Archive for the ‘News Items’ Category

‘Puss in Boots’ tops US box office for second weekend

Sunday, November 6th, 2011
Puss In Boots poster

DreamWorks animated sequel Puss in Boots has topped the US box office for the second week in a row.

The Shrek spinoff took $33m this weekend, pulling ahead of ensemble comedy Tower Heist, which opened to $25.1m.

Comedy sequel A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas opened to $13.1m while horror flick Paranormal Activity 3 falls to fourth with $8.5m.

Rounding out the top five films of the weekend is sci-fi drama In Time, which took $7.7m for its second weekend of release.

This week’s US box office top ten (studio estimates):
1. (-) Puss in Boots – $33 million
2. (-) Tower Heist – $25.1 million
3. (-) A Very Harold and Kumar 3D Christmas – $13.1 million
4. (2) Paranormal Activity 3 – $8.5 million
5. (3) In Time – $7.7 million
6. (4) Footloose – $4.55 million
7. (6) Real Steel – $3.4 million
8. (5) The Rum Diary – $2.98 million
9. (8) The Ides of March – $2 million
10. (9) Moneyball – $1.9 million

Drew Barrymore ‘is Hollywood’s most overpaid actor’

Saturday, November 5th, 2011
Drew Barrymore a the COVERGIRL 50th Anniversary Celebration in West Hollywood

Drew Barrymore has been named as Hollywood’s most overpaid actor.

The 50 First Dates star received the dubious honour from Forbes Magazine for returning just 40 cents (25p) in box office gross for every $1 (60p) she is paid.

Barrymore’s most recent film, the 2010 romantic comedy Going The Distance, grossed just $11m (£6.8m) in ticket sales from an estimated budget of $32m (£19.9m).

Eddie Murphy finished second by making $2.70 (£1.70) for every $1, while last year’s champion Will Ferrell came third with $3.50 (£2.20). Reese Witherspoon and Denzel Washington rounded out the top five with $3.55 (£2.21) and $4.25 (£2.65) respectively.

Nicolas Cage, Adam Sandler, Vince Vaughn, Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman also appeared on the rankings.

The list was based on the compensation awarded to Hollywood’s 40 top-earning actors for their last three films compared against the operating income on those pictures.

Tarsem Singh’s ‘Snow White’ film gets official title

Saturday, November 5th, 2011

The title of Tarsem Singh‘s upcoming Snow White movie has been announced.

The Julia Roberts-starring summer blockbuster will be released under the name Mirror Mirror, production company Relativity Media has confirmed.

Roberts will portray the Evil Queen opposite Lily Collins‘s Snow White, Armie Hammer‘s Prince Andrew Alcott and Nathan Lane‘s Brighton, a dastardly henchman.

Mirror Mirror will face competition from rival picture Snow White And The Hunstman, which stars Kristen Stewart and Chris Hemsworth in the title roles, Charlize Theron as the Evil Queen and Sam Claflin as Prince Charmant.

Collins recently assured Digital Spy that Singh’s film will be “completely different” from Huntsman.

Mirror Mirror opens in the UK and US on March 16, 2012, while Snow White And The Huntsman follows on June 1.

James Bond 23 movie title confirmed as ‘Skyfall’

Thursday, November 3rd, 2011

The 23rd James Bond movie will be titled Skyfall.

The name was revealed today (November 3) at the launch press conference for Daniel Craig‘s third outing as Ian Fleming’s secret agent.

The new 007 movie will see Craig star alongside a returning Judi Dench and franchise newcomers Javier Bardem, Ralph Fiennes and Albert Finney.

Craig said that the film will be “Bond with a capital ‘B'”, adding: “It’s all in the script and we’ve got a great script.”

Bérénice Marlohe will play a character called Severin in the film, who she described as “glamourous” and “enigmatic”. Naomie Harris will play a field agent called Eve.

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‘Puss in Boots’ tops US box office

Sunday, October 30th, 2011
Puss In Boots poster

Shrek spinoff Puss in Boots has topped the US box office in its opening weekend.

The DreamWorks animation, which features the voices of Antonio Banderas and Salma Hayek, took $34 million over the course of this weekend.

Last week’s box-office topper Paranormal Activity 3 falls to second place this week with $18.5 million, while the Justin Timberlake-starring sci-fi thriller In Time opened to $12 million.

Dance remake Footloose took $5.4 million while Hunter S. Thompson adaptation The Rum Diary, starring Johnny Depp, opened to estimated takings of $5 million.

This week’s US box office top ten (studio estimates):
1. (-) Puss in Boots – $34 million
2. (1) Paranormal Activity 3 – $18.5 million
3. (-) In Time – $12 million
4. (3) Footloose – $5.4 million
5. (-) The Rum Diary – $5 million
6. (2) Real Steel – $4.7 million
7. (4) The Three Musketeers – $3.5 million
8. (5) The Ides of March – $2.7 million
9. (7) Moneyball – $2.4 million
10. (11) Courageous – $1.8 million

‘Expendables 2’ stuntman dies on set in Bulgaria

Friday, October 28th, 2011
The Expendables

A stuntman has died and another is in critical condition following an accident on the set of The Expendables 2 yesterday.

The incident occurred at 7pm local time when the movie’s 2nd Unit Stunt Team was filming an explosion scene at reservoir Ognyanovo, 15 miles from Bulgaria’s capital of Sofia, Deadline reports.

Production company Nu Image/Millennium Films said: “It is with great regret that we confirm this unfortunate accident.

“Our hearts go out to the families and those on the production affected by this tragedy. The filmmakers are working closely with the authorities in responding to and investigating this accident.”

Local police have launched an investigation into the matter. Details of those involved in the incident are currently being withheld in consideration of their families.

The sequel to The Expendables started shooting last week.

The film’s main unit, which was led by star Sylvester Stallone and director Simon West, was reportedly filming in the mountain resort of Bankso, 2.5 hours away from the incident.

‘Independence Day’ sequels planned by Fox

Thursday, October 27th, 2011
Will Smith

Fox is planning two sequels to the 1996 alien invasion movie Independence Day, it has been reported.

The two movies are expected to shoot back-to-back, focusing on a single storyline, according to New York Magazine.

Independence Day, which starred Will Smith, Jeff Goldblum and Bill Pullman, grossed $800 million (£498 million) worldwide.

Talks of back-to-back sequels featuring Smith began in earnest in early 2009. However, when Smith allegedly asked for $50 million (£31 million) to shoot the two films, Fox put plans for the sequels on hold.

“The delay wasn’t about whether they both wanted to make the movie,” a source said. “It had more to do with ‘Whose d**k is bigger?'”

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‘Paranormal Activity 3’ tops US box office

Sunday, October 23rd, 2011
'Paranormal Activity 3' still

The third instalment in supernatural horror franchise Paranormal Activity has shot straight to the top of the US box office.

From Catfish directors Ariel Schulman and Henry Joost, Paranormal Activity 3 took $54 million in its opening weekend.

Falling to second place is last week’s box office topper Real Steel with $11.3 million, followed closely by dance remake Footloose with $10.9 million.

Summit Entertainment’s The Three Musketeers opens in fourth place with $8.8 million, followed by the George Clooney-directed drama The Ides of March.

This week’s US box office top ten in full (studio estimates):
1. (-) Paranormal Activity 3 – $54 million
2. (1) Real Steel – $11.3 million
3. (2) Footloose – $10.9 million
4. (-) The Three Musketeers – $8.8 million
5. (4) The Ides of March – $4.9 million
6. (5) Dolphin Tale – $4.5 million
7. (6) Moneyball – $4.1 million
8. (-) Johnny English – $3.8 million
9. (3) The Thing – $3.1 million
10. (7) 50/50 – $2.8 million

‘Captain America’ sequel set in modern day

Sunday, October 23rd, 2011
Chris Evans as Captain America

The writers behind Captain America: The First Avenger have confirmed the film’s sequel will be set in the present day.

The Marvel Studios sequel will be released after next year’s superhero team-up film The Avengers, which sees Captain America adjusting to life in modern times.

“I think it’s safe for us to say that it’s primarily set in the modern day,” Stephen McFeely told The HD Room. “That seems to have been the biggest question people have been wondering about regarding the sequel.

“We’ve been left with room to explore Cap entering the modern day wondering, ‘What is all this? What’s happened to the world’ and so on.”

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‘Puss in Boots’ Lady GaGa trailer released

Saturday, October 22nd, 2011

DreamWorks Animation has unveiled a new trailer for Shrek spinoff Puss in Boots.

The new trailer is set to the soundtrack of Lady GaGa’s ‘Americano’ and focuses on the budding romance between Puss and his new love interest Kitty Softpaws.

The film sees Antonio Banderas reprising his role from the Shrek films as Puss opposite Salma Hayek Pinault, Zach Galifianakis and Billy Bob Thornton.

Puss in Boots is due to open in cinemas on October 28.