NTSC User's News Page

The last entry in the long-running Saw series has topped the US box office.

Saw 3D has beaten last week’s highest earner Paranormal Activity 2 by claiming $24 million in its opening weekend.

The presumed final film of the series enters at the top of the box office following a disappointing charting position for 2009’s Saw VI, which was beaten by the surprise hit Paranormal Activity.

Paranormal Activity 2 falls to second place, taking $16.5 million, while Red remains in third with $10.8 million.

Rounding out the top five films is former box office topper Jackass 3D with $8.4 million, followed by the Clint Eastwood-directed Hereafter with $6.3 million.

The US box office top ten in full:
1. (-) Saw 3D – $24,200,000
2. (1) Paranormal Activity 2 – $16,500,000
3. (3) Red – $10,800,000
4. (2) Jackass 3D – $8,425,000
5. (4) Hereafter – $6,320,000
6. (6) Secretariat – $5,071,000
7. (5) The Social Network – $4,700,000
8. (7) Life As We know It – $4,000,000
9. (9) The Town – $1,925,000
10. (25) Conviction – $1,825,000

Roland Emmerich has reportedly begun work on a secret project that will use a similar shooting style to Cloverfield.

The Independence Day director will use only a minimal budget of $5 million on The Zone, according to The Hollywood Reporter, in a stark contrast to his normal big-budget films.

Few plot details about The Zone are currently known, although the project is thought to focus on an alien invasion.

The film will be distributed by Sony, with a script from Guillaume Tunzini and Loucas George serving as producer.

The Zone is scheduled to begin shooting this November.

Creditors of Hollywood’s legendary MGM studio have voted in favour of a bankruptcy plan offered by US firm Spyglass Entertainment, sources say.

The rescue deal would put Spyglass at the helm of MGM, which has $4bn (£2.5bn) in outstanding debt.

The creditors rejected a rival offer from Canada’s Lionsgate company, the sources said.

MGM, which has the James Bond franchise, is in debt thanks to several box office flops and a DVD sales slump.

(more…)

Christopher Nolan has revealed that the title of his next Batman movie will be The Dark Knight Rises.

The director disclosed the name of his third superhero picture in an interview with the Los Angeles Times, but ruled out the possibility of The Riddler as the story’s villain.

“We’ll use many of the same characters as we have all along, and we’ll be introducing some new ones,” he said of The Dark Knight Rises.

Nolan said that he has reached an agreement with Warner Bros not to make the movie in 3D, instead opting to film with high-definition cameras designed for the IMAX format.

Christian Bale, Sir Michael Caine and Tom Hardy will star in The Dark Knight Rises, due out in cinemas in 2012.

Psychological horror sequel Paranormal Activity 2 has taken the top spot at the US box office.

The film, directed by Tod Williams, has usurped last week’s number one Jackass 3D by taking over $40 million.

Collider reports that this is the highest ever opening for a supernatural horror film, edging out 2004’s remake The Grudge, which claimed $39.1 million in its opening weekend.

Jackass 3D falls to second place this week with $21.6 million, followed by comic book adaptation RED with $15 million.

The Clint Eastwood-directed drama Hereafter enters at number four with only $12 million, with The Social Network rounding out the top five at $7 million.

Former box office-topper Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps falls out of the top ten films this week.

The US box office top ten in full:
1. (-) Paranormal Activity 2 – $41,500,000
2. (1) Jackass 3D – $21,600,000
3. (2) RED – $15,000,000
4. (-) Hereafter – $12,000,000
5. (3) The Social Network – $7,200,000
6. (4) Secretariat – $7,000,000
7. (5) Life As We Know It – $6,300,000
8. (6) Legend Of The Guardians: The Owls Of Ga’Hoole – $3,100,000
9. (7) The Town – $2,700,000
10. (9) Easy A – $1,700,000

Paramount Pictures reportedly wants at least four sequels to the recent Jackass 3D movie.

According to the Daily Star Sunday, studio bosses were “shell-shocked” when the film topped the US box office last week, grossing $50m (£31m) in its opening weekend.

One of the film’s stars, Steve-O, said: “I thought our glory days were over and, yeah, you do worry about fading into obscurity a little bit. I can’t believe how things have turned out both for me and for Jackass.”

It is claimed that the stars have each been offered $2m per subsequent film that they make in the Jackass series.

An executive at Paramount added:: “Their fans have sent a loud and clear message that they’re missing them and want more.”

It has been confirmed that Steven Spielberg will direct Robopocalypse.

DreamWorks have announced the legendary filmmaker as the man to helm the big screen adaptation of the as-yet-unpublished book by Daniel H. Wilson, which will hit shelves in June 2011.

DreamWorks co-president of production Mark Sourian said: “This is a project we immediately sparked to and with Steven directing it we knew it was in the best possible hands to bring it to worldwide audiences.

“Robopocalypse embodies an imaginative story of a robot rebellion unleashed against the human race.” (more…)

Adrien Brody is suing to stop the release of the movie Giallo, it has been reported.

The film, which is due to be released on DVD tomorrow, is an Italian horror picture directed by Dario Argento. It did not receive a theatrical release in American cinemas.

Brody claims that he was misled by the film’s producers, who allegedly lied to him to prevent him from walking off the set after Brody learned that the film was underfunded. Brody also claims that the producers failed to pay him.

According to the lawsuit filed last Thursday, Brody is asking for $3 million and attempting to prevent the film’s release, writes The Hollywood Reporter.