The ComingSoon.net Box Office Report has been updated with studio estimates for the weekend.
The Easter weekend has always been somewhat of an anomaly because the busiest movie day is on Good Friday where school is off. Miley Cyrus' third feature film and first live action non-concert movie, Hannah Montana The Movie, took full advantage of it with an astounding opening day of over $17 million, just below the current Easter record holder Scary Movie 4. After a sharp drop on Saturday, It settled for an estimated $34 million in 3,118 theaters, an average of roughly $11,000 per site, making it the second biggest Easter opener and the fifth largest April opener. It opened with just $3 million more than her Best of Both Worlds 3D concert movie opened with last year in almost a fifth as many theaters.
Dropping to second place, Universal Pictures' Fast & Furious dropped 59% over Easter weekend, while becoming the fifth movie of the year to cross the $100 million mark. (This time last year, only one movie had made that amount, Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who.) It has grossed $118 million total domestically and will cross $200 million worldwide today, putting it in line to cross the worldwide gross of the sequel 2 Fast 2 Furious by sometime next week. Over the weekend, Universal also signed the deal to have Vin Diesel and Paul Walker return for a fifth movie in the franchise.
DreamWorks Animation's Monsters vs. Aliens also took advantage of the Easter weekend, dropping a mere 31% for a third weekend of $22.6 million, bringing its total to $141 million, putting it in line to become the highest grossing movie of 2009 sometime next week.
Opening in fourth place, Jody Hill's dark comedy Observe and Report (Warner Bros.) starring Seth Rogen, brought in an estimated $11.1 million in 2,727 theaters, possibly hindered by the dark material and following so closely behind Kevin James' blockbuster hit Paul Blart: Mall Cop (currently the #1 grossing movie of the year so far).
The next three slots were filled by Alex Proyas' sci-fi thriller Knowing (Summit) with $6.7 million, the R-rated buddy comedy I Love You, Man with $6.4 million and Lionsgate's haunted house thriller The Haunting in Connecticut with $5.7 million. They've grossed $68 million, $59 million and $46 million respectively.
20th Century Fox's live action anime Dragonball: Evolution bombed with $4.6 million in 2,181 theatres, opening in eighth place with a disappointing $2100 per-site average.
The top 10 grossed an estimated $126 million, up over 61% from the same weekend last year, where Screen Gem's horror remake Prom Night reigned with $20.8 million, although that also wasn't Easter weekend.
Derick Martini's star-studded festival favorite Lymelife (Screen Media) opened in four theaters in New York and L.A where it grossed $29,000 over the holiday weekend.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Fast and the Furious Five To Be Set in Brazil?
According to widespread reports, Paul Walker let slip some details of an upcoming fifth film in the Fast and the Furious franchise when appearing on the Valentine in the Morning radio show. This isn’t really a surprise - the fourth installment had one heck of an opening, and the series overall is running at an incredibly healthy total.
What’s more, he gave up two specifics: that Vin Diesel will also be coming back for more; and that this time, they’ll be relocating to Brazil. The exact quote below the fold, plus the studio’s follow up statement.
"This was supposed to be it. There wasn’t supposed to be the open-ended closing like there was. When I first read the screenplay, I was like, ‘Man, look what they’re doing.’ But without question, with the way things opened up, Vin and I will be coming back, we’re making a fifth one, and we’re going to Brazil, that’s it."
Brazil seems to produce an unholy amount of supermodels, so I expect we’ll be seeing at least one in the film. Here’s hoping she’s given a car of her own, or something else worthwhile to do, and isn’t relegated to tiresome arm candy duties. Or, if she’s got to be nothing more than bikini-stuffing set dressing, let her at least be that in context and just give her a flag to wave at the start of a race.
I tried to research something of the street racing culture in Brazil, and all I really managed to find out was that it exists. Sao Paolo by night certainly fits the colour scheme of the Fast and the Furious series so far, anyway.
It seems fairly likely from Walker’s comments that the original plan was to wrap the series up conclusively with part 4, and in a way that was, to him at least, noteworthy. I suspect they were originally planning to kill off both the Brian O’Conner and Dominic Toretto characters, or at least somehow render them incapable of driving. I also suspect this may have been part of a studio gambit to get further sequel contracts out of the stars. Perhaps I’m just being cynical - but if that was their plan, it worked.
I know it’s not really sensible to trust celebrity quotes from radio shows, but E! have chased down confirmation from Universal that yes, indeed they are lining up a new installment.
I’m predicting right now that this series has 3D in its future. Just a hunch.
What’s more, he gave up two specifics: that Vin Diesel will also be coming back for more; and that this time, they’ll be relocating to Brazil. The exact quote below the fold, plus the studio’s follow up statement.
"This was supposed to be it. There wasn’t supposed to be the open-ended closing like there was. When I first read the screenplay, I was like, ‘Man, look what they’re doing.’ But without question, with the way things opened up, Vin and I will be coming back, we’re making a fifth one, and we’re going to Brazil, that’s it."
Brazil seems to produce an unholy amount of supermodels, so I expect we’ll be seeing at least one in the film. Here’s hoping she’s given a car of her own, or something else worthwhile to do, and isn’t relegated to tiresome arm candy duties. Or, if she’s got to be nothing more than bikini-stuffing set dressing, let her at least be that in context and just give her a flag to wave at the start of a race.
I tried to research something of the street racing culture in Brazil, and all I really managed to find out was that it exists. Sao Paolo by night certainly fits the colour scheme of the Fast and the Furious series so far, anyway.
It seems fairly likely from Walker’s comments that the original plan was to wrap the series up conclusively with part 4, and in a way that was, to him at least, noteworthy. I suspect they were originally planning to kill off both the Brian O’Conner and Dominic Toretto characters, or at least somehow render them incapable of driving. I also suspect this may have been part of a studio gambit to get further sequel contracts out of the stars. Perhaps I’m just being cynical - but if that was their plan, it worked.
I know it’s not really sensible to trust celebrity quotes from radio shows, but E! have chased down confirmation from Universal that yes, indeed they are lining up a new installment.
I’m predicting right now that this series has 3D in its future. Just a hunch.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Trust Me Cancelled After One Season
TNT will no longer put its trust in Trust Me.
The network pulled the plug on the freshman advertising drama Friday, according to The New York Times. The show, which starred Eric McCormack and Tom Cavanagh
as creative executives at an ad agency, received mediocre reviews for its premiere, which drew only 3.4 million viewers and lost half the audience of its The Closer lead-in. The following week, the numbers fell to 1.9 million viewers.
Michael Wright, executive vice president and head of programming for TNT in Atlanta, said the show "achieved creative success," but "it didn't find an audience."
Wright said audiences may not relate to the show's subject matter. "People sometimes lament there's so much drama built around doctors and lawyers and police," he said, adding that advertising is "not as accessible a subject as other subjects on television." AMC's critically acclaimed advertising drama Mad Men has lots of buzz, but pulls in a similarly small audience.
Signs of Trust Me's demise had been swirling: McCormack signed on for an untitled ABC comedy pilot last month, and TNT ordered three new dramas — Ray Romano's Men of a Certain Age, Jada Pinkett Smith-starrer HawthoRNe, and cop drama Dark Blue starring Dylan McDermott and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer. All are slated to begin airing this year.
The network pulled the plug on the freshman advertising drama Friday, according to The New York Times. The show, which starred Eric McCormack and Tom Cavanagh
as creative executives at an ad agency, received mediocre reviews for its premiere, which drew only 3.4 million viewers and lost half the audience of its The Closer lead-in. The following week, the numbers fell to 1.9 million viewers.
Michael Wright, executive vice president and head of programming for TNT in Atlanta, said the show "achieved creative success," but "it didn't find an audience."
Wright said audiences may not relate to the show's subject matter. "People sometimes lament there's so much drama built around doctors and lawyers and police," he said, adding that advertising is "not as accessible a subject as other subjects on television." AMC's critically acclaimed advertising drama Mad Men has lots of buzz, but pulls in a similarly small audience.
Signs of Trust Me's demise had been swirling: McCormack signed on for an untitled ABC comedy pilot last month, and TNT ordered three new dramas — Ray Romano's Men of a Certain Age, Jada Pinkett Smith-starrer HawthoRNe, and cop drama Dark Blue starring Dylan McDermott and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer. All are slated to begin airing this year.
Friday, April 10, 2009
Kanye West Is OK with Being a Gay Fish
Leave it to South Park to cut Kanye West down to size.
The rapper says Wednesday's episode, which portrays him assuming a joke about gay fish is really about him, has forced him to re-evaluate his occasional tendency to think everything is about him.
"South Park murdered me last night and it's pretty funny," a good-natured West writes on his blog. "It hurts my feelings but what can you expect from South Park! I actually have been working on my ego though."
West says he created his "crazy" ego to build up his self-esteem, but it's now "played out at this point in my life and career." He adds: "I just wanna be a doper person which starts with me not always telling people how dope I think I am."
In the South Park episode, entitled "Fishsticks," the fishsticks-loving Grammy winner can't understand why everyone keeps accusing him of being a gay fish with this joke: If you're a guy who likes fishsticks — especially in your mouth — you must be a gay fish. (Try saying it fast.)
The humor is lost on the "motherf------ lyrical wordsmith" as he tries to crack the confounding "Fishsticks + Me = Gayfish" equation — before finally embracing his true nature and "going home."
"I'm sure the writers at South Park are really nice people in real life," West concludes, sounding like a doper person already.
The rapper says Wednesday's episode, which portrays him assuming a joke about gay fish is really about him, has forced him to re-evaluate his occasional tendency to think everything is about him.
"South Park murdered me last night and it's pretty funny," a good-natured West writes on his blog. "It hurts my feelings but what can you expect from South Park! I actually have been working on my ego though."
West says he created his "crazy" ego to build up his self-esteem, but it's now "played out at this point in my life and career." He adds: "I just wanna be a doper person which starts with me not always telling people how dope I think I am."
In the South Park episode, entitled "Fishsticks," the fishsticks-loving Grammy winner can't understand why everyone keeps accusing him of being a gay fish with this joke: If you're a guy who likes fishsticks — especially in your mouth — you must be a gay fish. (Try saying it fast.)
The humor is lost on the "motherf------ lyrical wordsmith" as he tries to crack the confounding "Fishsticks + Me = Gayfish" equation — before finally embracing his true nature and "going home."
"I'm sure the writers at South Park are really nice people in real life," West concludes, sounding like a doper person already.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Kanye West Launching Energy Drink, Cologne
Rapper Kanye West is expanding his empire into branded beverages and fragrances.
West will have his own energy drink through a collaboration with GURU Beverages Inc., a maker and distributor of organic and natural drinks. West will be involved in the entire development process of a new beverage "inspired by his own personal artistic vision," the company announced yesterday (April 8). The new drink is expected to launch later this year. As part of the deal, West is now an equity partner in the company.
"I express myself through music, fashion, art and design and that's why I am excited to collaborate with GURU; because the brand values what I value, and I can put what inspires me into this new product," West said in a statement.
West is also part of a deal that will see branded perfumes and colognes from Jay-Z, Rihanna, and West himself. Parlux Fragrances, Inc., announced Tuesday (April 7) that it has signed an agreement with Iconic Fragrances LLC, Jay-Z's own licensing company. The agreement allows for royalties, profit sharing, and stock options for West and the others.
West will have his own energy drink through a collaboration with GURU Beverages Inc., a maker and distributor of organic and natural drinks. West will be involved in the entire development process of a new beverage "inspired by his own personal artistic vision," the company announced yesterday (April 8). The new drink is expected to launch later this year. As part of the deal, West is now an equity partner in the company.
"I express myself through music, fashion, art and design and that's why I am excited to collaborate with GURU; because the brand values what I value, and I can put what inspires me into this new product," West said in a statement.
West is also part of a deal that will see branded perfumes and colognes from Jay-Z, Rihanna, and West himself. Parlux Fragrances, Inc., announced Tuesday (April 7) that it has signed an agreement with Iconic Fragrances LLC, Jay-Z's own licensing company. The agreement allows for royalties, profit sharing, and stock options for West and the others.
Gym Class Heroes Warm Up For New Album
Gym Class Heroes are still fully in the cycle of their fourth album, "The Quilt," but the group is already starting to focus on its next release.
"It's half of what we do," drummer Matt McGinley tells Billboard.com. "Half of it is being on stage and performing and touring and playing to listeners every night, and the other half is being busy writing new material and recording new stuff."
McGinley says the quartet, which is currently on the road opening for rapper Lil Wayne, plans to take June and July off and rent a house in the Finger Lakes area of upstate New York to "just hole ourselves up there for a couple of months and try to write another record. That's something we never do, so we'll see how that goes and hopefully it will come out productive and we'll record something in the early fall."
McGinley says all the band members have been working on new ideas while on the road and showing them to each other. "It's really hard to say direction-wise where it will be at for the next album," he says. "It's very unlikely we'll recreate the same record, like how we wanted 'The Quilt' to be different from 'As Cruel as School Children.' But I'm sure when we are ready to record we'll probably have a new direction to take that's different form anything we've done before."
"The Quilt," which was produced mostly by Fall Out Boy's Patrick Stump, debuted at No. 14 on the Billboard 200 chart when it came out in September and has already sold more than 100,000 copies. McGinley says he and his bandmates are confident there's more life left in the album but aren't sure if there will be another single released from it.
"I think with this album we didn't -- to the dismay of the record label -- set out to write an album full of singles," the drummer explains. "I think a lot of the songs certainly sound catchy, but I think we wanted the album to reflect our musical personalities first and foremost. So at this point we're not really pushing any songs as singles but just essentially trying to promote the album as a whole."
"It's half of what we do," drummer Matt McGinley tells Billboard.com. "Half of it is being on stage and performing and touring and playing to listeners every night, and the other half is being busy writing new material and recording new stuff."
McGinley says the quartet, which is currently on the road opening for rapper Lil Wayne, plans to take June and July off and rent a house in the Finger Lakes area of upstate New York to "just hole ourselves up there for a couple of months and try to write another record. That's something we never do, so we'll see how that goes and hopefully it will come out productive and we'll record something in the early fall."
McGinley says all the band members have been working on new ideas while on the road and showing them to each other. "It's really hard to say direction-wise where it will be at for the next album," he says. "It's very unlikely we'll recreate the same record, like how we wanted 'The Quilt' to be different from 'As Cruel as School Children.' But I'm sure when we are ready to record we'll probably have a new direction to take that's different form anything we've done before."
"The Quilt," which was produced mostly by Fall Out Boy's Patrick Stump, debuted at No. 14 on the Billboard 200 chart when it came out in September and has already sold more than 100,000 copies. McGinley says he and his bandmates are confident there's more life left in the album but aren't sure if there will be another single released from it.
"I think with this album we didn't -- to the dismay of the record label -- set out to write an album full of singles," the drummer explains. "I think a lot of the songs certainly sound catchy, but I think we wanted the album to reflect our musical personalities first and foremost. So at this point we're not really pushing any songs as singles but just essentially trying to promote the album as a whole."
Semi-Pro Helmer Assembles Treehouse Gang
Kent Alterman (Semi-Pro) is attached to direct and develop Treehouse Gang, the grown-up adventure tale from Warner Bros. and Heyday Films, says The Hollywood Reporter.
The project is based on Timothy Dowling's spec script, which centers on a group of six childhood friends who get together in their late twenties for a treasure hunt that echoes the hunts of their youth, in the process exploring longtime friendships and grudges.
The trade says that those familiar with the project have described it as a grown-up version of The Goonies.
The project is based on Timothy Dowling's spec script, which centers on a group of six childhood friends who get together in their late twenties for a treasure hunt that echoes the hunts of their youth, in the process exploring longtime friendships and grudges.
The trade says that those familiar with the project have described it as a grown-up version of The Goonies.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Nas, Damian Marley Prep Collaborative Album
As reported on Billboard.com earlier this year (read: Nas Recording Album With Damian Marley) Queensbridge rapper Nas and reggae artist/producer Damian “Jr Gong” Marley announced yesterday (April 8) they are in still the studio prepping their collaborative effort, “Distant Relatives,” slated for a late June release. The two first join forces on a track titled “Road To Zion” on Marley’s 2005 “Welcome to Jamrock.”
The album title is inspired by Nas and Damian’s relationship, but also their shared African ancestry, which is a common thread throughout the album. “Africa is the backbone of the world and the foundation of everything and Africans are in a situation where they need help more than anywhere else,” Damian Marley said in a statement.
“As an American, we have so much even in a so-called recession that a neighborhood like Queensbridge or Red Hook is Beverly Hills compared to the way people are living in Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and Ghana,” added Nas. “So obviously if we making records with that theme, there’s going to be things I want to build on. I think Africa has a lot to teach us.”
The album release will be followed by an international concert tour.
As previously reported, Nas and Marley are among the headliners of this summer's Rock The Bells festival, along with Big Boi, Common, The Roots, KRS-One, House of Pain, Tech N9ne, Murs, RZA, Raekwon and others.
The album title is inspired by Nas and Damian’s relationship, but also their shared African ancestry, which is a common thread throughout the album. “Africa is the backbone of the world and the foundation of everything and Africans are in a situation where they need help more than anywhere else,” Damian Marley said in a statement.
“As an American, we have so much even in a so-called recession that a neighborhood like Queensbridge or Red Hook is Beverly Hills compared to the way people are living in Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and Ghana,” added Nas. “So obviously if we making records with that theme, there’s going to be things I want to build on. I think Africa has a lot to teach us.”
The album release will be followed by an international concert tour.
As previously reported, Nas and Marley are among the headliners of this summer's Rock The Bells festival, along with Big Boi, Common, The Roots, KRS-One, House of Pain, Tech N9ne, Murs, RZA, Raekwon and others.
Game Two: HBO Renews Eastbound & Down
Kenny Powers is back on the mound: Eastbound & Down, HBO's baseball comedy series, has been renewed for a second season, the network announced.
The show, starring Danny McBride as Powers, a washed-up, self-destructive pitcher, will return to the small screen in 2010. Filming will begin later this year.
"Eastbound & Down's raucous comedy sparked a loyal and enthusiastic following that grew throughout the season, and we're happy to bring the show back for more innings," said HBO programming president Michael Lombardo.
The network did not specify the number of episodes, but McBride told TVGuide.com that if the series returned, it would likely be six episodes long, just like the first season.
The show, starring Danny McBride as Powers, a washed-up, self-destructive pitcher, will return to the small screen in 2010. Filming will begin later this year.
"Eastbound & Down's raucous comedy sparked a loyal and enthusiastic following that grew throughout the season, and we're happy to bring the show back for more innings," said HBO programming president Michael Lombardo.
The network did not specify the number of episodes, but McBride told TVGuide.com that if the series returned, it would likely be six episodes long, just like the first season.
Sony Pictures Adapting Shadow of the Colossus
Sony Pictures will adapt the popular PlayStation 2 title "Shadow of the Colossus" into a big screen action film, with Justin Marks writing the screenplay and Kevin Misher in negotiations to produce, says Variety.
"Colossus," which was released exclusively on the PlayStation 2 in 2005, revolves around a man named Wander who must travel across a cursed wasteland and defeat 16 creatures, known as the colossi, in order to restore the life of a girl.
The project, which proved a big seller for PlayStation and was produced internally by Sony Computer Entertainment, will build upon the video game's fantasy setting of a solitary world with few characters other than the 16 enemies.
"Colossus," which was released exclusively on the PlayStation 2 in 2005, revolves around a man named Wander who must travel across a cursed wasteland and defeat 16 creatures, known as the colossi, in order to restore the life of a girl.
The project, which proved a big seller for PlayStation and was produced internally by Sony Computer Entertainment, will build upon the video game's fantasy setting of a solitary world with few characters other than the 16 enemies.
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