Warner Bros has acquired rights to the 64-page black and white graphic novel Hench, which they plan to develop as comic book comedy starring Danny McBride. Eastbound & Down writer Shawn Harwell will write the screenplay. McBride will play a football player who suffers a career-ending injury and resorts to working as henchman to a successful villain. Sounds like a fun concept, and I could definitely see McBride in this role.
Here is the official synopsis from the publisher:
The fine line between hero and villain is just another of longtime super-villain henchman Mike Fulton’s many scars. Now, faced with a terrible choice that could mean life and death for heroes, villains, his family, and himself, Mike ponders just how his normal life went so crazy. Gripping adventure, powerful biography and loving homage to superhero comics, HENCH is a new graphic novel from writer Adam Beechen, artist Manny Bello, and publisher AiT/Planet Lar.
Here is an excerpt from Adam Beechen’s interview with CBR explaining more about the book:
“The story of Mike’s professional life is told by Mike largely through flashbacks, brought on when Mike finds himself at a very serious crossroads as he faces an incredibly vicious superhero, during a job gone bad. As an ordinary guy in an extraordinary world, Mike’s grounded by real-world concerns. The major players in Mike’s life are his wife and son, Jennifer and Cory, respectively, and his best friend, Randy. But along the way, we also meet a heaping helping of the superheroes, supervillains and other career henchmen that populate this particular world. They were a blast to come up with, and [artist] Manny Bello did a spectacular job of visualizing them. They’ve got names like Pluribus and Libertina, Laughing Boy, the Cosmonaut, Half-Life, Phenomena, Mr. Magnificent, Hellbent, the Little Green Man, Pain Freak, Pencil Neck, the Necrobat, the Still of the Night, and the Red Baroness. If you notice that I didn’t specify who’s a hero and who’s a villain, that’s because hopefully readers will come out of the book with a different perspective on what those words mean.”
The book is available at select comic book shops or on Amazon for around $10.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Chevy Chase Joins Hot Tub Time Machine; Considering Fletch Reboot/Sequel
Chevy Chase has joined the cast of United Artist’s R-Rated sci-fi comedy Hot Tub Time Machine. The Steve Pink-directed, Josh Heald-scripted film tells the story of a group of guys (John Cusack, Rob Corddry, and Craig Robinson) who return to the hot tub they once partied in, only to discover it is a time machine that allows them to go back in time to their “days of glory.”We’ve heard many good things about the script.
Case will play a seemingly crazy repairman who might be the only one who can held the trio return to the present day. THR says that the character “dispenses pearls of wisdom and may or may not be behind the metaphysical road trip.”
The article goes on to say that Chase is currently considering reprise the role of Irwin “Fletch” Fletcher in a reboot of the Fletch movie series. Apparently The Weinstein Co has a new script which would involve a semi-returned Fletch passing the torch to his journalist nephew, and advising him on his stories. Sounds like a rather lame way of including Chase in the project.
A new Fletch movie has been in the works for years. First set up with Kevin Smith, who wanted a pre-My Name is Earl Jason Lee to play the iconic role in a prequel based on the book Fletch Won. Weinstein failed to believe that Lee could be a star, and Smith passed on directing the project.
Weinstein hired Scrubs creator Bill Lawrence and star Zack Braff, who was just coming off the hot indie flick Garden State and the popular Scrubs television series. Smith’s script, which was a closer adaptation of the novels, was dumped in favor of something closer to the tone of the original campy Chevy Chase films.
And then somehow Accepted director Steve Pink and Dawsons Creek star Joshua Jackson entered the mix. Those of you who actually read the second sentence of this story will recognize Pink’s name, as he is also the director of Hot Tub Time Machine. Coincidence? Not likely.
Case will play a seemingly crazy repairman who might be the only one who can held the trio return to the present day. THR says that the character “dispenses pearls of wisdom and may or may not be behind the metaphysical road trip.”
The article goes on to say that Chase is currently considering reprise the role of Irwin “Fletch” Fletcher in a reboot of the Fletch movie series. Apparently The Weinstein Co has a new script which would involve a semi-returned Fletch passing the torch to his journalist nephew, and advising him on his stories. Sounds like a rather lame way of including Chase in the project.
A new Fletch movie has been in the works for years. First set up with Kevin Smith, who wanted a pre-My Name is Earl Jason Lee to play the iconic role in a prequel based on the book Fletch Won. Weinstein failed to believe that Lee could be a star, and Smith passed on directing the project.
Weinstein hired Scrubs creator Bill Lawrence and star Zack Braff, who was just coming off the hot indie flick Garden State and the popular Scrubs television series. Smith’s script, which was a closer adaptation of the novels, was dumped in favor of something closer to the tone of the original campy Chevy Chase films.
And then somehow Accepted director Steve Pink and Dawsons Creek star Joshua Jackson entered the mix. Those of you who actually read the second sentence of this story will recognize Pink’s name, as he is also the director of Hot Tub Time Machine. Coincidence? Not likely.
Adam Brody and Seann William Scott Join Kevin Smith’s A Couple of Dicks
Adam Brody and Seann William Scott have joined the cast of Kevin Smith’s A Couple of Dicks. The R-Rated buddy cop comedy stars Tracy Mogan and Bruce Willis as two veteran LAPD detectives who attempt to track down a stolen, mint-condition, 1952 baseball card, get tangled with a sports memorabilia-obsessed gangster and rescue a Mexican beauty who might hold the key to millions in laundered drug money. I’ve read an earlier draft of the script, and it’s funny in a very different way than any of Smith’s previous films.
Scott plays a thief known as “the Shit Bandit,” as he is notorious for leaving a surprise trademark behind in the bathroom after robbing a house. Brody plays an “abrasive detective” who is not happy to be working with Willis and Morgan. Scott appeared briefly in Smith’s Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. Written by Robb and Marc Cullen, and featured on the 2008 Black List (a Hollywood insider list of the best unproduced screenplays of the year), A Couple of Dicks is tentatively scheduled to hit theaters on February 26th 2010.
Scott plays a thief known as “the Shit Bandit,” as he is notorious for leaving a surprise trademark behind in the bathroom after robbing a house. Brody plays an “abrasive detective” who is not happy to be working with Willis and Morgan. Scott appeared briefly in Smith’s Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. Written by Robb and Marc Cullen, and featured on the 2008 Black List (a Hollywood insider list of the best unproduced screenplays of the year), A Couple of Dicks is tentatively scheduled to hit theaters on February 26th 2010.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Jonah Hill Promises R-Rated 21 Jump Street Movie: “Bad Boys meets John Hughes”
Last year, Jonah Hill became attached to write, executive produce, and possibly star in a movie adaptation of the popular 1980’s television show 21 Jump Street for Sony. The original television series which starred Johnny Depp, focused on a group of young cops who went undercover in high schools and colleges. Many people assumed that Hill’s take would be a comedic version of the original premise. But Hill promises that the film isn’t necessarily what you might expect.
"[Sony execs said] they were gonna let me make my kind of movie—an R-rated, insane, Bad-Boys-meets-John Hughes-type movie—and I told them the second they don’t, I’m not gonna be involved anymore,” Hill tells Complex. “We’re not even spoofing the movie. It’s not strictly comedic, either. We’re doing a full-on action movie, blowing shit up."
Sounds good to me. But then Hill went on to describe a scene from the opening episode of 21 Jump Street where “you see a man looking at a picture of a cop holding a little boy’s hand, and you hear a crazy saxophone solo, and you pan up and it’s Johnny Depp looking at the picture playing the crazy saxophone solo.” The way the interview reads, it sounds like Hill is saying that his version won’t be any more comedic or cheesy than what he believes the original series was like. And that seems a little but worry-some.
I never was a fan of the original television series, and I don’t really care how much a big screen movie honors or dishonors the memory of the show. I only hope that whatever film results is half-way decent. But even Hill’s phrasing (”they WERE gonna let me”) leads me to believe there is a very good chance this project will fall into development heck.
"[Sony execs said] they were gonna let me make my kind of movie—an R-rated, insane, Bad-Boys-meets-John Hughes-type movie—and I told them the second they don’t, I’m not gonna be involved anymore,” Hill tells Complex. “We’re not even spoofing the movie. It’s not strictly comedic, either. We’re doing a full-on action movie, blowing shit up."
Sounds good to me. But then Hill went on to describe a scene from the opening episode of 21 Jump Street where “you see a man looking at a picture of a cop holding a little boy’s hand, and you hear a crazy saxophone solo, and you pan up and it’s Johnny Depp looking at the picture playing the crazy saxophone solo.” The way the interview reads, it sounds like Hill is saying that his version won’t be any more comedic or cheesy than what he believes the original series was like. And that seems a little but worry-some.
I never was a fan of the original television series, and I don’t really care how much a big screen movie honors or dishonors the memory of the show. I only hope that whatever film results is half-way decent. But even Hill’s phrasing (”they WERE gonna let me”) leads me to believe there is a very good chance this project will fall into development heck.
Ferrell, Carell, Rudd and McKay Meeting Next Week To Discuss Anchorman 2
We’ve been hearing about a possible Anchorman sequel for the last year. Most of the original cast members and creative team have expressed interest in making a sequel, but with the popularity of the film’s three main stars on the rise, I’ve pessimistically ruled it off as a possibility.
Will Ferrell is making the rounds doing publicity for Land of the Lost and was asked for an update while appearing on an Australian radio show Jono & Dano. According to Moviehole, Ferrell told the hosts that “everyone is meeting next week” to discuss a possible sequel. Ferrell went on to joke that the meeting is really to see whether or not Paul Rudd and Steve Carell are willing to take pay cuts, as he wouldn’t be.
In May of last year, director Adam McKay said he wanted to return to Anchorman after his next film, which never ended up going into production. Paul Rudd later revealed that they were considering setting the film in the 1980’s, or maybe even on the moon. I’m not sure I’m interested in an Anchormen in Space movie, but a film set in the 80’s would allow for all kinds of fun pop culture jokes.
But with all the parties coming together for a discussion about a sequel, things are begining to sound a lot more serious. Could we see a Anchorman 2 in 2010?
Will Ferrell is making the rounds doing publicity for Land of the Lost and was asked for an update while appearing on an Australian radio show Jono & Dano. According to Moviehole, Ferrell told the hosts that “everyone is meeting next week” to discuss a possible sequel. Ferrell went on to joke that the meeting is really to see whether or not Paul Rudd and Steve Carell are willing to take pay cuts, as he wouldn’t be.
In May of last year, director Adam McKay said he wanted to return to Anchorman after his next film, which never ended up going into production. Paul Rudd later revealed that they were considering setting the film in the 1980’s, or maybe even on the moon. I’m not sure I’m interested in an Anchormen in Space movie, but a film set in the 80’s would allow for all kinds of fun pop culture jokes.
But with all the parties coming together for a discussion about a sequel, things are begining to sound a lot more serious. Could we see a Anchorman 2 in 2010?
Seth Rogen, Jason Bateman, Kristen Wiig, Bill Hader Join Greg Mottola’s Paul
Superbad/Adventureland director Greg Mottola’s next film is shaping up to be the funniest geek comedy ever filmed. But before I get into the new casting, let me tell you a little about the movie.
Scripted by and starring Simon Pegg and Nick Frost (the duo from Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz) as two British nerds, fresh off a trip to Comic Con, who decide to go on a road trip to Area 51. They meet an alien named Paul who asks them to help him escape from the U.S. Government. I’ve heard the script is laugh out loud funny, with tons of references to Aliens, Star Wars, and Back To The Future. So how can it get any better than that?
Seth Rogen, Jason Bateman, Kristen Wiig, Bill Hader and Jane Lynch have been cast in the movie. Rogen will be providing the voice for the alien creature, and we can only assume that Bateman, Wiig, Hader and Lynch will either play government officials or characters they meet along the way on their road trip adventure.
Scripted by and starring Simon Pegg and Nick Frost (the duo from Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz) as two British nerds, fresh off a trip to Comic Con, who decide to go on a road trip to Area 51. They meet an alien named Paul who asks them to help him escape from the U.S. Government. I’ve heard the script is laugh out loud funny, with tons of references to Aliens, Star Wars, and Back To The Future. So how can it get any better than that?
Seth Rogen, Jason Bateman, Kristen Wiig, Bill Hader and Jane Lynch have been cast in the movie. Rogen will be providing the voice for the alien creature, and we can only assume that Bateman, Wiig, Hader and Lynch will either play government officials or characters they meet along the way on their road trip adventure.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Disney Remaking Flight of the Navigator
Walt Disney Pictures is developing a remake of the sci-fi adventure movie Flight of the Navigator, says The Hollywood Reporter.
Brad Copeland is writing the redo, which is being produced by Mandeville partners David Hoberman and Todd Lieberman.
The 1986 original told the story of a 12-year-old boy who is abducted by an alien spacecraft in 1978 and reappears eight years later, still the same age and with no memory of what happened. NASA scientists discover a connection between the boy and a downed spacecraft and try to exploit the boy, who ultimately escapes with the ship and attempts to reunite with his family.
The movie grossed only $17 million when it was released but was later rediscovered on VHS, becoming a cult hit.
Brad Copeland is writing the redo, which is being produced by Mandeville partners David Hoberman and Todd Lieberman.
The 1986 original told the story of a 12-year-old boy who is abducted by an alien spacecraft in 1978 and reappears eight years later, still the same age and with no memory of what happened. NASA scientists discover a connection between the boy and a downed spacecraft and try to exploit the boy, who ultimately escapes with the ship and attempts to reunite with his family.
The movie grossed only $17 million when it was released but was later rediscovered on VHS, becoming a cult hit.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer Returning to the Big Screen?
The Hollywood Reporter says that Buffy the Vampire Slayer could be returning to the big screen. Creator Joss Whedon isn't involved and it's not set up at a studio, but Roy Lee and Doug Davison of Vertigo Entertainment are working with original movie director Fran Rubel Kuzui and her husband, Kaz Kuzui, on what is being labeled a remake or relaunch.
The trade adds that Kuzui and her Kuzui Enterprises have held onto the rights since the beginning, when she discovered the "Buffy" script from Whedon. She developed the script while her husband put together the financing to make the 1992 Fox movie.
Kuzui later teamed with Gail Berman in bringing back Whedon to make the TV series, which was produced by Fox TV and launched on the WB in 1997.
The new film, however, would have no connection to the TV series, nor would it use popular supporting characters like Angel, Willow, Xander or Spike. Vertigo and Kuzui are looking to restart the story line without trampling on the beloved existing universe created by Whedon.
One of the underlying ideas of "Buffy" allows Vertigo and Kuzui to do just that: that each generation has its own vampire slayer to protect it. The goal would be to make a darker, event-sized movie.
The parties are meeting with writers and hearing takes, and later will look for a home for the project. The producers do not rule out Whedon's involvement but have not yet reached out to him.
The trade adds that Kuzui and her Kuzui Enterprises have held onto the rights since the beginning, when she discovered the "Buffy" script from Whedon. She developed the script while her husband put together the financing to make the 1992 Fox movie.
Kuzui later teamed with Gail Berman in bringing back Whedon to make the TV series, which was produced by Fox TV and launched on the WB in 1997.
The new film, however, would have no connection to the TV series, nor would it use popular supporting characters like Angel, Willow, Xander or Spike. Vertigo and Kuzui are looking to restart the story line without trampling on the beloved existing universe created by Whedon.
One of the underlying ideas of "Buffy" allows Vertigo and Kuzui to do just that: that each generation has its own vampire slayer to protect it. The goal would be to make a darker, event-sized movie.
The parties are meeting with writers and hearing takes, and later will look for a home for the project. The producers do not rule out Whedon's involvement but have not yet reached out to him.
Lemony Snicket Sequel Still Possible
CineFOOLS talked to Land of the Lost director Brad Silberling and asked him whether a sequel to Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events is still a possibility.
"It was a co-production between Paramount and Dreamworks and there were studio politics and I actually think it's going to see the light of day," Silberling told the site. "[Name removed for privacy reasons] and I, he's the writer of... is very friendly with Mr. Snicket I should say, we stay in constant touch about it, because I would love nothing more than to do that and we've been hoping to, so I think there will be a chance it may take a wildly different form but I think it will probably happen."
The 2004 Jim Carrey-starrer was made for about $140 million and earned $209.1 million worldwide.
"It was a co-production between Paramount and Dreamworks and there were studio politics and I actually think it's going to see the light of day," Silberling told the site. "[Name removed for privacy reasons] and I, he's the writer of... is very friendly with Mr. Snicket I should say, we stay in constant touch about it, because I would love nothing more than to do that and we've been hoping to, so I think there will be a chance it may take a wildly different form but I think it will probably happen."
The 2004 Jim Carrey-starrer was made for about $140 million and earned $209.1 million worldwide.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Weekly Ratings: 5/19 – 5/21
Tuesday Ratings: Did Glee Sing? Plus: NCIS and Other Finales
8 pm/ET
American Idol's final Season 8 sing-off delivered 23/07 million total viewers, up 6 percent week-to-week. NCIS' season-ender (poor Ziva...) netted 16.09 mil, up 210K. Reaper's likely penultimate episode drew 1.79 mil, down 200 thou.
9 pm
The Dancing with the Stars finale tangoed with 20.12 million viewers, on par with the show's year-ago disco ball hand-out. The Mentalist concluded its freshman run with 16.84 mil, up 720K. Fox's Glee debuted to 10.75 mil 1 and needs to resume its first season, like, yesterday! Fox notes that Glee was Tuesday night's No. 1 Twitter topic, while New Directions' version of "Don't Stop Believin" emerged as the No. 2 most downloaded song on iTunes. 90210's school year came to a close with an audience of 2.09 mil.
10 pm
Lagging far behind DWTS, Without a Trace bowed out — for good — before a crowd of 11.32 mil, dropping 16 percent week-to-week.
Ratings Highlights for Idol, Criminal Minds, Dance and More
Recapping some numbers from recent days:
Wednesday
• The American Idol finale played to a crowd of 27.7 million total viewers, hitting a high of 32.55 mil as Kris got crowned. That audience marks a 9 percent dip from last year, and the show's second-smallest finale draw ever, besting only Kelly Clarkson's Season 1 coronation (which aired during the summer).
• Criminal Minds closed its season with an audience of 13.79 mil, up 785K from its previous finale.
Thursday
• So You Think You Can Dance kicked off its new cycle with 8.78 million viewers, up 175K from its previous opener.
• Ugly Betty bowed out before 6.27 mil, plunging 28 percent from last year's finale. Friday night, here we come!
• Southland copped 6.4 mil for its freshman finale, up 38 percent versus last week's fantastically competitive slate.
8 pm/ET
American Idol's final Season 8 sing-off delivered 23/07 million total viewers, up 6 percent week-to-week. NCIS' season-ender (poor Ziva...) netted 16.09 mil, up 210K. Reaper's likely penultimate episode drew 1.79 mil, down 200 thou.
9 pm
The Dancing with the Stars finale tangoed with 20.12 million viewers, on par with the show's year-ago disco ball hand-out. The Mentalist concluded its freshman run with 16.84 mil, up 720K. Fox's Glee debuted to 10.75 mil 1 and needs to resume its first season, like, yesterday! Fox notes that Glee was Tuesday night's No. 1 Twitter topic, while New Directions' version of "Don't Stop Believin" emerged as the No. 2 most downloaded song on iTunes. 90210's school year came to a close with an audience of 2.09 mil.
10 pm
Lagging far behind DWTS, Without a Trace bowed out — for good — before a crowd of 11.32 mil, dropping 16 percent week-to-week.
Ratings Highlights for Idol, Criminal Minds, Dance and More
Recapping some numbers from recent days:
Wednesday
• The American Idol finale played to a crowd of 27.7 million total viewers, hitting a high of 32.55 mil as Kris got crowned. That audience marks a 9 percent dip from last year, and the show's second-smallest finale draw ever, besting only Kelly Clarkson's Season 1 coronation (which aired during the summer).
• Criminal Minds closed its season with an audience of 13.79 mil, up 785K from its previous finale.
Thursday
• So You Think You Can Dance kicked off its new cycle with 8.78 million viewers, up 175K from its previous opener.
• Ugly Betty bowed out before 6.27 mil, plunging 28 percent from last year's finale. Friday night, here we come!
• Southland copped 6.4 mil for its freshman finale, up 38 percent versus last week's fantastically competitive slate.
Linkin Park Hard At Work On Next Album
Amidst its involvement on the soundtrack for the new Transformers movie and a number of members' solo projects in the works, Linkin Park is hard at work on its fourth album, which will likely come out in 2010 according to co-frontman Mike Shinoda.
"It's moving," Shinoda tells Billboard.com. "I feel like we've been writing a lot. I'd say we've got about half the music done, though I shouldn't say halfway because who knows how long the next batch of songs will take. But all the material's just kind of coming together, and every week we meet up and assess the situation and for the rest of the week we just go and work on whatever we find exciting."
Shinoda says the group has decided on a producer but is not revealing that yet. He expects "an interesting transition" in the sound from 2007's "Minutes to Midnight," especially since singer Chester Bennington's upcoming solo project, "Dead By Sunrise" -- due out this fall -- "is much more of a rock album," leaving the door open for Linkin Park to experiment with other approaches.
"It's not going to be 'Hybrid Theory,' " Shinoda reports. "It's not going to be 'Minutes to Midnight.' And if we do it right, it'll have a cutting edge sound that defines itself as an individual record separate from anything else that's out there." He acknowledges that the rap element that was not a major part of "Minutes to Midnight" may be more prominent this time out, too. "I think I have some of the Fort Minor (his rap side project) energy in me that wants to come out, so you'll probably hear more rapping on it," Shinoda says. "I don't know if it'll be a little or a lot, but I now I've been sitting down writing a lot of verses, so there's a better chance of those making it on the record."
For now, however, Linkin Park has given its fans "New Divide," the theme song for "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen." As a group of confirmed fans of the toy and cartoon franchise, Shinoda says the group "created a song that we felt fit the spirit of the movie and the characters and also obviously stayed true to the spirit of the band." Film composer Hans Zimmer adapted "New Divide" into instrumental segments for the film score, and Linkin Park worked with Zimmer and Steve Jablonsky on other pieces for the movie.
"It was incredible," Shinoda reports. "I've never tried to write music to visuals. It's a type of working that's new to us, and it's really fun."
In addition to the Linkin Park projects, Shinoda has designed his third tennis shoe for the DC Remix Series, with proceeds benefiting his Michael K. Shinoda Endowed Scholarship fund at the Art Center College of Design in California. He's also preparing for a new art show, "Glorious Excess (Dies)" -- a sequel to last year's "Glorious Excess Born" -- which opens in August at the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles.
"It's moving," Shinoda tells Billboard.com. "I feel like we've been writing a lot. I'd say we've got about half the music done, though I shouldn't say halfway because who knows how long the next batch of songs will take. But all the material's just kind of coming together, and every week we meet up and assess the situation and for the rest of the week we just go and work on whatever we find exciting."
Shinoda says the group has decided on a producer but is not revealing that yet. He expects "an interesting transition" in the sound from 2007's "Minutes to Midnight," especially since singer Chester Bennington's upcoming solo project, "Dead By Sunrise" -- due out this fall -- "is much more of a rock album," leaving the door open for Linkin Park to experiment with other approaches.
"It's not going to be 'Hybrid Theory,' " Shinoda reports. "It's not going to be 'Minutes to Midnight.' And if we do it right, it'll have a cutting edge sound that defines itself as an individual record separate from anything else that's out there." He acknowledges that the rap element that was not a major part of "Minutes to Midnight" may be more prominent this time out, too. "I think I have some of the Fort Minor (his rap side project) energy in me that wants to come out, so you'll probably hear more rapping on it," Shinoda says. "I don't know if it'll be a little or a lot, but I now I've been sitting down writing a lot of verses, so there's a better chance of those making it on the record."
For now, however, Linkin Park has given its fans "New Divide," the theme song for "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen." As a group of confirmed fans of the toy and cartoon franchise, Shinoda says the group "created a song that we felt fit the spirit of the movie and the characters and also obviously stayed true to the spirit of the band." Film composer Hans Zimmer adapted "New Divide" into instrumental segments for the film score, and Linkin Park worked with Zimmer and Steve Jablonsky on other pieces for the movie.
"It was incredible," Shinoda reports. "I've never tried to write music to visuals. It's a type of working that's new to us, and it's really fun."
In addition to the Linkin Park projects, Shinoda has designed his third tennis shoe for the DC Remix Series, with proceeds benefiting his Michael K. Shinoda Endowed Scholarship fund at the Art Center College of Design in California. He's also preparing for a new art show, "Glorious Excess (Dies)" -- a sequel to last year's "Glorious Excess Born" -- which opens in August at the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles.
Stiller Sequel Halts Terminator's Holiday Salvation
The ComingSoon.net Box Office Report has been updated with studio estimates for the weekend.
Going into the long Memorial Day weekend, an interesting battle was shaping up between McG's relaunch Terminator Salvation (Warner Bros.) starring Christian Bale, and Ben Stiller's family comedy sequel Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (20th Century Fox). The latter opened in roughly 500 more theaters including IMAX screens, but Terminator Salvation tried getting a head start by opening early on Thursday. Even with the $13.3 million made on Thursday, McG's sci-fi action movie wasn't able to best Night at the Museum, which won the weekend with an estimated $70 million in its first four days. It averaged $17k in over 4,000 venues to become Stilller's second biggest opening after last year's Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, as well as his biggest opening live action movie. It was also the biggest opening for a PG-rated film over the Memorial Day weekend, a record previously held by the first Madagascar. At the same time, Museum brought in $50 million internationally in 53 markets.
Terminator Salvation ended up bringing in an estimated $53.8 million over the four-day holiday, its $67 million total being less than the $72 million made by the previous installment Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines in its first five days. The prequel relaunch won't be opening internationally for a few weeks, although that distribution is being handled by Sony.
J.J. Abrams' own relaunch of Star Trek (Paramount) continues to hold up well as it passed last week's #1 movie, Angels & Demons (Sony), knocking the Tom Hanks starrer down to fourth place. Star Trek grossed roughly $29.4 million in its third extended weekend amassing a total gross of $191 million, which puts it just $2.5 million behind passing DreamWorks Animation's Monsters vs. Aliens to become the highest grossing movie of the year so far. Angels & Demons added another $27.7 million to bring its own domestic total to $87.8 million, while at the same time, grossing $60.4 million internationally over the weekend to beat Night at the Museum in foreign markets.
Dance Flick (Paramount), the Wayans' return to spoof comedy, opened in fifth place with a weak $13.1 million in 2,450 theaters, averaging $5300 per site.
Dropping to sixth place, the 20th Century Fox superhero prequel X-Men Origins: Wolverine added another $10 million to its four-week box office total of $165 million. It's looking doubtful it will make it to the $200 million mark, at least domestically.
In seventh place was the romantic comedy Ghosts of Girlfriends Past (New Line/WB), starring Matthew McConaughey and Jennifer Garner, which brought in $4.8 million over the holiday weekend to bring its total to $47 million after four weeks.
The Top 10 grossed roughly $214 million, up slightly from Memorial Day weekend last year, when Steven Spielberg's Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull returned Harrison Ford to the adventure franchise to the tune of $152 million over five days.
In limited release, Steven Soderbergh's latest The Girlfriend Experience (Magnolia), starring Sasha Grey, opened in 30 theaters, bringing in $200 thousand over the four-day weekend, averaging $6.6 thousand per site. The Noel Coward adaptation Easy Virtue (Sony Classics), starring Jessica Biel, Colin Firth, Ben Barnes and Kristin Scott Thomas, made $146 thousand in ten theaters.
Going into the long Memorial Day weekend, an interesting battle was shaping up between McG's relaunch Terminator Salvation (Warner Bros.) starring Christian Bale, and Ben Stiller's family comedy sequel Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (20th Century Fox). The latter opened in roughly 500 more theaters including IMAX screens, but Terminator Salvation tried getting a head start by opening early on Thursday. Even with the $13.3 million made on Thursday, McG's sci-fi action movie wasn't able to best Night at the Museum, which won the weekend with an estimated $70 million in its first four days. It averaged $17k in over 4,000 venues to become Stilller's second biggest opening after last year's Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, as well as his biggest opening live action movie. It was also the biggest opening for a PG-rated film over the Memorial Day weekend, a record previously held by the first Madagascar. At the same time, Museum brought in $50 million internationally in 53 markets.
Terminator Salvation ended up bringing in an estimated $53.8 million over the four-day holiday, its $67 million total being less than the $72 million made by the previous installment Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines in its first five days. The prequel relaunch won't be opening internationally for a few weeks, although that distribution is being handled by Sony.
J.J. Abrams' own relaunch of Star Trek (Paramount) continues to hold up well as it passed last week's #1 movie, Angels & Demons (Sony), knocking the Tom Hanks starrer down to fourth place. Star Trek grossed roughly $29.4 million in its third extended weekend amassing a total gross of $191 million, which puts it just $2.5 million behind passing DreamWorks Animation's Monsters vs. Aliens to become the highest grossing movie of the year so far. Angels & Demons added another $27.7 million to bring its own domestic total to $87.8 million, while at the same time, grossing $60.4 million internationally over the weekend to beat Night at the Museum in foreign markets.
Dance Flick (Paramount), the Wayans' return to spoof comedy, opened in fifth place with a weak $13.1 million in 2,450 theaters, averaging $5300 per site.
Dropping to sixth place, the 20th Century Fox superhero prequel X-Men Origins: Wolverine added another $10 million to its four-week box office total of $165 million. It's looking doubtful it will make it to the $200 million mark, at least domestically.
In seventh place was the romantic comedy Ghosts of Girlfriends Past (New Line/WB), starring Matthew McConaughey and Jennifer Garner, which brought in $4.8 million over the holiday weekend to bring its total to $47 million after four weeks.
The Top 10 grossed roughly $214 million, up slightly from Memorial Day weekend last year, when Steven Spielberg's Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull returned Harrison Ford to the adventure franchise to the tune of $152 million over five days.
In limited release, Steven Soderbergh's latest The Girlfriend Experience (Magnolia), starring Sasha Grey, opened in 30 theaters, bringing in $200 thousand over the four-day weekend, averaging $6.6 thousand per site. The Noel Coward adaptation Easy Virtue (Sony Classics), starring Jessica Biel, Colin Firth, Ben Barnes and Kristin Scott Thomas, made $146 thousand in ten theaters.
Is Fox Rebooting Daredevil?
These days, there are a lot of new sources for news and scoops and one of the oddest ones might be the local comic shop who have become the go-to place for actors hoping to get coveted roles in the latest superhero movie.
The blog for the Los Angeles-based store Golden Apple Comics spotted one such actor when "Battlestar Gallactica" star Katee Sackhoff went there to buy every single comic featuring Typhoid Mary she could get her hands on with "hopes to get a part for a marvel movie."
Comic fans will realize right away that Typhoid Mary is the longtime foe (and lover) of Marvel's Daredevil, a mutant with a multiple personality who develops various powers depending on which personality inhabits her at the time. She was created by Ann Nocenti and John Romita Jr., first appearing in their run with Daredevil #254.
That makes one wonder whether 20th Century Fox and Marvel Studios are already looking into possibly relaunching Daredevil on the big screen, following the Mark Steven Johnson version starring Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner, which came out in 2003. Natassia Malthe played Typhoid in the 2005 spin-off Elektra with Garner. Typhoid also appeared in the early "Deadpool" comics, so this might be for the Deadpool spin-off with Ryan Reynolds.
Check out Golden Apple's blog post here and decide for yourself whether a relaunch of Daredevil is happening much like The Incredible Hulk last year, and then let us know how you feel about it below.
The blog for the Los Angeles-based store Golden Apple Comics spotted one such actor when "Battlestar Gallactica" star Katee Sackhoff went there to buy every single comic featuring Typhoid Mary she could get her hands on with "hopes to get a part for a marvel movie."
Comic fans will realize right away that Typhoid Mary is the longtime foe (and lover) of Marvel's Daredevil, a mutant with a multiple personality who develops various powers depending on which personality inhabits her at the time. She was created by Ann Nocenti and John Romita Jr., first appearing in their run with Daredevil #254.
That makes one wonder whether 20th Century Fox and Marvel Studios are already looking into possibly relaunching Daredevil on the big screen, following the Mark Steven Johnson version starring Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner, which came out in 2003. Natassia Malthe played Typhoid in the 2005 spin-off Elektra with Garner. Typhoid also appeared in the early "Deadpool" comics, so this might be for the Deadpool spin-off with Ryan Reynolds.
Check out Golden Apple's blog post here and decide for yourself whether a relaunch of Daredevil is happening much like The Incredible Hulk last year, and then let us know how you feel about it below.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
