Archive for August, 2013

US ‘Star Trek’ fans angry at Blu-ray ‘rip-off’

Saturday, August 31st, 2013

US Star Trek fans have been angered by the upcoming Blu-ray release of Star Trek Into Darkness.

The bonus features on the basic disc for JJ Abrams’ sequel, which stars Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto and Benedict Cumberbatch, are comprised of just seven featurettes.

However, a number of other features have been made but are not available on the Blu-ray sold by most physical and online vendors.

Instead, extra features have been marketed as ‘retailer exclusives’ and are only available from the versions sold in Target and Best Buy stores.

To see all the bonus features, including extended scenes and trailers, viewers would have to collect all three discs. A commentary by director JJ Abrams has also been recorded but has to be bought separately via iTunes.

Fansite Trek Core has a complete list of the features available on each retailer’s version of the disc.

It is currently unclear whether the extra bonus features will be available to UK fans, although Sainsbury’s list their own retailer exclusive disc which contains the same special features as Target in the US.

Star Trek Into Darkness is released on DVD and Blu-ray on September 2 in the UK, and September 10 in the US.

This news item can be discussed here

‘The Butler’ leads US box office again

Monday, August 26th, 2013

Lee Daniels’ The Butler has topped the US box office for the second weekend in a row.

The Oprah Winfrey-starring historical drama took more than $17m to remain on top of the charts, while We’re The Millers held steady in second place with $13.5m.

The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones – the first film in a new teen movie franchise – opened in third position with $9.3m.

Edgar Wright’s science fiction comedy The World’s End followed The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones to take fourth with nearly $9m.

This weekend’s other new entry – the thriller You’re Next – came in at number seven with just over $7m.

Woody Allen’s latest drama Blue Jasmine continued its move up the chart by finishing in ninth place with 4.3m.

The US weekend box office top ten in full:
1. (1) Lee Daniels’ The Butler – $17,018,000
2. (2) We’re the Millers – $13,500,000
3. (-) The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones – $9,300,000
4. (-) The World’s End – $8,942,000
5. (5) Planes – $8,567,000
6. (3) Elysium – $7,100,000
7. (-) You’re Next – $7,050,000
8. (6) Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters – $5,200,000
9. (-) Blue Jasmine – $4,300,000
10. (4) Kick-Ass 2 – $4,270,000

“Lee Daniels’ The Butler” tops US box office

Monday, August 19th, 2013

Lee Daniels’ The Butler dominated this weekend’s US box office chart.

Oprah Winfrey’s comeback film – which is based on the story of a White House butler who served US presidents for decades – topped the chart by taking in more than $25m.

The historical drama finished ahead of comedy We’re the Millers and Elysium, which led last weekend’s chart.

Comic book adaptation Kick-Ass 2 finished in fourth place with nearly $13.6m in its first weekend of release.

The top five was rounded out by Planes, which earned $13m in its second weekend.

Ashton Kutcher’s biographical movie Jobs debuted outside of the top five with $6.7m. Kutcher recently described Jobs as an honest portrayal of the Apple innovator’s success and failures.

The US weekend box office top ten in full:
1. (-) Lee Daniels’ The Butler – $25,010,000
2. (2) We’re the Millers – $17,780,000
3. (1) Elysium – $13,600,000
4. (-) Kick-Ass 2 – $13,568,000
5. (3) Planes – $13,141,000
6. (4) Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters – $8,375,000
7. (-) Jobs – $6,700,000
8. (5) 2 Guns – $5,572,000
9. (6) The Smurfs 2 – $4,600,000
10. (7) The Wolverine – $4,425,000

Vin Diesel to lead new sci-fi franchise ‘Soldiers of the Sun’

Thursday, August 15th, 2013

Vin Diesel will play the lead role in Soldiers of the Sun.

Universal has picked up the rights to the science fiction action franchise, which has Diesel attached to a spec script written by Arash Amel.

Diesel will also produce alongside Lorenzo di Bonaventura with the hopes of launching an “ensemble-type franchise series”, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Set in a post-apocalyptic future, Soldiers of the Sun follows a squad of soldiers struggling to liberate Mexico from an alien race, while also searching for a legendary city of gold.

Amel wrote the upcoming Grace Kelly biopic Grace of Monaco, and is attached to pen the sequel to Will Smith’s I Am Legend.

Diesel is reportedly in talks to voice the role of Groot in Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy.

This news item can be discussed here

‘Elysium’ leads US box office with $30m

Monday, August 12th, 2013

Matt Damon’s Elysium topped this weekend’s US box office charts.

Director Neill Blomkamp’s sci-fi thriller stars Damon as Max, an ex-con who barters for his life in a future where Earth is in ruins and the wealthy live on a man-made space station.

Bowing at theatres in the number one spot, Elysium earned $30.4m, pushing last week’s winner, Denzel Washington’s 2 Guns, to the fifth spot with $11.1m.

Coming in at the number two spot, We’re the Millers with Jennifer Aniston and Jason Sudeikis earned $26.5m.

The family animation Planes also made its debut at the box office this weekend, landing in the number three spot with $22.5m, followed by Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters in the number four spot.

The fantasy film was released on August 7, earning $14.6m in its opening weekend.

Filling out the rest of the countdown are The Smurfs 2 with $9.5m, The Wolverine with $8m and The Conjuring with $6.7m.

Falling to the bottom of the top ten at the box office, Despicable Me 2 earned $5.7m with Grown Ups 2 taking home $3.7m.

The US weekend box office top ten in full:
1. Elysium – $30,400,000
2. We’re the Millers $26,555,000
3. Planes – $22,525,000
4. Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters – $14,600,000
5. 2 Guns – $11,128,000
6. The Smurfs 2 – $9,500,000
7. The Wolverine – $8,000,000
8. The Conjuring – $6,700,000
9. Despicable Me 2 – $5,748,000
10. Grown Ups 2 – $3,700,000

This box-office news can be discussed here

Steven Spielberg new sci-fi drama ‘Extant’ ordered by CBS

Thursday, August 8th, 2013

CBS has ordered new sci-fi drama Extant to series.

The project – from Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Television – will bypass a pilot order and shoot 13 episodes.

Extant is a futuristic thriller about a female astronaut trying to reconnect with her family when she returns after a year in outer space.

Her experiences lead to events that ultimately will change the course of human history.

Spielberg will serve as an executive producer for the series, which will be distributed worldwide by CBS Studios International.

Extant is a very original concept with layers of humanity, mystery and surprise that reveal [themselves] throughout the script,” said Nina Tassler, President of CBS Entertainment.

The series will premiere in summer 2014, with CBS hoping to replicate the success of this year’s summer ratings hit Under the Dome.”Our partnership with Amblin for Under the Dome showed that viewers respond to high-quality event programming in the summer,” Tassler continued.

“We look forward to building on that with Extant and offering CBS audiences another high-concept, unique event for summer television.”

‘2 Guns’ leads US box office with $27m

Monday, August 5th, 2013

Denzel Washington’s 2 Guns has topped the US weekend box office chart.

Washington stars alongside Mark Wahlberg in the graphic novel adaptation about a DEA agent and a naval intelligence officer who go on the run after a failed undercover drug operation.

Debuting at number one, the film earned $27.3m, knocking last week’s winner The Wolverine to second spot with $21.7m.

Animated sequel The Smurfs 2 underperformed in its debut week, coming in at third place with $18.2m.

Vera Farmiga’s The Conjuring dropped two spots to number four with $13.6m, while Steve Carell’s Despicable Me 2 came in at number five with $10.3m in ticket sales.

Ryan Reynolds’s animated flop Turbo plummeted even further from number four to number seven, earning $6.4m.

Red 2, The Heat and Pacific Rim round out the top ten.

The US weekend box office top ten in full:
1. (-) 2 Guns – $27,361,000
2. (1) The Wolverine – $21,725,000
3. (-) The Smurfs 2 – $18,200,000
4. (2) The Conjuring – $13,660,000
5. (3) Despicable Me 2 – $10,391,000
6. (5) Grown Ups 2 – $8,100,000
7. (4) Turbo – $6,400,000
8. (6) Red 2 – $5,650,000
9. (8) The Heat – $4,725,000
10. (7) Pacific Rim – $4,570,000

3D movie revenues hit all-time low in US, ‘The Wolverine’ is ‘worst yet’

Thursday, August 1st, 2013

The revenue for 3D movies has hit a record low in the US.

Recent releases The Wolverine and Turbo performed the worst yet for 3D animated and action movies.

“3D showings of Turbo accounted for just 25% of its total box office, which represents the format’s worst showing yet. The Wolverine fared only slightly better, with 3D screenings contributing 30% of its $53.1 million opening weekend,” according to a report by The Wrap.

“That represents a new low point for 3D action releases. Both breakdowns were substantially worse than this summer’s previous worst showings for 3D, when only 31% of Monsters University‘s $82 million debut came from 3D screenings, while roughly 34% of World War Z‘s $66 million bow came from the format.”

Despite this, the revenue for 3D films is incredibly popular in some other countries.

The report added that 3D films continue to bring in “80% to 90% of a film’s box office take in places like Russia and China”.