Archive for June, 2012

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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‘Madagascar 3’ beats ‘Prometheus’ to top US box office

Sunday, June 10th, 2012

Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted has topped this weekend’s US box office.

The third instalment of the DreamWorks animated series took in an estimated $60.35m across 4,258 theatres.

Ridley Scott’s Prometheus finished in second place, bringing in $50m. However, the sci-fi project appeared at almost a thousand less cinemas than Madagascar 3.

Snow White and the Huntsman drops two to three from last weekend’s number one, taking in a further $23m.

Will Smith’s Men in Black III and The Avengers complete the top five, achieving $13.5m and $10.8m respectively.

The Avengers has now secured over $571m domestically, while Men in Black III has broken the $125m mark.

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and What to Expect When You’re Expecting are level at six and seven, with Battleship and The Dictator each dropping five spots to eight and nine.

Wes Anderson’s Moonrise Kingdom climbs three places to number ten.

The US box office top ten in full (studio estimates):
1. (-) Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted – $60,350,000
2. (-) Prometheus – $50,000,000
3. (1) Snow White and the Huntsman – $23,021,000
4. (2) Men in Black III – $13,500,000
5. (3) The Avengers – $10,809,000
6. (6) The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel – $3,235,000
7. (7) What to Expect When You’re Expecting – $2,710,000
8. (4) Battleship – $2,286,000
9. (5) The Dictator – $2,150,000
10. (13) Moonrise Kingdom – $1,579,000

Christopher Nolan: ‘Digital technology devalues filmmakers’

Sunday, June 10th, 2012

Christopher Nolan has criticised the increased digitisation of cinema, claiming that it hampers the experience of the audience.

Speaking about the use of digital technology at the Produced By Conference in Culver City, the director said that he “didn’t have any interest in being the research department for an electronics company”.

“It’s like filmmakers are being encouraged to buy cameras like we are buying iPods,” he explained. “[It’s] devaluing of what we do as filmmakers.”

After denying any involvement in a fourth instalment of the Batman series, Nolan also revealed that he believes film (as opposed to digital) capture and projection produces a better experience for the movie-goer.

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‘Snow White and the Huntsman’ tops US box office

Sunday, June 3rd, 2012

Snow White and the Huntsman is number one at the US box office this weekend.

The fantasy film, starring Kristen Stewart, Charlize Theron and Chris Hemsworth, brought in an estimated $20.3 million from 3,773 locations on Friday (June 1).

Its total weekend gross has come in at an impressive $56.2 million, knocking down Will Smith’s science fiction comedy Men in Black 3 to the second place spot with $29.3 million.

Marvel’s Avengers holds on in third place, earning $20 million this weekend. The blockbuster film has grossed over $550 million since its debut last month, making it the third highest-grossing movie of all time.

Rounding out the top five are Battleship at number four with $4.8 million and Sacha Baron Cohen’s The Dictator at number five with $4.7 million.

Horror movie Chernobyl Diaries dropped four spots this week, landing in at ninth place and earning $3 million. The low-budget horror has made a total of $14 million.

Andy Garcia’s For Greater Glory also made its box office debut this week at number ten, selling only $1.8 million in tickets.

The US box office top ten in full (studio estimates):
1. (-) Snow White and the Huntsman – $56,255,000
2. (1) Men in Black 3 – $29,300,000
3. (2) The Avengers – $$20,273,000
4. (3) Battleship – $4,810,000
5. (4) The Dictator – $4,725,000
6. (8) The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel – $4,600,000
7. (7) What to Expect When You’re Expecting – $4,430,000
8. (6) Dark Shadows – $3,860,000
9. (5) Chernobyl Diaries – $3,045,000
10. (-) For Greater Glory – $1,800,000

‘Dawn of the Planet of the Apes’ announced for May 2014 release

Friday, June 1st, 2012

The Rise of the Planet of the Apes sequel has been given a title and release date.

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes will arrive in cinemas on May 23, 2014, 20th Century Fox has revealed.

The film recently hired Contagion writer Scott Z Burns to work on a new draft of the script, which charts the continued ascension of the primates.

The first draft was penned by Amanda Silver and Rick Jaffa.

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