Advanced motion controls arrive in June, but not with Wii Sports Resort. Details here.
Nintendo of America on Tuesday revealed release date and pricing details for its anticipated Wii MotionPlus accessory. The pass-through device, which plugs into the bottom of the Wii remote and enables greater, more accurate sensitivity, will ship to U.S. retailers on June 8. The peripheral will debut in Europe four days later.
The MotionPlus accessory will be sold as a stand-alone hardware for $19.99 in America. No information on European pricing is yet available.
Although consumers will be able to purchase the hardware itself in June, they will have to wait a month to play Nintendo's showpiece MotionPlus software, Wii Sports Resort. The game will debut on July 24 in Europe and July 26 in America bundled with MotionPlus. The package will retail for $49.99 stateside, but no details regarding price in Europe have been made official yet.
"Wii MotionPlus represents a new evolution in video game control. The variety of fun games in Wii Sports Resort show off its incredible precision," said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America's executive vice president of sales & marketing, in an official release. "Developers around the world are busy working on new ways to incorporate Wii MotionPlus controls into inventive experiences for consumers."
The release of the stand-alone MotionPlus in peripheral is a clear indication of Nintendo bowing to the needs of third-parties. Both SEGA and Electronic Arts have MotionPlus-compatible software shipping this June. Had Nintendo not released MotionPlus before Wii Sports Resort, such critical third-party titles as Virtua Tennis, Grand Slam Tennis and Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 would have shipped sans what could be their greatest selling point.
Friday, April 17, 2009
John Madden Retires
What does it mean for the EA Sports franchise?
The end of a broadcast era was announced today, as John Madden announced his retirement from broadcasting. In a statement released by NBC Sports, Madden said, "It's time. I'm 73 years old. My 50th wedding anniversary is this fall. I have two great sons and their families and their five grandchildren are at an age now when they know when I'm home and, more importantly, when I'm not. ... It's been a great ride."
John Madden has been a fixture in the sports world for more than four decades, starting his football career as a linebacker coach at the Oakland Raiders in 1967. Two years later, he was named the head coach of the Raiders, and eventually led the team to seven AFC West titles as well as a victory over the Vikings in Super Bowl XI. His overall coaching record of 103-32-7 is still a record for any coach in NFL history with a win percentage of .750.
After his retirement in 1979, he joined CBS as a broadcaster, where he worked until 1994. When CBS lost broadcast rights to NFL games, he switched to Fox and worked there until 2002, when he became the lead analyst for ABC's Monday Night Football. When NBC took over the primetime Sunday night game in 2006, he switched networks for the final time. His last broadcast game was Super Bowl XLIII between Arizona and Pittsburgh. Over his entire career as an analyst, Madden also managed to win sixteen Emmys for Outstanding Sports Analyst/Personality, and was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2006. Replacing John Madden in the booth at NBC with Al Michaels will be Cris Collinsworth, who has filled in for Madden this past year.
Madden has also had a significant impact on the gaming world. The Madden NFL Football franchise is widely known to be the top selling sports series of all time, and recently celebrated its twentieth installment. But what does Madden's retirement mean to the acclaimed franchise from EA Sports? Will it continue in the same format, or will it change to reflect the exit of the legendary analyst? The speculation is obviously going to swirl around what steps will be taken in the wake of Madden's departure from the booth. While it may not wind up affecting Madden NFL 10, which has been in production for quite a while, this could significantly affect development of Madden NFL 11. John Madden's visible role with the title has been diminishing over the recent years, with Madden no longer contributing in-game commentary. In fact, with the exception of "Cyber Madden" to test a player's skills in Madden NFL 09, the game is virtually Madden in name only.
The retirement raises two separate and obvious paths that Madden NFL 11 could go. Madden has admitted that he "still loves all aspects of the game," which is the reason that it took months to come to the decision to retire. Without having to worry about driving the Madden Cruiser around the country on a weekly basis during the football season, it's possible that he could assume a larger consultant role on his game, adding additional coaching features and even revamping other EA Sports franchises like Head Coach. The other direction revolves more around Cris Collinsworth. Since Collinsworth seems to have been groomed as the heir apparent of John Madden at NBC, will this extend to EA Sports as well? Collinsworth's additions to last year's game was rather notable, as he did commentary with Tom Hammond, and was instrumental in breaking down plays with the EA Sports Backtrack feature to help players learn from their mistakes. But to be blunt, Collinsworth NFL 11 doesn't have the same ring to it that Madden NFL 11 does. Clearly, these are all speculative ideas regarding the future of the franchise, but they do raise significant questions that all football fans would want to know.
When we contacted EA Sports President Peter Moore, he issued this statement, "John is a true sports icon who has made an indelible impact on the sport of football which will be felt forever. His prolific coaching and broadcasting careers, as well as his distinct role in shaping the EA SPORTS football experience have redefined how multiple generations have come to know and love the sport with unrivaled passion. We're excited to see his legacy live on in the 21st year of Madden NFL football, and well beyond. It's been a privilege for EA SPORTS to have had the strong relationship we've had with John for more than two decades and one that will continue into the future."
The end of a broadcast era was announced today, as John Madden announced his retirement from broadcasting. In a statement released by NBC Sports, Madden said, "It's time. I'm 73 years old. My 50th wedding anniversary is this fall. I have two great sons and their families and their five grandchildren are at an age now when they know when I'm home and, more importantly, when I'm not. ... It's been a great ride."
John Madden has been a fixture in the sports world for more than four decades, starting his football career as a linebacker coach at the Oakland Raiders in 1967. Two years later, he was named the head coach of the Raiders, and eventually led the team to seven AFC West titles as well as a victory over the Vikings in Super Bowl XI. His overall coaching record of 103-32-7 is still a record for any coach in NFL history with a win percentage of .750.
After his retirement in 1979, he joined CBS as a broadcaster, where he worked until 1994. When CBS lost broadcast rights to NFL games, he switched to Fox and worked there until 2002, when he became the lead analyst for ABC's Monday Night Football. When NBC took over the primetime Sunday night game in 2006, he switched networks for the final time. His last broadcast game was Super Bowl XLIII between Arizona and Pittsburgh. Over his entire career as an analyst, Madden also managed to win sixteen Emmys for Outstanding Sports Analyst/Personality, and was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2006. Replacing John Madden in the booth at NBC with Al Michaels will be Cris Collinsworth, who has filled in for Madden this past year.
Madden has also had a significant impact on the gaming world. The Madden NFL Football franchise is widely known to be the top selling sports series of all time, and recently celebrated its twentieth installment. But what does Madden's retirement mean to the acclaimed franchise from EA Sports? Will it continue in the same format, or will it change to reflect the exit of the legendary analyst? The speculation is obviously going to swirl around what steps will be taken in the wake of Madden's departure from the booth. While it may not wind up affecting Madden NFL 10, which has been in production for quite a while, this could significantly affect development of Madden NFL 11. John Madden's visible role with the title has been diminishing over the recent years, with Madden no longer contributing in-game commentary. In fact, with the exception of "Cyber Madden" to test a player's skills in Madden NFL 09, the game is virtually Madden in name only.
The retirement raises two separate and obvious paths that Madden NFL 11 could go. Madden has admitted that he "still loves all aspects of the game," which is the reason that it took months to come to the decision to retire. Without having to worry about driving the Madden Cruiser around the country on a weekly basis during the football season, it's possible that he could assume a larger consultant role on his game, adding additional coaching features and even revamping other EA Sports franchises like Head Coach. The other direction revolves more around Cris Collinsworth. Since Collinsworth seems to have been groomed as the heir apparent of John Madden at NBC, will this extend to EA Sports as well? Collinsworth's additions to last year's game was rather notable, as he did commentary with Tom Hammond, and was instrumental in breaking down plays with the EA Sports Backtrack feature to help players learn from their mistakes. But to be blunt, Collinsworth NFL 11 doesn't have the same ring to it that Madden NFL 11 does. Clearly, these are all speculative ideas regarding the future of the franchise, but they do raise significant questions that all football fans would want to know.
When we contacted EA Sports President Peter Moore, he issued this statement, "John is a true sports icon who has made an indelible impact on the sport of football which will be felt forever. His prolific coaching and broadcasting careers, as well as his distinct role in shaping the EA SPORTS football experience have redefined how multiple generations have come to know and love the sport with unrivaled passion. We're excited to see his legacy live on in the 21st year of Madden NFL football, and well beyond. It's been a privilege for EA SPORTS to have had the strong relationship we've had with John for more than two decades and one that will continue into the future."
NPD: Nintendo Hardware Still Top
Nintendo's systems outsold all competitors in March, but key third-party titles failed to make the cut.
It's that time of the month again. Yep -- NPD's anticipated top-selling videogame hardware and software recap, this time for March. As is usually the case, Nintendo's own two systems ranked number-one and two, Wii with 610,000 units sold and DS with 563,000 respectively. Microsoft's console managed the third spot with 330,000 more units moved. PlayStation 3 came in fourth with 218,000. PSP 168,000. And PS2 -- nearly a decade after its release -- sold to another 112,000 people.
While Nintendo held the top positions in hardware, the same could not be said of its software showing for the month. Capcom's Resident Evil 5 was the big winner with 938,000 units sold on Xbox 360, easily earning it the number-one spot. Nintendo made a killing with the DS Pokemon Platinum, managing to suck in 805,000 new gamers. Halo Wars debuted strongly for the third spot with 639,000 units. Resident Evil 5 for PS3 took fourth with 585,000. And old trusty, Wii Fit, filled out the top five with another 541,000 in sales. MLB '09: The Show proved successful with 305,000 sold. Killzone 2 added 296,000 to its roster for seventh place. Wii Play manaed another 281,000 for eigth. Mario Kart Wii another 278,000. And Major League Baseball 2K9 for Xbox 360 rounded out the top 10 with 205,000 sold.
Perhaps the biggest news is what didn't make the top 10 list. Namely, SEGA's MadWorld, which released March 11 and sold less than 205,000 copies. The company gambled that Wii owners would be willing to snap up a well-produced, mature-rated title, and thus far the results do not look promising. We've got queries into NPD for specifics, so stay tuned.
It's that time of the month again. Yep -- NPD's anticipated top-selling videogame hardware and software recap, this time for March. As is usually the case, Nintendo's own two systems ranked number-one and two, Wii with 610,000 units sold and DS with 563,000 respectively. Microsoft's console managed the third spot with 330,000 more units moved. PlayStation 3 came in fourth with 218,000. PSP 168,000. And PS2 -- nearly a decade after its release -- sold to another 112,000 people.
While Nintendo held the top positions in hardware, the same could not be said of its software showing for the month. Capcom's Resident Evil 5 was the big winner with 938,000 units sold on Xbox 360, easily earning it the number-one spot. Nintendo made a killing with the DS Pokemon Platinum, managing to suck in 805,000 new gamers. Halo Wars debuted strongly for the third spot with 639,000 units. Resident Evil 5 for PS3 took fourth with 585,000. And old trusty, Wii Fit, filled out the top five with another 541,000 in sales. MLB '09: The Show proved successful with 305,000 sold. Killzone 2 added 296,000 to its roster for seventh place. Wii Play manaed another 281,000 for eigth. Mario Kart Wii another 278,000. And Major League Baseball 2K9 for Xbox 360 rounded out the top 10 with 205,000 sold.
Perhaps the biggest news is what didn't make the top 10 list. Namely, SEGA's MadWorld, which released March 11 and sold less than 205,000 copies. The company gambled that Wii owners would be willing to snap up a well-produced, mature-rated title, and thus far the results do not look promising. We've got queries into NPD for specifics, so stay tuned.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Will Ferrell Gone Wild: Funnyman to Guest on Discovery Survival Show
Will Ferrell's new project features perhaps his most outlandish stunt to date: He drinks his own urine.
Ferrell will appear on a June episode of Discovery Channel's survival series Man vs. Wild, according to Variety. The former Saturday Night Live star and host Bear Grylls will brave the wilds of northern Sweden for 48 hours.
The duo will rappel down a 100-foot-high frozen waterfall, tandem-abseil off a helicopter and brave the overnight subzero temperatures in a snow shelter. They will also find food in the forest, which they wash down with the aforementioned urine.
Ferrell said the experience, which is pegged to the June 5 release of his new movie, Land of the Lost, was "a thrill of a lifetime, even though I did get urine-drunk, which is sad."
Ferrell will appear on a June episode of Discovery Channel's survival series Man vs. Wild, according to Variety. The former Saturday Night Live star and host Bear Grylls will brave the wilds of northern Sweden for 48 hours.
The duo will rappel down a 100-foot-high frozen waterfall, tandem-abseil off a helicopter and brave the overnight subzero temperatures in a snow shelter. They will also find food in the forest, which they wash down with the aforementioned urine.
Ferrell said the experience, which is pegged to the June 5 release of his new movie, Land of the Lost, was "a thrill of a lifetime, even though I did get urine-drunk, which is sad."
Eli Roth to Shoot Transformers/Cloverfield Scale Movie this Fall
“I’m almost done with my new script,” says Eli Roth to MTV. “Yippee” says Brendon to the dog and an episode of Desperate Housewives which is only on by accident.
According to a new interview with the director, he’s planning to shoot n $80 million actioner this fall and then, in the immediate three weeks following, bash out a feature length version of Thanksgiving for $5 million. Those are, I’m sure, figures he just pulled out of the air but they tell the story.
We’ve heard of the sci-fi blockbuster before, when we learned that Roth envisioned it as “PG-13″ but with some extra stuff in standby to make for an unrated DVD, and when he first made the Transformers/Cloverfield comparison. The picture now has a working title, but Roth won’t reveal it yet. He was ready, however, to talk the film up somewhat.
"It’s going to be something that is really fun with lots of mass destruction. I wanted to do something along the lines of Transformers or Cloverfield that was a little more science fiction-based, and with lots of chaos and mass destruction."
When asked what the villain, threat or monster in the film would be, he called on his inner Barnum once more:
"I don’t want to say what yet. Once it gets set up, I will let everyone know. It is not aliens or robots or a virus - it’s a little more grounded. But when people hear it they are going to be like ‘That is going to be insane!’."
There’s no mention in the interview of Trailer Trash, Roth’s proposed compilation of fake movie trailers. He was apparently planning to make most of them himself, with guest directors handling a fair handful and there was supposedly going to be a clever way of providing some kind of overall structure to the film. Previously, Roth said he wanted Trash to be his version of Monty Python and the Holy Grail, referring to how absolutely painfully funny it would be.
Studios who want to take on the actioner will also be expected to go for Thanksgiving, with Roth offering them only as an indivisible package. Who could turn down an Eli Roth movie for just $5 million? Especially after he’s described how over-the-top it will be:
"The sickest, bloodiest, most violent slasher movie. I want to make the highest body count slasher film I can."
I think Roth has just found a brilliant way of tempting the suits into stumping up the relatively risky $80 million he’s looking to net in funds for the big, bad, slam-bam piece.
According to a new interview with the director, he’s planning to shoot n $80 million actioner this fall and then, in the immediate three weeks following, bash out a feature length version of Thanksgiving for $5 million. Those are, I’m sure, figures he just pulled out of the air but they tell the story.
We’ve heard of the sci-fi blockbuster before, when we learned that Roth envisioned it as “PG-13″ but with some extra stuff in standby to make for an unrated DVD, and when he first made the Transformers/Cloverfield comparison. The picture now has a working title, but Roth won’t reveal it yet. He was ready, however, to talk the film up somewhat.
"It’s going to be something that is really fun with lots of mass destruction. I wanted to do something along the lines of Transformers or Cloverfield that was a little more science fiction-based, and with lots of chaos and mass destruction."
When asked what the villain, threat or monster in the film would be, he called on his inner Barnum once more:
"I don’t want to say what yet. Once it gets set up, I will let everyone know. It is not aliens or robots or a virus - it’s a little more grounded. But when people hear it they are going to be like ‘That is going to be insane!’."
There’s no mention in the interview of Trailer Trash, Roth’s proposed compilation of fake movie trailers. He was apparently planning to make most of them himself, with guest directors handling a fair handful and there was supposedly going to be a clever way of providing some kind of overall structure to the film. Previously, Roth said he wanted Trash to be his version of Monty Python and the Holy Grail, referring to how absolutely painfully funny it would be.
Studios who want to take on the actioner will also be expected to go for Thanksgiving, with Roth offering them only as an indivisible package. Who could turn down an Eli Roth movie for just $5 million? Especially after he’s described how over-the-top it will be:
"The sickest, bloodiest, most violent slasher movie. I want to make the highest body count slasher film I can."
I think Roth has just found a brilliant way of tempting the suits into stumping up the relatively risky $80 million he’s looking to net in funds for the big, bad, slam-bam piece.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Donner Hoping for X-Men: First Class Franchise
"X-Men" franchise producer Lauren Shuler Donner talked about possible spin-off X-Men: First Class on Fox Movie Channel's "Life after Film School."
"It is the first class of Xavier's school, way back when, so it's young Scott, young Jean, young Beast and that'll be really fun," Donner said. "I think (the plan) is to follow some of the characters into their own stories, and weave them back into the X-Men world.
"And hopefully 'First Class' will become its own franchise and we can follow them as they grow up."
She also said that a Magneto movie remains in development.
"It is the first class of Xavier's school, way back when, so it's young Scott, young Jean, young Beast and that'll be really fun," Donner said. "I think (the plan) is to follow some of the characters into their own stories, and weave them back into the X-Men world.
"And hopefully 'First Class' will become its own franchise and we can follow them as they grow up."
She also said that a Magneto movie remains in development.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
EXCL: Gondry Talks About The Green Hornet
Earlier today, ComingSoon.net/Superhero Hype! had a chance to talk to visionary director Michel Gondry about his new self-released DVD compilation "More Videos: Before and After DVD 1," which you can buy at Mssr. Gondry's Official Site, which has launched today. We talked about his process for coming up with some of the diverse music videos in the second collection, which include his reunion with Beck and Bjork, his music video (and jam session!) with Sir Paul McCartney, and lots and lots of great extras. We need a couple more days to finish that interview up, but just to whet your appetite, we want to share a few things he said about his next movie, Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg's update of pulp crimefighter The Green Hornet.
Gondry doesn't have a lot to say about the project yet, since he joined it roughly six weeks ago, but he confirmed that it was going to be a true collaboration between Gondry, Rogen and Goldberg. "Seth and Evan, they are the writers, but they really listen to my ideas on the movie. I think the story is getting much better and better and I feel like I'm really a part of the process."
We asked him whether the movie might have a similar tone as either of Rogen and Goldberg's last two movies Superbad and Pineapple Express, to which he responded, "I think we're all trying to be a little different than we were before on this project, just by interacting with each other and the producer Neil Moritz adds a different taste as well, so all that will create a new universe."
Since Gondry is probably best known for the unique styles of animation he brings to both his films and music videos, we asked if we might see some of those animated visuals in the comic book movie. "No animation, maybe on the credits but I'm not sure," he said.
Look for Gondry's Official Site to be open for business tomorrow. For the time being, it will be the only place you can purchase his new DVD collection, "More Videos: Before and After DVD 1", and then check back later this week for our full interview with Gondry with more details about that and other projects.
Gondry doesn't have a lot to say about the project yet, since he joined it roughly six weeks ago, but he confirmed that it was going to be a true collaboration between Gondry, Rogen and Goldberg. "Seth and Evan, they are the writers, but they really listen to my ideas on the movie. I think the story is getting much better and better and I feel like I'm really a part of the process."
We asked him whether the movie might have a similar tone as either of Rogen and Goldberg's last two movies Superbad and Pineapple Express, to which he responded, "I think we're all trying to be a little different than we were before on this project, just by interacting with each other and the producer Neil Moritz adds a different taste as well, so all that will create a new universe."
Since Gondry is probably best known for the unique styles of animation he brings to both his films and music videos, we asked if we might see some of those animated visuals in the comic book movie. "No animation, maybe on the credits but I'm not sure," he said.
Look for Gondry's Official Site to be open for business tomorrow. For the time being, it will be the only place you can purchase his new DVD collection, "More Videos: Before and After DVD 1", and then check back later this week for our full interview with Gondry with more details about that and other projects.
Ghostbusters 3 to Feature “Lots Of Cadets, Boys and Girls”
What we know so far: Office scribes Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky are writing a screenplay for Ghostbusters 3, which will bring most of the original cast members back in a mentor capacity, and introduce a whole new generation of Ghostbusters. Harold Ramis insists that “everybody” from the film’s original cast will return, but some, like Sigourney Weaver are still hesitant about returning. Dan Aykroyd teases a few new details in a chat with MTV :
“There will be a whole new generation that has to be trained, and that whole new generation will be led by an individual who you’ll all love when you meet him but I’m not going to tell you anything yet,” teased Aykroyd. “They’ll be lots of cadets, boys and girls, who’ll be learning how to use the psychotron, the accelerators and all the new stuff, the neuron splitter, which is going to be the interplaner, interceptor and all these great tools that they’re going to have, to flip from dimension to dimension.”
It sounds like the Ghostbusters won’t just be passing the torch over to a new team, but possibly training a larger group? I might be reading too much into what Aykroyd said, specifically the phrase “lots of cadets”. But it definitely doesn’t seem like there is just one or two new members, but instead an large group.
“There will be a whole new generation that has to be trained, and that whole new generation will be led by an individual who you’ll all love when you meet him but I’m not going to tell you anything yet,” teased Aykroyd. “They’ll be lots of cadets, boys and girls, who’ll be learning how to use the psychotron, the accelerators and all the new stuff, the neuron splitter, which is going to be the interplaner, interceptor and all these great tools that they’re going to have, to flip from dimension to dimension.”
It sounds like the Ghostbusters won’t just be passing the torch over to a new team, but possibly training a larger group? I might be reading too much into what Aykroyd said, specifically the phrase “lots of cadets”. But it definitely doesn’t seem like there is just one or two new members, but instead an large group.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Wahlberg and Franco Schedule Date Night
Mark Wahlberg and James Franco are joining Steve Carell and Tina Fey in 20th Century Fox's Date Night.
The Shawn Levy-directed comedy will also star Leighton Meester, Common, Taraji Henson and Kristen Wiig.
In the film, Carell and Fey will play a married couple who find their routine date night becomes much more than just dinner and a movie. The movie was written by Josh Klausner.
Variety says Wahlberg plays a successful and crazily buff securities expert who flirts with Fey's character. Franco portrays a not-too-bright con man and petty criminal. Meester is onboard as the couple's babysitter. Henson plays the one good cop who believes the couple is in danger, and Common portrays a villain. Wiig rounds out the cast as the actress' best friend.
The Shawn Levy-directed comedy will also star Leighton Meester, Common, Taraji Henson and Kristen Wiig.
In the film, Carell and Fey will play a married couple who find their routine date night becomes much more than just dinner and a movie. The movie was written by Josh Klausner.
Variety says Wahlberg plays a successful and crazily buff securities expert who flirts with Fey's character. Franco portrays a not-too-bright con man and petty criminal. Meester is onboard as the couple's babysitter. Henson plays the one good cop who believes the couple is in danger, and Common portrays a villain. Wiig rounds out the cast as the actress' best friend.
Weekly Ratings: 4/5 – 4/10
Sunday Ratings: Sunday Is More than A Little Bit Country
The few ratings highlights from a repeats-rampant Sunday:
• CBS' coverage of the Academy of Country Music Awards was the night's most watched program, averaging 14.8 million total viewers.
• NBC's Kings (3.63 mil) was subject to another royal bummer, dropping 18 percent.
• Celebrity Apprentice's double-elimination was watched by 7.03 mil, down 17 percent week-to-week.
• The Simpsons (6.4 mil) dipped 180K.
Monday Ratings: Did Bob Saget Play to a Full House?
8 pm/ET
Dancing with the Stars averaged 19.6 million total viewers over its 90-minute run, dipping 630K week-to-week. House placed second during the hour with 13 mil, gaining 830 thou. Chevy Chasing CBS comedy repeats, Chuck came in fourth with 6 mil, inching up 380K.
9 pm
CBS' coverage of the NCAA men's basketball championship game drew 16.3 million in its first two hours. That puts it on pace to net out lower than last year's Kansas-Memphis faceoff (final numbers for the final will be updated later). ABC's Bob Saget-starring Surviving Suburbia debuted to a solid 12.16 mil; as a benchmark, Samantha Who? drew 14.9 mil for its own premiere in the same plum après-DWTS time slot. At 11 mil, 24 was down a hair from last week, while Heroes continued to redefine its all-time low (6.05 mil).
10 pm
Placing second behind hoops, Castle scored 9.24 million viewers, down 560K. Medium nearly matched its previous audience, sizing up 7.15 mil.
Tuesday Ratings: Fringe Benefits from Idol's Overrun
8 pm/ET
American Idol was the night's most watched program with 22 million total viewers, down 6 percent from last week's sing-off. NCIS netted second with 17.55 mil, a gain of 750K. The Biggest Loser shed 730 thou, hitting 8 mil. Lagging far behind ABC's pair of Charlie Brown specials, Reaper slipped a bit to 2.28 mil.
9 pm
The Mentalist dipped one well-coiffed hair but still won the hour, with 16.75 million viewers. Dancing with the Stars tangoed with 14.34 mil, up 10 percent week-to-week. Fringe returned to an audience of 12 mil; that tally, up 14 percent from the show's last fresh outing, is a bit juiced by Idol's inexcusable eight-minute overrun. (Raise your hand if you didn't see Adam sing.) Case in point: Fringe ended the hour with 9.6 mil watching. 90210 inched up a smidgen, to 2.14 mil.
10 pm
Without a Trace was No. 1 with 12.2 million viewers, dropping 500K. SVU followed with 9.08 mil (down 300 thou). ABC's Cupid saw 18 percent of its premiere audience fall out of love, delivering just 6.22 mil.
Wednesday Ratings: After a Faltering Finale, Will Life Go On?
8 pm/ET
Lie to Me topped the hour with an audience of 8.42 million total viewers, down 560K week-to-week. CBS' Old Christine and Gary Unmarried combined for second, both delivering 7.3 mil. ABC's sitcoms, meanwhile, lagged behind a Law & Order repeat, with Scrubs managing 4.67 mil (down 335K) and Better Off Ted drawing 4.2 mil (down 500 thou). Top Model tallied 3.7 mil, dipping 250K.
9 pm
American Idol ruled with 22.43 million viewers, slipping 5 percent week-to-week. Criminal Minds followed with 13.25 mil, dropping 750 thou. Lost lost 12 percent of its last audience, hitting 8.3 mil. NBC's Life wrapped up its sophomore run with an audience of 4.5 mil, plunging 19 percent. Will Life go on? Although it might seem unlikely, there is talk of struggling NBC picking up "mini" seasons of a few on-the-bubble series. Stay tuned.
10 pm
CSI: NY was No. 1 with 12.5 mil, followed by the premiere of ABC's The Unusuals, which copped 6.84 million viewers. As a benchmark of sorts, Life on Mars' first après-Lost outing grabbed 300K fewer heads than that.
Thursday Ratings: Did Harper's Island Kill?
8 pm
Survivor topped the hour with 11.32 mil, followed by Bones (8.9 mil). A special Office delivered 7.2 mil, while newbie Parks & Recreation held onto 94 percent of its lead-in, debuting to 6.8 mil. ABC's In the Motherhood (4.6 mil) and Samantha Who? (4.9 mil) continue to struggle.
9 pm
CSI recovered from its ER finale-crippled outing, Charismatically delivering 16.4 mil. NBC's regularly scheduled Office drew 7.9 mil, while lead-out 30 Rock dipped 6 percent from its last fresh outing, to 6.8 mil.
10 pm
CBS' Harper's Island snuffed all comers, premiering to 10.5 mil. NBC's Southland, meanwhile, copped 9.7 mil in its own debut.
Friday Ratings: Terminator Perks Up as it Powers Down
8 pm
Ghost Whisperer dropped 880K from its last fresh outing, delivering 10.23 million total viewers. Trailing Wife Swap and Howie Do It, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles wrapped up its second season with 3.57 mil, up 220K.
9 pm
Flashpoint (9.72 mil) was up 11 percent, followed by Supernanny. Friday Night Lights' Season 3 finale played to an a crowd of 4.36 mil, surging 21 percent week-to-week. Dollhouse held steady at 3.58 mil (though "steady" in this case may not be the best thing).
10pm
Numbers added up 9.72 mil, down 330K from its last fresh outing.
The few ratings highlights from a repeats-rampant Sunday:
• CBS' coverage of the Academy of Country Music Awards was the night's most watched program, averaging 14.8 million total viewers.
• NBC's Kings (3.63 mil) was subject to another royal bummer, dropping 18 percent.
• Celebrity Apprentice's double-elimination was watched by 7.03 mil, down 17 percent week-to-week.
• The Simpsons (6.4 mil) dipped 180K.
Monday Ratings: Did Bob Saget Play to a Full House?
8 pm/ET
Dancing with the Stars averaged 19.6 million total viewers over its 90-minute run, dipping 630K week-to-week. House placed second during the hour with 13 mil, gaining 830 thou. Chevy Chasing CBS comedy repeats, Chuck came in fourth with 6 mil, inching up 380K.
9 pm
CBS' coverage of the NCAA men's basketball championship game drew 16.3 million in its first two hours. That puts it on pace to net out lower than last year's Kansas-Memphis faceoff (final numbers for the final will be updated later). ABC's Bob Saget-starring Surviving Suburbia debuted to a solid 12.16 mil; as a benchmark, Samantha Who? drew 14.9 mil for its own premiere in the same plum après-DWTS time slot. At 11 mil, 24 was down a hair from last week, while Heroes continued to redefine its all-time low (6.05 mil).
10 pm
Placing second behind hoops, Castle scored 9.24 million viewers, down 560K. Medium nearly matched its previous audience, sizing up 7.15 mil.
Tuesday Ratings: Fringe Benefits from Idol's Overrun
8 pm/ET
American Idol was the night's most watched program with 22 million total viewers, down 6 percent from last week's sing-off. NCIS netted second with 17.55 mil, a gain of 750K. The Biggest Loser shed 730 thou, hitting 8 mil. Lagging far behind ABC's pair of Charlie Brown specials, Reaper slipped a bit to 2.28 mil.
9 pm
The Mentalist dipped one well-coiffed hair but still won the hour, with 16.75 million viewers. Dancing with the Stars tangoed with 14.34 mil, up 10 percent week-to-week. Fringe returned to an audience of 12 mil; that tally, up 14 percent from the show's last fresh outing, is a bit juiced by Idol's inexcusable eight-minute overrun. (Raise your hand if you didn't see Adam sing.) Case in point: Fringe ended the hour with 9.6 mil watching. 90210 inched up a smidgen, to 2.14 mil.
10 pm
Without a Trace was No. 1 with 12.2 million viewers, dropping 500K. SVU followed with 9.08 mil (down 300 thou). ABC's Cupid saw 18 percent of its premiere audience fall out of love, delivering just 6.22 mil.
Wednesday Ratings: After a Faltering Finale, Will Life Go On?
8 pm/ET
Lie to Me topped the hour with an audience of 8.42 million total viewers, down 560K week-to-week. CBS' Old Christine and Gary Unmarried combined for second, both delivering 7.3 mil. ABC's sitcoms, meanwhile, lagged behind a Law & Order repeat, with Scrubs managing 4.67 mil (down 335K) and Better Off Ted drawing 4.2 mil (down 500 thou). Top Model tallied 3.7 mil, dipping 250K.
9 pm
American Idol ruled with 22.43 million viewers, slipping 5 percent week-to-week. Criminal Minds followed with 13.25 mil, dropping 750 thou. Lost lost 12 percent of its last audience, hitting 8.3 mil. NBC's Life wrapped up its sophomore run with an audience of 4.5 mil, plunging 19 percent. Will Life go on? Although it might seem unlikely, there is talk of struggling NBC picking up "mini" seasons of a few on-the-bubble series. Stay tuned.
10 pm
CSI: NY was No. 1 with 12.5 mil, followed by the premiere of ABC's The Unusuals, which copped 6.84 million viewers. As a benchmark of sorts, Life on Mars' first après-Lost outing grabbed 300K fewer heads than that.
Thursday Ratings: Did Harper's Island Kill?
8 pm
Survivor topped the hour with 11.32 mil, followed by Bones (8.9 mil). A special Office delivered 7.2 mil, while newbie Parks & Recreation held onto 94 percent of its lead-in, debuting to 6.8 mil. ABC's In the Motherhood (4.6 mil) and Samantha Who? (4.9 mil) continue to struggle.
9 pm
CSI recovered from its ER finale-crippled outing, Charismatically delivering 16.4 mil. NBC's regularly scheduled Office drew 7.9 mil, while lead-out 30 Rock dipped 6 percent from its last fresh outing, to 6.8 mil.
10 pm
CBS' Harper's Island snuffed all comers, premiering to 10.5 mil. NBC's Southland, meanwhile, copped 9.7 mil in its own debut.
Friday Ratings: Terminator Perks Up as it Powers Down
8 pm
Ghost Whisperer dropped 880K from its last fresh outing, delivering 10.23 million total viewers. Trailing Wife Swap and Howie Do It, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles wrapped up its second season with 3.57 mil, up 220K.
9 pm
Flashpoint (9.72 mil) was up 11 percent, followed by Supernanny. Friday Night Lights' Season 3 finale played to an a crowd of 4.36 mil, surging 21 percent week-to-week. Dollhouse held steady at 3.58 mil (though "steady" in this case may not be the best thing).
10pm
Numbers added up 9.72 mil, down 330K from its last fresh outing.
Jason Bourne 4 Now Aiming for Summer 2011
Last we heard, Universal was trying to get a fourth film in the Jason Bourne series on track for a Summer 2010 release. Matt Damon and director Paul Greengrass were signed on to return, all they needed was a screenplay and a shooting schedule that fit. But the tentatively discussed Summer 2009 shoot doesn’t seem to be on the horizon.
Producer Frank Marshall updates us on the status via Twitter saying that Bourne Ultimatum/Ocean’s Twelve scribe George Nolfi “should have a draft by June” 2009 and that the film “is in the works for Summer 2011.” This of course would mean that the film would need to go into production by Summer 2010, October at very latest. “It really take long to get these scripts right! :),” admits Marshall. Marshall has previously stated that he would like to see Bourne go to South America in his next adventure, which will be the first movie not based on a Robert Ludlum novel.
Producer Frank Marshall updates us on the status via Twitter saying that Bourne Ultimatum/Ocean’s Twelve scribe George Nolfi “should have a draft by June” 2009 and that the film “is in the works for Summer 2011.” This of course would mean that the film would need to go into production by Summer 2010, October at very latest. “It really take long to get these scripts right! :),” admits Marshall. Marshall has previously stated that he would like to see Bourne go to South America in his next adventure, which will be the first movie not based on a Robert Ludlum novel.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Angelina Jolie is Really a Dame to Kill For?
It's been a while since Angelina Jolie last talked to us about possibly playing Ava Lord in Sin City 2 (December, 2006 to be exact), but now Moviehole is reporting the rumor that talks are heating up once again for her to play the character in the sequel based on Frank Miller's "A Dame to Kill For."
According to a rather high-profile producer friend, Angelina Jolie is now in "serious talks" – as opposed to merely being mentioned as a possibility, or having a casual coffee with the filmmakers to suss out her interest – to star in director Robert Rodroguez's "Sin City 2."
In the graphic novel, Ava is an ex-lover of Dwight McCarthy (Clive Owen) who manipulates men through her good looks and her supposed innocence.
Dimension Films has not announced a start date for the Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller sequel yet.
According to a rather high-profile producer friend, Angelina Jolie is now in "serious talks" – as opposed to merely being mentioned as a possibility, or having a casual coffee with the filmmakers to suss out her interest – to star in director Robert Rodroguez's "Sin City 2."
In the graphic novel, Ava is an ex-lover of Dwight McCarthy (Clive Owen) who manipulates men through her good looks and her supposed innocence.
Dimension Films has not announced a start date for the Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller sequel yet.
Hannah Montana Speeds Into the Lead
The ComingSoon.net Box Office Report has been updated with studio estimates for the weekend.
The Easter weekend has always been somewhat of an anomaly because the busiest movie day is on Good Friday where school is off. Miley Cyrus' third feature film and first live action non-concert movie, Hannah Montana The Movie, took full advantage of it with an astounding opening day of over $17 million, just below the current Easter record holder Scary Movie 4. After a sharp drop on Saturday, It settled for an estimated $34 million in 3,118 theaters, an average of roughly $11,000 per site, making it the second biggest Easter opener and the fifth largest April opener. It opened with just $3 million more than her Best of Both Worlds 3D concert movie opened with last year in almost a fifth as many theaters.
Dropping to second place, Universal Pictures' Fast & Furious dropped 59% over Easter weekend, while becoming the fifth movie of the year to cross the $100 million mark. (This time last year, only one movie had made that amount, Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who.) It has grossed $118 million total domestically and will cross $200 million worldwide today, putting it in line to cross the worldwide gross of the sequel 2 Fast 2 Furious by sometime next week. Over the weekend, Universal also signed the deal to have Vin Diesel and Paul Walker return for a fifth movie in the franchise.
DreamWorks Animation's Monsters vs. Aliens also took advantage of the Easter weekend, dropping a mere 31% for a third weekend of $22.6 million, bringing its total to $141 million, putting it in line to become the highest grossing movie of 2009 sometime next week.
Opening in fourth place, Jody Hill's dark comedy Observe and Report (Warner Bros.) starring Seth Rogen, brought in an estimated $11.1 million in 2,727 theaters, possibly hindered by the dark material and following so closely behind Kevin James' blockbuster hit Paul Blart: Mall Cop (currently the #1 grossing movie of the year so far).
The next three slots were filled by Alex Proyas' sci-fi thriller Knowing (Summit) with $6.7 million, the R-rated buddy comedy I Love You, Man with $6.4 million and Lionsgate's haunted house thriller The Haunting in Connecticut with $5.7 million. They've grossed $68 million, $59 million and $46 million respectively.
20th Century Fox's live action anime Dragonball: Evolution bombed with $4.6 million in 2,181 theatres, opening in eighth place with a disappointing $2100 per-site average.
The top 10 grossed an estimated $126 million, up over 61% from the same weekend last year, where Screen Gem's horror remake Prom Night reigned with $20.8 million, although that also wasn't Easter weekend.
Derick Martini's star-studded festival favorite Lymelife (Screen Media) opened in four theaters in New York and L.A where it grossed $29,000 over the holiday weekend.
The Easter weekend has always been somewhat of an anomaly because the busiest movie day is on Good Friday where school is off. Miley Cyrus' third feature film and first live action non-concert movie, Hannah Montana The Movie, took full advantage of it with an astounding opening day of over $17 million, just below the current Easter record holder Scary Movie 4. After a sharp drop on Saturday, It settled for an estimated $34 million in 3,118 theaters, an average of roughly $11,000 per site, making it the second biggest Easter opener and the fifth largest April opener. It opened with just $3 million more than her Best of Both Worlds 3D concert movie opened with last year in almost a fifth as many theaters.
Dropping to second place, Universal Pictures' Fast & Furious dropped 59% over Easter weekend, while becoming the fifth movie of the year to cross the $100 million mark. (This time last year, only one movie had made that amount, Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who.) It has grossed $118 million total domestically and will cross $200 million worldwide today, putting it in line to cross the worldwide gross of the sequel 2 Fast 2 Furious by sometime next week. Over the weekend, Universal also signed the deal to have Vin Diesel and Paul Walker return for a fifth movie in the franchise.
DreamWorks Animation's Monsters vs. Aliens also took advantage of the Easter weekend, dropping a mere 31% for a third weekend of $22.6 million, bringing its total to $141 million, putting it in line to become the highest grossing movie of 2009 sometime next week.
Opening in fourth place, Jody Hill's dark comedy Observe and Report (Warner Bros.) starring Seth Rogen, brought in an estimated $11.1 million in 2,727 theaters, possibly hindered by the dark material and following so closely behind Kevin James' blockbuster hit Paul Blart: Mall Cop (currently the #1 grossing movie of the year so far).
The next three slots were filled by Alex Proyas' sci-fi thriller Knowing (Summit) with $6.7 million, the R-rated buddy comedy I Love You, Man with $6.4 million and Lionsgate's haunted house thriller The Haunting in Connecticut with $5.7 million. They've grossed $68 million, $59 million and $46 million respectively.
20th Century Fox's live action anime Dragonball: Evolution bombed with $4.6 million in 2,181 theatres, opening in eighth place with a disappointing $2100 per-site average.
The top 10 grossed an estimated $126 million, up over 61% from the same weekend last year, where Screen Gem's horror remake Prom Night reigned with $20.8 million, although that also wasn't Easter weekend.
Derick Martini's star-studded festival favorite Lymelife (Screen Media) opened in four theaters in New York and L.A where it grossed $29,000 over the holiday weekend.
Fast and the Furious Five To Be Set in Brazil?
According to widespread reports, Paul Walker let slip some details of an upcoming fifth film in the Fast and the Furious franchise when appearing on the Valentine in the Morning radio show. This isn’t really a surprise - the fourth installment had one heck of an opening, and the series overall is running at an incredibly healthy total.
What’s more, he gave up two specifics: that Vin Diesel will also be coming back for more; and that this time, they’ll be relocating to Brazil. The exact quote below the fold, plus the studio’s follow up statement.
"This was supposed to be it. There wasn’t supposed to be the open-ended closing like there was. When I first read the screenplay, I was like, ‘Man, look what they’re doing.’ But without question, with the way things opened up, Vin and I will be coming back, we’re making a fifth one, and we’re going to Brazil, that’s it."
Brazil seems to produce an unholy amount of supermodels, so I expect we’ll be seeing at least one in the film. Here’s hoping she’s given a car of her own, or something else worthwhile to do, and isn’t relegated to tiresome arm candy duties. Or, if she’s got to be nothing more than bikini-stuffing set dressing, let her at least be that in context and just give her a flag to wave at the start of a race.
I tried to research something of the street racing culture in Brazil, and all I really managed to find out was that it exists. Sao Paolo by night certainly fits the colour scheme of the Fast and the Furious series so far, anyway.
It seems fairly likely from Walker’s comments that the original plan was to wrap the series up conclusively with part 4, and in a way that was, to him at least, noteworthy. I suspect they were originally planning to kill off both the Brian O’Conner and Dominic Toretto characters, or at least somehow render them incapable of driving. I also suspect this may have been part of a studio gambit to get further sequel contracts out of the stars. Perhaps I’m just being cynical - but if that was their plan, it worked.
I know it’s not really sensible to trust celebrity quotes from radio shows, but E! have chased down confirmation from Universal that yes, indeed they are lining up a new installment.
I’m predicting right now that this series has 3D in its future. Just a hunch.
What’s more, he gave up two specifics: that Vin Diesel will also be coming back for more; and that this time, they’ll be relocating to Brazil. The exact quote below the fold, plus the studio’s follow up statement.
"This was supposed to be it. There wasn’t supposed to be the open-ended closing like there was. When I first read the screenplay, I was like, ‘Man, look what they’re doing.’ But without question, with the way things opened up, Vin and I will be coming back, we’re making a fifth one, and we’re going to Brazil, that’s it."
Brazil seems to produce an unholy amount of supermodels, so I expect we’ll be seeing at least one in the film. Here’s hoping she’s given a car of her own, or something else worthwhile to do, and isn’t relegated to tiresome arm candy duties. Or, if she’s got to be nothing more than bikini-stuffing set dressing, let her at least be that in context and just give her a flag to wave at the start of a race.
I tried to research something of the street racing culture in Brazil, and all I really managed to find out was that it exists. Sao Paolo by night certainly fits the colour scheme of the Fast and the Furious series so far, anyway.
It seems fairly likely from Walker’s comments that the original plan was to wrap the series up conclusively with part 4, and in a way that was, to him at least, noteworthy. I suspect they were originally planning to kill off both the Brian O’Conner and Dominic Toretto characters, or at least somehow render them incapable of driving. I also suspect this may have been part of a studio gambit to get further sequel contracts out of the stars. Perhaps I’m just being cynical - but if that was their plan, it worked.
I know it’s not really sensible to trust celebrity quotes from radio shows, but E! have chased down confirmation from Universal that yes, indeed they are lining up a new installment.
I’m predicting right now that this series has 3D in its future. Just a hunch.
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