Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Paramore's Hayley Williams On Next LP: 'I've Got A Lot That I Want To Get Out'

'We're trying to figure out how far we can go with it but still keep it Paramore,' bassist Jeremy Davis says.

It sounds like we're getting close to a new Paramore album. Or, you know, at least closer.

For months, Paramore have maintained that they were in "the very early stages" (or,"stage 0.5," to be exact) of work on the follow-up to their Riot! album, with guitarist Josh Farro working on "tons of ideas" and frontwoman Hayley Williams penning fragments of lyrics based on the rather tumultuous year the band has endured.

But nothing appeared to be set in stone. Then, in early December, Williams told Spin magazine that the band had decided to record the album in Nashville and hoped to have it in stores by next summer. So, when MTV News caught up with the band backstage at KROQ's Almost Acoustic Christmas in Los Angeles, we decided to get a status update. And it sounds like things are finally starting to come together.

"[We've been getting inspired by] life, really. It's not one specific instance or record or book or anything. We're constantly taking in new music — that's what we're passionate about — but I think life has given us a lot to say, and I'm really excited," Williams said. "Josh has been writing really cool riffs and really cool music that I can't wait to write over. Lyrically, I think it's going to be a very different record — we've learned a lot about relationships and friendships and life in general, and I'm stoked because I don't really know what I'm going to say about it, but I've got a lot that I want to get out."

And just what will the album sound like? Well, Farro wouldn't say, but according to bassist Jeremy Davis, it could be an all-over-the-map affair. Or, you know, just another Paramore album.

"I think everyone's just growing, you know? Growing up. And I feel like we all kind of know what the Paramore sound is, but we're all experimenting and trying to figure out how far we can go with it but still keep it Paramore," he said. "We've all been getting into different music ourselves, which is just going to be better in the long run. When we get into the studio, there's going to be a lot more different things going on."

When the band does head into the studio in '09, it sounds like it's going to be all business — which is only more good news for Paramore fans hungering for a new album.

"I mean, this last record did really well, and it's not that we didn't appreciate it, but we always want to do better," drummer Zac Farro said. "Just because we did well on the last one, we don't think we can go in and make a great record without having to try. We're going to work just as hard, if not harder, this time around."

Sunday, December 28, 2008

Michael Cera Is the Lone Holdout For Arrested Development Movie?

A month ago, Jeffrey Tambor revealed that the Arrested Development film was a go. But despite Tambor’s positivity, many still had doubts about whether or not series creator could get the cast back together for one final cinematic hurrah.

It now appears that those doubts were somewhat unfounded: In a recent interview with Fancast (via Collider), Hurwitz was asked straight up about rumors that Will Arnett and Michael Cera were the only remaining two holdouts for the film. Hurwitz responded:
I don’t want to talk about who is holding out right now because we might still work that out and I don’t want to pressure anyone through the press. Although I will say that Will Arnett is gung-ho, so there’s a big clue!

Bateman and Tambor have already publicly expressed support for the film, and I can’t imagine that Arrested co-stars Alia Shawkat, Portia de Rossi, David Cross, Tony Hale, and Jessica Walter are much more busy than they are. This seems to imply that Cera is the lone holdout for the casting of the film, and given Cera’s previous remarks about the possibility of a film, his involvement will probably be a toss-up.

Hurwitz also revealed that he was waiting to write the script until the casting was complete, but that he was already kicking around some ideas for the film:

I think in some respect it would have to pick up where the show left off. Maybe the benefit of that would be, if nothing else, just to recap everything. There are a couple of ways to get into it. I was even thinking about a big animated sequence to start. Kind of like how the Blake Edwards movies used to start - to kind of catch everyone up.

Perhaps more significantly, Hurwitz predicted that if casting for the film doesn’t work out, there’s a real possibility the Bluth family could return in online form, or as a straight-to-DVD movie:

It’s too much fun for us all. The fans have been so supportive and so sincere in their fondness for it. That’s really the big motivation to make the film. It sounds kind of corny…It’s not like it’s going to pay very much! It’s a really low budget film and it’s going to be a ton of work, but it just kind of feels like…well, people are so great about responding to this.

Marley is Best in Show

The ComingSoon.net Box Office Report has been updated with studio estimates for the weekend.

With four of five new wide releases performing strong this weekend, Hollywood ended the year on a high note as the top 12 movies took in $182.5 million, up 8 perfect from the same weekend in 2007.

Topping the list was 20th Century Fox's Marley & Me, which earned an estimated $37 million from 3,480 theaters for an average of $10,632 per location. The dramedy, based on John Grogan's best-seller, set a new Christmas Day record with $14.7 million on Thursday, surpassing 2001's Ali ($10.2 million) - a record also broken by fellow newcomers The Curious Case of Benjamin Button ($12 million) and Bedtime Stories ($10.5 million). Starring Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston, Marley & Me has collected an impressive $51.7 million in four days.

Adam Sandler's new adventure comedy Bedtime Stories took second place with $28.1 million from 3,681 theaters, an average of $7,625 per site. The Walt Disney Pictures release has made $38.6 million since opening on Christmas Day.

Coming in close at No. 3 was David Fincher's The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, starring Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett. The drama about a man aging backwards collected $27 million over the three days from 2,988 theaters, averaging $9,036. Budgeted for about $150 million, the Paramount film topped Bedtime Stories for the four days with $39 milion.

Bryan Singer's new WWII thriller Valkyrie, starring Tom Cruise, debuted in the fourth spot with $21.5 million from 2,711 theaters. The United Artists pic averaged $7,942 over the three days and has garnered $30 million since opening on Thursday.

Warner Bros. Pictures' Yes Man dipped just 9.9% in sales, adding $16.5 million its second weekend for a total of $49.6 million. It was followed in sixth place by Sony's Seven Pounds, which also dropped just 9.8% and earned $13.4 million for a two-week total of $39 million, and Universal's The Tale of Despereaux, which saw a drop of just 7.3% and another $9.4 million for a total of $27.9 million after two weeks.

Fox's The Day the Earth Stood Still made $7.9 million its third weekend to bring its total to $63.6 million. The Keanu Reeves starrer cost about $80 million to make.

Frank Miller's adaptation of Will Eisner's comic book The Spirit earned $6.5 million over the weekend and $10.4 million for the four days. The Lionsgate adaptation stars Gabriel Macht, Samuel L. Jackson, Sarah Paulson, Eva Mendes, Dan Lauria, Paz Vega, Jaime King and Scarlett Johansson.

John Patrick Shanley's Doubt, starring Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams and Viola Davis, was expanded into wide release and rounded out the top 10. The drama, based on Shanley's play, brought in $5.7 million from 1,267 theaters and averaged $4,479. It has earned $8.83 million after three weeks.

In limited release, Sam Mendes' Revolutionary Road, reuniting Titanic stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet and Kathy Bates, earned an impressive $192,000 from just three theaters, while Overture Films' Last Chance Harvey, with Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson, made $96,000 from six theaters for a total of $132,000, and Sony Pictures Classics' Waltz with Bashir collected $51,200 from five theaters for a total of $55,100.