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1-20 of 31 articles from 2008   « Prev | Next »

23 July 2008 10:27 AM, PDT | From Studio Briefing | See recent Studio Briefing news

Chalk up another box-office record for The Dark Knight: the biggest gross for a film on a non-holiday Monday. Following a three-day weekend in which it raked in a record $158.4 million, the Warner Bros. movie added another $24.6 million on Monday to bring its total to $182.9 million after just four days. Many analysts were betting that it would easily cross the $200-million mark by the end of Tuesday, thereby setting yet another box-office record. (Results for Tuesday are expected to be announced later today.) The film's strong showing pushed the overall Monday box-office gross to $37.7 million, yet another record. Two films, Knight, and the musical Mamma Mia!, which earned $4 million, accounted for 76 percent of the total.

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23 July 2008 12:05 AM, PDT | From wenn.com | See recent WENN news

Movie musical Mamma Mia! has seen off competition from Wall-E to top the U.K. box office charts for the second consecutive week.

The animated Pixar film, about a trash compacting robot, took in $8.6 million (GBP4.3 million) in its opening weekend - but it wasn't enough to topple the Meryl Streep-starring Abba musical, which netted $9.2 million ($4.6 million).

Will Smith's superhero film Hancock, previously at number two, fell to third place with earnings of $4 million (GBP2 million), while Eddie Murphy's comedy Meet Dave debuted at number six.

Kung Fu Panda, which came in fourth place with $3 million (GBP1.5 million), and Brendan Fraser's Journey to the Center of the Earth, which brought in $1.1 million (GBP581,488), took fifth.

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22 July 2008 10:34 AM, PDT | From Studio Briefing | See recent Studio Briefing news

Although some industry analysts had contended that Warner Bros. had inflated its estimate of what The Dark Knight took in on Sunday so that it could claim a record weekend, the final box office result showed that the studio's estimate was actually conservative. The film grossed $158.3 million, some $3 million more than the studio's forecast, according to the final figures from box-office trackers Media by Numbers. Perhaps most impressive of all was the per-theater gross at IMAX venues -- an average of more than $67,000 each. (And that doesn't count profits from IMAX tickets that were scalped on eBay for upwards of $50 apiece.) At the same time, Mamma Mia, starring Meryl Street set a box-office record for the best domestic opening for a musical as it grossed $27.7 million, edging out the previous record holder, Hair Spray, which took in $27.5 million last year. 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 Dark Knight, Warner Bros., $158,411,483, (New); 2. Mamma Mia!, Universal, $27,751,240, (New); 3. Hancock, Sony, $14,040,178, 3 Wks. ($191,543,979); 4. Journey to the Center of the Earth, Warner Bros., $12,340,435, 2 Wks. ($43,504,712); 5. Hellboy 2: The Golden Army, Universal, $10,117,815, 2 Wks. ($56,526,885); 6. Wall-e, Disney, $10,070,396, 4 Wks. ($182,732,709); 7. Space Chimps, Fox, $7,181,374, (New); 8. Wanted, Universal, $5,072,805, 4 Wks. ($123,322,635); 9. Get Smart, Warner Bros., $4,125,021, 5 Wks. ($119,608,695); 10. Kung Fu Panda, Paramount, $1,860,854, 7 Wks. ($206,616,381).

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21 July 2008 10:30 AM, PDT | From Studio Briefing | See recent Studio Briefing news

The Dark Knight brought a bright day to Warner Bros. today (Monday) as the studio began a final tally of weekend box-office receipts that it estimated on Sunday would reach a record of $155.3 million. If that figure holds up, the movie would exceed the previous record of $151.1 million for a three-day opening set by Spider-Man 3 last year. The movie also set a record for the biggest single-day gross for a movie ($67.9 million), the biggest midnight preview ($18.5 million), the biggest IMAX opening ($6.21 million) and the most opening theaters (4,366). Nearly overlooked was the fact that Mamma Mia!, which opened in second place with $27.5 million, also set a record for the biggest weekend gross for a musical. (The film took in an additional $26.8 million in its second week overseas.) Sliding to third place was the Will Smith starrer Hancock which earned $14 million. The overall box office itself set a record as the top 12 movies earned an estimated $249.6 million, far above the previous record of $218.4 million set at the end of the Independence Day weekend in 2006. The box office was up 70 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. The Dark Knight, $155.34 million; 2. Mamma Mia!, $27.6 million; 3. Hancock, $14 million; 4. Journey to the Center of the Earth, $11.9 million; 5. Hellboy II: The Golden Army, $10 million; 6. Wall-E, $9.8 million; 7. Space Chimps, $7.4 million; 8. Wanted, $5.1 million; 9. Get Smart, $4.1 million; 10. Kung Fu Panda, $1.8 million.

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21 July 2008 9:03 AM, PDT | From wenn.com | See recent WENN news

Actor Colin Firth is convinced his famous co-stars are a bunch of "drag queens" because they're secretly only interested in playing dress-up.

The Mamma Mia! star joins Hollywood legends Meryl Streep and Pierce Brosnan as the trio sing and dance on film for the summer Abba-inspired movie musical.

And Firth says the experience has left him certain that his fellow actors' best inspiration came from their mother's closets.

He muses, "Actors are basically drag queens. People will tell you they act because they want to heal mankind or, you know, explore the nature of the human psyche. Yes, maybe. But basically we just want to put on a frock and dance."

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20 July 2008 10:29 PM, PDT | From Rope Of Silicon | See recent Rope Of Silicon news

Considering the long line of great musicals in the history of film there is a new number one, at least in terms of opening weekend box-office numbers as Mamma Mia! slipped in under the radar. While everyone was rejoicing over The Dark Knight breaking midnight, opening day and opening weekend records, Mamma Mia! went ahead and beat last year's Hairspray to enjoy the strongest debut for a musical with an estimated $27.6 million. Of course, this edges out Hairspray by just $0.1 million, which means the estimate is going to need to hold up or increase for the record to occur, but Universal already seems quite proud of the film that should have never been released it is so bad. "You feel a little guilty bragging when Dark Knight was so huge, but we're proud," the studio's Nikki Rocco told USA Today. "Older women are saying, 'If there are movies for us,

Brad Brevet

20 July 2008 7:30 PM, PDT | From Rope Of Silicon | See recent Rope Of Silicon news

Yeah, it was an impressive weekend for Dark Knight. However, I'm more interested in the utter collapse of Hellboy 2. Why? Because I knew Dark Knight was going to own the weekend - but I only hoped it would thump that other lackluster film too. Now all my dreams are coming true! Huzzah! #1 movie predicted correctly: 1 Week In A Row 1. The Dark Knight Three day record. Solid. Dig it. I think it will be near $160 million when everything is said and done but for now I'm happy with this number. Result: 155.3 million (My rank: #1, $3.2m off) 2. Mamma Mia! Ow. I'd really hoped there weren't enough suckers out there for this one. Perhaps this was Dark Knight overflow? I don't know. If there are people out there that saw this instead of Dark Knight I really fear for their eternal soul. Result: 27.6 million (My rank: #2, $6.6m off) 3. Hancock It definitely dipped.

Laremy Legel

20 July 2008 6:15 PM, PDT | From wenn.com | See recent WENN news

New Batman movie The Dark Knight has stormed the U.S. box office chart, bringing in $155.34 million (GBP77.67 million) in its opening weekend.

The Dark Knight was set for a record-breaking weekend, raking in a massive $66.4 million (GBP33.2 million) when it opened in U.S. theatres on Friday.

And the franchise film, starring Christian Bale as its winged superhero and late actor Heath Ledger as movie villain The Joker, smashed the all-time opening weekend record of $151.1 million (GBP75.55 million), formerly held by 2007's Spider-Man 3.

Other U.S. box office top spots were held by Meryl Streep's movie-musical Mamma Mia!, which took the second spot this weekend, earning $27.6 million (GBP13.8 million), and Will Smith's superhero blockbuster Hancock.

Smith's film slipped to number three this weekend, but managed to add $14 million (GBP7 million) to its three-week total of $191.5 million (GBP95.75 million).

Rounding out the top five are Brendan Fraser's Journey to the Center of the Earth, which took in $11.9 million (GBP5.95 million) in fourth place, and Hellboy II: The Golden Army, which slipped from the top spot but earned an additional $10 million (GBP5 million).

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18 July 2008 10:25 AM, PDT | From Studio Briefing | See recent Studio Briefing news

For moviegoers who might not regard dark as a favorite shade, this weekend offers an abundance of light at theaters, too. Writing in the Wall Street Journal, Joe Morgenstern compares his reaction to Mamma Mia! with his reaction to The Dark Knight. "During the early stretches of The Dark Knight," he writes, "eager anticipation gave way to resistance. During the first few minutes of Mamma Mia! I resisted the bombardment of good cheer, then surrendered almost unconditionally. Yes, of course this is fairly old-fashioned entertainment, but it's really, really entertaining." A.O. Scott in the New York Times found himself similarly torn. "You can have a perfectly nice time watching this spirited adaptation of the popular stage musical and, once the hangover wears off, acknowledge just how bad it is. ... If you insist on folding your arms, looking at your watch and defending yourself against this mindless, hedonistic assault on coherence, you are unlikely to survive until the end credits (which may, by themselves, kill you all over again). Surrender, on the other hand, is easy and painless. It's Greece! It's bellybuttons! It's Meryl Streep! It's Abba!" Roger Ebert in the Chicago Sun-Times remarks that he saw the original stage version and didn't think much of it then, even though it went on to become one of the biggest musical hits of the decade. "So here's the fact of the matter. This movie wasn't made for me. It was made for the people who will love it, of which there may be a multitude. The stage musical has sold 30 million tickets, and I feel like the grouch at the party." He has company. Michael Phillips, the Chicago Tribune critic, says that he's seen the stage version of Mamma Mia! three times. "It's disappointing, then, to see the film version of the stage hit turn out this way -- not lousy, but pushy." Lisa Kennedy in the Denver Post comments that the movie "too often feels like a souvenir program: something to revive the feelings you had watching the stage performance." And Michael Sragow in the Baltimore Sun comments that the movie "is like a party where everyone is so desperate to have a good time that it makes you miserable."

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17 July 2008 10:31 AM, PDT | From Studio Briefing | See recent Studio Briefing news

Box office analysts are forecasting record ticket sales this weekend when the latest Batman movie, The Dark Knight, opens in 4,366 theaters -- the largest number of theaters ever to show any film. The record number of theaters is expected to offset the limited number of screenings imposed by the film's 2 1/2-hour length. Online ticket sellers have said that they are already doing record business and that some showings have already sold out. Carl Diorio, who covers the box office for the Hollywood Reporter, wrote today that the "smart money has Dark Knight debuting somewhere south of Spider-Man 3 -- which unspooled to a record $151.1 million in May 2007 -- and north of Iron Man, which opened in May this year with $102.1 million." The box office in general is expected to expand as the musical Mamma Mia, which opened to sensational business overseas last weekend, hits theaters in North America. In addition a slew of well-received holdovers will be attracting their fair share of business, including last weekend's winner, Hellboy II: The Golden Army, Wall-E, and the 3-D Journey to the Center of the Earth.

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14 July 2008 5:23 AM, PDT | From wenn.com | See recent WENN news

Mamma Mia! star Amanda Seyfried has been slammed by gay activists after failing to attend a meet-and-greet session at a homosexual film festival.

The actor was expected to pose for pictures and walk the red carpet at Outfest in Los Angeles on Sunday to promote the film, which is based on pop band Abba's musical.

But she left the movie's gay fans fuming by introducing the film but failing to attend a meet-and-greet.

Outfest's publicist Carl Larsen told the eager crowds how he had received an email just moments before Seyfried was due to attend.

He told revellers, "Due to unforeseen circumstances, the red-carpet arrivals . . . have been cancelled. I was taken by surprise. There was no explanation."

According to New York gossip column PageSix, gay movie fans were equally upset.

A source tells the publication, "Outrageous! How can (Seyfried) diss (disrespect) the gays like that? This is our movie!"

But a representative for the film's studio Universal insists the star was only due to introduce the movie at the festival.

The spokesperson says, "This was never a red-carpet event. She (Seyfried) volunteered to come and introduce the movie and did a great job. There was never a red carpet for her to walk."

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

The makers of Abba movie musical Mamma Mia! have been criticised by coastguard agencies for a scene which shows characters jumping off a cliff - amid fears it will encourage "tombstoning."

Thrill-seekers take part in tombstoning by leaping from a high ledge into the sea.

But the practice, which has risen sharply in Britain over the last few years, can cause life-threatening injuries.

Now coastguards in the U.K. have criticised the new film for showing it in a positive light.

Fred Kaygill, of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, says, "A 46-year-old father of six was killed last year doing it.

.This summer we have seen two broken necks among a spate of serious injuries. It is stupid to promote tombstoning and this film does nothing to help people realise how dangerous it is. This scene does nothing for the story and should not be in there."

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8 July 2008 7:51 AM, PDT | From Digitalspy | See recent digitalspy news

Julie Walters has revealed that she would never go under the knife for cosmetic surgery. The 58-year-old Mamma Mia! star admitted that she often feels tempted to go for a nip or a tuck, but has promised herself that she would never go through with it. "I think I would let myself down if I had anything done. I understand why people do it, though," Walters told The Mirror. "There isn't a day that goes by when I don't think 'If I just did that', 'just a little...' "Sometimes friends say (more)

By Daniel Kilkelly

8 July 2008 12:21 AM, PDT | From wenn.com | See recent WENN news

Mamma Mia! stars Julie Walters and Meryl Streep had fun onset - at the expense of their co-star Pierce Brosnan.

The actresses would team up to pull pranks on the former Bond star, because they knew he was not confident about his dance scenes.

Walters says, "Pierce was really nervous when he came in and he was the last to join us for dance rehearsals.

"So we played a joke on him. We'd already had quite a bit of rehearsal for one of the routines - Voulez Vous - and it was quite complicated.

"When he arrived we said to him 'Oh no! We haven't rehearsed at all' - but of course we all knew the routine perfectly.

"So he tried it - and thought he was a total klutz compared to the rest of us. We did let on eventually though."

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8 July 2008 12:21 AM, PDT | From wenn.com | See recent WENN news

British actress Julie Walters carried out a tough dance regime in new movie Mamma Mia! - despite injuring her ankle.

The 58-year-old was filming a scene with co-star Meryl Streep when she slipped and sprained her ankle.

But she was determined the show would go on.

She recalls, "We were dancing gaily through these olive groves and I go over and sprain my ankle really badly and it started swelling.

"Meryl was really great. She was shouting for ice for me.

"At the end we were all supposed to be dancing on the pier, but they had to shoot me from the waist up.

"I was doing all the movements with my hands - but I actually had my knees up on a chair."

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7 July 2008 8:03 AM, PDT | From Digitalspy | See recent digitalspy news

Pierce Brosnan has revealed that Sean Connery is his favourite James Bond. The Irish actor, who stars in upcoming musical Mamma Mia!, is quoted by The Mirror as saying: "For me there is only one Bond and that is Sean, although Daniel [Craig] is bloody magnificent. "I am very excited about the next one to see where it goes and how to take it. I haven't spoken to Dan for a while but I am going to meet him for a pint soon." Brosnan added that the popularity of the Bond series (more)

By Simon Reynolds

7 July 2008 5:02 AM, PDT | From wenn.com | See recent WENN news

Actor Pierce Brosnan was so excited about sharing a screen with Meryl Streep and Julie Walters in Mamma Mia! he forgot to negotiate his wages for the film.

Brosnan, 55, was so keen to star with the veteran actresses that he neglected to ask producers how much money he would be paid.

He says, "I didn't even ask how much. I just said I would do it.

"Working with Julie and Meryl was immense. I am a huge fan of both ladies and we had the best of times together.

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7 July 2008 12:32 AM, PDT | From wenn.com | See recent WENN news

Actor Pierce Brosnan's stepson Chris has finally beaten his battle with drugs.

The Mamma Mia! star admits it was several stints in rehab that forced his son to quit his $200 (GBP100)-a-day drug habit.

He says, "I think Chris is doing well. The boys are all right, they are keeping up and getting their lives in order."

Chris' mother was Brosnan's first wife Cassandra Harris. The actor also adopted Harris' daughter, Charlotte, and the couple parented son Sean. Brosnan has two more children, Dylan and Paris, with present spouse Keely.

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7 July 2008 12:32 AM, PDT | From wenn.com | See recent WENN news

Actress Julie Walters has confessed she was more nervous about meeting her Mamma Mia! co-star Meryl Streep than British monarch Queen Elizabeth II.

The 58-year-old met the royal when receiving her Commander of the Order of the British Empire honour earlier this year.

But the experience was nowhere near as nerve-wracking as being introduced to Streep.

She says, "I felt like I was meeting the Queen. Actually I have met the Queen and I was more nervous meeting Meryl.

"In my view she is a big deal in films as the likes of say Bette Davis and Katharine Hepburn."

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

Legendary pop supergroup Abba will never perform together on stage gain - because they refuse to tarnish their reputation by becoming a .cover band".

The Dancing Queen hitmakers, who enjoyed huge success in the 1970s and early 1980s, reunited in public for the first time in 22 years on Friday at the Swedish premiere of movie musical Mamma Mia!.

But singer/songwriter Björn Ulvaeus has shot down any talk of a comeback with his bandmates Benny Andersson, Anni-Frid Lyngstad and Agnetha Fältskog.

He says, "We will never appear on stage again.

"There is simply no motivation to regroup. Money is not a factor and we would like people to remember us as we were - young, exuberant, full of energy and ambition.

"I remember Robert Plant saying Led Zeppelin were a cover band now because they cover all their own stuff. I think that hit the nail on the head."

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