LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - With her marriage to Tom Cruise firmly ensconced in the rearview mirror, Katie Holmes has returned to Broadway to star in Theresa Rebeck's 'Dead Accounts.'
But the 'Dawson's Creek' actress who will forever be synonymous with one mega-star's epic Oprah freakout, got credit from many critics for giving it the proverbial college try - although most reviewers savaged the production.
'Dead Accounts' centers on a hotshot Wall Street-type (Norbert Leo Butz) who returns to his Cincinnati home with a dark secret. Holmes plays his sister who is still living at home and nursing their father through a kidney stones attack. It marks her second appearance on the Great White Way after a tepidly received turn in a 2008 revival of Arthur Miller's 'All My Sons.'
'Dead Accounts,' which also stars Josh Hamilton and Jane Houdyshell, premiered Thursday at the Music Box Theatre.
In the New York Times, Ben Brantley was surprisingly gentle in his treatment of Holmes even as he dripped acid over Rebeck's attempt to say something profound about America's post-Recession doldrums.
'Let me assure you that Ms. Holmes, who was a tad unsteady in her Broadway debut four years ago in Arthur Miller's 'All My Sons,' appears much more at ease playing a worn-down country mouse to the hyped-up city mouse of Mr. Butz,' he wrote. 'Gamely unkempt and lumpen, Ms. Holmes suggests what might have happened to Joey Potter, the ultimate girl-next-door she once portrayed on TV in 'Dawson's Creek,' had she never found true love or left town.'
His overall assessment of the action onstage was far more dire, faulting it for devolving '...into a limp chain of anticlimaxes.'
Also declaring 'Dead Accounts' D.O.A. was New York magazine, which, in an unbylined piece, compared Rebeck to Tyler Perry for white people (sorry, 'Madea Goes to Jail' fans, it's not a compliment). However the critic was charitable in assessing the third Mrs. Cruise.
'Holmes is insanely miscast but sunnily game in the role of a ground-down never-was with body image issues and a crater where her confidence should be,' the reviewer wrote.
Those relatively benign notices aside, some critics were clearly sharpening the kitchen-ware for Holmes. In the New York Post, Elisabeth Vincentelli took a cleaver to the actress and the play.
'She's got one note - shrill, impatient - and yells it at top volume, making a vein bulge on her slender neck. (A recurring joke about Lorna going on a diet falls flat.),' Vincentelli wrote.
Of the play, the Post critic said it should be back to the drawing board; 'With its cardboard characters and implausible developments, 'Dead Accounts' feels like a rough first draft.'
Chris Jones of the Chicago Tribune was far kinder when it came to Rebeck's writing, admiring her for taking on weighty topics, even as he complained she often fell flat in her execution. His views on Holmes were harder to decipher. Though never pejorative, Jones seemed to feel that Holmes' tabloid past interfered with her stage work.
Still, he was intrigued by the way her own Midwestern background intermingled with that of her character.
''Dead Accounts' hints at the very worthwhile notion that two Americas have grown up alongside each other, one in the thrall of religion, the other of money,' Jones wrote. 'Holmes, one suspects, knows a good deal more about that kind of stuff than her character ever gets to say here.'
People Magazine's Tom Gliatto praised Holmes' for doing what she could with an underwritten role. He didn't exactly make her seem Tony bound, but he argued that the fault rests more with the script than the actress.
'Holmes gets her moments in the second act: Lorna is given a simple, tender monologue about planting a tree when she was a child, followed by a full-throttle, over-the-top tirade against money, banks and fiduciary wickedness,' Gliatto wrote. 'Holmes gets a big laugh there, but you have the nagging realization that the little memory about the tree slipped by without registering emotionally - that it was a lot more meaningful than the tirade, and that Holmes should have been directed to dig deeper. Or that Rebeck, creator of NBC's Smash, should have written deeper.'
This news article is brought to you by SHOCKING DATING ADVICE - where latest news are our top priority.
Friday, November 30, 2012
"Hobbit" may bring a Hollywood ending to 2012 box office
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - It took more than a decade, two directors and a lawsuit before 'The Hobbit' made it to the big screen. Hollywood executives are crossing their fingers that the culmination of that journey will help smash movie box office records this year.
The film, which opens on December 14, is expected to contribute to the first annual box office increase in North America in three years, a sign that big movie studios have made more films enticing enough to get people into theaters and away from their TVs, games and the Internet.
'The Hobbit' follows this year's other big box office successes 'The Avengers,' which became the industry's third-largest film with $623 million in U.S. sales, and 'The Dark Knight Rises' and 'The Hunger Games' which both passed $400 million.
Hollywood analysts predict the two months of the year that include 'The Hobbit' and the finale of the 'Twilight' vampire series may lift U.S. and Canadian ticket sales above the $10.6 billion record set in 2009.
'The fourth quarter is just gangbusters,' said box office watcher Phil Contrino, editor of the boxoffice.com website. 'One movie after the other is exceeding expectations.'
Annual receipts are on track to end 5 percent above last year at $10.8 billion or more, projects Paul Dergarabedian, box office analyst for Hollywood.com. Ten films have already passed $200 million in ticket sales, compared to seven last year, when no film passed the $400 million mark.
That would be the first yearly box office increase in three years, and would be from a jump in admissions rather than a hike in ticket prices that traditionally fuel box office growth. Ticket prices are averaging $7.94, a penny increase from last year, according to the National Association of Theatre Owners.
Hollywood has raked in $9.7 billion so far in ticket sales and sold more than 1.2 billion tickets in the North American (U.S. and Canadian) market, 5.5 percent up on a year ago.
The industry thought it had a record in sight last year, only to see underwhelming performances from holiday releases such as thriller 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo' and animated movie 'Hugo,' which left ticket sales at a three-year low.
OFF THE COUCH
Studios face a difficult entertainment landscape in which consumers have an array of competing outlets for movie watching that includes DVR recordings, game players and movies streamed over computers and mobile phones.
Services like Netflix Inc have also made a dent in trips to the theater by offering cheap monthly rentals that make it easier to stay on the couch.
What has got people out of their homes, Hollywood moguls say, is a rise in the quality and variety of what is on screen.
This year, studios offered up a rush of big-budget blockbusters including 'Skyfall,' the highest grossing of the 23 James Bond films that is still selling well with $227 million in domestic sales.
'Ted,' about a foul-mouthed stuffed bear, was a surprise winner with $219 million. Several mid-sized hits that won critical acclaim, including Steven Spielberg's historical drama 'Lincoln' and the Iran hostage thriller 'Argo,' became box office darlings.
'There is something for everyone,' said Chris Aronson, president of domestic distribution at News Corp's 20th Century Fox studio. 'When we achieve that as an industry and the movies are of good quality, that's when good things happen.'
Sony oiled up its Spider-Man franchise and collected $262 million by rebooting it with new stars Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone in 'The Amazing Spider-Man.' Disney's Pixar unit struck it big again with the animated movie 'Brave.'
Hollywood did not escape some box office bombs. Two big-budget bets - board-game inspired thriller 'Battleship' and outer space adventure 'John Carter' - ranked among the most costly flops in movie history.
The mass killing at a Colorado movie theater in July marred the release of Batman film 'The Dark Knight Rises.' But the film eventually grossed $448 million domestically, ranking as the year's second-biggest.
Hollywood also overcame summer doldrums. The season that accounts for the bulk of yearly sales slumped 5 percent behind 2011. The second weekend in September produced the lowest-grossing weekend since 2001.
The pace quickened at the start of the holidays - the second-biggest movie going period - with 'Twilight' finale 'Breaking Dawn - Part 2' and James Bond movie 'Skyfall' leading record Thanksgiving sales of $291 million over five days.
'FOUR QUADRANT' FILM
That has got the industry's hopes up for the Christmas season when families gather and shoppers fill malls. Comcast Corp's Universal Pictures is releasing the musical adaptation 'Les Miserables,' and The Weinstein Company offers up the Leonardo DiCaprio thriller 'Django Unchained.' A street-brawling Tom Cruise returns in 'Jack Reacher' from Viacom Inc's Paramount Pictures.
But it is the dwarves and wizards from 'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,' that Hollywood is banking on to generate movie going mania. Set 60 years before the Oscar-winning 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy, the movie is the kind that studios love - a 'four quadrant' film that appeals to male, female, young and old, said Contrino of Boxoffice.com. He projects $137 million in opening weekend domestic sales, rising to $475 million through its theatrical run.
The film, based on the fantasy novel by J.R.R. Tolkien about the travels of hobbit Bilbo Baggins, almost did not make it to the screen at all. Director Peter Jackson made the 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy when producers could not get 'The Hobbit' rights that were held by MGM's United Artists unit.
'The Hobbit', also a trilogy, has been produced by MGM and Time Warner Inc but only after Jackson settled a lawsuit against Time Warner's New Line Cinema unit in a dispute over profits from the 'Rings' trilogy.
Now all the film has to do is delight fans with a new hobbit adventure across Middle Earth and deliver a record year for Hollywood.
(Reporting By Lisa Richwine. Editing by Jane Merriman)
This news article is brought to you by CELEBRITY GOSSIP NEWS - where latest news are our top priority.
The film, which opens on December 14, is expected to contribute to the first annual box office increase in North America in three years, a sign that big movie studios have made more films enticing enough to get people into theaters and away from their TVs, games and the Internet.
'The Hobbit' follows this year's other big box office successes 'The Avengers,' which became the industry's third-largest film with $623 million in U.S. sales, and 'The Dark Knight Rises' and 'The Hunger Games' which both passed $400 million.
Hollywood analysts predict the two months of the year that include 'The Hobbit' and the finale of the 'Twilight' vampire series may lift U.S. and Canadian ticket sales above the $10.6 billion record set in 2009.
'The fourth quarter is just gangbusters,' said box office watcher Phil Contrino, editor of the boxoffice.com website. 'One movie after the other is exceeding expectations.'
Annual receipts are on track to end 5 percent above last year at $10.8 billion or more, projects Paul Dergarabedian, box office analyst for Hollywood.com. Ten films have already passed $200 million in ticket sales, compared to seven last year, when no film passed the $400 million mark.
That would be the first yearly box office increase in three years, and would be from a jump in admissions rather than a hike in ticket prices that traditionally fuel box office growth. Ticket prices are averaging $7.94, a penny increase from last year, according to the National Association of Theatre Owners.
Hollywood has raked in $9.7 billion so far in ticket sales and sold more than 1.2 billion tickets in the North American (U.S. and Canadian) market, 5.5 percent up on a year ago.
The industry thought it had a record in sight last year, only to see underwhelming performances from holiday releases such as thriller 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo' and animated movie 'Hugo,' which left ticket sales at a three-year low.
OFF THE COUCH
Studios face a difficult entertainment landscape in which consumers have an array of competing outlets for movie watching that includes DVR recordings, game players and movies streamed over computers and mobile phones.
Services like Netflix Inc have also made a dent in trips to the theater by offering cheap monthly rentals that make it easier to stay on the couch.
What has got people out of their homes, Hollywood moguls say, is a rise in the quality and variety of what is on screen.
This year, studios offered up a rush of big-budget blockbusters including 'Skyfall,' the highest grossing of the 23 James Bond films that is still selling well with $227 million in domestic sales.
'Ted,' about a foul-mouthed stuffed bear, was a surprise winner with $219 million. Several mid-sized hits that won critical acclaim, including Steven Spielberg's historical drama 'Lincoln' and the Iran hostage thriller 'Argo,' became box office darlings.
'There is something for everyone,' said Chris Aronson, president of domestic distribution at News Corp's 20th Century Fox studio. 'When we achieve that as an industry and the movies are of good quality, that's when good things happen.'
Sony oiled up its Spider-Man franchise and collected $262 million by rebooting it with new stars Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone in 'The Amazing Spider-Man.' Disney's Pixar unit struck it big again with the animated movie 'Brave.'
Hollywood did not escape some box office bombs. Two big-budget bets - board-game inspired thriller 'Battleship' and outer space adventure 'John Carter' - ranked among the most costly flops in movie history.
The mass killing at a Colorado movie theater in July marred the release of Batman film 'The Dark Knight Rises.' But the film eventually grossed $448 million domestically, ranking as the year's second-biggest.
Hollywood also overcame summer doldrums. The season that accounts for the bulk of yearly sales slumped 5 percent behind 2011. The second weekend in September produced the lowest-grossing weekend since 2001.
The pace quickened at the start of the holidays - the second-biggest movie going period - with 'Twilight' finale 'Breaking Dawn - Part 2' and James Bond movie 'Skyfall' leading record Thanksgiving sales of $291 million over five days.
'FOUR QUADRANT' FILM
That has got the industry's hopes up for the Christmas season when families gather and shoppers fill malls. Comcast Corp's Universal Pictures is releasing the musical adaptation 'Les Miserables,' and The Weinstein Company offers up the Leonardo DiCaprio thriller 'Django Unchained.' A street-brawling Tom Cruise returns in 'Jack Reacher' from Viacom Inc's Paramount Pictures.
But it is the dwarves and wizards from 'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,' that Hollywood is banking on to generate movie going mania. Set 60 years before the Oscar-winning 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy, the movie is the kind that studios love - a 'four quadrant' film that appeals to male, female, young and old, said Contrino of Boxoffice.com. He projects $137 million in opening weekend domestic sales, rising to $475 million through its theatrical run.
The film, based on the fantasy novel by J.R.R. Tolkien about the travels of hobbit Bilbo Baggins, almost did not make it to the screen at all. Director Peter Jackson made the 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy when producers could not get 'The Hobbit' rights that were held by MGM's United Artists unit.
'The Hobbit', also a trilogy, has been produced by MGM and Time Warner Inc but only after Jackson settled a lawsuit against Time Warner's New Line Cinema unit in a dispute over profits from the 'Rings' trilogy.
Now all the film has to do is delight fans with a new hobbit adventure across Middle Earth and deliver a record year for Hollywood.
(Reporting By Lisa Richwine. Editing by Jane Merriman)
This news article is brought to you by CELEBRITY GOSSIP NEWS - where latest news are our top priority.
Thursday, November 29, 2012
France's Depardieu detained for drunken driving
PARIS (Reuters) - French actor Gerard Depardieu was detained for driving his scooter while drunk on Thursday after he had a minor accident in Paris, prosecutors said.
The 63-year-old star of films such as 'Jean de Florette' and 'Green Card' was held for questioning after he fell from his scooter mid-afternoon, slightly injuring his elbow.
No-one else was hurt in the accident.
One of France's best-known actors for roles in more than a hundred films, Depardieu has recently grabbed headlines for the wrong reasons.
The incident came just months after a car driver filed a legal complaint for assault and battery against Depardieu in August following an altercation in Paris.
Last year, Depardieu outraged fellow passengers by urinating in the aisle of an Air France flight as it prepared to take off, forcing the plane to turn back to its parking spot.
A passenger on the flight said Depardieu appeared to be drunk and insisted he be allowed to use the bathroom during takeoff, when passengers must remain seated.
(Reporting by Gerard Bon; Writing by Leigh Thomas; Editing by Jon Hemming)
This article is brought to you by MONEY MANAGER TOOL.
The 63-year-old star of films such as 'Jean de Florette' and 'Green Card' was held for questioning after he fell from his scooter mid-afternoon, slightly injuring his elbow.
No-one else was hurt in the accident.
One of France's best-known actors for roles in more than a hundred films, Depardieu has recently grabbed headlines for the wrong reasons.
The incident came just months after a car driver filed a legal complaint for assault and battery against Depardieu in August following an altercation in Paris.
Last year, Depardieu outraged fellow passengers by urinating in the aisle of an Air France flight as it prepared to take off, forcing the plane to turn back to its parking spot.
A passenger on the flight said Depardieu appeared to be drunk and insisted he be allowed to use the bathroom during takeoff, when passengers must remain seated.
(Reporting by Gerard Bon; Writing by Leigh Thomas; Editing by Jon Hemming)
This article is brought to you by MONEY MANAGER TOOL.
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Cate Blanchett in negotiations for evil stepmother in Disney's Cinderella film
LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Cate Blanchett is in negotiations to play the evil stepmother in Disney's re-imagining of the classic fairytale Cinderella, the 'Untitled Cinderella Story,' an individual with knowledge of the situation told TheWrap.
Blanchett would be the first to be cast in the live-action film. It is being directed by Mark Romanek for the studio based on a script by Chris Weitz.
The film is being produced by Simon Kinberg, who is best-known for the 'X-Men' series.
The feature was first set up at Disney in May 2010 based on a pitch by Aline Brosh McKenna ('Devil Wear Prada.'), who wrote the initial draft.
Disney set the project up in the wake of its success with 'Alice in Wonderland,' an adaptation of the Lewis C. Carroll book that starred Johnny Depp.
Disney representatives could not be reached for comment.
Blanchett can next be seen on screen in 'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey' on December 14. She was recently confirmed for George Clooney's upcoming film 'The Monuments Men.' She will also be seen in 'The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug' and 'The Hobbit: There and Back Again.'
Cinderella has been adapted for the big screen dozens of times. In Andy Tennant's 1998 version 'Ever After: A Cinderella Story,' Angelica Houston played the evil stepmother. In the TV movie 'Cinderella' in 1997, the role was played by Bernadette Peters. Sigourney Weaver voiced the character in 'Happily N'Ever After' in 2006. Disney's 1950 version featured Eleanor Audley in the voice role of Lady Tremaine, the wicked stepmother.
This news article is brought to you by TECHNOLOGY NEWS - where latest news are our top priority.
Blanchett would be the first to be cast in the live-action film. It is being directed by Mark Romanek for the studio based on a script by Chris Weitz.
The film is being produced by Simon Kinberg, who is best-known for the 'X-Men' series.
The feature was first set up at Disney in May 2010 based on a pitch by Aline Brosh McKenna ('Devil Wear Prada.'), who wrote the initial draft.
Disney set the project up in the wake of its success with 'Alice in Wonderland,' an adaptation of the Lewis C. Carroll book that starred Johnny Depp.
Disney representatives could not be reached for comment.
Blanchett can next be seen on screen in 'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey' on December 14. She was recently confirmed for George Clooney's upcoming film 'The Monuments Men.' She will also be seen in 'The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug' and 'The Hobbit: There and Back Again.'
Cinderella has been adapted for the big screen dozens of times. In Andy Tennant's 1998 version 'Ever After: A Cinderella Story,' Angelica Houston played the evil stepmother. In the TV movie 'Cinderella' in 1997, the role was played by Bernadette Peters. Sigourney Weaver voiced the character in 'Happily N'Ever After' in 2006. Disney's 1950 version featured Eleanor Audley in the voice role of Lady Tremaine, the wicked stepmother.
This news article is brought to you by TECHNOLOGY NEWS - where latest news are our top priority.
Thousands celebrate Hobbit premiere in New Zealand
WELLINGTON (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of people packed New Zealand's capital city, clambering on roofs and hanging onto lamp posts on Wednesday to get a glimpse of the stars at the red carpet world premiere of the film 'The Hobbit: an Unexpected Journey'.
Wellington, where director Peter Jackson and much of the post production is based, renamed itself 'the Middle of Middle Earth', and fans with prominent Hobbit ears, medieval style costumes, and wizard hats had camped out the night before to claim prized spaces along the 500 meter (550 yards) red carpet.
Jackson, a one time newspaper printer and the maker of the Oscar winning 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy more than a decade ago, was cheered along the walk, stopping to talk to fans, sign autographs and pose for photos.
The Hobbit trilogy is set 60 years before the Rings movies, but Jackson said it has benefited from being made after the conclusion of the J.R.R. Tolkien fantasy saga.
'I'm glad that we established the style and the look of Middle Earth by adapting Lord of the Rings before we did the Hobbit,' Jackson told Reuters from the red carpet.
Jackson, a hometown hero in Wellington, said the production had been on a 'difficult journey', alluding to Warner Brothers' financial problems, and a later labor dispute with unions.
'Fate meant for us to be here,' he told an ecstatic crowd, which hailed him as a film genius, but also a down to earth local boy.
'I came here to see the stars but also Peter (Jackson)...I loved the Lord of the Rings and that made me want to be here, without him none of it would be here,' said teenage student Samantha Cooper.
OLD FRIENDS
The cast was no less enthusiastic about the Hobbit, especially those who had starred in the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
British actor Andy Serkis, who plays the creature Gollum with a distinctive throaty whisper, said picking up the character after a near-ten year break was like putting on a familiar skin.
'I was reminded on a daily basis with Gollum (that) he's truly never left me,' he said.
Most of the film's stars attended the premiere, including British actor Martin Freeman, who plays the Hobbit Bilbo Baggins, Andy Serkis, Hugo Weaving, Cate Blanchett, and Elijah Wood. Ian McKellen, who plays the wizard Gandalf, was absent.
Freeman, known for his roles in the comedy The Office and Sherlock Holmes, said he looked for a different, lighter, slightly pompous Baggins from the older, wiser character played by Ian Holm in the Rings movies.
'Between us - Peter (Jackson) and me -- we hashed out another version of Bilbo. There'll be others, but our version is this one and I hope people like it,' he said.
The production was at the center of several controversies, including a dispute with unions in 2010 over labor contracts that nearly sent the filming overseas and resulted in the government stepping in to change employment laws.
The only sour note at the premiere came when animal rights activists held up posters saying 'Middle Earth unexpected cruelty' and '3 horses died for this film', after claims last week that more than 20 animals died during the making of the film.
Event organizers tried to block out the protesters' posters with large Hobbit film billboards. Jackson has said some animals died on a farm where they were housed, but none had been hurt during filming.
The movies have been filmed in 3D and at 48 frames per second (fps), compared with the standard 24 fps, which Jackson has likened to the quality leap to compact discs from vinyl records.
The second film 'The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug' will be released in December next year, with the third 'The Hobbit: There and Back Again' due in mid-July 2014.
(Editing by Elaine Lies)
This news article is brought to you by GAMING NEWS - where latest news are our top priority.
Wellington, where director Peter Jackson and much of the post production is based, renamed itself 'the Middle of Middle Earth', and fans with prominent Hobbit ears, medieval style costumes, and wizard hats had camped out the night before to claim prized spaces along the 500 meter (550 yards) red carpet.
Jackson, a one time newspaper printer and the maker of the Oscar winning 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy more than a decade ago, was cheered along the walk, stopping to talk to fans, sign autographs and pose for photos.
The Hobbit trilogy is set 60 years before the Rings movies, but Jackson said it has benefited from being made after the conclusion of the J.R.R. Tolkien fantasy saga.
'I'm glad that we established the style and the look of Middle Earth by adapting Lord of the Rings before we did the Hobbit,' Jackson told Reuters from the red carpet.
Jackson, a hometown hero in Wellington, said the production had been on a 'difficult journey', alluding to Warner Brothers' financial problems, and a later labor dispute with unions.
'Fate meant for us to be here,' he told an ecstatic crowd, which hailed him as a film genius, but also a down to earth local boy.
'I came here to see the stars but also Peter (Jackson)...I loved the Lord of the Rings and that made me want to be here, without him none of it would be here,' said teenage student Samantha Cooper.
OLD FRIENDS
The cast was no less enthusiastic about the Hobbit, especially those who had starred in the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
British actor Andy Serkis, who plays the creature Gollum with a distinctive throaty whisper, said picking up the character after a near-ten year break was like putting on a familiar skin.
'I was reminded on a daily basis with Gollum (that) he's truly never left me,' he said.
Most of the film's stars attended the premiere, including British actor Martin Freeman, who plays the Hobbit Bilbo Baggins, Andy Serkis, Hugo Weaving, Cate Blanchett, and Elijah Wood. Ian McKellen, who plays the wizard Gandalf, was absent.
Freeman, known for his roles in the comedy The Office and Sherlock Holmes, said he looked for a different, lighter, slightly pompous Baggins from the older, wiser character played by Ian Holm in the Rings movies.
'Between us - Peter (Jackson) and me -- we hashed out another version of Bilbo. There'll be others, but our version is this one and I hope people like it,' he said.
The production was at the center of several controversies, including a dispute with unions in 2010 over labor contracts that nearly sent the filming overseas and resulted in the government stepping in to change employment laws.
The only sour note at the premiere came when animal rights activists held up posters saying 'Middle Earth unexpected cruelty' and '3 horses died for this film', after claims last week that more than 20 animals died during the making of the film.
Event organizers tried to block out the protesters' posters with large Hobbit film billboards. Jackson has said some animals died on a farm where they were housed, but none had been hurt during filming.
The movies have been filmed in 3D and at 48 frames per second (fps), compared with the standard 24 fps, which Jackson has likened to the quality leap to compact discs from vinyl records.
The second film 'The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug' will be released in December next year, with the third 'The Hobbit: There and Back Again' due in mid-July 2014.
(Editing by Elaine Lies)
This news article is brought to you by GAMING NEWS - where latest news are our top priority.
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
"Silver Linings," "Moonrise Kingdom" top Spirit nominations
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Quirky comedies 'Silver Linings Playbook' and 'Moonrise Kingdom' led nominations on Tuesday for the 2013 Spirit Awards, one of the largest celebrations of independent films.
The two movies notched up five nominations apiece, including best feature film and director, just ahead of the mystical 'Beasts of the Southern Wild,' gay drama 'Keep the Lights On,' and dysfunctional family comedy 'Middle of Nowhere' with four each, organizers announced.
Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence were both nominated for their lead roles in 'Silver Linings Playbook' as a mentally ill man and a young widow who strike up an unusual romance, while John Hawkes and Helen Hunt were recognized for their performances as a disabled man and his sex surrogate in 'The Sessions.'
'Silver Linings Playbook,' directed by David O. Russell, is also seen as a strong contender for Oscar glory in February, reflecting the growing profile of indie films in the mainstream Hollywood industry.
'Moonrise Kingdom' - director Wes Anderson's take on the romance between two odd children - won nominations for its screenplay, cinematography and supporting actor Bruce Willis.
'Beasts of the Southern Wild,' an apocalyptic fantasy set in the impoverished watery fringes of southern Louisiana that has swept festivals around the world, won nods for its rookie director, Benh Zeitlin, along with amateur child star, Quvenzhane Wallis.
'The nominations this year represent an astonishingly strong group of artists both in front of and behind the camera,' said Josh Welsh, co-president of Film Independent, the nonprofit group that produces the Spirit Awards.
Winners will be handed out in the California beach city of Santa Monica on February 23 - the day before the Academy Awards ceremony in Hollywood.
Last year, silent film 'The Artist' won four Spirit Awards including best film, before going on to win five Oscars a day later.
(Reporting by Jill Serjeant; editing by Matthew Lewis)
This news article is brought to you by GAMING NEWS - where latest news are our top priority.
The two movies notched up five nominations apiece, including best feature film and director, just ahead of the mystical 'Beasts of the Southern Wild,' gay drama 'Keep the Lights On,' and dysfunctional family comedy 'Middle of Nowhere' with four each, organizers announced.
Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence were both nominated for their lead roles in 'Silver Linings Playbook' as a mentally ill man and a young widow who strike up an unusual romance, while John Hawkes and Helen Hunt were recognized for their performances as a disabled man and his sex surrogate in 'The Sessions.'
'Silver Linings Playbook,' directed by David O. Russell, is also seen as a strong contender for Oscar glory in February, reflecting the growing profile of indie films in the mainstream Hollywood industry.
'Moonrise Kingdom' - director Wes Anderson's take on the romance between two odd children - won nominations for its screenplay, cinematography and supporting actor Bruce Willis.
'Beasts of the Southern Wild,' an apocalyptic fantasy set in the impoverished watery fringes of southern Louisiana that has swept festivals around the world, won nods for its rookie director, Benh Zeitlin, along with amateur child star, Quvenzhane Wallis.
'The nominations this year represent an astonishingly strong group of artists both in front of and behind the camera,' said Josh Welsh, co-president of Film Independent, the nonprofit group that produces the Spirit Awards.
Winners will be handed out in the California beach city of Santa Monica on February 23 - the day before the Academy Awards ceremony in Hollywood.
Last year, silent film 'The Artist' won four Spirit Awards including best film, before going on to win five Oscars a day later.
(Reporting by Jill Serjeant; editing by Matthew Lewis)
This news article is brought to you by GAMING NEWS - where latest news are our top priority.
Beyonce to direct documentary about herself for HBO
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Pop superstar Beyonce is stepping behind the camera to direct a behind-the-scenes documentary about her personal and professional life, U.S. cable channel HBO said on Monday.
The currently untitled film will debut on February 16 and show the Grammy-winning singer's life in the recording studio, readying for live performances and running her own TV and music production company.
'Everybody knows Beyonce's music, but few know Beyonce the person,' HBO Programming President Michael Lombardo said in a statement. 'Along with electrifying footage of Beyonce on stage, this unique special looks beyond the glamour to reveal a vibrant, vulnerable, unforgettable woman.'
The documentary will also feature moments in the 'Crazy in Love' singer's family life and first-person footage Beyonce captured on her laptop.
Beyonce, 31, who is married to hip hop artist and mogul Jay-Z, will headline the Super Bowl halftime show in New Orleans on February 3.
(Reporting By Eric Kelsey, editing by Jill Serjeant and Andrew Hay)
This news article is brought to you by WOMEN'S BLOG - where latest news are our top priority.
The currently untitled film will debut on February 16 and show the Grammy-winning singer's life in the recording studio, readying for live performances and running her own TV and music production company.
'Everybody knows Beyonce's music, but few know Beyonce the person,' HBO Programming President Michael Lombardo said in a statement. 'Along with electrifying footage of Beyonce on stage, this unique special looks beyond the glamour to reveal a vibrant, vulnerable, unforgettable woman.'
The documentary will also feature moments in the 'Crazy in Love' singer's family life and first-person footage Beyonce captured on her laptop.
Beyonce, 31, who is married to hip hop artist and mogul Jay-Z, will headline the Super Bowl halftime show in New Orleans on February 3.
(Reporting By Eric Kelsey, editing by Jill Serjeant and Andrew Hay)
This news article is brought to you by WOMEN'S BLOG - where latest news are our top priority.
Sunday, November 25, 2012
Vampires foil Tooth Fairy, Santa to claim box office win
(Reuters) - Teen vampire film 'The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2' continued to take a bite out of the domestic box office, drawing $64 million in ticket sales over the five-day Thanksgiving holiday weekend to finish ahead of James Bond film 'Skyfall.'
After opening with a massive $141.1 million last weekend, the finale of the 'Twilight' franchise brought in a holiday swarm of fans to see teen favorites Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner, pushing 'Breaking Dawn' to $227 million in total domestic ticket sales.
'Skyfall,' starring Daniel Craig in the 23rd installment of the James Bond franchise, finished second, collecting $51 million in weekend ticket sales in the United States and Canada, according to studio estimates compiled by the box office division of Hollywood.com.
'Lincoln,' Steven Spielberg's historical film on the last days of President Abraham Lincoln, grabbed third with $34.1 million over the Wednesday-through-Sunday period.
Making its debut in fourth place with $32.6 million was the animated film 'Rise of the Guardians,' featuring the voices of Chris Pine and Alec Baldwin as the Tooth Fairy, Santa Claus and other childhood favorites who save the world.
'Life of Pi,' based on Yann Martel's 2001 best-seller about a boy who survives on a raft with a tiger after his ship sinks, collected $30.15 million for a strong fifth-place finish.
'Rise of the Guardians,' produced by Dreamworks Animation for roughly $145 million, had been projected by distributor Paramount Pictures to gross $35 million in its first five days, according to Box Office Mojo.
Based on 'The Guardians of Childhood' book series by children's author William Joyce, the film will be the last Paramount will release for Dreamworks, whose films will be distributed next year by News Corp's Fox studio.
Anne Globe, Dreamworks' chief marketing officer, pointed to 'the great parent reactions we've seen' to the film, and noting it was among the few choices for families through the end of year, said the studio was 'hoping for very long legs through the holidays.'
The Ang Li film 'Life of Pi,' on the other hand, performed stronger than expected. 'We clearly exceeded our pre-release expectations,' said Chris Aronson, president of domestic distribution for 20th Century Fox.
'We're seeing word of mouth in action, and a remarkably balanced demographic,' including strong ticket sales among those under 25, he said, adding 'Many felt it was impossible to film, but Ang Li pulled it off.'
The remake of the 1984 Cold War film 'Red Dawn,' finished seventh with $22 million in sales, behind animated feature 'Wreck It Ralph''s $23 million take.
'Red Dawn' arrived at movie theaters four years after it was shot by MGM, but was delayed when the studio filed for bankruptcy in 2010. Last year, MGM decided to digitally alter the villains in the movie, inserting North Koreans instead of Chinese, after Hollywood began courting Chinese companies to help finance its films.
Propelled by the vampires, secret agents, presidents and nursery school favorites, Hollywood ticket sales totaled $290 million for the holiday weekend, beating the holiday weekend high mark of $273 million recorded in 2009. Hollywood studios often release their biggest holiday films on Wednesday to take advantage of school breaks the day before Thanksgiving.
The continued rush of fans to see teen favorites Pattinson, Stewart and Lautner pushed the 'Twilight' installment to $227 million in total domestic ticket sales, making it the year's sixth-largest, according to figures compiled by Box Office Mojo.
'Skyfall' with $221.7 million is just behind at number seven, while the year's box office champ remains 'Marvel's The Avengers,' which has taken in $623 million to date.
(Reporting By Ronald Grover)
This news article is brought to you by INTERNET NEWS - where latest news are our top priority.
After opening with a massive $141.1 million last weekend, the finale of the 'Twilight' franchise brought in a holiday swarm of fans to see teen favorites Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner, pushing 'Breaking Dawn' to $227 million in total domestic ticket sales.
'Skyfall,' starring Daniel Craig in the 23rd installment of the James Bond franchise, finished second, collecting $51 million in weekend ticket sales in the United States and Canada, according to studio estimates compiled by the box office division of Hollywood.com.
'Lincoln,' Steven Spielberg's historical film on the last days of President Abraham Lincoln, grabbed third with $34.1 million over the Wednesday-through-Sunday period.
Making its debut in fourth place with $32.6 million was the animated film 'Rise of the Guardians,' featuring the voices of Chris Pine and Alec Baldwin as the Tooth Fairy, Santa Claus and other childhood favorites who save the world.
'Life of Pi,' based on Yann Martel's 2001 best-seller about a boy who survives on a raft with a tiger after his ship sinks, collected $30.15 million for a strong fifth-place finish.
'Rise of the Guardians,' produced by Dreamworks Animation for roughly $145 million, had been projected by distributor Paramount Pictures to gross $35 million in its first five days, according to Box Office Mojo.
Based on 'The Guardians of Childhood' book series by children's author William Joyce, the film will be the last Paramount will release for Dreamworks, whose films will be distributed next year by News Corp's Fox studio.
Anne Globe, Dreamworks' chief marketing officer, pointed to 'the great parent reactions we've seen' to the film, and noting it was among the few choices for families through the end of year, said the studio was 'hoping for very long legs through the holidays.'
The Ang Li film 'Life of Pi,' on the other hand, performed stronger than expected. 'We clearly exceeded our pre-release expectations,' said Chris Aronson, president of domestic distribution for 20th Century Fox.
'We're seeing word of mouth in action, and a remarkably balanced demographic,' including strong ticket sales among those under 25, he said, adding 'Many felt it was impossible to film, but Ang Li pulled it off.'
The remake of the 1984 Cold War film 'Red Dawn,' finished seventh with $22 million in sales, behind animated feature 'Wreck It Ralph''s $23 million take.
'Red Dawn' arrived at movie theaters four years after it was shot by MGM, but was delayed when the studio filed for bankruptcy in 2010. Last year, MGM decided to digitally alter the villains in the movie, inserting North Koreans instead of Chinese, after Hollywood began courting Chinese companies to help finance its films.
Propelled by the vampires, secret agents, presidents and nursery school favorites, Hollywood ticket sales totaled $290 million for the holiday weekend, beating the holiday weekend high mark of $273 million recorded in 2009. Hollywood studios often release their biggest holiday films on Wednesday to take advantage of school breaks the day before Thanksgiving.
The continued rush of fans to see teen favorites Pattinson, Stewart and Lautner pushed the 'Twilight' installment to $227 million in total domestic ticket sales, making it the year's sixth-largest, according to figures compiled by Box Office Mojo.
'Skyfall' with $221.7 million is just behind at number seven, while the year's box office champ remains 'Marvel's The Avengers,' which has taken in $623 million to date.
(Reporting By Ronald Grover)
This news article is brought to you by INTERNET NEWS - where latest news are our top priority.
Friday, November 23, 2012
Ang Lee talks about risks, spirituality of "Life of Pi"
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Gay cowboy drama 'Brokeback Mountain' may have been considered a risky film to make, but director Ang Lee said his new movie, 'Life of Pi,' a 3D exploration of faith about a boy stranded on a boat with a Bengal tiger, is his riskiest yet.
The film, which was released in U.S. theaters this week, is adapted from Yann Martel's best-selling novel of the same name and was once considered impossible to make.
Oscar-winning Taiwanese director Lee, 58, took on the laborious task of using computer-generated imagery to bring the sensational plot to the big screen, taking a year and a half just to edit the film together.
The director talked to Reuters about the film's themes, technical barriers and casting an unknown actor in the lead.
Q. Why was 'Life of Pi' considered unfilmable?
A. 'Because you cannot make the tiger do everything you want to do, you have to use digital. A digital animal, up until two years ago, was not totally realistic yet, let alone in 3D, and then water is pretty difficult.'
Q. Was this your most difficult filming experience yet?
A. 'Oh yes. And it was also the longest...there was the technical difficulty and then it is a big movie. And it was across continents, I finally decided to shoot most of it in Taiwan, but we also had to go to India to shoot for two to three weeks. Because you can't fake Pondicherry, and Munnar. And then we have scenes in Canada.'
Q. But Brokeback Mountain was a risky film too?
A. 'No, that wasn't for me. At least when I made it, I thought it was strictly arthouse and few people would see it. And it's a lot cheaper (to make). So I didn't care...And then I got nervous, 'Oh they are going to lynch me, making a gay cowboy movie, that will go into a shopping mall.''
Q. It was only after you made it you realized that?
A. 'Yes, I was afraid. I was looking around when I walked, when I would go home, to see if anybody was following me. Once it hit the shopping mall I was nervous, actually. My brother is a distributor in Taiwan and I told him not to buy it. He hates me to this day, he is still babbling about it.'
Q. Why choose unknown Suraj Sharma to play Pi?
A. 'I wanted someone authentic, and no bad habits, that means you have to train them from the start. '
Q. Why did you replace Tobey Maguire and reshoot his scenes with the little-known Rafe Spall?
A. 'It was a small part, and he is a big movie star. He is a good old friend of mine and he would do this for nothing, for me. But he is not doing anything (in the role), he is just sitting there listening most of the time. It becomes a little distracting I think.'
Q. How does the film explore spirituality?
A. 'To me, faith can be elusive, but .. As a Taoist would say, 'That's the apple's truth.' The source of all the material comes from nothingness, illusion is working more on things you can prove. That's the principle, the essence of life, it is actually an illusion, not immaterial. That's worth pursuing. So illusion is not nothing. In a way, that is the truth.'
'Sometimes I feel (illusions) are more of life's essence, I can trust them more than real life that is full of deceit and covering up.'
Q. Did exploring faith encourage you to make this?
'The book is fascinating, it talks about faith. But it didn't make me believe in God or anything...I didn't go to church or a temple after that. When I started making the movie, you do feel faith embody you and carry you through. But when I picked the subject, and chose to do the book, it was actually more storytelling in my mind. The value of storytelling. How people share a story. Because a story has structure, it has a beginning, middle and end. It seems to have meaning, where life has not.'
Q. Do you practice any religion?
A. 'No, my mother is a baptized Christian, so she made me go to church every Sunday, and I prayed four times a day until I was 14. And at lunchtime kids at school would giggle at my praying...I stopped praying. And two weeks later, nothing happened to me, so I didn't pick it up again.'
'I am not particularly religious. But I think we do face the question of where God is, why we are created and where does life go, why we exist. That sort of thing. And it is very hard to talk about it these days, because it cannot be proven. It is hard to discuss it rationally.'
Q. Do you consider yourself spiritual?
A. 'I hate to think life is just facts and laws. And I am a filmmaker, I am a sensitive person, I like to think it is spiritual, so I like people to be more in that way. I think life without spirit is in the dark, it is absurd. Call it illusion or call it faith, whatever you call it, we have emotional attachment to the unknown. We yearn to find out. That is human nature. It can be, in a way, unrequited love, we don't know. I don't have a particular God I pray to, except sometimes a movie god.' (laughs)
(Reporting by Christine Kearney, editing by Piya Sinha-Roy and Andrew Hay)
This news article is brought to you by PARENTING KIDS - where latest news are our top priority.
The film, which was released in U.S. theaters this week, is adapted from Yann Martel's best-selling novel of the same name and was once considered impossible to make.
Oscar-winning Taiwanese director Lee, 58, took on the laborious task of using computer-generated imagery to bring the sensational plot to the big screen, taking a year and a half just to edit the film together.
The director talked to Reuters about the film's themes, technical barriers and casting an unknown actor in the lead.
Q. Why was 'Life of Pi' considered unfilmable?
A. 'Because you cannot make the tiger do everything you want to do, you have to use digital. A digital animal, up until two years ago, was not totally realistic yet, let alone in 3D, and then water is pretty difficult.'
Q. Was this your most difficult filming experience yet?
A. 'Oh yes. And it was also the longest...there was the technical difficulty and then it is a big movie. And it was across continents, I finally decided to shoot most of it in Taiwan, but we also had to go to India to shoot for two to three weeks. Because you can't fake Pondicherry, and Munnar. And then we have scenes in Canada.'
Q. But Brokeback Mountain was a risky film too?
A. 'No, that wasn't for me. At least when I made it, I thought it was strictly arthouse and few people would see it. And it's a lot cheaper (to make). So I didn't care...And then I got nervous, 'Oh they are going to lynch me, making a gay cowboy movie, that will go into a shopping mall.''
Q. It was only after you made it you realized that?
A. 'Yes, I was afraid. I was looking around when I walked, when I would go home, to see if anybody was following me. Once it hit the shopping mall I was nervous, actually. My brother is a distributor in Taiwan and I told him not to buy it. He hates me to this day, he is still babbling about it.'
Q. Why choose unknown Suraj Sharma to play Pi?
A. 'I wanted someone authentic, and no bad habits, that means you have to train them from the start. '
Q. Why did you replace Tobey Maguire and reshoot his scenes with the little-known Rafe Spall?
A. 'It was a small part, and he is a big movie star. He is a good old friend of mine and he would do this for nothing, for me. But he is not doing anything (in the role), he is just sitting there listening most of the time. It becomes a little distracting I think.'
Q. How does the film explore spirituality?
A. 'To me, faith can be elusive, but .. As a Taoist would say, 'That's the apple's truth.' The source of all the material comes from nothingness, illusion is working more on things you can prove. That's the principle, the essence of life, it is actually an illusion, not immaterial. That's worth pursuing. So illusion is not nothing. In a way, that is the truth.'
'Sometimes I feel (illusions) are more of life's essence, I can trust them more than real life that is full of deceit and covering up.'
Q. Did exploring faith encourage you to make this?
'The book is fascinating, it talks about faith. But it didn't make me believe in God or anything...I didn't go to church or a temple after that. When I started making the movie, you do feel faith embody you and carry you through. But when I picked the subject, and chose to do the book, it was actually more storytelling in my mind. The value of storytelling. How people share a story. Because a story has structure, it has a beginning, middle and end. It seems to have meaning, where life has not.'
Q. Do you practice any religion?
A. 'No, my mother is a baptized Christian, so she made me go to church every Sunday, and I prayed four times a day until I was 14. And at lunchtime kids at school would giggle at my praying...I stopped praying. And two weeks later, nothing happened to me, so I didn't pick it up again.'
'I am not particularly religious. But I think we do face the question of where God is, why we are created and where does life go, why we exist. That sort of thing. And it is very hard to talk about it these days, because it cannot be proven. It is hard to discuss it rationally.'
Q. Do you consider yourself spiritual?
A. 'I hate to think life is just facts and laws. And I am a filmmaker, I am a sensitive person, I like to think it is spiritual, so I like people to be more in that way. I think life without spirit is in the dark, it is absurd. Call it illusion or call it faith, whatever you call it, we have emotional attachment to the unknown. We yearn to find out. That is human nature. It can be, in a way, unrequited love, we don't know. I don't have a particular God I pray to, except sometimes a movie god.' (laughs)
(Reporting by Christine Kearney, editing by Piya Sinha-Roy and Andrew Hay)
This news article is brought to you by PARENTING KIDS - where latest news are our top priority.
Vampires, 007 may set record Thanksgiving sales
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The teen vampire movie 'Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2' continued to lure huge audiences, siphoning off $12.8 million in Wednesday night showings in what could fuel a record box office haul for the five-day Thanksgiving Day holiday.
The final film in the 'Twilight' series, collected $141.3 million last weekend for the industry's eighth largest opening weekend. On Wednesday it combined with the Daniel Craig 'James Bond' film 'Skyfall' to lead a slate of films that generated $44.3 million in total U.S. and Canadian ticket sales for the day, according to unofficial data from Hollywood.com's box office division.
That's 20 percent ahead of last year's take for the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and, if the pace holds, would put Hollywood on a path to a $278 million holiday weekend, according to Hollywood.com estimates. The 2009 holiday weekend record of $273 million included 'The Twilight Saga: New Moon' and the football flick, 'The Blind Side.'
Hollywood traditionally opens its largest Thanksgiving weekend films on Wednesday, when schools are closed before the Thursday holiday.
'Skyfall,' the 23rd film in the 'James Bond' series about the exploits of a British spy, collected $7.4 million in Wednesday showings.
Dreamworks Animation's 'Rise of the Guardians,' featuring the voices of Chris Pine and Alec Baldwin in a story about the Tooth Fairy, Easter Bunny and other childhood characters that save the world, opened with $4.85 million in Wednesday sales.
'Twilight' and 'Skyfall' each easily appear headed to more than $200 million in box office sales. 'Skyfall,' released by Sony Pictures in association with MGM, has generated more than $178 million so far in domestic ticket sales through Wednesday, already making it the 10th biggest selling film of 2012.
'Twilight,' starring Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner, has totaled $175.5 million through Wednesday in the U.S. and Canada, according to the Hollywood.com unofficial tally. It was released by Lionsgate Entertainment.
(Reporting By Ronald Grover; Editing by Sandra Maler)
This news article is brought to you by PARENTING KIDS - where latest news are our top priority.
The final film in the 'Twilight' series, collected $141.3 million last weekend for the industry's eighth largest opening weekend. On Wednesday it combined with the Daniel Craig 'James Bond' film 'Skyfall' to lead a slate of films that generated $44.3 million in total U.S. and Canadian ticket sales for the day, according to unofficial data from Hollywood.com's box office division.
That's 20 percent ahead of last year's take for the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and, if the pace holds, would put Hollywood on a path to a $278 million holiday weekend, according to Hollywood.com estimates. The 2009 holiday weekend record of $273 million included 'The Twilight Saga: New Moon' and the football flick, 'The Blind Side.'
Hollywood traditionally opens its largest Thanksgiving weekend films on Wednesday, when schools are closed before the Thursday holiday.
'Skyfall,' the 23rd film in the 'James Bond' series about the exploits of a British spy, collected $7.4 million in Wednesday showings.
Dreamworks Animation's 'Rise of the Guardians,' featuring the voices of Chris Pine and Alec Baldwin in a story about the Tooth Fairy, Easter Bunny and other childhood characters that save the world, opened with $4.85 million in Wednesday sales.
'Twilight' and 'Skyfall' each easily appear headed to more than $200 million in box office sales. 'Skyfall,' released by Sony Pictures in association with MGM, has generated more than $178 million so far in domestic ticket sales through Wednesday, already making it the 10th biggest selling film of 2012.
'Twilight,' starring Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner, has totaled $175.5 million through Wednesday in the U.S. and Canada, according to the Hollywood.com unofficial tally. It was released by Lionsgate Entertainment.
(Reporting By Ronald Grover; Editing by Sandra Maler)
This news article is brought to you by PARENTING KIDS - where latest news are our top priority.
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
A Minute With: Guillermo del Toro on "Rise of the Guardians"
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Mexican filmmaker Guillermo del Toro is known for putting a dark twist on super heroes and children's fantasy, but in 'Rise of the Guardians' the producer brings together holiday heroes for a festive adventure.
'Rise of the Guardians,' which will be in theaters on Friday, is based on award-winning author William Joyce's 'The Guardians of Childhood' books. In the film, traditional characters such as Santa Claus, Easter Bunny, Tooth Fairy, Sandman and Jack Frost join forces to save earth's children from the evil Pitch Black and his band of Nightmares.
In the movie that stars Chris Pine, Alec Baldwin, Jude Law, Isla Fisher and Hugh Jackman, del Toro, 48, steps back into the executive producer role after directing dark fantasy 'Pan's Labyrinth' and the 'Hellboy' superhero franchise.
He spoke to Reuters about putting his own stamp on beloved holiday heroes, and why children's films are important to him.
Q: In 'Rise of the Guardians,' Santa has tattoos, the Easter Bunny is Australian and the Tooth Fairy is half-human, half bird. Not the way most of us grew up imagining them, is it?
A: 'We didn't want the characters to have the affections that are given to them in certain cultures. We didn't want to go with the safe Easter Bunny that is now a marketing tool ... We wanted them to represent the world and to geographically make sense. Where would a burrower live, the Outback? The original incarnation of Santa is almost that of a hunter and wild man. It comes from the Nordic and Eastern European notions so we thought it would be great to make him Slavic.'
Q: The film is about addressing fear, which is always a challenging lesson for parents to teach their children. Why make this the central theme?
A: 'In order to address fear, parents always end up tiptoeing around the subject. Shielding our kids is not the way to go, but you also don't want to send them out unprepared without a healthy sense of self. I thought the movie was a great analogy to many things. It's a great metaphor for kids to interpret the world.'
Q: What attracts you to the children's genre?
A: 'Some of my favorite authors in literature are guys that are great portrayers of childhood, but not necessarily childish - Mark Twain, Charles Dickens, Roald Dahl. And my movies like 'Hellboy' and 'Hellboy 2' are about misfits coming together. Same with my Spanish movie 'The Devil's Backbone.' So this movie is thematically very much within what I like to do.
'I think that for good or for bad, we spend the rest of our lives dealing with our first 13 years of life, trying to remedy or be lifted by whatever tools we were given when we were kids. Those first years are when we, as adults, sculpt the character of our kids ... In reality, life puts kids in our lives for us to learn from them. There is no braver soul in the world than a kid.'
Q: Which 'Guardian' do you identify with the most?
A: 'I identify with North (Santa Claus). I have the greatest blessing in my life, which is the capacity to remain a child in the way I like to see the world. Like every artist, I have turmoil and I suffer. But ultimately I am able to find magic in the world. When North declares those principles, when he says 'I feel it in my belly,' it's very much something I identify completely with.'
Q: Can we expect to see more of this band of heroes in future films?
A: 'Obviously the possibility of telling another tale is completely dependent on the studio. But Bill Joyce has written many books on the characters and we are on board to create more and more adventures for them. We've been talking about some storylines. I am eager to tell everyone the story of North.'
Q: You recently finished shooting sci-fi adventure 'Pacific Rim,' due in theaters in 2013, which is your first directing venture since 2008's 'Hellboy II: The Golden Army.' Why the break?
A: 'I went to New Zealand to direct 'The Hobbit' and I was there for two years. I co-wrote the script, and at the end of the process there was a moment of decision where I really wanted to pursue something else and not keep waiting ('The Hobbit' production was delayed due to movie studio MGM's financial troubles).
'Then I spent over a year trying to get a movie called 'Mountains of Madness' off the ground. That didn't happen. Next it took another two years to get 'Pacific Rim' to the screen. But in the meantime, I co-wrote three novels, produced three movies and wrote a TV series. It's been a very busy five years.'
(Reporting by Zorianna Kit, editing by Piya Sinha-Roy and Jeffrey Benkoe)
This news article is brought to you by TECHNOLOGY NEWS - where latest news are our top priority.
'Rise of the Guardians,' which will be in theaters on Friday, is based on award-winning author William Joyce's 'The Guardians of Childhood' books. In the film, traditional characters such as Santa Claus, Easter Bunny, Tooth Fairy, Sandman and Jack Frost join forces to save earth's children from the evil Pitch Black and his band of Nightmares.
In the movie that stars Chris Pine, Alec Baldwin, Jude Law, Isla Fisher and Hugh Jackman, del Toro, 48, steps back into the executive producer role after directing dark fantasy 'Pan's Labyrinth' and the 'Hellboy' superhero franchise.
He spoke to Reuters about putting his own stamp on beloved holiday heroes, and why children's films are important to him.
Q: In 'Rise of the Guardians,' Santa has tattoos, the Easter Bunny is Australian and the Tooth Fairy is half-human, half bird. Not the way most of us grew up imagining them, is it?
A: 'We didn't want the characters to have the affections that are given to them in certain cultures. We didn't want to go with the safe Easter Bunny that is now a marketing tool ... We wanted them to represent the world and to geographically make sense. Where would a burrower live, the Outback? The original incarnation of Santa is almost that of a hunter and wild man. It comes from the Nordic and Eastern European notions so we thought it would be great to make him Slavic.'
Q: The film is about addressing fear, which is always a challenging lesson for parents to teach their children. Why make this the central theme?
A: 'In order to address fear, parents always end up tiptoeing around the subject. Shielding our kids is not the way to go, but you also don't want to send them out unprepared without a healthy sense of self. I thought the movie was a great analogy to many things. It's a great metaphor for kids to interpret the world.'
Q: What attracts you to the children's genre?
A: 'Some of my favorite authors in literature are guys that are great portrayers of childhood, but not necessarily childish - Mark Twain, Charles Dickens, Roald Dahl. And my movies like 'Hellboy' and 'Hellboy 2' are about misfits coming together. Same with my Spanish movie 'The Devil's Backbone.' So this movie is thematically very much within what I like to do.
'I think that for good or for bad, we spend the rest of our lives dealing with our first 13 years of life, trying to remedy or be lifted by whatever tools we were given when we were kids. Those first years are when we, as adults, sculpt the character of our kids ... In reality, life puts kids in our lives for us to learn from them. There is no braver soul in the world than a kid.'
Q: Which 'Guardian' do you identify with the most?
A: 'I identify with North (Santa Claus). I have the greatest blessing in my life, which is the capacity to remain a child in the way I like to see the world. Like every artist, I have turmoil and I suffer. But ultimately I am able to find magic in the world. When North declares those principles, when he says 'I feel it in my belly,' it's very much something I identify completely with.'
Q: Can we expect to see more of this band of heroes in future films?
A: 'Obviously the possibility of telling another tale is completely dependent on the studio. But Bill Joyce has written many books on the characters and we are on board to create more and more adventures for them. We've been talking about some storylines. I am eager to tell everyone the story of North.'
Q: You recently finished shooting sci-fi adventure 'Pacific Rim,' due in theaters in 2013, which is your first directing venture since 2008's 'Hellboy II: The Golden Army.' Why the break?
A: 'I went to New Zealand to direct 'The Hobbit' and I was there for two years. I co-wrote the script, and at the end of the process there was a moment of decision where I really wanted to pursue something else and not keep waiting ('The Hobbit' production was delayed due to movie studio MGM's financial troubles).
'Then I spent over a year trying to get a movie called 'Mountains of Madness' off the ground. That didn't happen. Next it took another two years to get 'Pacific Rim' to the screen. But in the meantime, I co-wrote three novels, produced three movies and wrote a TV series. It's been a very busy five years.'
(Reporting by Zorianna Kit, editing by Piya Sinha-Roy and Jeffrey Benkoe)
This news article is brought to you by TECHNOLOGY NEWS - where latest news are our top priority.
"Rise of the Guardians" Review: Magic, but you'd better believe in Santa Claus
LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - There's a really cool idea afoot in 'Rise of the Guardians,' namely that Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy and the Sandman aren't merely responsible for their little corner of children's lives but are actually a super-team of 'Avengers' proportions. Taking their cues from the unseen Man in the Moon, they protect children everywhere from evildoers.
There's also a really tired concept dragging down the film, namely that new Guardians recruit Jack Frost isn't sure that he wants to join up, and he doesn't know who he really is - and he's, basically, the umpteenth Joseph-Campbell-reluctant-hero who pops up in seemingly every kids' movie and superhero epic. (Arguably, 'Guardians' is both.)
And as much as I often found myself enchanted by this 3D animated film, based on the series of books by William Joyce, I couldn't help noticing that this movie falls into a conundrum I like to call (with a tip of the hat to playwright Christopher Durang) 'You didn't clap loud enough - Tinkerbell's dead.'
As an atheist (albeit one who loves Christmas movies), I get a little twitchy about films where children are made to feel guilty about not believing in things and people that don't actually exist. So even though it's nice to get a non-cynical story aimed at kids, in which open-heartedness and wonder are celebrated as virtues, this is another movie that paints itself into a theological corner by suggesting that those of us who question the existence of the Easter Bunny are at fault for all the world's ills.
In this tale, the Guardians assemble for two reasons: to welcome Jack Frost (voiced by Chris Pine) into their ranks and to combat Pitch Black (Jude Law), a long-suppressed boogeyman who's out to capture the Sandman (who never speaks, but is one of the movie's funniest characters) and to replace his golden slumbers with hideous nightmares.
Santa (Alec Baldwin) - here made out to be the jolliest Russian stevedore on Earth - welcomes Jack to the fold and assures him that he can be a hero once he figures out what he's made of. Less convinced is the Easter Bunny (Hugh Jackman), who has ongoing resentment against Jack for all those times that wintry weather has disrupted egg hunts.
And there's the Tooth Fairy (Isla Fisher), who subcontracts most of her gig out to her army of pixies; one of the film's interesting twists is to explain why children's teeth are so valuable and what she does with them.
When the Guardians are zipping around the planet, invisibly enchanting children and ribbing each other, 'Rise of the Guardians' has a real lift to it; first-time director Peter Ramsey knows how to pace the big set pieces, and he understands that anytime you can make characters fly around (or extreme-sled) in a 3D movie, audiences' spirits will soar too.
All too often, however, the good stuff is interrupted by the extremely pat plot beats of Jack and his voyage of self-fulfillment, and those aren't the only mistakes screenwriter David Lindsay-Abaire ('Rabbit Hole') makes along the way.
There's a major plot development that takes place off-camera, which gives a large chunk of the movie a 'Wait, what just happened?' confusion that's too much of a distraction.
The young'uns at the screening I attended were entranced for much of 'Rise of the Guardians' (terrible title!), so parents can rest assured that its target audience will leave satisfied. But the best family films truly appeal to the whole family, and adults may find themselves asking, and fending off, too many questions to take the plunge into this fantasy universe.
This article is brought to you by ALTIMA.
There's also a really tired concept dragging down the film, namely that new Guardians recruit Jack Frost isn't sure that he wants to join up, and he doesn't know who he really is - and he's, basically, the umpteenth Joseph-Campbell-reluctant-hero who pops up in seemingly every kids' movie and superhero epic. (Arguably, 'Guardians' is both.)
And as much as I often found myself enchanted by this 3D animated film, based on the series of books by William Joyce, I couldn't help noticing that this movie falls into a conundrum I like to call (with a tip of the hat to playwright Christopher Durang) 'You didn't clap loud enough - Tinkerbell's dead.'
As an atheist (albeit one who loves Christmas movies), I get a little twitchy about films where children are made to feel guilty about not believing in things and people that don't actually exist. So even though it's nice to get a non-cynical story aimed at kids, in which open-heartedness and wonder are celebrated as virtues, this is another movie that paints itself into a theological corner by suggesting that those of us who question the existence of the Easter Bunny are at fault for all the world's ills.
In this tale, the Guardians assemble for two reasons: to welcome Jack Frost (voiced by Chris Pine) into their ranks and to combat Pitch Black (Jude Law), a long-suppressed boogeyman who's out to capture the Sandman (who never speaks, but is one of the movie's funniest characters) and to replace his golden slumbers with hideous nightmares.
Santa (Alec Baldwin) - here made out to be the jolliest Russian stevedore on Earth - welcomes Jack to the fold and assures him that he can be a hero once he figures out what he's made of. Less convinced is the Easter Bunny (Hugh Jackman), who has ongoing resentment against Jack for all those times that wintry weather has disrupted egg hunts.
And there's the Tooth Fairy (Isla Fisher), who subcontracts most of her gig out to her army of pixies; one of the film's interesting twists is to explain why children's teeth are so valuable and what she does with them.
When the Guardians are zipping around the planet, invisibly enchanting children and ribbing each other, 'Rise of the Guardians' has a real lift to it; first-time director Peter Ramsey knows how to pace the big set pieces, and he understands that anytime you can make characters fly around (or extreme-sled) in a 3D movie, audiences' spirits will soar too.
All too often, however, the good stuff is interrupted by the extremely pat plot beats of Jack and his voyage of self-fulfillment, and those aren't the only mistakes screenwriter David Lindsay-Abaire ('Rabbit Hole') makes along the way.
There's a major plot development that takes place off-camera, which gives a large chunk of the movie a 'Wait, what just happened?' confusion that's too much of a distraction.
The young'uns at the screening I attended were entranced for much of 'Rise of the Guardians' (terrible title!), so parents can rest assured that its target audience will leave satisfied. But the best family films truly appeal to the whole family, and adults may find themselves asking, and fending off, too many questions to take the plunge into this fantasy universe.
This article is brought to you by ALTIMA.
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
"Life of Pi" and "Rise of Guardians" Debut, but It's Still "Twilight" Time at Box Office
LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Ang Lee's lyrical epic 'Life of Pi,' the computer-animated 3D holiday tale 'Rise of the Guardians' and the 'Red Dawn' reboot all debut in theaters Wednesday, as the holiday movie season kicks into high gear.
But the current No. 1, 'Twilight: Breaking Dawn 2,' will almost surely out-earn the newcomers and dominate the Thanksgiving weekend box office, with a second week that analysts are projecting will hit $65 million over the five days. DreamWorks Animation's 'Rise of the Guardians' will wind up with around $55 million and run second, they say.
Add in sturdy holdovers like Sony's record-breaking James Bond movie 'Skyfall' and Disney's animated 'Wreck-It Ralph,' along with expanding awards hopefuls 'Lincoln' and 'Silver Linings Playbook,' and it shapes up as a very busy weekend at the cineplexes.
Summit Entertainment's 'Breaking Dawn 2' remains in 4,070 theaters after rolling up $141 million in its U.S. debut last weekend.
That was the year's fourth best opening - behind 'The Avengers,' 'Dark Knight Rises' and 'The Hunger Games' - but fell short of the franchise-best $142.8 million set by 'New Moon' in 2009. 'Breaking Dawn' is expected to play more strongly abroad than domestically, and the first-week numbers reflect that: It took in nearly $200 million in its first week of release overseas.
'In the U.S., it didn't get that finale bump that the last Harry Potter movie did, which was surprising,' Exhibitor Relations senior analyst Jeff Bock told TheWrap, 'Its fan base was committed, but Summit couldn't expand it beyond that.'
'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2' opened to $169 million in 2011, well ahead of 'Deathly Hallows 2,' which opened to $125 million the previous year.
'Skyfall,' which took in $41 million in its second week as it became the top-grossing Bond film of all time, is looking at a five-day total of around $39 million, the analysts say. Its worldwide gross now stands at $672 million, $507 million of which has come from overseas.
Buoyed by surprisingly strong results, Disney is expanding 'Lincoln' into roughly 2,000 theaters, up from 1,775, on Friday. The DreamWorks Oscar contender was a surprise No. 3 finisher with $21 million last weekend, well above analysts' and the studio's projections. It's projected to finish with $24 million over the long weekend.
Among the newcomers, Oscar contender 'The Life of Pi' is the most difficult to peg in terms of box-office potential.
It's hard to imagine a tale tougher to bring to the screen than Yann Martel's 2001 saga of an Indian youth lost at sea with a ravenous Bengal tiger aboard his small lifeboat and their ensuing adventures. But Lee brought martial arts ('Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon') and gay cowboys ('Brokeback Mountain') into the movie mainstream, and he's employed the highest-tech digital tools to bring David Magee's adaptation to life in 3D.
Indian Suraj Sharma, who was 17 and had no acting experience when he shot 'Pi,' plays the lead and spends a good bit of the film alone in a boat with the tiger.
The critics love it (92 percent positive on Rotten Tomatoes), calling it gorgeous, innovative and a provocative and soulful examination of faith. Those are admirable qualities in a film, but hardly requisites for - or a guarantee of - box office success.
Fox has the PG-rated 'Pi' in 2,700 theaters and it will have the advantage of premium pricing going for it. Analysts see it opening with about $25 million over the five days, and feel its long-term playability will hinge on word-of-mouth and awards buzz.
In terms of the box office, the most comparable film could be last year's Martin Scorsese-directed 3D family adventure 'Hugo.' Paramount opened that film around the same time last year to $11 million, and it went on to make $73 million, $185 million worldwide.
With its international cast and exotic settings, 'Pi' is another example of a film expected to perform far better internationally than in the U.S. Fox is rolling it out in Taiwan Tuesday, China Wednesday and Hong Kong, India and Puerto Rico this weekend. With Lee's following in China and young star Sharma expected to draw crowds in India, those two markets should give it fast start overseas.
'Pi' was produced for $120 million by Lee, Fox 2000 and special effects firm Rhythm and Hues.
Distributor Paramount is rolling out DreamWorks Animation's computer animated family film 'Rise of the Guardians' on 3,500 3D screens.
The holiday rollout is a natural for the PG-rated 'Rise of the Guardians,' which has a star-studded voice cast, and is executive produced by Guillermo Del Toro and produced by Gary Goetzman.
Based on the William Joyce's 'Guardians of Childhood' series, it tells the tale of Jack Frost (Chris Pine), who gets help from Santa Claus (Alec Baldwin), the Tooth Fairy (Isla Fisher) and the Easter Bunny (Hugh Jackman) after the evil Pitch (Jude Law) threatens the children of the world.
Awareness of the film is strong, and the critics think it's pretty good. Seventy percent of the reviews on Rotten Tomatoes are positive, 67 percent at Movie Review Intelligence. DreamWorks Animation has been on a hot streak, and this its first release since 'Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted,' which has made over $735 million worldwide this year.
'Red Dawn' is a remake of the 1984 John Millius war film that helped launch the careers of young stars Patrick Swayze, Lea Thompson, Jennifer Grey and Charlie Sheen. Released at the peak of the Cold War, its populist and patriotic themes resonated strongly. In that film, Swayze's character leads a group of teens who turn guerrilla fighters to resist Soviet and Cuban invaders who are occupying their state.
Shot in 2009, the 'Red Dawn' reboot was to have been released in 2010, but was delayed by the financial troubles of the studio behind it, MGM.
Since then, the careers of several of the film's stars have taken off. Since shooting 'Red Dawn,' Chris Hemsworth has starred in 'Thor,' 'The Avengers' and 'Snow White and the Huntsman,' while Josh Peck was featured in 'The Hunger Games.' Josh Hutcherson, Adrianne Palicki, Isabel Lucas and Jeffrey Dean Morgan co-star.
This 'Red Dawn' plays more like an action film and is less jingoistic than the original, and FilmDistrict has marketed that way. In addition to targeting fan boys at the Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas, and college campuses, 'Red Dawn' has been show at more than 100 military bases. The cast did a special screening at Port Hueneme Naval Base in Oxnard, Calif.
Speaking of militaries, while the film was on the shelf: the filmmakers digitally turned the invaders from Chinese into North Koreans after angry denunciations of the portrayals from the Beijing press. The switch shouldn't hurt at the Chinese box office, either.
FilmDistrict is opening the PG-13-rated 'Red Dawn' in 2,600 theaters. The original made the equivalent of $90 million when adjusted to today's ticket prices, while this reboot will be fortunate to make half that amount. A five-day total of around $15 million is what the analysts are projecting for the opening.
Fox Searchlight is rolling out 'Hitchcock,' starring Anthony Hopkins as the late director Alfred Hitchcock, in 17 theaters on Friday.
Directed by Sacha Gervasi, with a screenplay from John G. McLaughlin, the film explores the relationship between Hitchcock and his wife and partner Alma Reville (Helen Mirren) while they were working on 'Psycho,' one of his most successful films.
Scarlett Johansson, Danny Huston, Jessica Biel, Toni Collette, Michael Wincott, and James D'Arcy co-star in the Montecito Picture Company production.
'Hitchcock' premiered at the AFI Film Festival and has been well-received by the critics. It has a 76 percent positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Fox Searchlight plans to expand the film gradually over the next three weeks, ahead of its national release on December 14, when it will be on between 500 and 600 theaters.
The Weinstein Company is expanding its Oscar hopeful 'Silver Linings Playbook' into 420 theaters. The dark romantic comedy is directed by David O. Russell and stars Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper and Robert De Niro.
'Silver Linings Playbook' averaged $28,652 on 16 screens in its debut and was to have expanded into 2,000 theaters on Wednesday. But the Weinstein Co. shifted gears last week and decided on a more gradual platform release in hopes of building awards buzz. The Weinstein Co. knows Oscar campaigns; they were behind the last two Best Picture winners, 'The King's Speech' and 'The Artist.'
This news article is brought to you by GLAMOROUS FASHION NEWS - where latest news are our top priority.
But the current No. 1, 'Twilight: Breaking Dawn 2,' will almost surely out-earn the newcomers and dominate the Thanksgiving weekend box office, with a second week that analysts are projecting will hit $65 million over the five days. DreamWorks Animation's 'Rise of the Guardians' will wind up with around $55 million and run second, they say.
Add in sturdy holdovers like Sony's record-breaking James Bond movie 'Skyfall' and Disney's animated 'Wreck-It Ralph,' along with expanding awards hopefuls 'Lincoln' and 'Silver Linings Playbook,' and it shapes up as a very busy weekend at the cineplexes.
Summit Entertainment's 'Breaking Dawn 2' remains in 4,070 theaters after rolling up $141 million in its U.S. debut last weekend.
That was the year's fourth best opening - behind 'The Avengers,' 'Dark Knight Rises' and 'The Hunger Games' - but fell short of the franchise-best $142.8 million set by 'New Moon' in 2009. 'Breaking Dawn' is expected to play more strongly abroad than domestically, and the first-week numbers reflect that: It took in nearly $200 million in its first week of release overseas.
'In the U.S., it didn't get that finale bump that the last Harry Potter movie did, which was surprising,' Exhibitor Relations senior analyst Jeff Bock told TheWrap, 'Its fan base was committed, but Summit couldn't expand it beyond that.'
'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2' opened to $169 million in 2011, well ahead of 'Deathly Hallows 2,' which opened to $125 million the previous year.
'Skyfall,' which took in $41 million in its second week as it became the top-grossing Bond film of all time, is looking at a five-day total of around $39 million, the analysts say. Its worldwide gross now stands at $672 million, $507 million of which has come from overseas.
Buoyed by surprisingly strong results, Disney is expanding 'Lincoln' into roughly 2,000 theaters, up from 1,775, on Friday. The DreamWorks Oscar contender was a surprise No. 3 finisher with $21 million last weekend, well above analysts' and the studio's projections. It's projected to finish with $24 million over the long weekend.
Among the newcomers, Oscar contender 'The Life of Pi' is the most difficult to peg in terms of box-office potential.
It's hard to imagine a tale tougher to bring to the screen than Yann Martel's 2001 saga of an Indian youth lost at sea with a ravenous Bengal tiger aboard his small lifeboat and their ensuing adventures. But Lee brought martial arts ('Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon') and gay cowboys ('Brokeback Mountain') into the movie mainstream, and he's employed the highest-tech digital tools to bring David Magee's adaptation to life in 3D.
Indian Suraj Sharma, who was 17 and had no acting experience when he shot 'Pi,' plays the lead and spends a good bit of the film alone in a boat with the tiger.
The critics love it (92 percent positive on Rotten Tomatoes), calling it gorgeous, innovative and a provocative and soulful examination of faith. Those are admirable qualities in a film, but hardly requisites for - or a guarantee of - box office success.
Fox has the PG-rated 'Pi' in 2,700 theaters and it will have the advantage of premium pricing going for it. Analysts see it opening with about $25 million over the five days, and feel its long-term playability will hinge on word-of-mouth and awards buzz.
In terms of the box office, the most comparable film could be last year's Martin Scorsese-directed 3D family adventure 'Hugo.' Paramount opened that film around the same time last year to $11 million, and it went on to make $73 million, $185 million worldwide.
With its international cast and exotic settings, 'Pi' is another example of a film expected to perform far better internationally than in the U.S. Fox is rolling it out in Taiwan Tuesday, China Wednesday and Hong Kong, India and Puerto Rico this weekend. With Lee's following in China and young star Sharma expected to draw crowds in India, those two markets should give it fast start overseas.
'Pi' was produced for $120 million by Lee, Fox 2000 and special effects firm Rhythm and Hues.
Distributor Paramount is rolling out DreamWorks Animation's computer animated family film 'Rise of the Guardians' on 3,500 3D screens.
The holiday rollout is a natural for the PG-rated 'Rise of the Guardians,' which has a star-studded voice cast, and is executive produced by Guillermo Del Toro and produced by Gary Goetzman.
Based on the William Joyce's 'Guardians of Childhood' series, it tells the tale of Jack Frost (Chris Pine), who gets help from Santa Claus (Alec Baldwin), the Tooth Fairy (Isla Fisher) and the Easter Bunny (Hugh Jackman) after the evil Pitch (Jude Law) threatens the children of the world.
Awareness of the film is strong, and the critics think it's pretty good. Seventy percent of the reviews on Rotten Tomatoes are positive, 67 percent at Movie Review Intelligence. DreamWorks Animation has been on a hot streak, and this its first release since 'Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted,' which has made over $735 million worldwide this year.
'Red Dawn' is a remake of the 1984 John Millius war film that helped launch the careers of young stars Patrick Swayze, Lea Thompson, Jennifer Grey and Charlie Sheen. Released at the peak of the Cold War, its populist and patriotic themes resonated strongly. In that film, Swayze's character leads a group of teens who turn guerrilla fighters to resist Soviet and Cuban invaders who are occupying their state.
Shot in 2009, the 'Red Dawn' reboot was to have been released in 2010, but was delayed by the financial troubles of the studio behind it, MGM.
Since then, the careers of several of the film's stars have taken off. Since shooting 'Red Dawn,' Chris Hemsworth has starred in 'Thor,' 'The Avengers' and 'Snow White and the Huntsman,' while Josh Peck was featured in 'The Hunger Games.' Josh Hutcherson, Adrianne Palicki, Isabel Lucas and Jeffrey Dean Morgan co-star.
This 'Red Dawn' plays more like an action film and is less jingoistic than the original, and FilmDistrict has marketed that way. In addition to targeting fan boys at the Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas, and college campuses, 'Red Dawn' has been show at more than 100 military bases. The cast did a special screening at Port Hueneme Naval Base in Oxnard, Calif.
Speaking of militaries, while the film was on the shelf: the filmmakers digitally turned the invaders from Chinese into North Koreans after angry denunciations of the portrayals from the Beijing press. The switch shouldn't hurt at the Chinese box office, either.
FilmDistrict is opening the PG-13-rated 'Red Dawn' in 2,600 theaters. The original made the equivalent of $90 million when adjusted to today's ticket prices, while this reboot will be fortunate to make half that amount. A five-day total of around $15 million is what the analysts are projecting for the opening.
Fox Searchlight is rolling out 'Hitchcock,' starring Anthony Hopkins as the late director Alfred Hitchcock, in 17 theaters on Friday.
Directed by Sacha Gervasi, with a screenplay from John G. McLaughlin, the film explores the relationship between Hitchcock and his wife and partner Alma Reville (Helen Mirren) while they were working on 'Psycho,' one of his most successful films.
Scarlett Johansson, Danny Huston, Jessica Biel, Toni Collette, Michael Wincott, and James D'Arcy co-star in the Montecito Picture Company production.
'Hitchcock' premiered at the AFI Film Festival and has been well-received by the critics. It has a 76 percent positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Fox Searchlight plans to expand the film gradually over the next three weeks, ahead of its national release on December 14, when it will be on between 500 and 600 theaters.
The Weinstein Company is expanding its Oscar hopeful 'Silver Linings Playbook' into 420 theaters. The dark romantic comedy is directed by David O. Russell and stars Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper and Robert De Niro.
'Silver Linings Playbook' averaged $28,652 on 16 screens in its debut and was to have expanded into 2,000 theaters on Wednesday. But the Weinstein Co. shifted gears last week and decided on a more gradual platform release in hopes of building awards buzz. The Weinstein Co. knows Oscar campaigns; they were behind the last two Best Picture winners, 'The King's Speech' and 'The Artist.'
This news article is brought to you by GLAMOROUS FASHION NEWS - where latest news are our top priority.
Lindsay Lohan, Liz Taylor and pages of "what ifs" for TV's "Liz & Dick"
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Making a movie about Elizabeth Taylor takes courage. Casting wayward starlet Lindsay Lohan as the Hollywood screen legend was both daring and asking for trouble.
And indeed, trouble is what producers got during the shooting of Lifetime TV movie 'Liz & Dick' - but they say the payoff made it all worthwhile.
'Let's say that producing a movie with Lindsay Lohan is not for the faint of heart,' said executive producer Larry Thompson. 'I turned 50 shades of white during production...But the risk was worth the rewards; the pain was worth the pleasure.'
'Liz & Dick,' which premieres on November 25, recounts the scandalous and tumultuous romance between Taylor and British actor Richard Burton in the 1960s and 70s. Lohan is one of the few people ever to have portrayed the diamond-loving, larger-than-life, two-time best actress Oscar winner on screen.
The idea was irresistible. Who better than Lohan, 26, a former child star herself, would know the pressures of having her every move scrutinized by the media, the allure of drink and drugs, and the thrills and risks of living life on the edge?
'I think Lindsay Lohan...literally knows no boundaries and that becomes dangerous and exciting. And she has the ability to bring to the screen and her performance that danger, that raw emotion,' Thompson told reporters ahead of the premiere.
'If you are going to make a movie about Taylor, you damn well want some great magic. And we felt that Lindsay Lohan could bring that.'
Some reviews for 'Liz & Dick' have been savage. The Hollywood Reporter called Lohan 'woeful as Taylor from start to finish' and the TV movie 'an instant classic of unintentional hilarity.' Variety was kinder, calling Lohan 'adequate' and the film 'hammy' but 'pretty good, all things considered.' Both noted casting Lohan was a sound publicity move.
Thompson however is proud of the 90-minute TV film. 'I think people will see (New Zealand actor) Grant Bowler as Richard Burton just steals your heart, and Lindsay Lohan breaks it.'
PAGES OF 'WHAT IFS'
After five years of legal troubles, numerous trips to jail, rehab, and courtrooms, the 'Mean Girls' star was looking for a project that could re-establish the credentials that had once made her among the most promising young actresses in Hollywood.
But her past brought problems with insurance for the movie, shooting schedules and the personal setbacks Lohan faced during the making of the TV film earlier this year.
Thompson said the deal with Lohan included 'pages and pages of 'what if' clauses. What if there is a car accident? What if there is a violation of probation and she would be incarcerated? She might be the most insured actress to ever walk on a soundstage.'
The clauses were needed. During shooting, Lohan was involved in a serious car crash in the California beach city of Santa Monica, and on a separate occasion she was rushed to the hospital suffering from what as described as 'exhaustion and dehydration.'
And just as Taylor and Burton were hounded by (and sometimes courted) the media during their highly public extra-marital affair, Lohan and the production staff had the paparazzi to deal with.
'There were paparazzi following us around, hanging out of trees every day. And while we were making a movie about Elizabeth Taylor being followed by paparazzi, we had real paparazzi following our paparazzi following Elizabeth Taylor. So it was life imitating art, art imitating life,' said Thompson.
Thompson acknowledged that fans of Taylor, who died in 2011 at age 79 after eight marriages - two of them to Burton - will believe there is no actress who could possibly play her. Burton died in 1984 at the age of 58.
Yet Lifetime chose Lohan also in the hope she would bring a younger generation of her own fans to the movie.
'A lot of young people today think Liz Taylor is an old woman sitting in a wheelchair next to Michael Jackson, whereas our movie is about the young, vibrant, highest-paid movie star in the world at the height of her beauty and power,' Thompson said.
As for whether he would work again with Lohan despite the challenging shoot?
'Sure,' Thompson said.
(Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Christine Kearney and Lisa Shumaker)
This article is brought to you by COMPUTERS FOR SALE.
And indeed, trouble is what producers got during the shooting of Lifetime TV movie 'Liz & Dick' - but they say the payoff made it all worthwhile.
'Let's say that producing a movie with Lindsay Lohan is not for the faint of heart,' said executive producer Larry Thompson. 'I turned 50 shades of white during production...But the risk was worth the rewards; the pain was worth the pleasure.'
'Liz & Dick,' which premieres on November 25, recounts the scandalous and tumultuous romance between Taylor and British actor Richard Burton in the 1960s and 70s. Lohan is one of the few people ever to have portrayed the diamond-loving, larger-than-life, two-time best actress Oscar winner on screen.
The idea was irresistible. Who better than Lohan, 26, a former child star herself, would know the pressures of having her every move scrutinized by the media, the allure of drink and drugs, and the thrills and risks of living life on the edge?
'I think Lindsay Lohan...literally knows no boundaries and that becomes dangerous and exciting. And she has the ability to bring to the screen and her performance that danger, that raw emotion,' Thompson told reporters ahead of the premiere.
'If you are going to make a movie about Taylor, you damn well want some great magic. And we felt that Lindsay Lohan could bring that.'
Some reviews for 'Liz & Dick' have been savage. The Hollywood Reporter called Lohan 'woeful as Taylor from start to finish' and the TV movie 'an instant classic of unintentional hilarity.' Variety was kinder, calling Lohan 'adequate' and the film 'hammy' but 'pretty good, all things considered.' Both noted casting Lohan was a sound publicity move.
Thompson however is proud of the 90-minute TV film. 'I think people will see (New Zealand actor) Grant Bowler as Richard Burton just steals your heart, and Lindsay Lohan breaks it.'
PAGES OF 'WHAT IFS'
After five years of legal troubles, numerous trips to jail, rehab, and courtrooms, the 'Mean Girls' star was looking for a project that could re-establish the credentials that had once made her among the most promising young actresses in Hollywood.
But her past brought problems with insurance for the movie, shooting schedules and the personal setbacks Lohan faced during the making of the TV film earlier this year.
Thompson said the deal with Lohan included 'pages and pages of 'what if' clauses. What if there is a car accident? What if there is a violation of probation and she would be incarcerated? She might be the most insured actress to ever walk on a soundstage.'
The clauses were needed. During shooting, Lohan was involved in a serious car crash in the California beach city of Santa Monica, and on a separate occasion she was rushed to the hospital suffering from what as described as 'exhaustion and dehydration.'
And just as Taylor and Burton were hounded by (and sometimes courted) the media during their highly public extra-marital affair, Lohan and the production staff had the paparazzi to deal with.
'There were paparazzi following us around, hanging out of trees every day. And while we were making a movie about Elizabeth Taylor being followed by paparazzi, we had real paparazzi following our paparazzi following Elizabeth Taylor. So it was life imitating art, art imitating life,' said Thompson.
Thompson acknowledged that fans of Taylor, who died in 2011 at age 79 after eight marriages - two of them to Burton - will believe there is no actress who could possibly play her. Burton died in 1984 at the age of 58.
Yet Lifetime chose Lohan also in the hope she would bring a younger generation of her own fans to the movie.
'A lot of young people today think Liz Taylor is an old woman sitting in a wheelchair next to Michael Jackson, whereas our movie is about the young, vibrant, highest-paid movie star in the world at the height of her beauty and power,' Thompson said.
As for whether he would work again with Lohan despite the challenging shoot?
'Sure,' Thompson said.
(Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Christine Kearney and Lisa Shumaker)
This article is brought to you by COMPUTERS FOR SALE.
Monday, November 19, 2012
Why Oscar's "Simple" Date-Change Is a Ticking Time Bomb
LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - The press release didn't look as if it contained big news.
'Key Dates Announced for the 85th Academy Awards,' read the headline on the September 18 announcement, which came significantly later than usual for the Academy and contained one seemingly innocuous line:
'In an effort to provide members and the public a longer period of time to see the nominated films, the Academy will reveal the 85th Academy Awards nominations on January 10, five days earlier than previously announced.'
But that little change - those five days, which moved the nominations from what was already an unusually early slot to the Thursday before the Golden Globes - has shaken all things Oscar, essentially detonating a time bomb across the Academy Awards landscape.
As advertised, the move will give members of the Academy and prospective viewers extra time to see the 35 or so features that will be nominated (plus another 10 documentaries and foreign-language films) - but it'll give them significantly less time to see the 250 to 300 films that are eligible to be nominated.
'As an Academy member, I'm not happy about it,' said one voter, who was typical of those TheWrap has spoken to. 'It's short-sighted and unfair to members, and they're limiting the number of movies that might get nominated because members won't see as many. And as a marketer, it hampers you in every way and forces you to flood people with emails and mailings and screenings and screeners to get all your stuff out by January 1.'
Grumbling, moaning and the occasional gnashing of teeth over the compressed timeline has been almost constant since the announcement. One commonly heard phrase is, 'What were they thinking?' Another is, 'I know what they were thinking, and it has nothing to do with what they say they were thinking.'
To this latter camp, which includes both outsiders and AMPAS members, the clear intent of the move was to hurt the Golden Globes, the tacky show whose importance on the awards calendar has always rankled the Academy.
The governors were said to be determined to make the Globes (and its presenting body, the much-maligned Hollywood Foreign Press Association) irrelevant by announcing Oscar nominations before the Globes even happen . as if that would stop people from tuning in or persuade NBC, Dick Clark Productions or the HFPA to pull the plug on a multimillion-dollar cash cow that they would no doubt move to Thanksgiving weekend before they'd ever consider giving it up.
Yes, the move will put the Globes in the awkward position of taking place at a point where trade ads are more likely to proudly trumpet 'six Oscar nominations!' than 'Golden Globe winner!' And by the time Academy members are able to vote, the Globes results will most likely forgotten by anybody casting an Oscar ballot.
The move won't impact the Globes ratings, but it could conceivably reduce attendance at the show: If a star hoping to use a fabulous Globes acceptance speech to boost an Oscar candidacy winds up not being nominated, will he or she still feel inclined to show up for the HFPA's dog-and-pony show?
Among other awards shows, the real casualty could be the Broadcast Film Critics Association's Critics' Choice Movie Awards, a reliable Oscar precursor that this year is scheduled to take place the evening of the day on which Oscar noms are announced.
It's hard to imagine too many actors wanting to put on a brave face and mingle with nominated colleagues only a few hours after learning that Oscar voters have ignored them; I'm guessing the BFCA may find itself with at least a few last-minute cancellations and lame excuses.
But the move's repercussions go far beyond other awards shows.
A voting window that ends on January 3, immediately after the Christmas/New Year's holidays, will mean more pressure to book early screenings, more of a push to get parties and Q&As done before the holidays, and outright desperation to have screeners in voters' hands before they head to Aspen or Hawaii for the break.
And for films released in December - a typical Oscar slot that has been utilized quite effectively in the past by the likes of 'Million Dollar Baby' and 'Shakespeare in Love' - the new calendar could be a killer: With nominating ballots due so soon after the holidays, films had better be must-sees if they want to get voters to check them out before casting their ballots.
Obviously, that won't hurt the December releases 'Django Unchained,' 'Zero Dark Thirty,' 'Les Miserables' and 'The Hobbit' - those are no-brainers for any Academy member who wants to be the slightest bit thorough. But what about a lower-profile film like Michael Haneke's 'Amour,' which Sony Classics is releasing on December 19?
The Cannes Palme d'Or winner is strong enough to escape the foreign-language category and become a viable Best Picture contender if enough members see it, but SPC may have to push awfully hard to get it in front of voters already facing a year-end crunch.
The move also puts a hit on the Palm Springs International Film Festival, whose annual Awards Gala, which typically honors an array of Oscar hopefuls, now falls three days after polls close.
And the late-January Santa Barbara International Film Festival now sits in the 29-day no-man's-land between the nominations and the opening of final voting, long enough after nominations that some potential honorees might want to wait for the Academy's verdict before committing to an SBIFF tribute.
Still, it'll make things easier for Oscar-watchers who also want to go to the Sundance Film Festival; rather than noms coming in the middle of that fest, they will happen two weeks before Park City kicks off.
And yes, the new calendar will, as advertised, give viewers and voters more time to watch the nominated films.
The same voter who slammed the move as unfair for members and terrible for marketers did concede one thing: 'From the exhibition point of view, I think it's a good thing. You get an additional two weeks in theaters with the films that have been nominated, and we all know that's where the money is made.'
This news article is brought to you by MUSIC UNITED 1 - where latest news are our top priority.
'Key Dates Announced for the 85th Academy Awards,' read the headline on the September 18 announcement, which came significantly later than usual for the Academy and contained one seemingly innocuous line:
'In an effort to provide members and the public a longer period of time to see the nominated films, the Academy will reveal the 85th Academy Awards nominations on January 10, five days earlier than previously announced.'
But that little change - those five days, which moved the nominations from what was already an unusually early slot to the Thursday before the Golden Globes - has shaken all things Oscar, essentially detonating a time bomb across the Academy Awards landscape.
As advertised, the move will give members of the Academy and prospective viewers extra time to see the 35 or so features that will be nominated (plus another 10 documentaries and foreign-language films) - but it'll give them significantly less time to see the 250 to 300 films that are eligible to be nominated.
'As an Academy member, I'm not happy about it,' said one voter, who was typical of those TheWrap has spoken to. 'It's short-sighted and unfair to members, and they're limiting the number of movies that might get nominated because members won't see as many. And as a marketer, it hampers you in every way and forces you to flood people with emails and mailings and screenings and screeners to get all your stuff out by January 1.'
Grumbling, moaning and the occasional gnashing of teeth over the compressed timeline has been almost constant since the announcement. One commonly heard phrase is, 'What were they thinking?' Another is, 'I know what they were thinking, and it has nothing to do with what they say they were thinking.'
To this latter camp, which includes both outsiders and AMPAS members, the clear intent of the move was to hurt the Golden Globes, the tacky show whose importance on the awards calendar has always rankled the Academy.
The governors were said to be determined to make the Globes (and its presenting body, the much-maligned Hollywood Foreign Press Association) irrelevant by announcing Oscar nominations before the Globes even happen . as if that would stop people from tuning in or persuade NBC, Dick Clark Productions or the HFPA to pull the plug on a multimillion-dollar cash cow that they would no doubt move to Thanksgiving weekend before they'd ever consider giving it up.
Yes, the move will put the Globes in the awkward position of taking place at a point where trade ads are more likely to proudly trumpet 'six Oscar nominations!' than 'Golden Globe winner!' And by the time Academy members are able to vote, the Globes results will most likely forgotten by anybody casting an Oscar ballot.
The move won't impact the Globes ratings, but it could conceivably reduce attendance at the show: If a star hoping to use a fabulous Globes acceptance speech to boost an Oscar candidacy winds up not being nominated, will he or she still feel inclined to show up for the HFPA's dog-and-pony show?
Among other awards shows, the real casualty could be the Broadcast Film Critics Association's Critics' Choice Movie Awards, a reliable Oscar precursor that this year is scheduled to take place the evening of the day on which Oscar noms are announced.
It's hard to imagine too many actors wanting to put on a brave face and mingle with nominated colleagues only a few hours after learning that Oscar voters have ignored them; I'm guessing the BFCA may find itself with at least a few last-minute cancellations and lame excuses.
But the move's repercussions go far beyond other awards shows.
A voting window that ends on January 3, immediately after the Christmas/New Year's holidays, will mean more pressure to book early screenings, more of a push to get parties and Q&As done before the holidays, and outright desperation to have screeners in voters' hands before they head to Aspen or Hawaii for the break.
And for films released in December - a typical Oscar slot that has been utilized quite effectively in the past by the likes of 'Million Dollar Baby' and 'Shakespeare in Love' - the new calendar could be a killer: With nominating ballots due so soon after the holidays, films had better be must-sees if they want to get voters to check them out before casting their ballots.
Obviously, that won't hurt the December releases 'Django Unchained,' 'Zero Dark Thirty,' 'Les Miserables' and 'The Hobbit' - those are no-brainers for any Academy member who wants to be the slightest bit thorough. But what about a lower-profile film like Michael Haneke's 'Amour,' which Sony Classics is releasing on December 19?
The Cannes Palme d'Or winner is strong enough to escape the foreign-language category and become a viable Best Picture contender if enough members see it, but SPC may have to push awfully hard to get it in front of voters already facing a year-end crunch.
The move also puts a hit on the Palm Springs International Film Festival, whose annual Awards Gala, which typically honors an array of Oscar hopefuls, now falls three days after polls close.
And the late-January Santa Barbara International Film Festival now sits in the 29-day no-man's-land between the nominations and the opening of final voting, long enough after nominations that some potential honorees might want to wait for the Academy's verdict before committing to an SBIFF tribute.
Still, it'll make things easier for Oscar-watchers who also want to go to the Sundance Film Festival; rather than noms coming in the middle of that fest, they will happen two weeks before Park City kicks off.
And yes, the new calendar will, as advertised, give viewers and voters more time to watch the nominated films.
The same voter who slammed the move as unfair for members and terrible for marketers did concede one thing: 'From the exhibition point of view, I think it's a good thing. You get an additional two weeks in theaters with the films that have been nominated, and we all know that's where the money is made.'
This news article is brought to you by MUSIC UNITED 1 - where latest news are our top priority.
"Twilight" sendoff starts with huge $341 million worldwide
(Reuters) - The 'Twilight' vampire saga's final chapter debuted with a massive $341 million in global movie ticket sales as devoted fans bid farewell to blood-sucking spouses Bella and Edward and one of Hollywood's biggest franchises.
'The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2' earned an estimated $141 million in the United States and Canada over the weekend, falling slightly short of a record for the supernatural romance series about a human-vampire-werewolf love triangle.
The total, which includes sales from late night Thursday through Sunday, ranked as the eight biggest domestic film debut of all time. Late-night Thursday screenings comprised $30.4 million of the $141 million total.
Fan fever for the fifth 'Twilight' movie raged high around the world. 'Breaking Dawn - Part 2' rang up sales of $199.6 million from Thursday to Sunday at theaters in 61 countries for a worldwide total of $341 million, distributor Summit Entertainment said on Sunday.
The earlier 'Twilight' films pulled in a combined $2.5 billion at global box offices over a four-year run. The success lifted tiny studio Summit Entertainment into Hollywood's big leagues and paved the way for its $412 million acquisition in January by Lions Gate Entertainment.
'New Moon' scored the biggest debut of the series, grossing $142.8 million over its first three days in 2009.
The movies based on a series of best-selling young adult books by Stephenie Meyer ignited a pop culture infatuation with blood-sucking vampires and werewolves. The films star Kristen Stewart as human-turned-vampire Bella Swan, Robert Pattinson as her vampire love Edward Cullen, and Taylor Lautner as werewolf Jacob Black, who competes for Bella's affection.
Summit spent $120 million to produce 'Breaking Dawn - Part 2,' which concludes the tale with newly turned vampire Bella and husband Edward in a high-stakes battle to protect their half-human, half-vampire daughter from an ancient vampire clan. The couple enlist the extended Cullen family in their fight.
Fans of the series, mostly teen girls nicknamed 'Twi-hards,' embraced the final film, which includes a surprise twist that was not in the final book. Audiences polled by CinemaScore awarded the movie an 'A' grade, with an 'A+' from filmgoers under age 25, according to Summit. Critics were less supportive. Fifty-one percent of reviews collected on the Rotten Tomatoes website were positive.
Summit Entertainment's president of domestic distribution Richie Fay said though the vast majority of the audience was female, he expected more male viewers than for previous 'Twilight' films.
'The male audience has increased a good bit, and the ratings among males are higher I think in part to the action in the film,' he said.
Author Meyer has not ruled out the possibility of more stories in the vampire-werewolf universe but said she has closed the chapter on the Cullens.
Hollywood is eager to fill the void after the success of 'Twilight' highlighted the power of young adult stories on the big screen. Studios are bringing at least four new films based on popular young adult novels to theaters next year as well as the sequel to the newest teen movie sensation, 'The Hunger Games.
The 'Twilight' excitement eclipsed all other movies over the weekend. Last week's winner, James Bond movie 'Skyfall' finished in second place with $41.5 million at North American (U.S. and Canadian) theaters.
'Skyfall' is now the highest-grossing Bond movie to date with a global total of over $669 million, surpassing the $599 million taken in by 'Casino Royale' in 2006.
'Skyfall' also propelled distributer Sony Pictures Entertainment to a record year, pushing its worldwide box office total over the $4 billion mark.
Historical drama 'Lincoln' expanded from a limited opening a week ago and landed in third place with $21 million. The movie stars Daniel Day-Lewis as the 16th president near the end of his life as he battles to ban slavery and end the Civil War. The movie is directed by Steven Spielberg and has earned critical praise and awards-season buzz.
In fourth place, Walt Disney Co animated movie 'Wreck-It Ralph,' about a videogame character who destroys everything in his path, pulled in $18.3 million. Denzel Washington drama 'Flight' earned $8.6 million and the No. 5 spot.
Elsewhere, romantic comedy 'Silver Linings Playbook' brought in $458,000 at 16 locations, or an average of $28,625 per theater. The film stars Bradley Cooper as a bipolar former teacher just released from a mental institution and Jennifer Lawrence as a young widow he encounters as he tries to put his life back together.
'Silver Linings' won over critics who say it may earn a spot in the Oscar race. The Weinstein Co, the private company that released the movie, will expand the film nationwide beginning on Wednesday, November 21.
Sony Corp's movie studio distributed 'Skyfall.' 'Lincoln' was produced by Dreamworks and released by Walt Disney Co. 'Flight' was distributed by Paramount Pictures, a unit of Viacom Inc.
(Reporting by Lisa Richwine; Editing by Jackie Frank)
This news article is brought to you by STOCK MARKET BLOG - where latest news are our top priority.
'The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2' earned an estimated $141 million in the United States and Canada over the weekend, falling slightly short of a record for the supernatural romance series about a human-vampire-werewolf love triangle.
The total, which includes sales from late night Thursday through Sunday, ranked as the eight biggest domestic film debut of all time. Late-night Thursday screenings comprised $30.4 million of the $141 million total.
Fan fever for the fifth 'Twilight' movie raged high around the world. 'Breaking Dawn - Part 2' rang up sales of $199.6 million from Thursday to Sunday at theaters in 61 countries for a worldwide total of $341 million, distributor Summit Entertainment said on Sunday.
The earlier 'Twilight' films pulled in a combined $2.5 billion at global box offices over a four-year run. The success lifted tiny studio Summit Entertainment into Hollywood's big leagues and paved the way for its $412 million acquisition in January by Lions Gate Entertainment.
'New Moon' scored the biggest debut of the series, grossing $142.8 million over its first three days in 2009.
The movies based on a series of best-selling young adult books by Stephenie Meyer ignited a pop culture infatuation with blood-sucking vampires and werewolves. The films star Kristen Stewart as human-turned-vampire Bella Swan, Robert Pattinson as her vampire love Edward Cullen, and Taylor Lautner as werewolf Jacob Black, who competes for Bella's affection.
Summit spent $120 million to produce 'Breaking Dawn - Part 2,' which concludes the tale with newly turned vampire Bella and husband Edward in a high-stakes battle to protect their half-human, half-vampire daughter from an ancient vampire clan. The couple enlist the extended Cullen family in their fight.
Fans of the series, mostly teen girls nicknamed 'Twi-hards,' embraced the final film, which includes a surprise twist that was not in the final book. Audiences polled by CinemaScore awarded the movie an 'A' grade, with an 'A+' from filmgoers under age 25, according to Summit. Critics were less supportive. Fifty-one percent of reviews collected on the Rotten Tomatoes website were positive.
Summit Entertainment's president of domestic distribution Richie Fay said though the vast majority of the audience was female, he expected more male viewers than for previous 'Twilight' films.
'The male audience has increased a good bit, and the ratings among males are higher I think in part to the action in the film,' he said.
Author Meyer has not ruled out the possibility of more stories in the vampire-werewolf universe but said she has closed the chapter on the Cullens.
Hollywood is eager to fill the void after the success of 'Twilight' highlighted the power of young adult stories on the big screen. Studios are bringing at least four new films based on popular young adult novels to theaters next year as well as the sequel to the newest teen movie sensation, 'The Hunger Games.
The 'Twilight' excitement eclipsed all other movies over the weekend. Last week's winner, James Bond movie 'Skyfall' finished in second place with $41.5 million at North American (U.S. and Canadian) theaters.
'Skyfall' is now the highest-grossing Bond movie to date with a global total of over $669 million, surpassing the $599 million taken in by 'Casino Royale' in 2006.
'Skyfall' also propelled distributer Sony Pictures Entertainment to a record year, pushing its worldwide box office total over the $4 billion mark.
Historical drama 'Lincoln' expanded from a limited opening a week ago and landed in third place with $21 million. The movie stars Daniel Day-Lewis as the 16th president near the end of his life as he battles to ban slavery and end the Civil War. The movie is directed by Steven Spielberg and has earned critical praise and awards-season buzz.
In fourth place, Walt Disney Co animated movie 'Wreck-It Ralph,' about a videogame character who destroys everything in his path, pulled in $18.3 million. Denzel Washington drama 'Flight' earned $8.6 million and the No. 5 spot.
Elsewhere, romantic comedy 'Silver Linings Playbook' brought in $458,000 at 16 locations, or an average of $28,625 per theater. The film stars Bradley Cooper as a bipolar former teacher just released from a mental institution and Jennifer Lawrence as a young widow he encounters as he tries to put his life back together.
'Silver Linings' won over critics who say it may earn a spot in the Oscar race. The Weinstein Co, the private company that released the movie, will expand the film nationwide beginning on Wednesday, November 21.
Sony Corp's movie studio distributed 'Skyfall.' 'Lincoln' was produced by Dreamworks and released by Walt Disney Co. 'Flight' was distributed by Paramount Pictures, a unit of Viacom Inc.
(Reporting by Lisa Richwine; Editing by Jackie Frank)
This news article is brought to you by STOCK MARKET BLOG - where latest news are our top priority.
Friday, November 16, 2012
"Life of Pi" movie lifeboat for sale at $40,000
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - 'Life of Pi' is yet to hit movie theaters, but fans can already buy the film's trusty lifeboat that becomes home to a young Indian boy shipwrecked with a tiger.
U.S. online retailer Gilt Groupe said on Friday that the lifeboat, replicated from real rafts used between the 1920s and 1950s, is among props from the movie up for sale next week.
The lifeboat is priced at $40,000 in the sale starting on November 19. Proceeds will go towards the Orangutan Foundation International, in recognition of one of the other animals who initially survives with title character Pi in the film.
'Life of Pi' is based on the best-selling novel by Yann Martel, directed by Ang Lee and stars newcomer Suraj Sharma. It opens in U.S. movie theaters on November 21.
Other items up for sale include movie posters signed by Lee, a collection of vibrant saris, and other props valued between $140 and more than $6,000.
(This story was corrected in paragraph 3 to state that the sale starts on November 19, not November 15)
(Reporting By Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Jill Serjeant and Paul Simao)
This article is brought to you by FREE MONEY MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE.
U.S. online retailer Gilt Groupe said on Friday that the lifeboat, replicated from real rafts used between the 1920s and 1950s, is among props from the movie up for sale next week.
The lifeboat is priced at $40,000 in the sale starting on November 19. Proceeds will go towards the Orangutan Foundation International, in recognition of one of the other animals who initially survives with title character Pi in the film.
'Life of Pi' is based on the best-selling novel by Yann Martel, directed by Ang Lee and stars newcomer Suraj Sharma. It opens in U.S. movie theaters on November 21.
Other items up for sale include movie posters signed by Lee, a collection of vibrant saris, and other props valued between $140 and more than $6,000.
(This story was corrected in paragraph 3 to state that the sale starts on November 19, not November 15)
(Reporting By Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Jill Serjeant and Paul Simao)
This article is brought to you by FREE MONEY MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE.
Final "Twilight" dawns with $30 million from late-night shows
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Bella and Edward's big-screen farewell lit up box offices with $30.4 million in late-night ticket sales for the finale of the blockbuster 'Twilight' vampire series, production studio Summit Entertainment said on Friday.
The U.S. and Canadian box office receipts for 'The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part 2' beat initial sales for each of the previous four films in the franchise, though the final installment got a boost from late Thursday night previews.
Last year's 'Breaking Dawn, Part 1' kicked off with $30.3 million from shows just after midnight on the Friday that it debuted, according to figures from Hollywood.com. Summit, a unit of Lions Gate Entertainment Corp, did not provide Friday-only numbers for 'Breaking Dawn, Part 2.'
The record for opening-night sales belongs to 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2,' the finale in the boy-wizard series that grabbed $43.5 million when it debuted in July 2011.
Box office watchers say the 'Twilight' finale has a shot at setting the franchise record for opening weekend sales when receipts through Sunday are tallied. 'The Twilight Saga: New Moon,' released in November 2009, now ranks as the biggest opening in the series, with $142.8 million in sales over the first three days after its release in November 2009.
'Breaking Dawn - Part 2' stars Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner in the conclusion of angst-ridden vampire and werewolf love triangle created by author Stephenie Meyer in a series of young adult books. In the final film, wedded vampires Bella and Edward must protect their daughter from an ancient vampire clan.
Opening weekend will get a lift from fans who rush out to see the movie because it is the last film in the popular series, said Paul Dergarabedian, president of the box office division of Hollywood.com. He projects domestic three-day sales will reach $145 million to $150 million.
'Like 'Potter,' the final installment of this will benefit from the cachet of being the last one,' he said.
(Reporting By Lisa Richwine; editing by Andrew Hay)
This news article is brought to you by MOVIE GOSSIP NEWS - where latest news are our top priority.
The U.S. and Canadian box office receipts for 'The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part 2' beat initial sales for each of the previous four films in the franchise, though the final installment got a boost from late Thursday night previews.
Last year's 'Breaking Dawn, Part 1' kicked off with $30.3 million from shows just after midnight on the Friday that it debuted, according to figures from Hollywood.com. Summit, a unit of Lions Gate Entertainment Corp, did not provide Friday-only numbers for 'Breaking Dawn, Part 2.'
The record for opening-night sales belongs to 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2,' the finale in the boy-wizard series that grabbed $43.5 million when it debuted in July 2011.
Box office watchers say the 'Twilight' finale has a shot at setting the franchise record for opening weekend sales when receipts through Sunday are tallied. 'The Twilight Saga: New Moon,' released in November 2009, now ranks as the biggest opening in the series, with $142.8 million in sales over the first three days after its release in November 2009.
'Breaking Dawn - Part 2' stars Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner in the conclusion of angst-ridden vampire and werewolf love triangle created by author Stephenie Meyer in a series of young adult books. In the final film, wedded vampires Bella and Edward must protect their daughter from an ancient vampire clan.
Opening weekend will get a lift from fans who rush out to see the movie because it is the last film in the popular series, said Paul Dergarabedian, president of the box office division of Hollywood.com. He projects domestic three-day sales will reach $145 million to $150 million.
'Like 'Potter,' the final installment of this will benefit from the cachet of being the last one,' he said.
(Reporting By Lisa Richwine; editing by Andrew Hay)
This news article is brought to you by MOVIE GOSSIP NEWS - where latest news are our top priority.
After Garbo, Leigh, no defining "Anna Karenina": Knightley
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Film adaptations of 'Anna Karenina' have featured the likes of Greta Garbo and Vivien Leigh, but Keira Knightley isn't fazed about measuring up to such silver screen luminaries with a new cinematic take on Leo Tolstoy's classic novel.
The British actress's turn in the title role in the timeless story about a beautiful married socialite in 1870s Russia who embarks on a passionate affair with a cavalry officer, follows the 1935 version starring Garbo and the 1948 film with Leigh. It is released in the United States on Friday.
'Although there have been many famous actresses play her, there's never been a definitive version of 'Anna Karenina,'' Knightley said in an interview. 'I think it's partly because of the relationship you have with the character. She poses more questions than she answers, so it's always open to different interpretation.'
Knightley stars opposite Jude Law as her husband, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson as the dashing Count Vronsky, and teams up again with filmmaker Joe Wright in their third film together after previous book-to-film collaborations with 2007's 'Atonement' and 2005's 'Pride & Prejudice.'
The film debuted at the Toronto film festival to warm reviews for Knightley's performance. Critics have said the film is overall technically and visually accomplished but lacks a cohesive emotional punch.
Adapted by playwright Tom Stoppard, Wright's 'Anna Karenina' takes place mostly in a theater setting and sees the title character more high-strung and less sympathetic than in previous incarnations.
The director said he cast Knightley, 27, because he felt she could tap into all the internal elements of Anna.
'She was 18 when we made 'Pride & Prejudice', just a kid,' said Wright. 'I've seen her develop from stunning ingénue to great actress. I felt that she was stronger, braver, even less conforming than she had been before.'
Knightley, newly engaged to musician James Righton, said she stood in moral condemnation over Anna,- 'But am I any better than her? No.'
'I think we're all her,' she added. 'That is why she's so terrifying. We all have bits of her personality within us. We can be wonderful, we can be loving, we can be full of laughter and full of life, and we can also be deceitful, malicious, needy and full of rage.'
WORLDS AWAY
While 'Karenina' cements the perception of Knightley as a go-to actress for period pieces that also includes films like 2008's 'The Duchess' and 2004's 'King Arthur,' her career wasn't always associated with roles grounded in the past.
Knightley spent the 1990s working in the British film and television industry before gaining international attention in the 2002 teenage soccer movie 'Bend it Like Beckham.' After that, the actress said she was offered 'an awful lot' of films in the teenage genre.
'The one thing that I knew right from the beginning was that I didn't want to get into those high school movies,' she said. 'I was never that interested in being a teenager. I was always interested in worlds away from my own.'
She credits the 'massive' success of the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' franchise - which saw her play Elizabeth Swan in the first three installments - as an integral part of her career and 'a lot of the reason I was able to do other kinds of smaller films, because my name would help in financing them.'
Coming up, Knightley takes a turn away from costume dramas, in 'Can A Song Save Your Life?' - a musical drama that sees her starring as an aspiring singer who meets a down-on-his-luck record producer, played by Mark Ruffalo. She's currently shooting a reboot of the Tom Clancy thriller 'Jack Ryan.'
'I got to the end of 'Anna Karenina' and I realized that I'd done about five years of work where I pretty much died in every movie and it was all very dark,' she said. 'So I thought, okay, I want this year to be the year of positivity and pure entertainment.'
(Reporting by Zorianna Kit, editing by Christine Kearney and Patricia Reaney)
This article is brought to you by SINGLES.
The British actress's turn in the title role in the timeless story about a beautiful married socialite in 1870s Russia who embarks on a passionate affair with a cavalry officer, follows the 1935 version starring Garbo and the 1948 film with Leigh. It is released in the United States on Friday.
'Although there have been many famous actresses play her, there's never been a definitive version of 'Anna Karenina,'' Knightley said in an interview. 'I think it's partly because of the relationship you have with the character. She poses more questions than she answers, so it's always open to different interpretation.'
Knightley stars opposite Jude Law as her husband, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson as the dashing Count Vronsky, and teams up again with filmmaker Joe Wright in their third film together after previous book-to-film collaborations with 2007's 'Atonement' and 2005's 'Pride & Prejudice.'
The film debuted at the Toronto film festival to warm reviews for Knightley's performance. Critics have said the film is overall technically and visually accomplished but lacks a cohesive emotional punch.
Adapted by playwright Tom Stoppard, Wright's 'Anna Karenina' takes place mostly in a theater setting and sees the title character more high-strung and less sympathetic than in previous incarnations.
The director said he cast Knightley, 27, because he felt she could tap into all the internal elements of Anna.
'She was 18 when we made 'Pride & Prejudice', just a kid,' said Wright. 'I've seen her develop from stunning ingénue to great actress. I felt that she was stronger, braver, even less conforming than she had been before.'
Knightley, newly engaged to musician James Righton, said she stood in moral condemnation over Anna,- 'But am I any better than her? No.'
'I think we're all her,' she added. 'That is why she's so terrifying. We all have bits of her personality within us. We can be wonderful, we can be loving, we can be full of laughter and full of life, and we can also be deceitful, malicious, needy and full of rage.'
WORLDS AWAY
While 'Karenina' cements the perception of Knightley as a go-to actress for period pieces that also includes films like 2008's 'The Duchess' and 2004's 'King Arthur,' her career wasn't always associated with roles grounded in the past.
Knightley spent the 1990s working in the British film and television industry before gaining international attention in the 2002 teenage soccer movie 'Bend it Like Beckham.' After that, the actress said she was offered 'an awful lot' of films in the teenage genre.
'The one thing that I knew right from the beginning was that I didn't want to get into those high school movies,' she said. 'I was never that interested in being a teenager. I was always interested in worlds away from my own.'
She credits the 'massive' success of the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' franchise - which saw her play Elizabeth Swan in the first three installments - as an integral part of her career and 'a lot of the reason I was able to do other kinds of smaller films, because my name would help in financing them.'
Coming up, Knightley takes a turn away from costume dramas, in 'Can A Song Save Your Life?' - a musical drama that sees her starring as an aspiring singer who meets a down-on-his-luck record producer, played by Mark Ruffalo. She's currently shooting a reboot of the Tom Clancy thriller 'Jack Ryan.'
'I got to the end of 'Anna Karenina' and I realized that I'd done about five years of work where I pretty much died in every movie and it was all very dark,' she said. 'So I thought, okay, I want this year to be the year of positivity and pure entertainment.'
(Reporting by Zorianna Kit, editing by Christine Kearney and Patricia Reaney)
This article is brought to you by SINGLES.
Thursday, November 15, 2012
"Avengers", Adam Levine lead People's Choice nominations
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - 'The Avengers' led the movie nominations for the annual People's Choice Awards on Thursday in a field packed with action films, while Maroon 5 and frontman Adam Levine won six nods in music and television categories.
Justin Bieber, Channing Tatum - People magazine's latest 'sexiest man alive' - and actresses Jennifer Lawrence and Emma Stone also received multiple nominations for the only Hollywood awards show covering film, music and television that is voted on entirely by the public.
The People's Choice Awards ceremony, set for January 9, is the first in the busy Hollywood awards season, which culminates with the coveted Academy Awards on February 24.
Summer blockbuster 'The Avengers' won eight nominations including favorite movie, favorite action movie, and multiple nods for its stars Robert Downey Jr., Anne Hathaway, Scarlett Johansson and Chris Hemsworth.
It will compete with superhero movies 'The Amazing Spider-Man' and 'The Dark Knight Rises', fantasy film 'Snow White and the Huntsman' and futuristic thriller 'The Hunger Games' for favorite movie.
The last of the popular 'Twilight' films - 'Breaking Dawn-Part 2' - released this week, did not fall within the eligibility period for the People's Choice Awards.
But its avid 'Twi-hards' picked up a nomination for favorite movie fan following, along with those of 'Harry Potter', 'The Lord of the Rings', 'Pirates of the Caribbean' and 'The Hunger Games'.
In music, Adam Levine leapt to the top of the pile on the back of his stint as a judge on TV singing contest 'The Voice'. Maroon 5 won nominations for favorite band, song, album, and music video, while Levine was nominated for celebrity judge - along with Christina Aguilera and new 'X Factor' judges Britney Spears and Demi Lovato. 'The Voice' was among the contenders for competition TV show.
On the small screen, network comedies 'The Big Bang Theory' and 'Glee' face off against 'Modern Family', while 'Gossip Girl', 'Grey's Anatomy' and 'Grimm' are among the TV drama nominees.
The nominees were chosen by the votes of more than 93 million fans. Voting for the winners in all 48 categories begins on Thursday on website www.PeoplesChoice.com, where a complete list of nominations can be found.
(Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Patricia Reaney and Dale Hudson)
This news article is brought to you by SAVING MONEY BLOG - where latest news are our top priority.
Justin Bieber, Channing Tatum - People magazine's latest 'sexiest man alive' - and actresses Jennifer Lawrence and Emma Stone also received multiple nominations for the only Hollywood awards show covering film, music and television that is voted on entirely by the public.
The People's Choice Awards ceremony, set for January 9, is the first in the busy Hollywood awards season, which culminates with the coveted Academy Awards on February 24.
Summer blockbuster 'The Avengers' won eight nominations including favorite movie, favorite action movie, and multiple nods for its stars Robert Downey Jr., Anne Hathaway, Scarlett Johansson and Chris Hemsworth.
It will compete with superhero movies 'The Amazing Spider-Man' and 'The Dark Knight Rises', fantasy film 'Snow White and the Huntsman' and futuristic thriller 'The Hunger Games' for favorite movie.
The last of the popular 'Twilight' films - 'Breaking Dawn-Part 2' - released this week, did not fall within the eligibility period for the People's Choice Awards.
But its avid 'Twi-hards' picked up a nomination for favorite movie fan following, along with those of 'Harry Potter', 'The Lord of the Rings', 'Pirates of the Caribbean' and 'The Hunger Games'.
In music, Adam Levine leapt to the top of the pile on the back of his stint as a judge on TV singing contest 'The Voice'. Maroon 5 won nominations for favorite band, song, album, and music video, while Levine was nominated for celebrity judge - along with Christina Aguilera and new 'X Factor' judges Britney Spears and Demi Lovato. 'The Voice' was among the contenders for competition TV show.
On the small screen, network comedies 'The Big Bang Theory' and 'Glee' face off against 'Modern Family', while 'Gossip Girl', 'Grey's Anatomy' and 'Grimm' are among the TV drama nominees.
The nominees were chosen by the votes of more than 93 million fans. Voting for the winners in all 48 categories begins on Thursday on website www.PeoplesChoice.com, where a complete list of nominations can be found.
(Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Patricia Reaney and Dale Hudson)
This news article is brought to you by SAVING MONEY BLOG - where latest news are our top priority.
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
"Twilight Saga" ends with movie love letter to fans
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - 'Twilight' fans bid an emotional farewell this week to Bella, Edward and Jacob in 'Breaking Dawn-Part 2,' the romantic book and movie franchise that ignited a pop culture infatuation with blood-sucking vampires and werewolves.
The tumultuous love triangle between human girl Bella Swan, vampire Edward Cullen and werewolf Jacob Black, that has gripped avid fans known as 'Twi-hards' for seven years, comes to a tantalizing end as 'Breaking Dawn-Part 2' hits movie theaters around the world.
The 'Twilight' film franchise, based on a series of novels by Stephenie Meyer, rocketed the three main stars, Kristen Stewart (Bella), Robert Pattinson (Edward) and Taylor Lautner (Jacob), into the spotlight and the first four films have grossed more than $2.5 billion at the worldwide box office.
For director Bill Condon, who shot both parts of 'Breaking Dawn' together and split into two movies post-production, the fifth and final film was all about the fans - who get a surprise twist to the ending.
'The real challenge was to make sure it was a satisfying climax,' Condon told reporters. 'The film opens with an overture of all the main scenes from all five movies, and at the end, I...brought (it) back to the spirit of the old movies.'
The movie pays homage to the angst-ridden teenage romance between Bella and Edward that was underscored by the off-screen real-life romance between Stewart, 22, and Pattinson, 26.
'Breaking Dawn-Part 2' shifts the action from a love story to a family story, as the Cullen clan recruit their extended vampire family to protect Bella and Edward's daughter Renesmee from an ancient vampire coven.
'I think it's very sweet, especially the ending of it, I think it's very close to the book as well. It seems to be that it's really made for the fans,' Pattinson told Reuters.
GOING OFF BOOK
While the past four films have stayed true to the books, author Meyer and screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg came up with a plot twist that adds a major scene that may surprise movie-goers.
'(The action) is off screen in the novel because we only see what Bella sees, and this was just a way of making visual what some of the other characters might have seen,' Meyer told reporters.
'It does feel very surprising. There's something new to see but to me it doesn't seem like it's going hugely off the page,' she added.
While the fourth film saw Bella's human life draw to a conclusion when she died giving birth to a human-vampire hybrid baby with new husband Edward, 'Breaking Dawn-Part 2,' sees Bella as a mother and a newly-transformed vampire.
'The coolest thing about vampire Bella is that I got to play her as a human for so long, and the special parts of each vampire are always informed by the great things that they were as a human and so I got to walk in those shoes,' Stewart told Reuters.
'Everything made total sense to me. I waited for so long (to play a vampire), once I finally got it, it was so comfortable, I couldn't wait,' the actress added.
'The Twilight Saga,' first published in 2005, kicked off a wave of vampire or supernatural-themes books, films and TV shows including HBO's 'True Blood,' the CW TV network's 'The Vampire Diaries' and Richelle Mead's 'Vampire Academy' series of young adult novels.
As the sun sets on the franchise Meyer brought to life, the author said that while she didn't rule out the possibility of finding more stories in the vampire-werewolf universe, she had closed the chapter on the Cullens.
'I don't know if I'll ever get back to these (stories). Someday I'll write down what was going to happen next. It's sad knowing I don't have another party with the kids again, I really hope I have a chance to at least see my friends again,' she told Reuters.
(Reporting by Piya Sinha-Roy, editing by Jill Serjeant and Marguerita Choy)
This news article is brought to you by GLAMOROUS FASHION NEWS - where latest news are our top priority.
The tumultuous love triangle between human girl Bella Swan, vampire Edward Cullen and werewolf Jacob Black, that has gripped avid fans known as 'Twi-hards' for seven years, comes to a tantalizing end as 'Breaking Dawn-Part 2' hits movie theaters around the world.
The 'Twilight' film franchise, based on a series of novels by Stephenie Meyer, rocketed the three main stars, Kristen Stewart (Bella), Robert Pattinson (Edward) and Taylor Lautner (Jacob), into the spotlight and the first four films have grossed more than $2.5 billion at the worldwide box office.
For director Bill Condon, who shot both parts of 'Breaking Dawn' together and split into two movies post-production, the fifth and final film was all about the fans - who get a surprise twist to the ending.
'The real challenge was to make sure it was a satisfying climax,' Condon told reporters. 'The film opens with an overture of all the main scenes from all five movies, and at the end, I...brought (it) back to the spirit of the old movies.'
The movie pays homage to the angst-ridden teenage romance between Bella and Edward that was underscored by the off-screen real-life romance between Stewart, 22, and Pattinson, 26.
'Breaking Dawn-Part 2' shifts the action from a love story to a family story, as the Cullen clan recruit their extended vampire family to protect Bella and Edward's daughter Renesmee from an ancient vampire coven.
'I think it's very sweet, especially the ending of it, I think it's very close to the book as well. It seems to be that it's really made for the fans,' Pattinson told Reuters.
GOING OFF BOOK
While the past four films have stayed true to the books, author Meyer and screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg came up with a plot twist that adds a major scene that may surprise movie-goers.
'(The action) is off screen in the novel because we only see what Bella sees, and this was just a way of making visual what some of the other characters might have seen,' Meyer told reporters.
'It does feel very surprising. There's something new to see but to me it doesn't seem like it's going hugely off the page,' she added.
While the fourth film saw Bella's human life draw to a conclusion when she died giving birth to a human-vampire hybrid baby with new husband Edward, 'Breaking Dawn-Part 2,' sees Bella as a mother and a newly-transformed vampire.
'The coolest thing about vampire Bella is that I got to play her as a human for so long, and the special parts of each vampire are always informed by the great things that they were as a human and so I got to walk in those shoes,' Stewart told Reuters.
'Everything made total sense to me. I waited for so long (to play a vampire), once I finally got it, it was so comfortable, I couldn't wait,' the actress added.
'The Twilight Saga,' first published in 2005, kicked off a wave of vampire or supernatural-themes books, films and TV shows including HBO's 'True Blood,' the CW TV network's 'The Vampire Diaries' and Richelle Mead's 'Vampire Academy' series of young adult novels.
As the sun sets on the franchise Meyer brought to life, the author said that while she didn't rule out the possibility of finding more stories in the vampire-werewolf universe, she had closed the chapter on the Cullens.
'I don't know if I'll ever get back to these (stories). Someday I'll write down what was going to happen next. It's sad knowing I don't have another party with the kids again, I really hope I have a chance to at least see my friends again,' she told Reuters.
(Reporting by Piya Sinha-Roy, editing by Jill Serjeant and Marguerita Choy)
This news article is brought to you by GLAMOROUS FASHION NEWS - where latest news are our top priority.
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