Dormant for eight years, the original lineup of Limp Bizkit is reuniting for a tour and new album, according to a statement from Interscope Records.
Fred Durst, Wes Borland, Sam Rivers, John Otto and DJ Lethal were last active in the fall of 2001, after which Borland left the band to focus on his own music. Borland rejoined for the 2004 EP "The Unquestionable Truth (Part 1)," but left again shortly thereafter.
Limp Bizkit has essentially been on hiatus since then, with Durst devoting his energies to directing and acting in film.
Although all dates are not yet confirmed, the band will play international festivals this spring, including shows in Eastern Europe, as well as Germany's Rock Am Ring and Rock Im Park festivals.
Limp Bizkit was one of the most popular rock bands in the world in the late 1990s and early 200s, despite widespread critical drubbing. Its first three albums have sold in excess of 20 million copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Nas Recording Album With Damian Marley
Nas told Billboard last week he was cooking up a few surprises, and now we know one of them: an as-yet-untitled collaboration with reggae star Damian Marley.
The pair has been recording quietly in Los Angeles for the last several weeks. Nas' manager, Anthony Saleh, tells Billboard the project will most likely be released in the spring. It's not clear which label will release it; Nas is signed to Def Jam, while Marley records for Universal.
"We've been recording in a studio, where people like Mick Jagger are recording. No one knew who we were," Saleh says. "We're going to Miami this week to finish it up and we're aiming to tour for the album this summer."
In addition to its regular incarnation, the album may also be released in a special edition exclusively through Best Buy or Target. A portion of the proceeds will go toward building a school in Africa, though details are still being solidified.
As previously reported, Nas guests on a song on Dr. Dre's long-in-the-works "Detox" album, due sometime this year. He was nominated for two Grammys at Sunday's 51st annual awards but lost in both the best rap solo performance and best rap album categories.
The pair has been recording quietly in Los Angeles for the last several weeks. Nas' manager, Anthony Saleh, tells Billboard the project will most likely be released in the spring. It's not clear which label will release it; Nas is signed to Def Jam, while Marley records for Universal.
"We've been recording in a studio, where people like Mick Jagger are recording. No one knew who we were," Saleh says. "We're going to Miami this week to finish it up and we're aiming to tour for the album this summer."
In addition to its regular incarnation, the album may also be released in a special edition exclusively through Best Buy or Target. A portion of the proceeds will go toward building a school in Africa, though details are still being solidified.
As previously reported, Nas guests on a song on Dr. Dre's long-in-the-works "Detox" album, due sometime this year. He was nominated for two Grammys at Sunday's 51st annual awards but lost in both the best rap solo performance and best rap album categories.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
He's Just Not That Into You Tops Weekend Box Office
The ComingSoon.net Box Office Report has been updated with studio estimates for the weekend.
New Line/Warner Bros.' romantic comedy He's Just Not That Into You took over the box office with an estimated $27.5 million from 3,175 theaters. Directed by Ken Kwapis, the ensemble film stars Ben Affleck, Jennifer Aniston, Drew Barrymore, Jennifer Connelly, Kevin Connolly, Bradley Cooper, Ginnifer Goodwin, Scarlett Johansson, Kris Kristofferson and Justin Long. The film averaged $8,650 per location.
20th Century Fox's Taken, which last week topped the box office, dropped down one spot to second and lost just 17.9% in ticket sales. The Pierre Morel-directed action-thriller, starring Liam Neeson, Famke Janssen and Maggie Grace, added an impressive $20.3 million in its second week for a total of $53.4 million. The film was produced and co-written by Luc Besson.
Coming in at number three was Focus Features' Coraline, writer/director Henry Selick's 3D stop-motion adaptation of Neil Gaiman's book, with $16.3 million from 2,299 theaters. Featuring the voices of Dakota Fanning, Teri Hatcher, Dawn French, Jennifer Saunders and Ian McShane, the animated adventure averaged $7,105 per site.
Moviegoers were not as interested as Columbia Pictures had hoped in Steve Martin's return as Inspector Clouseau in The Pink Panther 2, which earned $12 million in fourth from 3,243 theaters. The first Steve Martin-starrer opened to $20.2 million in February of 2006.
Columbia also rounded out the top five with Paul Blart: Mall Cop, starring Kevin James. The comedy made $11 million in its fourth weekend and has reached a solid $97 million in total. It cost just $26 million to make.
Summit Entertainment's new action-thriller Push, with Chris Evans, Dakota Fanning, Camilla Belle and Djimon Hounsou, debuted in sixth place with $10.2 million from 2,313 theaters. Directed by Paul McGuigan, the film cost $38 million to produce.
New Line/Warner Bros.' romantic comedy He's Just Not That Into You took over the box office with an estimated $27.5 million from 3,175 theaters. Directed by Ken Kwapis, the ensemble film stars Ben Affleck, Jennifer Aniston, Drew Barrymore, Jennifer Connelly, Kevin Connolly, Bradley Cooper, Ginnifer Goodwin, Scarlett Johansson, Kris Kristofferson and Justin Long. The film averaged $8,650 per location.
20th Century Fox's Taken, which last week topped the box office, dropped down one spot to second and lost just 17.9% in ticket sales. The Pierre Morel-directed action-thriller, starring Liam Neeson, Famke Janssen and Maggie Grace, added an impressive $20.3 million in its second week for a total of $53.4 million. The film was produced and co-written by Luc Besson.
Coming in at number three was Focus Features' Coraline, writer/director Henry Selick's 3D stop-motion adaptation of Neil Gaiman's book, with $16.3 million from 2,299 theaters. Featuring the voices of Dakota Fanning, Teri Hatcher, Dawn French, Jennifer Saunders and Ian McShane, the animated adventure averaged $7,105 per site.
Moviegoers were not as interested as Columbia Pictures had hoped in Steve Martin's return as Inspector Clouseau in The Pink Panther 2, which earned $12 million in fourth from 3,243 theaters. The first Steve Martin-starrer opened to $20.2 million in February of 2006.
Columbia also rounded out the top five with Paul Blart: Mall Cop, starring Kevin James. The comedy made $11 million in its fourth weekend and has reached a solid $97 million in total. It cost just $26 million to make.
Summit Entertainment's new action-thriller Push, with Chris Evans, Dakota Fanning, Camilla Belle and Djimon Hounsou, debuted in sixth place with $10.2 million from 2,313 theaters. Directed by Paul McGuigan, the film cost $38 million to produce.
Weekly Ratings: 2/1 – 2/6
Sunday Ratings: Super Bowl XLIII Fails to Sack Last Year's Record High
NBC's coverage of Super Bowl XLIII averaged 95.4 million total viewers, making it the second-highest-rated Super Bowl of all time, according to updated Nielsen ratings.
The showdown between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Arizona Cardinals delivered a 42.1 rating and a 65 share, scoring highest in the Pittsburgh (duh), Norfolk, Va. and Jacksonville, Fla. markets, NBC said.
Last year's match-up between the Giants and Patriots was the most-watched Super Bowl ever, with an audience of 97.5 million. On the list of most-watched TV broadcasts in history, these past two Super Bowls place second and third behind the series finale of M*A*S*H (106 million viewers).
NBC's special broadcast of The Office tackled an audience of 22 million viewers. That's nearly double the comedy's previous record and represents the biggest viewership of any NBC entertainment telecast in more than four-and-a-half years (since the May 13, 2004 episode of ER).
Opposite the Super Bowl, ABC, CBS and Fox threw out almost entirely repeats. Fighting the good fight for the CW, meanwhile, was a broadcast of that ageless chestnut Throw Momma from the Train, which averaged 696,000 viewers.
Monday Ratings: Chuck Reaches Out and Touches a Season High
8 pm/ET
House won the hour with 14.75 million total viewers, dropping 810,000 from last week's season high. The Bachelor averaged 10.99 mil over its two-hour run (a new season high), but got bested by The Big Bang Theory and Two and a Half Men along the way. Speaking of CBS' sitcoms, Big Bang dipped 200K to 10.9 mil, while How I Met Your Mother (10.18 mil) slipped 580 thou. Chuck's Super Bowl-promoted 3-D outing delivered 8.35 mil, for its best audience of the season. Gossip Girl (2.27 mil) inched up a hair from its season low.
9 pm
Both CBS' Men (16.52 million viewers) and Worst Week (10.05 mil) each gained about 500K. At 11.28 mil, 24 was down 830K, while the opening of Heroes' "Fugitives" chapter (8.46 mil) surged nine percent from the "Villains" finale. (Also of note, Heroes notched its best audience since Oct. 20.) One Tree Hill held steady at 2.6 mil.
10 pm
CSI: Miami gained 10 percent to deliver its largest audience since the season premiere — 16 million viewers. Medium was welcomed back by 8.53 million (on par with its last season finale), while True Beauty (6.82 mil) dipped a well-coiffed hair.
Tuesday Ratings: Great Scott! Fringe Uncovers Another Big Audience
8 pm/ET
American Idol cued up another million total viewers week-to-week to top the hour with an audience of 26.28 mil. Trailing an NCIS repeat (14.36 mil), Biggest Loser averaged 10.5 mil over its two-hour run, shedding 500,000 viewers. Behind Homeland Security (5.68 mil), 90210 (2.44 mil) was up a hair.
9 pm
A repeat of The Mentalist won the hour with a cool 15 million viewers. In second, Fringe scared up its second-largest audience ever — 13.04 mil, up 900K —and matched its best delivery in key demos. The takeway here? Encourage costars to secretly marry. Averaging 4.8 mil across two episodes, Scrubs slipped 280 thou. Privileged inched up to 1.7 mil, its best audience since Nov. 11.
10 pm
Without a Trace dropped 760K but still bested SVU, 12 mil to 10.32 mil. (SVU, though, was No. 1 in the demos.) The answer to ABC's What Would You Do? (5.8 mil, down 500K) increasingly seems to be, "Watch the other networks."
Wednesday Ratings: Life Makes a Lively Comeback
8 pm/ET
American Idol eliminated 750,000 viewers, but of course still won the hour with an audience of 26.26 million. Lagging behind a Criminal Minds repeat, Knight Rider dropped off 19 percent of its previous audience, hitting 4.94 mil. ABC's enhanced Lost repeat drew 4.8 mil.
9 pm
Fox's Lie to Me stayed on top with 13 million viewers, up 900K from last week. Lost tied the Fox newbie in the demos while holding steady at 11 million viewers. NBC's Life returned to an audience of 6.76 mil, surging 30 percent from its last fresh outing. Katie Couric's Grammy special cued up 6.8 mil, but was bested by Life in its back half-hour.
10 pm
Law & Order won the time period with 8.7 million viewers, followed by a CSI: NY repeat (7.54 mil) and Life on Mars (6.02 mil, down 480 thou).
Thursday Ratings: Crossover Is Just What the Doctors Ordered!
8 pm/ET
Bones won the hour with 10.76 million total viewers, a gain of 760,000 from its Thursday time-slot premiere. Ugly Betty placed a distant second with 7.27 mil, dropping 270K. NBC's Earl and Kath & Kim both trailed CBS comedy repeats, delivering 6.16 mil (down 340K) and six mil (down 200K), respectively. Smallville slipped 300 thou, to 3.88 mil.
9 pm
With CSI taking a siesta, Grey's Anatomy surged 900K to deliver 15.2 million total viewers. While NBC's The Office (8.4 mil) dropped 340K from its last Thursday outing, 30 Rock (6.33 mil, and guest-starring a charming Jon Hamm) dipped only a hair. Supernatural (3.34 mil) slipped 240 thou (but how about that brotherly smackdown?!).
10 pm
Goosed by the onset of its multi-episode crossover with Grey's, Private Practice saw 13 million viewers — a 35 percent gain from its last typical outing, and exhibiting none-too-bad audience erosion over the hour. That nifty number also marks a season high and the spin-off's second-largest viewership ever. OK, let's throw this in, too — this week's Private delivered the best-ever retention (86 percent) for a telecast airing after Grey's. Hey, I'm just the messenger, Six Degrees and Notes from the Underbelly. Trailing an Eleventh Hour repeat, ER (7.3 mil) fell 400K.
Friday Ratings: Friday Night Lights Digs Up a Few More Fans
8 pm/ET
Ghost Whisperer was the night's most watched program, with 11.39 million total viewers (up 120K from its last fresh episode). Howie Do It continues to do less and less well, this week dropping to 4.36 mil (trailing Wife Swap). Everybody Hates Chris (1.36 mil) plunged 28 percent.
9 pm
A(nother?!) Flashpoint repeat topped the hour with 9.6 million viewers, followed by Supernanny (6.5 mil). Scoring 4.22 mil in its fourth week, Friday Night Lights enjoyed a five percent uptick. The CW's 13: Fear Is Real is really waning, dropping 16 percent to 840,000.
10 pm
Numbers won the hour with 10.18 million viewers, slipping six percent.
NBC's coverage of Super Bowl XLIII averaged 95.4 million total viewers, making it the second-highest-rated Super Bowl of all time, according to updated Nielsen ratings.
The showdown between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Arizona Cardinals delivered a 42.1 rating and a 65 share, scoring highest in the Pittsburgh (duh), Norfolk, Va. and Jacksonville, Fla. markets, NBC said.
Last year's match-up between the Giants and Patriots was the most-watched Super Bowl ever, with an audience of 97.5 million. On the list of most-watched TV broadcasts in history, these past two Super Bowls place second and third behind the series finale of M*A*S*H (106 million viewers).
NBC's special broadcast of The Office tackled an audience of 22 million viewers. That's nearly double the comedy's previous record and represents the biggest viewership of any NBC entertainment telecast in more than four-and-a-half years (since the May 13, 2004 episode of ER).
Opposite the Super Bowl, ABC, CBS and Fox threw out almost entirely repeats. Fighting the good fight for the CW, meanwhile, was a broadcast of that ageless chestnut Throw Momma from the Train, which averaged 696,000 viewers.
Monday Ratings: Chuck Reaches Out and Touches a Season High
8 pm/ET
House won the hour with 14.75 million total viewers, dropping 810,000 from last week's season high. The Bachelor averaged 10.99 mil over its two-hour run (a new season high), but got bested by The Big Bang Theory and Two and a Half Men along the way. Speaking of CBS' sitcoms, Big Bang dipped 200K to 10.9 mil, while How I Met Your Mother (10.18 mil) slipped 580 thou. Chuck's Super Bowl-promoted 3-D outing delivered 8.35 mil, for its best audience of the season. Gossip Girl (2.27 mil) inched up a hair from its season low.
9 pm
Both CBS' Men (16.52 million viewers) and Worst Week (10.05 mil) each gained about 500K. At 11.28 mil, 24 was down 830K, while the opening of Heroes' "Fugitives" chapter (8.46 mil) surged nine percent from the "Villains" finale. (Also of note, Heroes notched its best audience since Oct. 20.) One Tree Hill held steady at 2.6 mil.
10 pm
CSI: Miami gained 10 percent to deliver its largest audience since the season premiere — 16 million viewers. Medium was welcomed back by 8.53 million (on par with its last season finale), while True Beauty (6.82 mil) dipped a well-coiffed hair.
Tuesday Ratings: Great Scott! Fringe Uncovers Another Big Audience
8 pm/ET
American Idol cued up another million total viewers week-to-week to top the hour with an audience of 26.28 mil. Trailing an NCIS repeat (14.36 mil), Biggest Loser averaged 10.5 mil over its two-hour run, shedding 500,000 viewers. Behind Homeland Security (5.68 mil), 90210 (2.44 mil) was up a hair.
9 pm
A repeat of The Mentalist won the hour with a cool 15 million viewers. In second, Fringe scared up its second-largest audience ever — 13.04 mil, up 900K —and matched its best delivery in key demos. The takeway here? Encourage costars to secretly marry. Averaging 4.8 mil across two episodes, Scrubs slipped 280 thou. Privileged inched up to 1.7 mil, its best audience since Nov. 11.
10 pm
Without a Trace dropped 760K but still bested SVU, 12 mil to 10.32 mil. (SVU, though, was No. 1 in the demos.) The answer to ABC's What Would You Do? (5.8 mil, down 500K) increasingly seems to be, "Watch the other networks."
Wednesday Ratings: Life Makes a Lively Comeback
8 pm/ET
American Idol eliminated 750,000 viewers, but of course still won the hour with an audience of 26.26 million. Lagging behind a Criminal Minds repeat, Knight Rider dropped off 19 percent of its previous audience, hitting 4.94 mil. ABC's enhanced Lost repeat drew 4.8 mil.
9 pm
Fox's Lie to Me stayed on top with 13 million viewers, up 900K from last week. Lost tied the Fox newbie in the demos while holding steady at 11 million viewers. NBC's Life returned to an audience of 6.76 mil, surging 30 percent from its last fresh outing. Katie Couric's Grammy special cued up 6.8 mil, but was bested by Life in its back half-hour.
10 pm
Law & Order won the time period with 8.7 million viewers, followed by a CSI: NY repeat (7.54 mil) and Life on Mars (6.02 mil, down 480 thou).
Thursday Ratings: Crossover Is Just What the Doctors Ordered!
8 pm/ET
Bones won the hour with 10.76 million total viewers, a gain of 760,000 from its Thursday time-slot premiere. Ugly Betty placed a distant second with 7.27 mil, dropping 270K. NBC's Earl and Kath & Kim both trailed CBS comedy repeats, delivering 6.16 mil (down 340K) and six mil (down 200K), respectively. Smallville slipped 300 thou, to 3.88 mil.
9 pm
With CSI taking a siesta, Grey's Anatomy surged 900K to deliver 15.2 million total viewers. While NBC's The Office (8.4 mil) dropped 340K from its last Thursday outing, 30 Rock (6.33 mil, and guest-starring a charming Jon Hamm) dipped only a hair. Supernatural (3.34 mil) slipped 240 thou (but how about that brotherly smackdown?!).
10 pm
Goosed by the onset of its multi-episode crossover with Grey's, Private Practice saw 13 million viewers — a 35 percent gain from its last typical outing, and exhibiting none-too-bad audience erosion over the hour. That nifty number also marks a season high and the spin-off's second-largest viewership ever. OK, let's throw this in, too — this week's Private delivered the best-ever retention (86 percent) for a telecast airing after Grey's. Hey, I'm just the messenger, Six Degrees and Notes from the Underbelly. Trailing an Eleventh Hour repeat, ER (7.3 mil) fell 400K.
Friday Ratings: Friday Night Lights Digs Up a Few More Fans
8 pm/ET
Ghost Whisperer was the night's most watched program, with 11.39 million total viewers (up 120K from its last fresh episode). Howie Do It continues to do less and less well, this week dropping to 4.36 mil (trailing Wife Swap). Everybody Hates Chris (1.36 mil) plunged 28 percent.
9 pm
A(nother?!) Flashpoint repeat topped the hour with 9.6 million viewers, followed by Supernanny (6.5 mil). Scoring 4.22 mil in its fourth week, Friday Night Lights enjoyed a five percent uptick. The CW's 13: Fear Is Real is really waning, dropping 16 percent to 840,000.
10 pm
Numbers won the hour with 10.18 million viewers, slipping six percent.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
From the Guy Who Wrote Tropic Thunder Comes… Candy Land: The Movie?
Yes, Universal Pictures is moving forward with their big screen adaptation of the Milton Bradley board game Candy Land. You remember the game right? I think everyone must have owned or played it as a kid, or at least the people of the 70’s-80’s generation. And it would be easy to poo-poo the idea of a big screen movie entirely. I could write a blog post about how Hollywood has run out of ideas in my sleep. Problem is, Universal actually hired some talented people to develop this project. It’s kinda like how Ridley Scott is attached to direct a Monopoly movie. You want to slam the idea entirely, but the people involved make you take a step back.
According to Variety, Enchanted director Kevin Lima is attached to direct Candy Land, based on a screenplay by Etan Cohen. Talk about a weird bunch of guys to hire to adapt a movie based on a board game.
And before you give me an earful, let me first give you a disclaimer: I’m not saying this movie is going to be good, I’m just saying I’m strangely interested due to the talent involved. I mean, the guy who was a writer on Beavis and Butt-head and King of the Hill is involved. He wrote both Tropic Thunder and Idiocracy. And Enchanted was the type of movie I should of hated but ended up falling in love with. It’s just… weird.
According to Variety, Enchanted director Kevin Lima is attached to direct Candy Land, based on a screenplay by Etan Cohen. Talk about a weird bunch of guys to hire to adapt a movie based on a board game.
And before you give me an earful, let me first give you a disclaimer: I’m not saying this movie is going to be good, I’m just saying I’m strangely interested due to the talent involved. I mean, the guy who was a writer on Beavis and Butt-head and King of the Hill is involved. He wrote both Tropic Thunder and Idiocracy. And Enchanted was the type of movie I should of hated but ended up falling in love with. It’s just… weird.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Warner Bros Wants Seven Batman Movies
While the sequel to The Dark Knight is just in the beginning stages of development, Warner Bros is already looking much further down the line. During today’s Time Warner earnings call, CEO Jeff Bewkes compared the Batman series to the Harry Potter film franchise, saying that they hope to release a long line of sequels.
“We look at Harry Potter. It’s fantastic to have franchises that last that long. We want to do that with Batman and Superman and perhaps Sherlock Holmes. The sequels are as good, with new characters added, as were the originals. That wasn’t the case in the years ago. Warners has more tentpoles as an on-going strategy that very much lifts its distribution and performance. We think that’s going to hold up our slate in the 2009 - 2010 period. We’ve got four more big tentpoles coming this year.”
I kinda get the impression that if Christopher Nolan does a third Batman film, it will probably be his last. He seems like a filmmaker that wants to move on to his own passion projects, and while Warner Bros has been very patient with him in regards to a Dark Knight sequel, the studio/company is clearly looking much further down the line. Warner Bros wants to make a lot more Batman movies? I know, this is a pretty obvious story, but it’s the first time that Time Warner/Warner Bros has said publicly that they are looking beyond the next film.
I know Zack Snyder has expressed interest in filming an adaptation of The Dark Knight Returns, and even got Frank Miller’s blessing at Comic Con last year. If Nolan isn’t interested in making a fourth Batman film, I would love to see Warner Bros take the leap and do the alternative future story with Snyder in the director’s seat. That way you could give the A-team (cast and crew) behind the Batman Begins, The Dark Knight and Batman 3 a break and still make another Batman flick. Sounds like a much better idea than possibility tanting the franchise with a Justice League movie featuring a recast younger Bruce Wayne.
“We look at Harry Potter. It’s fantastic to have franchises that last that long. We want to do that with Batman and Superman and perhaps Sherlock Holmes. The sequels are as good, with new characters added, as were the originals. That wasn’t the case in the years ago. Warners has more tentpoles as an on-going strategy that very much lifts its distribution and performance. We think that’s going to hold up our slate in the 2009 - 2010 period. We’ve got four more big tentpoles coming this year.”
I kinda get the impression that if Christopher Nolan does a third Batman film, it will probably be his last. He seems like a filmmaker that wants to move on to his own passion projects, and while Warner Bros has been very patient with him in regards to a Dark Knight sequel, the studio/company is clearly looking much further down the line. Warner Bros wants to make a lot more Batman movies? I know, this is a pretty obvious story, but it’s the first time that Time Warner/Warner Bros has said publicly that they are looking beyond the next film.
I know Zack Snyder has expressed interest in filming an adaptation of The Dark Knight Returns, and even got Frank Miller’s blessing at Comic Con last year. If Nolan isn’t interested in making a fourth Batman film, I would love to see Warner Bros take the leap and do the alternative future story with Snyder in the director’s seat. That way you could give the A-team (cast and crew) behind the Batman Begins, The Dark Knight and Batman 3 a break and still make another Batman flick. Sounds like a much better idea than possibility tanting the franchise with a Justice League movie featuring a recast younger Bruce Wayne.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Universal, Parisot Remaking Slap Shot
Universal Pictures has set Dean Parisot (Fun With Dick and Jane) to direct a remake of the 1977 hockey comedy classic Slap Shot.
Peter Steinfeld ("21") is writing the script; Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall will produce.
The original starred Paul Newman as the fading player/coach of a minor league hockey team. Trying to hype the Charlestown Chiefs for a possible move South, the coach ramps up interest by turning his team into a group of brawling thugs.
Peter Steinfeld ("21") is writing the script; Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall will produce.
The original starred Paul Newman as the fading player/coach of a minor league hockey team. Trying to hype the Charlestown Chiefs for a possible move South, the coach ramps up interest by turning his team into a group of brawling thugs.
Clooney and Sorkin Take The Challenge
Warner Bros. Pictures has set Aaron Sorkin to write The Challenge, a courtroom drama for George Clooney's Smoke House, reports Variety.
Clooney is producing with Smoke House partner Grant Heslov. Clooney may direct and hopes to play Navy lawyer Charles Swift in the drama about the effort by Swift and Georgetown U. law professor Neal Katyal to ensure a fair trial for Osama bin Laden's driver, Salim Hamdan, who'd been held at Guantanamo Bay for five years.
WB and Smoke House got started on the project over the summer by optioning Jonathan Mahler book "The Challenge: Hamdan v. Rumsfeld and the Fight Over Presidential Power."
The trade adds that the courtroom drama wouldn't debate Hamdan's guilt or innocence but chart the dogged efforts of the two lawyers who sue the president because they feel the U.S. government has broken the law and violated the Constitution.
Clooney is producing with Smoke House partner Grant Heslov. Clooney may direct and hopes to play Navy lawyer Charles Swift in the drama about the effort by Swift and Georgetown U. law professor Neal Katyal to ensure a fair trial for Osama bin Laden's driver, Salim Hamdan, who'd been held at Guantanamo Bay for five years.
WB and Smoke House got started on the project over the summer by optioning Jonathan Mahler book "The Challenge: Hamdan v. Rumsfeld and the Fight Over Presidential Power."
The trade adds that the courtroom drama wouldn't debate Hamdan's guilt or innocence but chart the dogged efforts of the two lawyers who sue the president because they feel the U.S. government has broken the law and violated the Constitution.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Box Office Taken by Liam Neeson's Angry Dad
The ComingSoon.net Box Office Report has been updated with studio estimates for the weekend.
After two weeks at #1, Kevin James' Paul Blart: Mall Cop (Sony) was dethroned by an unlikely action-thriller produced and co-written by Luc Besson. Starring Oscar-nominated actor Liam Neeson, the high concept action thriller Taken exceeded expectations for Super Bowl weekend by grossing an estimated $24.6 million out of the gate in 3,183 theaters. Having been released last year just about everywhere except for the United States and Canada, the movie which features Neeson as a former government operative whose daughter Maggie Grace is kidnapped while on holiday, was able to build upon early buzz from other territories as well as strong commercials.
Dropping to second place, the family comedy Paul Blart: Mall Cop brought in a respectable $14 million in its third weekend to bring its total box office to $83.4 million.
In the past, horror movies have done very well over Super Bowl weekend, justifying DreamWorks' release of the ghostly The Uninvited, although it only made $10.5 million in its moderate release into 2,344 theaters, not exactly making waves compared to past Super Bowl horror offerings.
The family comedy Hotel for Dogs (DreamWorks) continued to be unstoppable, as it held onto fourth place for a second weekend with $8.7 million to bring its total box office to $48 million.
Clint Eastwood's highest-grossing movie to date Gran Torino (Warner Bros.) dropped down to fifth place, just $100 thousand behind the canine comedy, with a total gross of $110 million amassed since opening in December.
Danny Boyle received a coveted honor from his peers in the Directors' Guild (DGA) yesterday for his work helming the Mumbai epic Slumdog Millionaire (Fox Searchlight), which showed the smallest drop-off for a movie in the Top 10, adding another $7.7 million to its total gross of $67 million in sixth place.
The dark action prequel Underworld: Rise of the Lycans (Screen Gems) took a massive tumble in its second weekend with the prospect of facing two strong new genre movies. It dropped from 2nd to 7th place with a weekend gross of $7.2 million and $33 million total.
Renée Zellweger and Harry Connick Jr. were paired in the fish out of water romantic comedy New in Town (Lionsgate), which brought in a mere $6.8 million in its opening weekend in less than 2,000 theaters, averaging less than $3,500 per site.
The top 10 was rounded out by Lionsgate's horror remake My Bloody Valentine 3D and the New Line fantasy film Inkheart with $4.3 and $3.7 million, respectively.
Three Oscar-nominated movies expanded nationwide this weekend with Stephen Daldry's The Reader, starring Kate Winslet, coming out just ahead of Darren Aronofsky's The Wrestler, starring Mickey Rourke, both earning roughly $2.4 million over the weekend.
Having already been playing in many cities since Thanksgiving, Gus Van Sant's Milk finally expanded nationwide into 882 theatres, hoping to capitalize on its own Oscar nominations, but ended up in 18th place with just $1.4 million.
After two weeks at #1, Kevin James' Paul Blart: Mall Cop (Sony) was dethroned by an unlikely action-thriller produced and co-written by Luc Besson. Starring Oscar-nominated actor Liam Neeson, the high concept action thriller Taken exceeded expectations for Super Bowl weekend by grossing an estimated $24.6 million out of the gate in 3,183 theaters. Having been released last year just about everywhere except for the United States and Canada, the movie which features Neeson as a former government operative whose daughter Maggie Grace is kidnapped while on holiday, was able to build upon early buzz from other territories as well as strong commercials.
Dropping to second place, the family comedy Paul Blart: Mall Cop brought in a respectable $14 million in its third weekend to bring its total box office to $83.4 million.
In the past, horror movies have done very well over Super Bowl weekend, justifying DreamWorks' release of the ghostly The Uninvited, although it only made $10.5 million in its moderate release into 2,344 theaters, not exactly making waves compared to past Super Bowl horror offerings.
The family comedy Hotel for Dogs (DreamWorks) continued to be unstoppable, as it held onto fourth place for a second weekend with $8.7 million to bring its total box office to $48 million.
Clint Eastwood's highest-grossing movie to date Gran Torino (Warner Bros.) dropped down to fifth place, just $100 thousand behind the canine comedy, with a total gross of $110 million amassed since opening in December.
Danny Boyle received a coveted honor from his peers in the Directors' Guild (DGA) yesterday for his work helming the Mumbai epic Slumdog Millionaire (Fox Searchlight), which showed the smallest drop-off for a movie in the Top 10, adding another $7.7 million to its total gross of $67 million in sixth place.
The dark action prequel Underworld: Rise of the Lycans (Screen Gems) took a massive tumble in its second weekend with the prospect of facing two strong new genre movies. It dropped from 2nd to 7th place with a weekend gross of $7.2 million and $33 million total.
Renée Zellweger and Harry Connick Jr. were paired in the fish out of water romantic comedy New in Town (Lionsgate), which brought in a mere $6.8 million in its opening weekend in less than 2,000 theaters, averaging less than $3,500 per site.
The top 10 was rounded out by Lionsgate's horror remake My Bloody Valentine 3D and the New Line fantasy film Inkheart with $4.3 and $3.7 million, respectively.
Three Oscar-nominated movies expanded nationwide this weekend with Stephen Daldry's The Reader, starring Kate Winslet, coming out just ahead of Darren Aronofsky's The Wrestler, starring Mickey Rourke, both earning roughly $2.4 million over the weekend.
Having already been playing in many cities since Thanksgiving, Gus Van Sant's Milk finally expanded nationwide into 882 theatres, hoping to capitalize on its own Oscar nominations, but ended up in 18th place with just $1.4 million.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Weekly Ratings: 1/25 – 1/30
Sunday Ratings: CBS Sweeps with a Hot Case and Good Loving
7 pm/ET
60 Minutes dominated with an audience of 14.16 million, kicking off the Eye's Sunday sweep in total viewers. ABC, however, led each hour in the 18-49 demo.
8 pm
An early airing of Cold Case topped the pack with 13.33 million viewers (up eight percent from its last fresh outing). Extreme Makeover: Home Edition's mission to makeover an entire town averaged 11.6 mil over its two-hour run.
9 pm
The battle of the TV-movies pitted CBS/Hallmark's Loving Leah against the first half of NBC's The Last Templar mini. With both trailing Extreme Makeover, Leah claimed second with 11.7 million viewers. Templar took third with 9.85 mil.
10 pm
A repeat of Housewives' moving 100th episode drew 6.6 mil, and bested both Leah and Last Templar in demos.
Monday Ratings: House Hits New High, 24 Keeps Ticking
8 pm/ET
House repeated as champ, delivering a new season high of 15.56 million total viewers ((up 800K week-to-week). And next week's episode? Very powerful stuff. The Bachelor similarly enjoyed a season's best — 10.58 mil, up 670 thousand. Superstars of Dance placed fourth (behind CBS comedy repeats) with 6.7 mil (up 260K).
9 pm
24 inched up a bit to best nearly all comers (save for a Two and a Half Men repeat) with an audience of 12.13 million. (That President Taylor gives a damn fine pep talk, doesn't she? Top Moment, I say!) Part 2 of NBC's The Last Templar miniseries dug up 8.27 million viewers, down 16 percent from its Sunday premiere.
10 pm
Trailing both a CSI: Miami repeat and The Last Templar, ABC's True Beauty attracted seven million viewers (up 18 percent).
Tuesday Ratings: Scrubs Comes to Life as Mentalist Sits
8 pm/ET
American Idol led the night with 25.2 million total viewers, a 12-percent increase over last week's Obama-cized setback. NCIS placed a strong second with 19 mil, up 500K. The Biggest Loser gained eight percent, weighing in with an audience of 11 mil.
9 pm
A Mentalist repeat won the hour, copping 15.13 million viewers. Placing third (behind Biggest Loser) was Fringe, which matched last week's 12.1 mil. Scrubs surged 13 percent, averaging 5.08 mil across back-to-back episodes. ("What is Elmo, a seal?")
10 pm
Without a Trace topped the hour with 12.8 million viewers, up 400K. An SVU repeat (7.1 mil) bested ABC's What Would You Do? thingamabob (6.3 mil).
Wednesday Ratings: Lost, Lie to Me, Life on Mars and More
8 pm/ET
American Idol — which had better provide daycare in Hollywood! — led the pack with nearly 27 million total viewers, a week-to-week gain of 1.57 mil. Katie Couric's prime-time news foray drew 6.45 mil. Knight Rider revved up 22 percent to deliver 6.13 mil, its biggest audience since Oct. 22.
9 pm
Bolstered by its Idol lead-in, the nonetheless entertaining Lie to Me led with 12.11 million viewers, down a mil from its premiere. Lost was No. 1 in demos and drew 11.07 million, dipping just 300K from its season opener.
10 pm
Trailing a CSI: NY repeat, Law & Order delivered 8.89 million viewers, up 500K. Life on Mars returned to an audience of 6.5 mil, down 18 percent from its ages-ago last fresh episode.
Thursday Ratings: CSI Bounces Back, and a Super 'Natural
8 pm/ET
A special Thursday blast of American Idol was special indeed, topping the night with 24.27 million total viewers. Coming in fourth — and besting an Ugly Betty repeat — was Smallville, which at 4.18 mil was up 10 percent week-to-week.
9 pm
With Grey's Anatomy on bed rest, CSI bounced back from last week's grim Grissom-less debut to deliver 20.08 million viewers (up 15 percent). Hell's Kitchen placed second with 11.08 mil. Supernatural's "After School Special" got excellent grades, scoring the series' second-best audience of the season — 3.58 mil (up 18 percent).
10 pm
Eleventh Hour won the hour with 12.7 million viewers, up 400K. Handicapped by the Grey's repeat/weak lead-in, Private Practice (7.67 mil) plunged 20 percent.
Friday Ratings: Friday Night Lights Holds Steady
8 pm/ET
Behind a Ghost Whisperer repeat, Howie Do It stayed in second, but dipped another five percent (to 5.24 million total viewers). Wife Swap claimed third with 5.05 mil. Opposite decreased competition, both Everybody Hates Chris and The Game enjoyed gains of about 300K, each hitting 1.9 mil.
9 pm
A Flashpoint repeat was the night's most watched program, with 8.44 million viewers. Trailing the first hour of 20/20, Friday Night Lights put up numbers on par with its second episode — about four mil. Now airing Fridays, the CW's 13: Fear Is Real scared up just over a mil.
10 pm
A not-new Numbers topped the hour with 7.44 mil, besting 20/20's second hour and Dateline.
7 pm/ET
60 Minutes dominated with an audience of 14.16 million, kicking off the Eye's Sunday sweep in total viewers. ABC, however, led each hour in the 18-49 demo.
8 pm
An early airing of Cold Case topped the pack with 13.33 million viewers (up eight percent from its last fresh outing). Extreme Makeover: Home Edition's mission to makeover an entire town averaged 11.6 mil over its two-hour run.
9 pm
The battle of the TV-movies pitted CBS/Hallmark's Loving Leah against the first half of NBC's The Last Templar mini. With both trailing Extreme Makeover, Leah claimed second with 11.7 million viewers. Templar took third with 9.85 mil.
10 pm
A repeat of Housewives' moving 100th episode drew 6.6 mil, and bested both Leah and Last Templar in demos.
Monday Ratings: House Hits New High, 24 Keeps Ticking
8 pm/ET
House repeated as champ, delivering a new season high of 15.56 million total viewers ((up 800K week-to-week). And next week's episode? Very powerful stuff. The Bachelor similarly enjoyed a season's best — 10.58 mil, up 670 thousand. Superstars of Dance placed fourth (behind CBS comedy repeats) with 6.7 mil (up 260K).
9 pm
24 inched up a bit to best nearly all comers (save for a Two and a Half Men repeat) with an audience of 12.13 million. (That President Taylor gives a damn fine pep talk, doesn't she? Top Moment, I say!) Part 2 of NBC's The Last Templar miniseries dug up 8.27 million viewers, down 16 percent from its Sunday premiere.
10 pm
Trailing both a CSI: Miami repeat and The Last Templar, ABC's True Beauty attracted seven million viewers (up 18 percent).
Tuesday Ratings: Scrubs Comes to Life as Mentalist Sits
8 pm/ET
American Idol led the night with 25.2 million total viewers, a 12-percent increase over last week's Obama-cized setback. NCIS placed a strong second with 19 mil, up 500K. The Biggest Loser gained eight percent, weighing in with an audience of 11 mil.
9 pm
A Mentalist repeat won the hour, copping 15.13 million viewers. Placing third (behind Biggest Loser) was Fringe, which matched last week's 12.1 mil. Scrubs surged 13 percent, averaging 5.08 mil across back-to-back episodes. ("What is Elmo, a seal?")
10 pm
Without a Trace topped the hour with 12.8 million viewers, up 400K. An SVU repeat (7.1 mil) bested ABC's What Would You Do? thingamabob (6.3 mil).
Wednesday Ratings: Lost, Lie to Me, Life on Mars and More
8 pm/ET
American Idol — which had better provide daycare in Hollywood! — led the pack with nearly 27 million total viewers, a week-to-week gain of 1.57 mil. Katie Couric's prime-time news foray drew 6.45 mil. Knight Rider revved up 22 percent to deliver 6.13 mil, its biggest audience since Oct. 22.
9 pm
Bolstered by its Idol lead-in, the nonetheless entertaining Lie to Me led with 12.11 million viewers, down a mil from its premiere. Lost was No. 1 in demos and drew 11.07 million, dipping just 300K from its season opener.
10 pm
Trailing a CSI: NY repeat, Law & Order delivered 8.89 million viewers, up 500K. Life on Mars returned to an audience of 6.5 mil, down 18 percent from its ages-ago last fresh episode.
Thursday Ratings: CSI Bounces Back, and a Super 'Natural
8 pm/ET
A special Thursday blast of American Idol was special indeed, topping the night with 24.27 million total viewers. Coming in fourth — and besting an Ugly Betty repeat — was Smallville, which at 4.18 mil was up 10 percent week-to-week.
9 pm
With Grey's Anatomy on bed rest, CSI bounced back from last week's grim Grissom-less debut to deliver 20.08 million viewers (up 15 percent). Hell's Kitchen placed second with 11.08 mil. Supernatural's "After School Special" got excellent grades, scoring the series' second-best audience of the season — 3.58 mil (up 18 percent).
10 pm
Eleventh Hour won the hour with 12.7 million viewers, up 400K. Handicapped by the Grey's repeat/weak lead-in, Private Practice (7.67 mil) plunged 20 percent.
Friday Ratings: Friday Night Lights Holds Steady
8 pm/ET
Behind a Ghost Whisperer repeat, Howie Do It stayed in second, but dipped another five percent (to 5.24 million total viewers). Wife Swap claimed third with 5.05 mil. Opposite decreased competition, both Everybody Hates Chris and The Game enjoyed gains of about 300K, each hitting 1.9 mil.
9 pm
A Flashpoint repeat was the night's most watched program, with 8.44 million viewers. Trailing the first hour of 20/20, Friday Night Lights put up numbers on par with its second episode — about four mil. Now airing Fridays, the CW's 13: Fear Is Real scared up just over a mil.
10 pm
A not-new Numbers topped the hour with 7.44 mil, besting 20/20's second hour and Dateline.
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