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1-20 of 21 articles from 2008   « Prev | Next »

24 June 2008 10:40 AM, PDT | From Studio Briefing | See recent Studio Briefing news

Get Smart, starring Steve Carell as title character Maxwell Smart, took in $38.68 million over the weekend, well above estimates by box-office predictors and Warner Bros., the studio that released it, according to final figures released Monday by Media by Numbers. The only other film to open wide, Paramount's The Love Guru, starring Mike Myers, found little love among moviegoers as it debuted in fourth place with just $13.91 million. Meanwhile, the second week of Universal's The Incredible Hulk slipped to second place with $22.14 million, while Kung Fu Panda, produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by Paramount, brought in $21.93 million in its third week. Meanwhile, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull returned to the top of the international box office for the third week with $25 million. The film has now taken in $392 million overseas versus $291 million at home. The top ten films over the weekend, according to final figures compiled by Media by Numbers (figures in parentheses represent total gross to date):1. Get Smart, Warner Bros., $38,683,480, (New); 2. The Incredible Hulk, Universal, $22,136,060, 2 Wks. ($97,055,430); 3. Kung Fu Panda, Paramount, $21,934,716, 3 Wks. ($155,830,875); 4. The Love Guru, Paramount, $13,907,130, (New); 5. The Happening, 20th Century Fox, $10,482,146, 2 Wks. ($50,749,495); 6. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Paramount, $8,540,313, 5 Wks. ($290,961,044); 7. You Don't Mess With the Zohan, Sony, $7,453,215, 3 Wks. ($84,308,418); 8. Sex and the City: The Movie, Warner Bros, $6,532,394, 4 Wks. ($132,452,769); 9. Iron Man, Paramount, $4,030,272, 8 Wks. ($304,816,141); 10. The Strangers, Universal, $2,122,410, 4 Wks. ($49,759,735).

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23 June 2008 10:28 AM, PDT | From Studio Briefing | See recent Studio Briefing news

Would you believe that Warner Bros.' Get Smart, starring Steve Carell, took in an estimated $39.2 million at the box office over the weekend? That was about $10 million more than what most box-office forecasters had predicted. On the other hand, Paramount's The Love Guru, starring Mike Myers, took in just $14 million, about $10 million less than what forecasters had predicted. Two holdover films were almost too close to call. Paramount said that the DreamWorks' Animation-produced Kung Fu Panda took in $21.7 million, while Universal claimed that The Incredible Hulk took in $21.6 million. While box-office trackers Media by Numbers listed them as the No. 2 and No. 3 film in its top-ten chart, their positions could change when final figures are released later today (Monday). Overall, the top 12 movies took in about $136.9 million, up 10 percent over the comparable weekend a year ago. The top ten films for the weekend, according to studio estimates compiled by Media by Numbers:1. Get Smart, $39.2 million; 2. Kung Fu Panda, $21.7 million; 3. The Incredible Hulk, $21.6 million; 4. The Love Guru, $14 million; 5. The Happening, $10 million; 6. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, $8.4 million; 7. You Don't Mess With the Zohan, $7.2 million; 8. Sex and the City, $6.5 million; 9. Iron Man, $4 million; 10. The Strangers, $1.9 million.

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17 June 2008 10:36 AM, PDT | From Studio Briefing | See recent Studio Briefing news

Two features from Marvel Entertainment, a company that only ten years ago was forced into bankruptcy, landed among the box office's top ten over the weekend. The Incredible Hulk sold $55.4 million worth of tickets, putting it in first place, while Iron Man added $5.6 million to its gross, bringing its seven-week total to $297.9 million. Meanwhile, performing well above expectations, Fox's The Happening took in $30.5 million in its debut -- nearly twice what analysts had predicted. Last weekend's champ, Kung Fu Panda slipped to second place with $33.6 million. The top ten films over the weekend, according to final figures compiled by Media by Numbers (figures in parentheses represent total gross to date):1. The Incredible Hulk, Universal, $55,414,050, (New); 2. Kung Fu Panda, Paramount, $33,612,594, 2 Wks. ($117,289,932); 3. The Happening, 20th Century Fox, $30,517,109, (New); 4. You Don't Mess With The Zohan, Sony, $16,370,344, 2 Wks. ($68,760,685); 5. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Paramount, $14,741,834, 4 Wks. ($276,524,265); 6. Sex and the City, Warner Bros., $9,788,353, 3 Wks. ($119,522,016); 7. Iron Man, Paramount, $5,620,375, 7 Wks. ($297,918,329); 8. The Strangers, Universal, $4,024,485, 3 Wks. ($45,287,220); 9. The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, Disney, $3,165,013, 5 Wks. ($131,904,474); 10. What Happens in Vegas, Fox, $1,667,587, 6 Wks. ($75,755,145).

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16 June 2008 10:41 AM, PDT | From Studio Briefing | See recent Studio Briefing news

Movie theaters across North America saw a lot of green inside and out over the weekend as The Incredible Hulk debuted with an estimated $54.5 million. It marked the second superhero movie from Marvel Entertainment to open at No. 1 at the box office in just over a month. Iron Man hauled in over $100 million in its debut on May 2. Although most critics agreed that the latest film version of the Marvel classic was an improvement over Ang Lee's Hulk five years ago, the new film actually earned less than its predecessor, which took in $62.1 million. Meanwhile, M. Night Shyamalan's The Happening, starring Mark Wahlberg, opened with a better-than-expected $30.5 million, according to Media by Numbers. Most box-office forecasters had predicted an $18-22-million opening for the thriller. Last week's top film, Kung Fu Panda, fell to second place with $34.3 million, while You Don't Mess With the Zohan, the latest Adam Sandler comedy plunged to $16.4 million. The top ten films for the weekend, according to studio estimates compiled by Media by Numbers:1. The Incredible Hulk, $54.5 million; 2. Kung Fu Panda, $34.3 million; 3. The Happening, $30.5 million; 4. You Don't Mess With the Zohan, $16.4 million; 5. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, $13.5 million; 6. Sex and the City, $10.2 million; 7. Iron Man, $5.1 million; 8. The Strangers, $4.1 million; 9. The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, $3 million; 10. What Happens in Vegas, $1.7 million.

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11 June 2008 6:23 PM, PDT | From wenn.com | See recent WENN news

Actress Liv Tyler refuses to watch herself in new horror film The Strangers, because scary movies terrify her.

The star claims she was put off the genre after watching 1974 horror classic Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

Tyler says, "When I was a kid, I was obsessed with horror movies but then I watched Texas Chainsaw Massacre and it really scared me, so I was like, 'Ok, I'm done with horror movies.'"

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10 June 2008 10:28 AM, PDT | From Studio Briefing | See recent Studio Briefing news

With the top two films earning nearly $100 million between them, the studios and exhibitors had a very good weekend, final reports by Media by Numbers indicated Monday. DreamWorks Animation/Paramount's Kung Fu Panda led the pack with $60.24 million, while Sony's You Don't Mess With the Zohan topped out at $38.5 million. Together, the top 12 films grossed $170.87 million, 31 percent above the $130.43 million reported for the same week a year ago. The top ten films over the weekend, according to final figures compiled by Media by Numbers (figures in parentheses represent total gross to date):1. Kung Fu Panda, Paramount, $60,239,130, (New); 2. You Don't Mess With The Zohan, Sony, $38,531,374, (New); 3. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Paramount, $22,793,630, 3 Wks. ($253,014,750); 4. Sex and the City: The Movie, Warner Bros, $21,218,305, 2 Wks. ($99,177,283); 5. The Strangers, Universal, $8,941,970, 2 Wks. ($37,298,770); 6. Iron Man, Paramount, $7,477,439, 6 Wks. ($288,847,640); 7. The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, Disney, $5,658,836, 4 Wks. ($125,977,010); 8. What Happens in Vegas, 20th Century Fox, $3,437,801, 5 Wks. ($72,267,894); 9. Baby Mama, Universal, $806,750, 7 Wks. ($57,931,215); 10. Made of Honor, Sony, $804,055, 6 Wks. ($44,689,497).

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9 June 2008 12:00 PM, PDT | From wenn.com | See recent WENN news

Liv Tyler is calling on Hollywood casting directors to give her the chance to fulfil her career dream and sing and dance in a movie.

The actress is back at work after taking three-and-a-half years off to raise Milo, her son with estranged husband Royston Langdon.

Tyler's first two jobs after returning to acting are in new releases The Incredible Hulk and horror movie The Strangers - and she's desperate to make the next one a musical.

The 30-year-old says, "The only dream I've ever had is to do a musical. I wanna sing! I wanna dance!"

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9 June 2008 10:33 AM, PDT | From Studio Briefing | See recent Studio Briefing news

Although DreamWorks Animation's Kung Fu Panda and Sony's You Don't Mess With the Zohan were expected to run neck-and-neck at the box office over the weekend, the results weren't even close. The panda did in fact mess with Zohan as it attracted an estimated $60 million in ticket sales to $40 million for Zohan. The figure for Panda was about twice what box-office prognosticators had predicted it would earn. The two films together, combined with solid holdover performances by Warner Bros.' Sex and the City and Paramount's Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull boosted the overall box office some 30 percent above the comparable weekend a years ago. The top ten films for the weekend, according to studio estimates compiled by Media by Numbers:1. Kung Fu Panda, $60 million; 2. You Don't Mess With the Zohan, $40 million; 3. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, $22.8 million; 4. Sex and the City, $21.3 million; 5. The Strangers, $9.3 million; 6. Iron Man, $7.5 million; 7. The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, $5.5 million; 8. What Happens in Vegas, $3.4 million; 9. Baby Mama, $780,000; 10. Made Of Honor, $775,000.

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9 June 2008 7:04 AM, PDT | From wenn.com | See recent WENN news

Violent scenes in Liv Tyler's new movie The Strangers are so realistic, test audiences fled cinemas fearing the actress was being injured for real.

Tyler and Scott Speedman play a couple terrorised and held hostage in their own home by a group of masked intruders.

The film is based on a real event, and contains graphic scenes of violence, that left Tyler battered and bruised and filmgoers terrified.

The actress explains, "I was literally covered in bruises for half the year. It was as far as I could push myself in every way: physically, emotionally, mentally.

"I remember the producer calling me and saying that the audiences freaked out because they thought it was a snuff film."

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3 June 2008 10:38 AM, PDT | From Studio Briefing | See recent Studio Briefing news

Even the box office estimates for the opening weekend of Warner Bros.' Sex and the City turned out to be too conservative as the film earned a million and a half dollars more on Sunday than studio executives had reckoned. The film took in a total of $56.9 million for the weekend, substantially ahead of Paramount's Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, which brought in $44.8 million in its second week, pushing its gross past the $200-million mark to $215.6 million. The No. 3 film, Universal's horror flick The Strangers, also performed better than expected with $21 million -- more than what the film cost to produce. In fourth place, Iron Man appeared to have legs of steel, as it brought in another $13.5 million after five weeks. Rounding out the top five, Disney's The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian added $12.7 million to its gross in its third week. The top ten films over the weekend, according to final figures compiled by Media by Numbers (figures in parentheses represent total gross to date):1. Sex and the City: The Movie, Warner Bros, $56,848,056, (New); 2. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Paramount, $44,754,615, 2 Wks. ($215,635,899); 3. The Strangers, Universal, $20,997,985, (New); 4. Iron Man, Paramount, $13,541,264, 5 Wks. ($276,166,336); 5. The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, Disney, $12,704,545, 3 Wks. ($115,362,725); 6. What Happens in Vegas, 20th Century Fox, $6,681,097, 4 Wks. ($65,904,971); 7. Speed Racer, Warner Bros., $2,259,031, 4 Wks. ($40,677,371); 8. Baby Mama, Universal, $2,194,320, 6 Wks. ($56,117,805); 9. Made of Honor, Sony, $1,913,035, 5 Wks. ($42,878,354); 10. Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Universal, $1,059,840, 7 Wks. ($60,485,980).

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2 June 2008 10:32 AM, PDT | From Studio Briefing | See recent Studio Briefing news

When Friday's box-office results for Sex and the City came in on Saturday, Hollywood gurus were stunned. The movie had earned just about as much as Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull had earned the previous Friday, just under $30 million. While advance word was that the movie would do especially well on Friday as groups of women got together for the premiere, no one had predicted that it would do that well. But Warner Bros. distribution chief Dan Fellman told the Associated Press, "There were women that came in and bought out entire theaters in advance and invited all their friends." Co-star Sarah Jessica Parker told the New York Times, "It is kind of mind-boggling." (Eighty-five percent of the audience Friday night was female.) And in fact the movie took in only half its Friday gross on Saturday and again on Sunday, winding up with $55.7 million -- just about what it reportedly cost to produce. And yes, it became the top moneymaker at the box office for the weekend, pushing Indy into second place with $46 million -- also something that no one had predicted. Also opening solidly was the horror flick The Strangers, with about $20.7 million, to place third. Some experts are predicting that Crystal Skull will return to the top spot next week and remain there for a while, pointing out that the potential audience for that film is far greater than that for Sex and the City -- especially as kids begin pouring out of school for summer vacation.

The top ten films for the weekend, according to studio estimates compiled by Media by Numbers: 1. Sex and the City, $55.7 million; 2. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, $46 million; 3. The Strangers, $20.7 million; 4. Iron Man, $14 million; 5. The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, $13 million; 6. What Happens in Vegas, $6.9 million; 7. Baby Mama, $2.2 million; 8. Speed Racer, $2.1 million; 9. Made of Honor, $2 million; 10. Forgetting Sarah Marshall, $1 million.

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30 May 2008 10:34 AM, PDT | From Studio Briefing | See recent Studio Briefing news

Roger Ebert's opening lines of his review of the horror flick The Strangers is something of a classic and will undoubtedly make his devoted readers rejoice that he has recovered sufficiently from his latest round of operations to resume his regular reviewing tasks again. Consider: "My mistake was to read the interview with the director. At the beginning of my review of The Strangers, I typed my star rating instinctively: 'One star.' I was outraged. I wrote: 'What a waste of a perfectly good first act! And what a maddening, nihilistic, infuriating ending!' I was just getting warmed up. And then, I dunno, I looked up the movie on IMDb and there was a link to an interview with Bryan Bertino, the film's writer and director, and I went there, read it and looked at his photo. He looked to be in his 20s. This was his first film. Bertino had been working as a grip on a peanuts-budget movie when he pitched this screenplay to Rogue Pictures and then was asked to direct it. He gave a friend his grip tools and thought: 'Cool, I'm never going to need this anymore! I'm never using a hammer again.' Then he told the interviewer: 'I still had to buy books on how to direct.' So I thought, Bryan Bertino is a kid, this is his first movie, and as much as I hate it, it's a competent movie that shows he has the chops to be a director. So I gave it 1.5 stars instead of one." (Welcome back, Roger!) Other critics are not so generous. Susan Walker writes in the Toronto Star: "With no plot to speak of, no character development whatsoever, no theme and precious little intrigue, what we have here is simply a pileup of effects. And not especially special effects." Rafer Guzman in Newsday says the movie amounts to nothing more than a "disappointing downer." On the other hand, Elizabeth Weitzman in the New York Daily News writes that "Bertino does an excellent job building dread, especially during the first half of the movie. Every silence, pause and sudden noise startles -- and the results, frankly, are more frightening than the graphic torture scenes in movies like Hostel and Saw." And Jeannette Catsoulis in the New York Times calls it a "highly effective chiller"

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30 May 2008 10:34 AM, PDT | From Studio Briefing | See recent Studio Briefing news

No analyst is predicting that the movie version of Sex and the City will beat the second week of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull this weekend, but most suggest it will wind up a solid contender at No. 2. Most are predicting that the R-rated movie, which had reportedly cost around $60 million to make, will rake in about half its nut over the weekend, virtually all of it from an adult female and gay male audience. Today's (Friday) Los Angeles Times observed that groups of women who have already purchased tickets for the premiere night tonight are likely to generate a huge opening box office, followed by more moderate business on Saturday and Sunday. The newspaper noted that this weekend's only other wide release, the horror film The Strangers, out to bring in slightly under $10 million, about what it cost to produce.

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29 May 2008 2:56 PM, PDT | From bloody-disgusting.com | See recent Bloody-Disgusting.com news

Last week I spoke with the beautiful and talented Liv Tyler about her latest film The Strangers, which opens this Friday at theaters everywhere. The film follows a couple (Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman) in a remote suburban house who are targeted by three dangerous masked strangers. Tyler talked with is about how the project came to her and how badly she wanted to be part of it. With The Strangers I just read the script and fell in love with it, Tyler tells Bloody Disgusting, I really was just floored, I had taken a couple years working to spend with my son. And there was a pile of scripts and I didnt know whether it was a scary movie or a drama, comedy or what. I just could not put it down! I just found it riveting, and loved it,"...

29 May 2008 2:06 PM, PDT | From avclub.com | See recent The AV Club news

A bit like Funny Games without the scolding, the minimalist home-invasion thriller The Strangers doesn't take many words to describe: isolated vacation home. Masked tormenters. Helpless couple. And yet it's precisely the film's spare, disciplined, back-to-basics horror effects that lend it a sustaining chill; if the audience knew any more about who "the strangers" are and why they've chosen this house, this couple, and this night to do their worst, then a lot of the tension would dissipate. Making a frighteningly assured debut, writer-director Bryan Bertino understands the fundamentals thoroughly, and he has the patience to hold back and keep the tension hanging where a lesser director might have gone for the cheap shock. Many of the film's shots and scenes go on several beats longer than expected, just to stoke a near-unbearable feeling of anticipation and dread. As a filmmaker, at least, Bertino seems to have more in common.

Scott Tobias

28 May 2008 11:19 PM, PDT | From fantasymoguls.com | See recent Fantasy Moguls news

Wednesday 11:00 p.m. (Pacific): Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (Paramount) crashed through $165M domestic with an estimated $5.85M on Wednesday. With weekday holds like this, and only Sex & The City (Warner Bros) and The Strangers (Rogue) opening on Friday, Indy 4 seems headed for a very strong 2nd weekend. Meanwhile, The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (Disney) appears to have finally topped $100M with $1.49M or so on Wednesday. If the number holds, it will have taken 13 days for Prince Caspian to reach the $100M mark compared to the 9 days it took The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe to break the through the $100M threshold.

Steve Mason

28 May 2008 6:09 PM, PDT | From bloody-disgusting.com | See recent Bloody-Disgusting.com news

This Friday the latest home invasion movie hits theaters, The Strangers, which follows a couple in a remote suburban house who are targeted by three dangerous masked strangers. The resulting clashes force the couple to go well beyond what they thought themselves capable of in order to survive. Last week SpookyDan chatted with star Scott Speedman about his role in the film, along with his future with Underworld. I feel like this is so different from Underworld, he tells Bloody-Disgusting. It feels much more personal, and like it could absolutely happen. There was something about this that set it apart in such a major way. During the first 30 pages of the script you really have no idea what kind of film this is."

28 May 2008 12:27 AM, PDT | From bloody-disgusting.com | See recent Bloody-Disgusting.com news

Last week B-d stringer SpookyDan had the chance to chat with Bryan Bertino, director of Rogue Pictures' The Strangers, which arrives in theaters everywhere this Friday (May 30). During the interview they chatted about everything from the element of seventies fear all the way down to the idea of the film becoming toys and even masks that kids would wear during Halloween. In The Strangers a couple (Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman) in a remote suburban house are targeted by three dangerous masked strangers. The resulting clashes force the couple to go well beyond what they thought themselves capable of in order to survive.

26 May 2008 4:41 PM, PDT | From ifc.com | See recent IFC news

By Neil Pedley

There's something for everyone this week at the multiplex, what with Carrie and company offering something for the ladies with "Sex and the City," the Tae Kwon Do comedy "The Foot Fist Way" being an alternative for the guys, and "Savage Grace"... well, again, let's just say there's something for everyone.

"Bigger, Stronger, Faster*"

With everyone from Little League coaches to members of the U.S. Congress weighing in on the issue of performance enhancing drugs in sports, body builder (and former user) Christopher Bell injects his own story into this documentary that explores America's obsession with excellence and what it realistically takes to achieve it. Bell chronicles his own family's history of steroid use as a jumping off point to explore the wider love/hate relationship between professional athletes and performance enhancing drugs in a culture where winning is everything and there are no points for second place.

Neil Pedley

23 May 2008 6:58 AM, PDT | From Digitalspy | See recent digitalspy news

Liv Tyler lost ten pounds during the filming of her new film The Strangers. The 30-year-old admitted that the trauma of acting in an intense horror film caused her to lose weight. Tyler is quoted as saying: "We had to be in that heightened state all the time and when you get scared or you're shocked you kind of have a hard time breathing and you're like hyperventilating and crying (more)

Simon Reynolds

1-20 of 21 articles from 2008   « Prev | Next »