These are troubling times for America—unemployment is on the rise, and entire industries face their end—but one thing we geeks have had to look forward to in the next few years is everyone’s favorite bad motherfucker himself, Samuel L. Jackson, as Nick Fury. Now it seems we may even be robbed of that one slice of happiness. In an interview today over at the LA Times blog Hero Complex, Jackson hints that all is not well at Marvel, and that his role as Nick Fury is anything but a sure thing at this point.
In response to the character’s appearance in Iron Man 2, Captain America, and The Avengers, he says that the role may be recast (with a cheaper actor of course), or Fury may not appear at all. Jackson elaborates further:
"I saw ['Iron Man' and 'Iron Man 2' director] Jon Favreau at the Scream Awards and we had a conversation. He said, ‘I hope things are working out for you because we’re writing stuff for you.’ Then all of a sudden last week I talked to my agents and manager and things aren’t really working that well.
There was a huge kind of negotiation that broke down. I don’t know. Maybe I won’t be Nick Fury. Maybe somebody else will be Nick Fury or maybe Nick Fury won’t be in it. There seems to be an economic crisis in the Marvel Comics world so [they're saying to me], ‘We’re not making that deal.’"
Of course Marvel is not alone in the economic crisis, but they certainly seem to enjoy kicking their fans in the balls when it comes to cutting costs. First we had Terrence Howard replaced with Don Cheadle in Iron Man 2, and now this?
I’ll save my unfiltered vitriol for further developments on this news, but for now I’ll say this: There should be no discussion Marvel. Samuel L. Jackson is the best actor for the role (the resemblance of Ultimates Nick Fury to Jackson is what we in the biz call a big fucking hint). And if it’s a cost issue, I suggest you look back at the release of Iron Man and see just how much audiences were excited by Jackson’s 10 seconds of screen time.
Getting him in the future Marvel films at this point should be your top priority. Lose him, and you’ll lose much of the goodwill you’ve built up this year.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Exclusive: Mark Hoppus Announces Solo Plans, Puts +44 To Bed
'I've been in the studio every week writing songs with the intention of putting out a record of my own,' former Blink-182 member tells MTV News.
Earlier this week, Mark Hoppus piqued the interested of Blink-182 fans everywhere when he told MTV News that he had been talking to former bandmate Tom DeLonge "several times a day," and when it came to the possibility of a reunion, "the future is wide open."
Of course, those answers only led to more questions.
Because while a Blink reunion would be amazing, it still sounds like a long shot. And while fans wait for the pieces to fall into place, they're still clamoring for new music from Hoppus and Travis Barker's other band, +44, who haven't made a peep since releasing their debut, When Your Heart Stops Beating, in late 2006.
So what's the deal with +44? When MTV News spoke with Hoppus backstage at the Woodie Awards in New York, why did he go to such great lengths to not mention the band by name? Is the group finished?
In part two of our exclusive interview with Hoppus, we get the answer to that question ... and a few others. And if you're expecting a new +44 album anytime soon, well, you might be out of luck.
On The Future of +44: "To answer your question about the interview at the Woodies — and, by the way, I want to thank everyone at MTV for choosing the most flattering photos possible to go in the article — the reason I wasn't able to answer with a great deal of specificity is that I didn't really know how to say what was going to happen. Since late August of last year, I've been in the studio every week writing songs with the intention of putting out a record of my own. As of this week, I've got about 10 songs in various stages of completion and another 10 ideas that I still want to work on. ... By the way, this interview will be the first time many people at the label are going to hear about the possibility of me doing an album on my own. Hi, Interscope!"
On Going Solo (Sort Of): "Travis has played on a bunch of [my]tracks, and he's working on his own album as well. We totally support each other in whatever we're doing. He's like a brother to me. I see him in our studio every week, and we'll be in the room of the studio he's working in, listening to stuff he's recorded, or he'll come into the room where I'm working and check out my songs. He's played on a bunch of them, and he's asked if I'll play on some of his songs. We collaborate and give each other ideas and support. That's what I meant when I said [in the interview at the Woodies], 'No matter what I work on, Travis will be a part of it.' "
On Just When We'll Get to Hear His Music: "Well, I just co-wrote a song for a movie coming out called 'Fired Up,' [and] the New Found Glory record I produced comes out soon, and I'm super proud of that. Those guys wrote a great album, and I think people will be blown away. There are a bunch of collaborations, producing offers and film and TV projects that I'm working on as well."
Earlier this week, Mark Hoppus piqued the interested of Blink-182 fans everywhere when he told MTV News that he had been talking to former bandmate Tom DeLonge "several times a day," and when it came to the possibility of a reunion, "the future is wide open."
Of course, those answers only led to more questions.
Because while a Blink reunion would be amazing, it still sounds like a long shot. And while fans wait for the pieces to fall into place, they're still clamoring for new music from Hoppus and Travis Barker's other band, +44, who haven't made a peep since releasing their debut, When Your Heart Stops Beating, in late 2006.
So what's the deal with +44? When MTV News spoke with Hoppus backstage at the Woodie Awards in New York, why did he go to such great lengths to not mention the band by name? Is the group finished?
In part two of our exclusive interview with Hoppus, we get the answer to that question ... and a few others. And if you're expecting a new +44 album anytime soon, well, you might be out of luck.
On The Future of +44: "To answer your question about the interview at the Woodies — and, by the way, I want to thank everyone at MTV for choosing the most flattering photos possible to go in the article — the reason I wasn't able to answer with a great deal of specificity is that I didn't really know how to say what was going to happen. Since late August of last year, I've been in the studio every week writing songs with the intention of putting out a record of my own. As of this week, I've got about 10 songs in various stages of completion and another 10 ideas that I still want to work on. ... By the way, this interview will be the first time many people at the label are going to hear about the possibility of me doing an album on my own. Hi, Interscope!"
On Going Solo (Sort Of): "Travis has played on a bunch of [my]tracks, and he's working on his own album as well. We totally support each other in whatever we're doing. He's like a brother to me. I see him in our studio every week, and we'll be in the room of the studio he's working in, listening to stuff he's recorded, or he'll come into the room where I'm working and check out my songs. He's played on a bunch of them, and he's asked if I'll play on some of his songs. We collaborate and give each other ideas and support. That's what I meant when I said [in the interview at the Woodies], 'No matter what I work on, Travis will be a part of it.' "
On Just When We'll Get to Hear His Music: "Well, I just co-wrote a song for a movie coming out called 'Fired Up,' [and] the New Found Glory record I produced comes out soon, and I'm super proud of that. Those guys wrote a great album, and I think people will be blown away. There are a bunch of collaborations, producing offers and film and TV projects that I'm working on as well."
Pushing Daisies Movie a Possibility, Chenoweth Says
Bad news and very good news for Pushing Daisies fans, straight from star Kristin Chenoweth: The final episodes, when and if they eventually air, won't resolve all of the plotlines on the show — but show creator Brian Fuller has an idea for a movie that would.
"It would wrap up a lot of the unanswered questions that people will have once they finally air our final episodes," the singer-actress told TVGuide.com.
And is Fuller pushing ABC to air those episodes?
"It's way too good to push on somebody," she said. "You either air it and let the world see it or — you know, that show, I'm sorry if it sounds arrogant, but it's the best thing ever."
Fuller himself hinted at the possibility at a recent appearance at the Paley Center for Media in Beverly Hills, where he also talked about his longstanding idea of resolving the story in comic-book form.
If the movie goes ahead, Chenoweth says she's in — and she believes her Daisies castmates would be as well.
"I'm sure that Brian Fuller wouldn't do it without the six main characters," she said. "Paul Reubens was a big part of it — we have certain guest stars that are standouts that we'd want back. But he has such a great idea for it. ... We all want to."
Fuller is returning to Heroes, his former show, and has written a part for Daisies alum Swoozie Kurtz.
Chenoweth, meanwhile, is moving on to David E. Kelley new legal pilot, Legally Mad.
"My character is Skippy Pylon — I love the name — she's the smartest lawyer in the firm, but she's insane. She's crazy. So it'll be very different from Olive. It's also going to be very fun for me to play that kind of part — someone who will just let a judge have it."
"It would wrap up a lot of the unanswered questions that people will have once they finally air our final episodes," the singer-actress told TVGuide.com.
And is Fuller pushing ABC to air those episodes?
"It's way too good to push on somebody," she said. "You either air it and let the world see it or — you know, that show, I'm sorry if it sounds arrogant, but it's the best thing ever."
Fuller himself hinted at the possibility at a recent appearance at the Paley Center for Media in Beverly Hills, where he also talked about his longstanding idea of resolving the story in comic-book form.
If the movie goes ahead, Chenoweth says she's in — and she believes her Daisies castmates would be as well.
"I'm sure that Brian Fuller wouldn't do it without the six main characters," she said. "Paul Reubens was a big part of it — we have certain guest stars that are standouts that we'd want back. But he has such a great idea for it. ... We all want to."
Fuller is returning to Heroes, his former show, and has written a part for Daisies alum Swoozie Kurtz.
Chenoweth, meanwhile, is moving on to David E. Kelley new legal pilot, Legally Mad.
"My character is Skippy Pylon — I love the name — she's the smartest lawyer in the firm, but she's insane. She's crazy. So it'll be very different from Olive. It's also going to be very fun for me to play that kind of part — someone who will just let a judge have it."
TNT Greenlights Ray Romano's Men of a Certain Age
Ray Romano's return to TV is official.
After greenlighting new series from Jerry Bruckheimer and Jada Pinkett Smith last week, TNT is giving the go-ahead to Romano's character dramedy Men of a Certain Age, according to Variety.
The series, starring Romano, Andre Braugher and Scott Bakula as three fortysomething college buddies trying to reconcile their midlife situations with what they had expected, was created by Romano and Mike Royce (Everybody Loves Raymond). Rocye will serve as showrunner, and he and Romano will also serve as executive producers.
TNT has ordered 10 episodes and is targeting a January 2010 premiere. A start date for production has not yet been set.
The series becomes TNT's eighth hourlong series, behind cop drama The Line, from Bruckheimer and starring Dylan McDermott, and Pinkett Smith's hospital series Time Heals.
After greenlighting new series from Jerry Bruckheimer and Jada Pinkett Smith last week, TNT is giving the go-ahead to Romano's character dramedy Men of a Certain Age, according to Variety.
The series, starring Romano, Andre Braugher and Scott Bakula as three fortysomething college buddies trying to reconcile their midlife situations with what they had expected, was created by Romano and Mike Royce (Everybody Loves Raymond). Rocye will serve as showrunner, and he and Romano will also serve as executive producers.
TNT has ordered 10 episodes and is targeting a January 2010 premiere. A start date for production has not yet been set.
The series becomes TNT's eighth hourlong series, behind cop drama The Line, from Bruckheimer and starring Dylan McDermott, and Pinkett Smith's hospital series Time Heals.
Fox Boss Announces Prison Break's Return ... and Finale
Michael and Lincoln soon will be able to finally catch their breath. Fox entertainment president Kevin Reilly announced at Tuesday's TCA Winter Press Tour that "this will be the last year" of Prison Break.
While citing the series' four-year run as one for the "win column," Reilly acknowleged, "It got to a point where a lot of the stories had been told."
Prison Break aired its 16th episode/annual "winter finale" on Dec. 22. At least six more hours are set to kick off Friday, April 17 (after Sarah Connor unspools eight straight new episodes), but that count could be upped to eight so as to properly finish the serialized saga. Said Reilly, "We want to finish strong."
While citing the series' four-year run as one for the "win column," Reilly acknowleged, "It got to a point where a lot of the stories had been told."
Prison Break aired its 16th episode/annual "winter finale" on Dec. 22. At least six more hours are set to kick off Friday, April 17 (after Sarah Connor unspools eight straight new episodes), but that count could be upped to eight so as to properly finish the serialized saga. Said Reilly, "We want to finish strong."
Jay Chandrasekhar to Helm Opposites
Broken Lizard's Jay Chandrasekhar will direct Bold Films' upcoming comedy, Opposites Attract.
Written by Dan Ewen, "Opposites" is a body-switching comedy involving a young couple who must "walk a mile in each other's shoes" in order to make their relationship work.
Bold and Chandrasekhar are aiming to do an R-rated take on the body-switching genre while looking at the differences between the sexes.
Although Chandrasekhar helmed such Broken Lizard films as Super Troopers and Beerfest and tends to work with his comedy troupe, "Opposites" is not a Broken Lizard production.
Written by Dan Ewen, "Opposites" is a body-switching comedy involving a young couple who must "walk a mile in each other's shoes" in order to make their relationship work.
Bold and Chandrasekhar are aiming to do an R-rated take on the body-switching genre while looking at the differences between the sexes.
Although Chandrasekhar helmed such Broken Lizard films as Super Troopers and Beerfest and tends to work with his comedy troupe, "Opposites" is not a Broken Lizard production.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Brendan Fraser Joins Ford in Crowley
Brendan Fraser will play the title role in director Tom Vaughan's Crowley, joining Harrison Ford in the film that begins shooting April in Portland.
The drama is based on the true story of John and Aileen Crowley, whose two children had a rare genetic disorder. Rather than give up hope that nothing could help his children, John Crowley found a researcher (Ford) with a potential cure.
Ford also will executive produce the film inspired by a Wall Street Journal article and subsequent book, "The Cure," by Geeta Anand.
The drama is based on the true story of John and Aileen Crowley, whose two children had a rare genetic disorder. Rather than give up hope that nothing could help his children, John Crowley found a researcher (Ford) with a potential cure.
Ford also will executive produce the film inspired by a Wall Street Journal article and subsequent book, "The Cure," by Geeta Anand.
South Park Creators Bring How's Your News? to MTV
Matt Stone on Camp Jabberwocky's special news team.
About 10 years back South Park's Matt Stone and Trey Parker put their love and money into a docu-film called How's Your News?, which featured members of an Adults with Disabilities camp, Camp Jabberwocky, hitting the streets as part of a news team and getting a slew of "man on the streets" interviews. Trey and Matt saw some of the footage that was coming out of the camp and, as Matt Stone put it at the recent TCA press tour, "we just loved it. This was back before South Park was on the air." And ever since the feature film in 1999, Matt and Trey have been "kind of Godfathering the project which has changed a lot over the past 10 years," said Stone.
Moving How's Your News? into a TV series on MTV is definitely something that might not have ever seemed possible, especially given the beast that MTV has become and how much the network has changed its focus over time. But Stone was hesitant to try and get it on Comedy Central, mostly out of respect for the participant's disabilities and the humor that may unintentionally grow out of their interviews with celebrities. The TV show itself, however, has more to do with the team, and their own lives, than the previous incarnations of Hows? "This show is really about them. We have a lot of celebrity stuff because we went to LA and New York and Las Vegas, but it's really about them," Stone clarified.
In the 6 episodes of the new series, we follow the reporters, including Jeremy Vest and Sue Harrington, as they cram on board a bus and live along with the camera crew and meet the likes of John Stamos, Sarah Silverman and Jeremy's confessed lifelong hero, Kermit the Frog. And it wasn't just any bus. "It was really fun. It's really amazingly and outrageously orange," beemed Vest. Who was the dream interview for Sue Harrington? The Plain White T's.
Stone was also asked to comment on how he and Trey Parker are able to maintain a respectful portrayal of the How's Your News? reporters, especially since they are, of course, notorious for their off-color and controversial antics of South Park. Stone was really never afraid to be associated with the members of Camp Jabberwocky, he was more afraid for them to be associated with him, given the stigma that might come with the phrase "from the creators of South Park." Jabberwocky Video Teacher and Executive Producer, Arthur Bradford said that the show will be about "this amazing and talented group of people as they travel across the country. Their sense of humor permeates every moment of every episode."
About 10 years back South Park's Matt Stone and Trey Parker put their love and money into a docu-film called How's Your News?, which featured members of an Adults with Disabilities camp, Camp Jabberwocky, hitting the streets as part of a news team and getting a slew of "man on the streets" interviews. Trey and Matt saw some of the footage that was coming out of the camp and, as Matt Stone put it at the recent TCA press tour, "we just loved it. This was back before South Park was on the air." And ever since the feature film in 1999, Matt and Trey have been "kind of Godfathering the project which has changed a lot over the past 10 years," said Stone.
Moving How's Your News? into a TV series on MTV is definitely something that might not have ever seemed possible, especially given the beast that MTV has become and how much the network has changed its focus over time. But Stone was hesitant to try and get it on Comedy Central, mostly out of respect for the participant's disabilities and the humor that may unintentionally grow out of their interviews with celebrities. The TV show itself, however, has more to do with the team, and their own lives, than the previous incarnations of Hows? "This show is really about them. We have a lot of celebrity stuff because we went to LA and New York and Las Vegas, but it's really about them," Stone clarified.
In the 6 episodes of the new series, we follow the reporters, including Jeremy Vest and Sue Harrington, as they cram on board a bus and live along with the camera crew and meet the likes of John Stamos, Sarah Silverman and Jeremy's confessed lifelong hero, Kermit the Frog. And it wasn't just any bus. "It was really fun. It's really amazingly and outrageously orange," beemed Vest. Who was the dream interview for Sue Harrington? The Plain White T's.
Stone was also asked to comment on how he and Trey Parker are able to maintain a respectful portrayal of the How's Your News? reporters, especially since they are, of course, notorious for their off-color and controversial antics of South Park. Stone was really never afraid to be associated with the members of Camp Jabberwocky, he was more afraid for them to be associated with him, given the stigma that might come with the phrase "from the creators of South Park." Jabberwocky Video Teacher and Executive Producer, Arthur Bradford said that the show will be about "this amazing and talented group of people as they travel across the country. Their sense of humor permeates every moment of every episode."
Weekly Ratings: 1/4 – 1/9
Sunday Ratings: Did the Superstars of Dance Have Legs?
7 pm/ET
Trailing the conclusion of Fox's NFL coverage, 60 Minutes placed second with 12.32 million total viewers. The first hour of Saturday Night Live's "Sports Extra" special came in a distant fourth (behind Funniest Home Videos), with 4.48 mil.
8 pm
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition topped the hour with just under 11 million viewers; Million Dollar Password was a close second with 10.4 mil. The SNL Sports Extra surged to 6.88 mil in its second hour. Fox's rebroadcast of 24: Redemption averaged 5.9 mil over its two-hour run.
9 pm
Housewives was No. 1 with 14.33 million viewers, yet down 10 percent from its last fresh outing. Cold Case came in second with 12.66 mil, followed by the first hour of NBC's Superstars of Dance premiere (10.4 mil).
10 pm
NBC's superstar Dancers showed some legs by topping the 10 o'clock hour with 10.07 million viewers, besting The Unit (9.73 mil, up 19 percent from its previous new episode). Brothers & Sisters brought up the rear with 9.16 mil, down 14 percent.
Monday & Tuesday Ratings: Huge Gains for Biggest Loser, Scrubs-on-ABC
The Nielsens this week have experienced delays, so I just had two days' worth of data dumped on my desk. Here are selected highlights:
Monday
• Fox's coverage of the Fiesta Bowl dominated the night with 16 million total viewers.
• NBC's Superstars of Dance (9.59 million) dropped 615K from its Sunday bow.
• The arrival of ABC's new Bachelor averaged 8.7 mil, barely grabbing third at 8 pm/ET and dropping to No. 4 come 9 o'clock.
• Gossip Girl (2.94 mil) more or less matched its most recent audience, while One Tree Hill (2.63 mil) enjoyed a gain of 420 thou.
• ABC's True Beauty debuted to 7.64 mil, placing a distant second behind a CSI: Miami repeat.
Tuesday
• NCIS netted 19.07 million viewers, its second-largest audience ever (trailing only this past Dec. 16). That set up The Mentalist for yet another series high, 19.56 mil.
• The Biggest Loser: Couples debuted to 11.82 mil, the series' biggest premiere ever and a 51 percent increase over the Families opener.
• The ABC premiere of Scrubs averaged 6.7 mil across two episodes — a 25 percent improvement upon the sitcom's NBC send-off.
• Both 90210 (2.78 mil) and Privileged (1.74 mil) dipped 150K.
• Without a Trace scored 13.2 mil, down 1.5 mil from its last fresh episode (which delivered a season high). SVU (10.65 mil) slipped 250 thou.
Thursday Ratings: BCS Game, Private Practice Are Night's Only Winners
This Thursday, as Fox's coverage of the BCS Championship game 'tween the Gators and Sooners dominated the night with some 24 million total viewers....
8 pm/ET
Ugly Betty placed third (behind a CSI: NY repeat) with an audience of 7.5 million, down 900K from its last fresh outing. Both NBC's Earl (5.5 mil, down 17 percent) and Kath & Kim (4.15 mil, down 22 percent) suffered serious blows.
9 pm
Grey's claimed the No. 2 spot with 13.7 million viewers, down 10 percent from its last new episode. Leading out of an Office repeat with what I posit was its best episode of the season, 30 Rock (5.24 mil) plunged 30 percent.
10 pm
Private Practice benefitted from its new après-Grey's time slot, surging 36 percent (from its last Wednesday outing) to 9.03 million viewers. Trailing an Eleventh Hour repeat, ER scored 7.32 mil, down, 18 percent.
Friday Ratings: CBS' Flashpoint Is Back with a Bang
How did Friday's fare fare? Allow me to tell you via American Flight 3 to Los Angeles, where Mickey, Tim and I will be covering the Golden Globes and this week's Winter TCA Press Tour. (Thanks, GoGo in-flight wireless!)
8 pm/ET
Ghost Whisperer topped the hour as well as the night with an audience of 10.63 million total viewers, up 450K from its last fresh outing. Howie Do It did 7.68 mil to place second ahead of Wife Swap (4.77 mil).
9 pm
CBS' Flashpoint kicked off its second season with an all-time high audience of 10.06 million viewers (up 400K from its Sept. 18 finale). Trailing Supernanny (5.6 mil) and the second hour of Fox's Bruce Almighty, Lipstick Jungle's last scheduled episode delivered 4.08 mil, dipping 150 thou week-to-week. Did the sudsy sophomore series finish strong enough to make NBC reconsider its swing of the axe? Stay tuned....
10 pm
Numbers (10.08 mil) notched a 10 percent increase from its last new episode, easily besting 20/20 (7.89 mil) and Dateline (4.86 mil).
7 pm/ET
Trailing the conclusion of Fox's NFL coverage, 60 Minutes placed second with 12.32 million total viewers. The first hour of Saturday Night Live's "Sports Extra" special came in a distant fourth (behind Funniest Home Videos), with 4.48 mil.
8 pm
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition topped the hour with just under 11 million viewers; Million Dollar Password was a close second with 10.4 mil. The SNL Sports Extra surged to 6.88 mil in its second hour. Fox's rebroadcast of 24: Redemption averaged 5.9 mil over its two-hour run.
9 pm
Housewives was No. 1 with 14.33 million viewers, yet down 10 percent from its last fresh outing. Cold Case came in second with 12.66 mil, followed by the first hour of NBC's Superstars of Dance premiere (10.4 mil).
10 pm
NBC's superstar Dancers showed some legs by topping the 10 o'clock hour with 10.07 million viewers, besting The Unit (9.73 mil, up 19 percent from its previous new episode). Brothers & Sisters brought up the rear with 9.16 mil, down 14 percent.
Monday & Tuesday Ratings: Huge Gains for Biggest Loser, Scrubs-on-ABC
The Nielsens this week have experienced delays, so I just had two days' worth of data dumped on my desk. Here are selected highlights:
Monday
• Fox's coverage of the Fiesta Bowl dominated the night with 16 million total viewers.
• NBC's Superstars of Dance (9.59 million) dropped 615K from its Sunday bow.
• The arrival of ABC's new Bachelor averaged 8.7 mil, barely grabbing third at 8 pm/ET and dropping to No. 4 come 9 o'clock.
• Gossip Girl (2.94 mil) more or less matched its most recent audience, while One Tree Hill (2.63 mil) enjoyed a gain of 420 thou.
• ABC's True Beauty debuted to 7.64 mil, placing a distant second behind a CSI: Miami repeat.
Tuesday
• NCIS netted 19.07 million viewers, its second-largest audience ever (trailing only this past Dec. 16). That set up The Mentalist for yet another series high, 19.56 mil.
• The Biggest Loser: Couples debuted to 11.82 mil, the series' biggest premiere ever and a 51 percent increase over the Families opener.
• The ABC premiere of Scrubs averaged 6.7 mil across two episodes — a 25 percent improvement upon the sitcom's NBC send-off.
• Both 90210 (2.78 mil) and Privileged (1.74 mil) dipped 150K.
• Without a Trace scored 13.2 mil, down 1.5 mil from its last fresh episode (which delivered a season high). SVU (10.65 mil) slipped 250 thou.
Thursday Ratings: BCS Game, Private Practice Are Night's Only Winners
This Thursday, as Fox's coverage of the BCS Championship game 'tween the Gators and Sooners dominated the night with some 24 million total viewers....
8 pm/ET
Ugly Betty placed third (behind a CSI: NY repeat) with an audience of 7.5 million, down 900K from its last fresh outing. Both NBC's Earl (5.5 mil, down 17 percent) and Kath & Kim (4.15 mil, down 22 percent) suffered serious blows.
9 pm
Grey's claimed the No. 2 spot with 13.7 million viewers, down 10 percent from its last new episode. Leading out of an Office repeat with what I posit was its best episode of the season, 30 Rock (5.24 mil) plunged 30 percent.
10 pm
Private Practice benefitted from its new après-Grey's time slot, surging 36 percent (from its last Wednesday outing) to 9.03 million viewers. Trailing an Eleventh Hour repeat, ER scored 7.32 mil, down, 18 percent.
Friday Ratings: CBS' Flashpoint Is Back with a Bang
How did Friday's fare fare? Allow me to tell you via American Flight 3 to Los Angeles, where Mickey, Tim and I will be covering the Golden Globes and this week's Winter TCA Press Tour. (Thanks, GoGo in-flight wireless!)
8 pm/ET
Ghost Whisperer topped the hour as well as the night with an audience of 10.63 million total viewers, up 450K from its last fresh outing. Howie Do It did 7.68 mil to place second ahead of Wife Swap (4.77 mil).
9 pm
CBS' Flashpoint kicked off its second season with an all-time high audience of 10.06 million viewers (up 400K from its Sept. 18 finale). Trailing Supernanny (5.6 mil) and the second hour of Fox's Bruce Almighty, Lipstick Jungle's last scheduled episode delivered 4.08 mil, dipping 150 thou week-to-week. Did the sudsy sophomore series finish strong enough to make NBC reconsider its swing of the axe? Stay tuned....
10 pm
Numbers (10.08 mil) notched a 10 percent increase from its last new episode, easily besting 20/20 (7.89 mil) and Dateline (4.86 mil).
Clint Eastwood's Gran Torino Tops Box Office
The ComingSoon.net Box Office Report has been updated with studio estimates for the weekend.
Clint Eastwood's new drama Gran Torino took first place at the box office with an estimated $29 million, a new record for the 78-year-old actor, topping the $18 million his Space Cowboys made in 2000. The movie increased its theater count from 84 theaters to 2,808 this weekend and averaged an impressive $10,337 per location. Since opening on December 12 in New York and Los Angeles, the film has earned $40.1 million so far. The Warner Bros. release, directed by, produced by and starring Eastwood, cost about $33 million to make.
Two other newcomers also opened with more than $20 million. 20th Century Fox's new comedy Bride Wars, starring Anne Hathaway and Kate Hudson, opened to $21.5 million from 3,226 theaters, while Rogue Pictures' new supernatural thriller The Unborn, directed by David Goyer and starring Odette Yustman, was close behind in third with $21.1 million from 2,357 theaters.
Fox's Marley & Me dropped down the fourth but added another $11.4 million in its third weekend to bring its total to $123.7 million.
Paramount Pictures' The Curious Case of Benjamin Button rounded out the top five with $9.5 million. After three weeks, the David Fincher fantasy drama starring Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett has reached $94.3 million. It carried a budget of about $150 million.
Sixth place belonged to Disney's Bedtime Stories, which earned $8.6 million for a total of $97.2 million after three weeks. Bryan Singer and Tom Cruise's Valkyrie added $6.7 million in its third weekend for a total of $71.5 million. Jim Carrey's Yes Man made $6.2 million in its fourth weekend for a sum of $89.4 million.
TriStar Pictures' Not Easily Broken also opened in 724 theaters and earned $5.6 million.
Clint Eastwood's new drama Gran Torino took first place at the box office with an estimated $29 million, a new record for the 78-year-old actor, topping the $18 million his Space Cowboys made in 2000. The movie increased its theater count from 84 theaters to 2,808 this weekend and averaged an impressive $10,337 per location. Since opening on December 12 in New York and Los Angeles, the film has earned $40.1 million so far. The Warner Bros. release, directed by, produced by and starring Eastwood, cost about $33 million to make.
Two other newcomers also opened with more than $20 million. 20th Century Fox's new comedy Bride Wars, starring Anne Hathaway and Kate Hudson, opened to $21.5 million from 3,226 theaters, while Rogue Pictures' new supernatural thriller The Unborn, directed by David Goyer and starring Odette Yustman, was close behind in third with $21.1 million from 2,357 theaters.
Fox's Marley & Me dropped down the fourth but added another $11.4 million in its third weekend to bring its total to $123.7 million.
Paramount Pictures' The Curious Case of Benjamin Button rounded out the top five with $9.5 million. After three weeks, the David Fincher fantasy drama starring Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett has reached $94.3 million. It carried a budget of about $150 million.
Sixth place belonged to Disney's Bedtime Stories, which earned $8.6 million for a total of $97.2 million after three weeks. Bryan Singer and Tom Cruise's Valkyrie added $6.7 million in its third weekend for a total of $71.5 million. Jim Carrey's Yes Man made $6.2 million in its fourth weekend for a sum of $89.4 million.
TriStar Pictures' Not Easily Broken also opened in 724 theaters and earned $5.6 million.
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