In Theaters This Weekend (12/21)
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: DreamWorks, Disney, Sony, Universal, Warner Bros, Action, Adaptation, Adventure, Drama, Horror, Musicals, Romance, Comedy, Sports, Thrillers, Box Office, Lists, New Releases,
Here are some possible suggestions for your upcoming weekend:
- Charlie Wilson’s War (R): starring Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, Philip Seymour Hoffman (directed by Mike Nichols)
- National Treasure: Book of Secrets (PG): starring Nicolas Cage, Jon Voight, Helen Mirren (directed by Jon Turteltaub)
- P.S. I Love You (PG-13): starring Hilary Swank, Gerard Butler, Lisa Kudrow (directed by Richard LaGravanese)
- Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (R): starring Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Sacha Baron Cohen (directed by Tim Burton)
- Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (R): starring John C. Reilly, Jenna Fischer, Kristen Wiig (directed by Jake Kasdan)
- Steep* (PG): starring Ingrid Backstrom, Doug Coombs, Shane McConkey (directed by Mark Obenhaus)
*limited and/or gradual release
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Brad Pitt, Edward Norton Reunion A Bust
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Universal, Adaptation, Drama, Political, Casting, Filmmaking, Upcoming Releases,
It was probably one of the most buzzed about reunions since Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet were brought back together again. Now it looks like we might have to wait another 8 years to see it happen.
Back in September, it was announced that Brad Pitt and Edward Norton would join forces for the political drama, State of Play. The two, last seen together in 1999’s Fight Club, were next set to spar in the political arena. Pitt was cast as former campaign manager-turned-reporter while Edward was scheduled to play a congressman whose research assistant is murdered. I use the word ‘was’ because Play’s two core stars have since dropped out.
Unhappy with the final script, Pitt eventually backed out of the film. Although Russell Crowe had agreed to step in, his late arrival pushed the starting date from November to January. This change unfortunately posed a scheduling conflict for Norton, who was then forced to exit as well. It is now hoped that Ben Affleck will slide in his place. (I for some reason doubt the Crowe/Affleck chemistry could even come close to the original pairing’s.)
Assuming no other last minute changes are made, the movie - an adaptation of a British mini-series - will also feature Rachel McAdams, Helen Mirren, Robin Wright Penn and Jason Bateman.
Variety
‘Valkyrie’ Debut Delayed
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: MGM, Action, Drama, Period, Political, Filmmaking, Upcoming Releases,
Valkyrie, a movie already plagued with production issues, has just given us another reason to be wary. It’s now been linked to two of the most cringe-inducing words in the film industry: delayed release. The Tom Cruise biopic about a German officer who plotted to take down Adolf Hitler will now premiere October 3, 2008. Valkyrie was originally slated to open June 27, unfortunately Bryan Singer (The Usual Suspects) has yet to shoot an integral war scene.
So let’s now officially add ‘date change’ to the ever-growing list of problems. (Items already noted include Scientology haters, destroyed footage and injured extras.) I predict a Suri fashion faux pas - or maybe even locusts - will trip things up next.
Variety
Getting Deep With ‘The Water Horse’
Posted by K.C. Morgan Categories: Columbia Pictures, Family, Foreign, Period, Comedy, New Releases,
Sure, I’ll admit it. I saw the trailers for The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep and turned my nose straight up into the air. Like I really have the time to watch an entire movie with people acting to the air, as the star of the flick is nothing more than CGI and legend. Promoted far less than other big holiday blockbusters (I’m surprised I even caught the trailers, in-between scenes of a desperate Will Smith running around in his Legend flick), The Water Horse offers a fantastical alternative to family-friendly movies that deal exclusively in holiday laughs.
The low-key British flick is actually a period piece - set primarily during the WWII era - and told in flashback. Here’s how it goes: young boy wandering around the beach finds a strange egg and quite naturally takes it right home with him. (Every time I’ve ever found an odd, unidentified object which will no doubt hatch an unfamiliar creature, I’m itching to take it to my place of residence.) Anyway, the egg hatches to reveal, of course, The Water Horse.
Click to continue reading Getting Deep With ‘The Water Horse’
Hollywood Reporter
Box Office Breakdown: Will Smith a Legend in December
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: 20th Century Fox, Disney, New Line, Warner Bros, Yari Film Group Releasing, Adaptation, Adventure, Animation, Drama, Family, Period, Romance, Comedy, Thrillers, Box Office, Lists, New Releases,
You have to wonder whether Tom Cruise is just a wee bit jealous of his friend’s success…
This weekend, Will Smith not only smashed the box office debut of Cruise’s Lions for Lambs, he pounded everything in his path. I Am Legend - the third adaptation of the 1954 Richard Matheson novel - nearly doubled the take of its nearest competitor while breaking the record for a December release. Legend’s $77 million debut surpassed the bar set by Oscar-winner The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. The final installment in the Lords trilogy brought in $72.6 million back in 2003.
Although Alvin and the Chipmunks was far behind in second place, its $44 million weekend was nothing to sneeze at. The movie not only exceeded most expectations, it downright embarrassed third place finisher, The Golden Compass. How could anyone possibly explain freaky-looking chipmunks taking down a large polar bear? The latter film only added another $8.8 million to its total, putting it a smidge closer to its $180 million budget. (Granted, it has done better overseas.)
But let’s not be fooled by the large numbers at the top of the charts, the weekend’s most notable turnout was made by #11: Juno. The comedic charmer earned an impressive $35,686 per screen. Meanwhile, Legend (which opened in 3566 more theaters) averaged only $21,411. Take that, Fresh Prince!
Click to continue reading Box Office Breakdown: Will Smith a Legend in December
Yahoo!
‘Dewey Cox’: Your Best Holiday Movie Choice
Posted by K.C. Morgan Categories: Columbia Pictures, Music, Satire, Comedy, New Releases,
You could go to the theaters this holiday season and be inundated with biological fallout, CGI creatures that exist solely in fokelore, and lighthearted family comedies. Or, you could get real laughs without the holiday hooplah. You can walk hard with Dewey Cox.
A musical parody, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story is already getting excellent reviews, all of which applaud the script’s funniness. The film follows Dewey through the decades as he tries to build his recording career. Music-themed biopics Walk the Line and Ray are both parodied in the film, which features its own fun soundtrack. Walk Hard will make audiences laugh hard, just what’s called for in a year filled with movies about war, death, and a wild-looking Dustin Hoffman pretending to be magical.
Click to continue reading ‘Dewey Cox’: Your Best Holiday Movie Choice
Hollywood Reporter
AFI’s Top Films of 2007
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Adaptation, Adventure, Animation, Drama, Family, Foreign, Independent, Political, Romance, Comedy, Thrillers, Awards, Lists,
The American Film Institute, probably best known its ‘100 Greatest’ countdowns, has just selected their top films of this year. Unlike the other lists we have seen on television, this particular grouping does not include rankings nor does it highlight a winner.
The AFI Movies of the Year are:
- Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead
- The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
- Into the Wild
- Juno
- Knocked Up
- Michael Clayton
- No Country for Old Men
- Ratatouille
- The Savages
- There Will Be Blood
(You can find the AFI’s list of Top Shows here.)
AFI
‘The Dark Knight’ Trailer
Posted by David Onda Categories: Warner Bros, Action, Adventure, Drama, Sequels, Comedy, Thrillers, Trailers, Upcoming Releases,
“Let’s put a smile on that face.” Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you are well aware that the Batman Begins sequel, The Dark Knight, opens this summer starring Christian Bale as Batman and Heath Ledger as The Joker. Well, the brand-new full-length Dark Knight trailer debuted this weekend prior to Will Smith’s I Am Legend, along with a couple new movie posters (pictured on the right). WB has released the non-bootlegged, high-quality trailer, so check it out after the jump. Anyone who doubted Ledger as The Joker is now eating their words and it’ll certainly put a smile on your face.
Update: Check out the SIX-MINUTE The Dark Knight preview after the jump.
Click to continue reading ‘The Dark Knight’ Trailer
‘Jackass’ Extras Come to Web
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Paramount, Action, Documentary, Sequels, Comedy, Home Entertainment,
If the first two Jackass movies left you wanting more, you’re in luck. Starting next week, fans of the series can view Jackass 2.5 online. The hour-long feature is not necessarily a new production; it was pieced together using extra footage from the second installment.
Come December 19th, the film can be viewed for free at Jackassworld.com. After the one-week trial period expires, the video will be available for purchase via other outlets like iTunes and Amazon.
Variety
‘Sex and the City’ Trilogy?
Posted by K.C. Morgan Categories: Paramount, Romance, Sequels, Comedy, Rumors, Upcoming Releases,
Hope you’re sitting down for this news, Sex and the City fans. According to new rumors, the upcoming Sex and the City movie may be the first installment in a trilogy. That’s three times the sex. The movies will contain all four girls, of course, and all their various men – and what’s more Sexy than that?
One source says the producers are currently working on the script to the second movie, as it seems a foregone conclusion the first Sex and the City movie will become a huge box office hit. A sequel option was included in all the stars’ movie contracts, an option which will be exercised for the succeeding two films.
So strap on those high heels, pour a Cosmo and get ready to get saturated with Sex.
MSNBC
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