Archive for the ‘News Items’ Category

‘Snow White’ moves to avoid ‘Huntsman’

Wednesday, May 25th, 2011
Lily Collins

Relativity has pushed the release of Tarsem Singh’s untitled Snow White film forward to ensure that it avoids clashing with rival adaptation Snow White and the Huntsman.

Earlier this month, Universal announced that it had moved the Rupert Sanders film from December to June 2012, placing its release only four weeks before Singh’s adaptation.

Deadline claims that Singh’s film will now launch in March 2012, giving the film ten weeks before the release date for Snow White and the Huntsman.

Singh’s film will follow a relatively traditional take on the Snow White story, casting English actress Lily Collins as Snow White, Armie Hammer as her prince and Julia Roberts as the evil queen.

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Oliver Stone: ‘Charlie Sheen was perfect for Platoon’

Wednesday, May 25th, 2011
Oliver Stone

Oliver Stone has insisted that Charlie Sheen was perfect for his role in the hit 1986 film Platoon.

Talking to Entertainment Weekly upon the film’s 25th anniversary, the director admitted that while Sheen has changed dramatically over the years, he is still fond of the former Two and a Half Men actor’s performance in the Vietnam war movie.

“Charlie was a dumb-struck 17-year-old the first time he came in for the film, back when we were going to make it in ’84,” Stone recalled.

“And in those two years, he’d grown and seemed perfectly wide-eyed and had a vaguely privileged look. I think he did a great job. He was perfect for the movie. He conveys the horror of the place. I like his performance.”

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‘Pirates 4’ scores highest US opening of 2011

Sunday, May 22nd, 2011
Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides poster

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides topped the US box office this weekend, taking an estimated $90.1 million.

The Johnny Depp-led action film scored the highest opening weekend of the year so far, ahead of the $83.6 million taken by Fast Five earlier this month.

Last week’s new entry Bridesmaids took an impressive $21.1 million for its second weekend, followed by former box-office topper Thor with $15.5 million.

Fast Five follows in fourth place with $10.6 million, while the family animation Rio rounds out the top five with $4.6 million.

This week’s US box office top ten in full (studio estimates):
1. (-) Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides – $90,100,000
2. (2) Bridesmaids – $21,100,000
3. (1) Thor – $15,500,000
4. (3) Fast Five – $10,630,000
5. (5) Rio – $4,650,000
6. (4) Priest – $4,600,000
7. (6) Jumping the Broom – $3,700,000
8. (7) Somethng Borrowed – $3,425,000
9. (8) Water for Elephants – $2,150,000
10. (9) Madea’s Big Happy Family – $990,000

‘The Tree Of Life’ wins Cannes Palme d’Or

Sunday, May 22nd, 2011
The Tree of Life

The Tree Of Life has won the prestigious Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival.

Terrence Malick’s fantasy drama, which stars Brad Pitt and Sean Penn, beat 17 other nominees to collect the top award at this year’s prestigious event.

Previous Palme d’Or winners the Dardenne brothers took home the Grand Prix for The Kid With The Bike, as the evening’s most unexpected result came in the form of Jury Prize recipient Polisse, a critically-panned crime picture.

In the acting categories, Jean Dujardin won ‘Best Actor’ for his lead turn in Hollywood silent-era romance The Artist, while Kirsten Dunst took home the ‘Best Actress’ trophy for Melancholia, a film that has been somewhat overshadowed at the festival by director Lars von Trier’s controversial comments about the Nazis.

Elsewhere, Drive helmer Nicolas Winding Refn was named as ‘Best Director’ and Las Acacias scooped the Camera d’Or for best first film.

Watch the trailer for The Tree Of Life below:

Stephen King: ‘Lindsay Lohan could play Carrie’

Sunday, May 22nd, 2011
Lindsay Lohan

Stephen King has claimed that he is open to having Lindsay Lohan play the titular role in a planned Carrie remake.

It was revealed today that Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, writer of Spider Man: Turn Off The Dark, is to bring a new adaptation of King’s classic horror novel to the big screen.

When asked for his thoughts on the project, the 63-year-old author expressed doubt that Brian De Palma’s 1976 flick could be outdone, but appeared excited by the prospect of seeing Lohan star.

He told Entertainment Weekly: “I’ve heard rumblings about a Carrie remake…who knows if it will happen?

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‘Thor’ tops US box office for second week

Monday, May 16th, 2011
Thor: Chris Hemsworth

Marvel Studios’ Thor has topped the US box office for the second weekend in a row.

The comic book adaptation, which stars Chris Hemsworth as the God of Thunder, took $34.5 million domestically in its second week of release.

The Judd Apatow-produced comedy Bridesmaids enters in second place with $22.4 million, followed by Fast Five with $19.5 million.

Supernatural thriller Priest opened to a disappointing $14.5 million, while family animation Rio rounds out the top five films of the week with $8 million.

This week’s US box office top ten in full (studio estimates):
1. (1) Thor – $34,500,000
2. (-) Bridesmaids – $22,400,000
3. (2) Fast Five – $19,500,000
4. (-) Priest – $14,500,000
5. (5) Rio – $8,000,000
6. (3) Jumping the Broom – $7,300,000
7. (4) Something Borrowed – $7,000,000
8. (6) Water for Elephants – $4,100,000
9. (7) Madea’s Big Happy Family – $2,200,000
10. (10) Soul Surfer – $1,800,000

‘The Event’, ‘Law and Order: LA’ cancelled

Saturday, May 14th, 2011
Sean Walker in The Event

The Event and Law and Order: LA have both been dropped by NBC.

Sci-fi drama The Event started out strongly but saw ratings fade gradually, particularly after its winter hiatus.

Following the three-month gap, actor Jason Ritter said that the show had “completely changed” and was getting “really exciting”, but it was not enough to save the show which averaged 7.4 million viewers.

Dick Wolf’s Law and Order: LA, which has seen variable ratings from the start, was another casualty of NBC’s cancellations.

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‘V’, ‘Brothers and Sisters’ cancelled by ABC

Saturday, May 14th, 2011
V - Cast group

Brothers and Sisters and V have been cancelled by ABC.

Also to be dropped from the channel are No Ordinary Family, Detroit 1-8-7, Off The Map and Mr Sunshine, all of which have seen disappointing ratings during their first season.

V showrunner Scott Rosenbaum recently said that he had solid plans for a third season of the drama, while its star Elizabeth Mitchell professed that she was hopeful of the show being renewed.

The future of Brothers and Sisters has also been under increasing speculation recently, with ABC forced to deny that the show was being axed earlier this month after Rachel Griffiths hinted that she would soon be “unemployed”.

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Lionsgate ‘fighting indie producer for Terminator’

Thursday, May 12th, 2011
Arnold Schwarzenegger in 'The Terminator'

Lionsgate have become locked in a battle with an independent film producer for the rights to the Terminator franchise.

Deadline reports that Megan Ellison of Annapurna Films has outbid the company behind Kick Ass, Buried and the Saw movies for the right to make a fifth instalment of the sci-fi series.

Lionsgate had been favourites to claim the property outright before Ellison’s bid when they agreed to pay at least half of the $29.5m (£18.1m) spent by Paficior to win the Terminator rights in February 2010.

Ellison is currently funding production of Kathryn Bigelow’s Kill Bin Laden and Depression-era crime drama The Wettest County In The World, starring Shia LaBeouf and Tom Hardy.

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‘Thor’ opens strongly at US box office

Monday, May 9th, 2011
Thor: Chris Hemsworth

Marvel Studios’ Thor has topped the US box office in its opening weekend, taking an estimated $66 million.

The film, which also headed the UK box office last week, toppled last week’s record-breaking entry Fast Five, which took $32.5 million for its second weekend.

Salim Akil’s romantic comedy Jumping the Broom opened to $13.7 million, followed closely by Something Borrowed, starring Kate Hudson and John Krasinski, which took $13.2 million.

Rounding out the top five films of the weekend was Fox’s popular family animation Rio, with $9.5 million.

This week’s US box office top ten in full (studio estimates):

1. (-) Thor – $66,000,000
2. (1) Fast Five – $32,500,000
3. (-) Jumping the Broom – $13,700,000
4. (-) Something Borrowed – $13,200,000
5. (2) Rio – $9,500,000
6. (4) Water for Elephants – $5,700,000
7. (3) Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Big Happy Family – $3,800,000
8. (5) Prom – $2,500,000
9. (6) Hoodwinked Too! – $2,200,000
10. (7) Soul Surfer – $2,100,000