenzie Crook and Waking the Dead‘s Tara Fitzgerald were confirmed for the show, as had previously been rumoured.

Crook will play wildling raider Orell, while Fitzgerald will portray Stannis Baratheon’s wife Selyse Florent.

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‘Amazing Spider-Man’ tops US box office

Sunday, July 8th, 2012

The Amazing Spider-Man has topped the US box office chart during its opening weekend.

The superhero film, starring Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone, was a runaway hit with $65 million, nearly double that of runner-up Ted, which slipped from the top spot with a still-respectable $32.6 million.

Remaining in third place with $20.3 million was Disney Pixar’s animated feature Brave, while Oliver Stone’s drug war drama Savages entered the chart at number four with $16.2 million.

Channing Tatum stripper film Magic Mike fell three places to number five with $15.6 million, while Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Witness Protection came in just behind at number six, dropping three spots and bringing in $10.2 million.

Slightly under-performing during its opening weekend was Katy Perry: Part of Me, which entered the chart in eighth position and grossed only $7.1 million, coming in just ahead of number seven’s Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted.

Rounding out the Top 10 were Wes Anderson’s Moonrise Kingdom, which fell two spots to number nine, and To Rome with Love, which made an impressive leap from 17 to ten and brought in $3.5 million.

The US box office top ten in full (studio estimates):
1.
(-) The Amazing Spider-Man – $65,000,000
2. (1) Ted – $32, 593, 000
3. (3) Brave – $20,162,000
4. (1) Savages – $16,162,000
5. (2) Magic Mike – $15,610,000
6. (4) Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Witness Protection – $10,200,000
7. (5) Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted – $7, 700,000
8. (-) Katy Perry: Part of Me – $7,150,000
9. (7) Moonrise Kingdom – $4,642,000
10. (17) To Rome with Love – $3,502,000

‘Who Framed Roger Rabbit?’ gets Blu-ray release

Thursday, July 5th, 2012

Who Framed Roger Rabbit? will be released on Blu-ray in 2013 to mark its 25th anniversary.

Directed by Robert Zemeckis, the 1988 hit blends live action and animation to tell a comedy noir story where cartoon characters live alongside real people.

Bob Hoskins stars as private detective Eddie Valiant, while Charles Fleischer provides the voice of the titular bunny. Kathleen Turner and Christopher Lloyd also feature among the film’s cast.

Who Framed Roger Rabbit? found success thanks to financial backing from Steven Spielberg and Amblin Entertainment, and went on to win three Academy Awards.

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Seth MacFarlane’s ‘Ted’ tops US box office with $54m

Monday, July 2nd, 2012

Seth MacFarlane’s feature-length directorial debut Ted has entered at the top of the US box office in its first week on release.

The comedy, starring Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis and MacFarlane as a sentient teddy bear, grossed $54 million, easily beating this week’s runner-up, Steven Soderbergh’s Magic Mike, which earned $39 million.

Last week’s box-office topper, Disney Pixar’s animated feature Brave, dropped to number three, while another new entry came in the form of Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Witness Protection at four, earning $26 million.

Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted and Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter both slipped three places to five and six respectively, as did Ridley Scott’s sci-fi epic Prometheus, falling to seven.

Wes Anderson’s indie hit Moonrise Kingdom, however, climbed up the rankings from 11 to eight, in front of Snow White and the Huntsman.

People Like Us, featuring Chris Pine, Olivia Wilde and Michelle Pfeiffer, concluded the top ten with $4.3 million.

The US box office top ten in full (studio estimates):
1. (-) Ted – $54,100,000
2. (-) Magic Mike – $39,155,000
3. (1) Brave – $34,011,000
4. (-) Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Witness Protection – $26,350,000
5. (2) Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted – $11,815,000
6. (3) Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter – $6,000,000
7. (4) Prometheus – $4,925,000
8. (11) Moonrise Kingdom – $4,873,000
9. (5) Snow White and the Huntsman – $4,405,000
10. (-) People Like Us – $4,306,000

Ryan Reynolds joins ‘Highlander’ reboot

Wednesday, June 27th, 2012

Ryan Reynolds has joined the cast of the Highlander reboot.

The Green Lantern star will take on the lead role of Connor MacLeod in the Juan Carlos Fresnadillo-helmed project, The Tracking Board reports.

Fresnadillo is also in negotiation to rewrite the script for Highlander, which tells the story of an immortal Scottish swordsman who must defeat a brutal barbarian to obtain a fabled ‘prize’.

The original Highlander starred Christopher Lambert in the role of MacLeod, with Sean Connery and Clancy Brown in supporting roles. The film was directed by Russell Mulcahy.

Highlander spawned four movie sequels, live-action and animated TV series, and ventures in other media. The reboot has been in the works since 2008.

Based on a screenplay by Iron Man scribe Matt Holloway, the Highlander reboot is expected to enter pre-production soon.

‘Brave’ wins US box office with $66m

Sunday, June 24th, 2012

Pixar’s Brave has debuted at number one at the US box office this weekend.

The animated film features voice work by Emma Thompson, Kelly Macdonald, Billy Connelly and Craig Ferguson. The tale of a Scottish princess who tries to change her fate took in $66.7m in ticket sales on its opening weekend.

Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted ended its two-week reign at number one, dropping to the second spot with $20.2m. The film has grossed over $150m since its release earlier this month.

The Tim Burton-produced action thriller Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter came in at number three with a less impressive $16m in ticket sales, while Ridley Scott’s Prometheus dropped two spots to number four with $10m.

Rounding out the top five is Rock of Ages, which made a disappointing $8m over the weekend, raising its overall earnings to $28m.

Snow White and the Huntsman and That’s My Boy hold on to the chart at six and seven, while The Avengers drops one spot from last week to number eight.

Will Smith’s Men in Black 3 also takes a fall to number nine, and Keira Knightley’s new film Seeking a Friend for the End of the World debuts at ten with $3.8m.

The US box office top ten in full (studio estimates):
1.
(-) Brave – $66,739,000
2. (1) Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted – $20,200,000
3. (-) Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter – $16,500,000
4. (2) Prometheus – $10,000,000
5. (3) Rock of Ages – $8,000,000
6. (5) Snow White and the Huntsman- $8,000,000
7. (4) That’s My Boy – $7,900,000
8. (7) The Avengers – $7,040,000
9. (6) Men in Black 3 – $5,600,000
10. (-) Seeking a Friend for the End of the World – $3,8360,000

‘Curse of Chucky’ to start filming in September

Sunday, June 24th, 2012
Child's Play

A sixth movie in the Child’s Play horror franchise is scheduled to begin production in the fall, it has been reported.

According to Moviehole, a direct-to-DVD release called Curse of Chucky wil begin filming this September.

The first Child’s Play movie came out in 1988 and starred Chris Sarandon and Catherine Hicks.

Don Mancini has once again written the screenplay for the upcoming sequel, and is also set to direct.

Brad Dourif will also be making a return to voice the terrifying doll, although no other casting has been announced.

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‘Madagascar 3’ tops US box office for second week

Sunday, June 17th, 2012

Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted has topped the US box office for the second week in a row.

The animated film features voice work by Ben Stiller, Jada Pinkett Smith, Chris Rock and Jessica Chastain as a group of Central Park Zoo animals trying to find their way back to New York City. It earned $35.5m over the weekend, raising its total gross thus far to $120.5m.

Once again, Ridley Scott’s Prometheus came in second place, bringing in $20.2m and putting its total gross at $88.8m.

Tom Cruise’s new 1980s musical Rock of Ages debuted at number three with a disappointing $15m in ticket sales, despite its heavy promotion.

Snow White and the Huntsman dropped one spot from last week to fourth place, making $13.8m.

Newcomer That’s My Boy rounds out the top five, also debuting with less than stellar returns. The Adam Sandler comedy was produced for $70m, but only took in $13m its opening weekend.

Men in Black 3 and The Avengers hold on to the chart at six and seven, while The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel drops two spots to number eight.

Wes Anderson’s quirky Moonrise Kingdom rises one place up to number nine, while What to Expect When You’re Expecting finishes at ten.

The US box office top ten in full (studio estimates):
1. (1) Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted – $35,500,000
2. (2) Prometheus – $20,200,000
3. (-) Rock of Ages – $15,060,000
4. (3) Snow White and the Huntsman – $13,805,000
5. (-) That’s My Boy – $13,000,000
6. (4) Men in Black III – $10,000,000
7. (5) The Avengers – $8,848,000
8. (6) The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel – $2,200,000
9. (10) Moonrise Kingdom – $2,181,000
10. (7) What to Expect When You’re Expecting – $1,330,000

Michael Bay’s ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ reboot ‘put back to 2014’

Saturday, June 16th, 2012

Michael Bay’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles reboot has reportedly been shut down for now, with the release date put back to 2014.

The film was previously due for a Christmas 2013 release, with filming to commence in Vancouver from late summer or early autumn of 2012.

However, The Hollywood Reporter claims that these plans have now been scrapped, with May 2014 as the new target.

Sources have apparently revealed that the script is the main issue behind the change.

Preproduction staff are said to have been temporarily laid off, with those prepping the film told that the delay is “indefinite”. One source has reportedly disclosed that filming has been pushed back by ten weeks.

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