Box Office: Carol Boxes With Men and Goats
Filed under: Animation, Horror, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Thrillers, Box Office Predictions
Halloween slowed down box office figures, but Michael Jackson's This Is It still managed the top honors for the weekend. Here's the top five:
1. Michael Jackson's This Is It: $23.2 million (total of $34.4 million)
2. Paranormal Activity: $16.3 million
3. Law Abiding Citizen: $7.4 million
4. Couples Retreat: $6.4 million
5. Where the Wild Things Are: $5.9 million
With only one wide release last week studios are making up for it with four new flicks this week.
The Box:
What's It All About: A couple in a tough financial situation are given a box that will grant them riches, except every time they use it someone somewhere will die.
Why It Might Do Well: Donnie Darko director Richard Kelly is at the helm, with a script based on a Richard Matheson story.
Why It Might Not Do Well: 55% at Rottentomatoes.com.
Number of Theaters: 2,500
Prediction: $16 million
A Christmas Carol:
What's It All About: Jim Carey stars in several roles in this 3D animated version of the classic Dickens Christmas tale.
Why It Might Do Well: This Robert Zemeckis guy has got some decent flicks on his resume.
Why It Might Not Do Well: Good lord, how many times has this been adapted before?
Number of Theaters: 3,500
Prediction: $42 million
1. Michael Jackson's This Is It: $23.2 million (total of $34.4 million)
2. Paranormal Activity: $16.3 million
3. Law Abiding Citizen: $7.4 million
4. Couples Retreat: $6.4 million
5. Where the Wild Things Are: $5.9 million
With only one wide release last week studios are making up for it with four new flicks this week.
The Box:What's It All About: A couple in a tough financial situation are given a box that will grant them riches, except every time they use it someone somewhere will die.
Why It Might Do Well: Donnie Darko director Richard Kelly is at the helm, with a script based on a Richard Matheson story.
Why It Might Not Do Well: 55% at Rottentomatoes.com.
Number of Theaters: 2,500
Prediction: $16 million
A Christmas Carol:What's It All About: Jim Carey stars in several roles in this 3D animated version of the classic Dickens Christmas tale.
Why It Might Do Well: This Robert Zemeckis guy has got some decent flicks on his resume.
Why It Might Not Do Well: Good lord, how many times has this been adapted before?
Number of Theaters: 3,500
Prediction: $42 million
Trailer Park: A Mammoth Green Avatar
Filed under: Action, Drama, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Trailer Trash
Avatar
A paraplegic marine from Earth has his consciousness transferred into an alien body so he can infiltrate the native people of a distant planet. More so than the teaser, this one gives a better idea of what the story is all about rather than just showing off the digital effects (which ARE pretty awesome). James Cameron's latest hits theaters on December 18.
Green Zone
Military action flick starring Matt Damon as a U.S. soldier searching for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. The story is inspired by the book Imperial Life in the Emerald City: Inside Iraq's Green Zone by Rajiv Chandrasekaran. The bit about Damon's character wanting to know why things are happening seems kind of heavy handed and I half expected Jack Nicholson to pop up and tell him "you can't handle the truth." Still, this looks like it's got a lot going for it. Watch for this one on March 12.
Right Now On TV Squad
Our brothers and sisters over at TV Squad have busted through the boob tube and brought with them the following juicy bits of must-see eye candy.
- Susan Boyle is returning to television -- QVC to be specific -- where she will be appearing on November 4 to promote her CD I Dreamed a Dream.
- Check out the latest installment of the newly retitled TV Squad Podcast featuring an interview with Late Show writer Bill Scheft.
- NBC has asked the producers of Heroes to come up with a finale for the show.
- Check out the trailer for season 8 of 24. The show itself will be premiering on January 17.
- Syfy has acquired the rights to produce an Americanized version of Being Human, the BBC series about a vampire, a werewolf, and a ghost sharing a house.
- ...and finally, JJ Abrams' series Fringe may be in danger of being canceled.
Box Office: Michael Jackson Hits the Big Screen
Filed under: Documentary, Music & Musicals, Box Office Predictions
Once again Paranormal Activity took everyone by surprise by not only taking top honors for the week, but by pushing Saw VI into second place where it experienced the weakest opening weekend in the history of the franchise. Last week's three other new flicks Astro Boy, Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant, and Amelia all failed to hit the top five, but here are the ones that did:
1. Paranormal Activity: $21.1 million
2. Saw VI: $14.1 million
3. Where the Wild Things Are: $14 million
4. Law Abiding Citizen: $12.4 million
5. Couples Retreat: $10.6 million
Just one new flick going into wide release this week.
Michael Jackson's This is it:
What's It All About: This documentary consists of rehearsal and interview footage shot in the months prior to the King of Pop's death.
Why It Might Do Well: Jackson's following was large and loyal and this is the only major release coming out this week.
Why It Might Not Do Well: Not enough scenes with Bubbles the Chimp? No, I don't think even that will keep this one from raking it in.
Number of Theaters: 3,400
Prediction: $42 million
1. Paranormal Activity: $21.1 million
2. Saw VI: $14.1 million
3. Where the Wild Things Are: $14 million
4. Law Abiding Citizen: $12.4 million
5. Couples Retreat: $10.6 million
Just one new flick going into wide release this week.
Michael Jackson's This is it:What's It All About: This documentary consists of rehearsal and interview footage shot in the months prior to the King of Pop's death.
Why It Might Do Well: Jackson's following was large and loyal and this is the only major release coming out this week.
Why It Might Not Do Well: Not enough scenes with Bubbles the Chimp? No, I don't think even that will keep this one from raking it in.
Number of Theaters: 3,400
Prediction: $42 million
Trailer Park: There's a Tormented Wolf at the Door
Filed under: Comedy, Horror, Trailer Trash, Family Films, Trailers and Clips
The Wolfman
This is the second trailer for the remake of the Universal Monsters classic and it's got me hungry for more. Benicio Del Toro plays Lawrence Talbot, a man cursed to become half-man half-wolf during the full moon. Watch for this on February 10.
Season of the Witch
In this supernatural tale of medieval mayhem, Nicolas Cage plays a knight escorting a witch who is believed to be responsible for the black plague. There are some cool images here, but nothing is put into any context so it's hard to feel one way or the other about this one. The season begins on March 19.
Right Now on TV Squad
Our brothers and sisters over at TV Squad have busted through the boob tube and brought with them the following juicy bits of must-see eye candy. - The geeks over at The Big Bang Theory are going to get a guest appearance from Battlestar Galactica's Katee Sackhoff.
- Here's the first picture of that plane crash that will be happening on Desperate Housewives.
- Truly this is a dark day, because Hulu is about to start charging for content.
- Things don't look good for Joss Whedon's Dollhouse as Fox won't be showing the program during November sweeps.
- Folks who like their vampires angsty will be glad to hear that the CW Network has ordered a full season of The Vampire Diaries.
- ...and finally, big news for the heroes on the half-shell: Nickelodeon has purchased the rights to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Box Office: Amelia's Astro Freaks
Filed under: Animation, Comedy, Foreign Language, Gay & Lesbian, Box Office, Box Office Predictions
Things went wild this past weekend as Where the Wild Things Are took top honors. The action flick Law Abiding Citizen also premiered well and Paranormal Activity continues to astound, taking third place while only playing in 760 theaters. Here's the top five:
1. Where the Wild Things Are: $32.7 million
2. Law Abiding Citizen: $21 million
3. Paranormal Activity: $19.6 million
4. Couples Retreat: $17.2 million
5. The Stepfather: $11.6 million
Four new releases this week, three of which will be putting the Halloween spirit into people.
Amelia
What's It All About: Hilary Swank and Richard Gere star in this biopic of aviator Amelia Earhart who disappeared during an attempt to fly around the world.
Why It Might Do Well: A historical drama is a pretty good counter programmer to all the horror and fantasy movies currently in release.
Why It Might Not Do Well: Right now we're looking at 17% at Rottentomatoes.com.
Number of Theaters: 800
Prediction: $6 million
Astro Boy
What's It All About: Adaptation of the classic anime (that itself takes a page from Pinocchio) about a robot boy with incredible powers.
Why It Might Do Well: 73% at Rottentomatoes.com ain't too shabby.
Why It Might Not Do Well: Will this character that originated in the 1950s translate well in the twenty-first century?
Number of Theaters: 3,000
Prediction: $16 million
1. Where the Wild Things Are: $32.7 million
2. Law Abiding Citizen: $21 million
3. Paranormal Activity: $19.6 million
4. Couples Retreat: $17.2 million
5. The Stepfather: $11.6 million
Four new releases this week, three of which will be putting the Halloween spirit into people.
AmeliaWhat's It All About: Hilary Swank and Richard Gere star in this biopic of aviator Amelia Earhart who disappeared during an attempt to fly around the world.
Why It Might Do Well: A historical drama is a pretty good counter programmer to all the horror and fantasy movies currently in release.
Why It Might Not Do Well: Right now we're looking at 17% at Rottentomatoes.com.
Number of Theaters: 800
Prediction: $6 million
Astro BoyWhat's It All About: Adaptation of the classic anime (that itself takes a page from Pinocchio) about a robot boy with incredible powers.
Why It Might Do Well: 73% at Rottentomatoes.com ain't too shabby.
Why It Might Not Do Well: Will this character that originated in the 1950s translate well in the twenty-first century?
Number of Theaters: 3,000
Prediction: $16 million
Trailer Park: Broken Toys, Serious Embraces
Filed under: Comedy, Drama, Foreign Language, Trailer Trash, Family Films
Toy Story 3
Full length trailer for the Disney/Pixar sequel in which Andy goes off to college leaving Woody, Buzz and the gang to be donated to a daycare center. Looks like a worthy successor to the franchise. The toys start getting real again on June 18.
Serious Moonlight
In sort of a romantic comedy take on Misery, Meg Ryan plays a woman who duct tapes her cheating husband (Timothy Hutton) to the toilet and refuses to release him until he loves her again. Could be a cute idea but it's got a "wait for the DVD" feel. Watch for this one on December 4.
Dear John
Channing Tatum plays a soldier home on leave who falls in love with a college student (Amanda Seyfried) and carries on a long correspondence (hence the title) once he returns to duty. This is out on February 5.
The Missing Person
Filmnoir about a PI hired to tale a man who we eventually learn supposedly died on 9/11. I love the retro look and style of this one which will be out some time in 2009.
Broken Embraces
The synopsis for this one sounds intriguing -- a man chooses to ignore the life he lived before the accident that caused his blindness and killed his beloved -- but I don't see any of that in the trailer. On the plus side, Penelope Cruz is as stunning as ever. This will be playing New York on November 20 and Los Angeles on December 11.
New this week on AOL Moviefone:
- The Crazies - Remake of a George Romero film in which a small town is exposed to a chemical that drives the residents murderously insane.
- Disney's A Christmas Carol - Second trailer for the Disney holiday flick.
- Tooth Fairy - Dwayne Johnson stars as an unscrupulous hockey player who is forced to work as a tooth fairy.
- Shutter Island - Second trailer for Martin Scorsese's latest. Leonardo DiCaprio plays a Federal Marshall sent to investigate the disappearance of a dangerous inmate at a mental asylum.
- Alvin and the Chipmunks the Squeakquel - Second trailer for the second film starring Jason Lee and a trio of pop song singing CGI rodents.
- Red Cliff - Historical drama set in China in 208 A.D.
- The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus - Terry Gilliam's latest about a man who dares to thwart the devil not once but twice.
- The Book of Eli - 31 years after global war has ravaged the planet a man seeks to protect a book that could save humanity.
- The Messenger - Ben Foster and Woody Harrelson star as U.S. soldiers with the unenviable task of informing people that their loved one has been killed in action.
Right Now on TV Squad
Our brothers and sisters over at TV Squad have busted through the boob tube and brought with them the following juicy bits of must-see eye candy. - Superbad and Knocked Up star Jonah Hill is going to co-write and perform in a new animated series for Fox.
- Speaking of animated shows, Fox's Family Guy spin-off The Cleveland Show has already been guaranteed two full seasons.
- An unusually tricky contestant fooled Alex Trebek and the producers of Jeopardy when he violated the show's rule about contestants only appearing once on the show.
- The season premiere of Lost is still a ways off but you can get a glimpse of Oceanic Airlines in an upcoming episode of Desperate Housewives.
- Speaking of Lost, ABC has released the new promotional poster for the upcoming final season.
- ...and finally, Glee fans will be disappointed to hear that a performance by the cast of the show has been cut from Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Box Office: Stepping on Law Abiding Things
Filed under: Box Office
The comedy Couples Retreat led the box office this past weekend, but the big surprise was the scare flick Paranormal Activity which managed to take number four while playing only 160 theaters. Here's the top five:
1. Couples Retreat: $34.3 million
2. Zombieland: $14.8 million
3. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs: $11.5 million
4. Paranormal Activity: $7.9 million
5. Toy Story / Toy Story 2: $7.7 million
We've got three new films going into wide release this Friday:
Law Abiding Citizen
What's It All About: Jaimie Foxx is the District Attorney and Gerard Butler is the crazed man determined to avenge himself upon the legal system that allowed his wife and daughter's murderers to go free.
Why It Might Do Well: Foxx is an Oscar-winner.
Why It Might Not Do Well: The plot feels like a recycled Death Wish for the twenty-first century.
Number of Theaters: 2,700
Prediction: $11 million
Where the Wild Things Are
What's It All About: Spike Jonze directs this feature adaptation of the classic children's book.
Why It Might Do Well: The book has been around since 1963 and has built quite a following.
Why It Might Not Do Well: Will kids go for the cool but non-digital characters?
Number of Theaters: 3,500
Prediction: $36 million
1. Couples Retreat: $34.3 million
2. Zombieland: $14.8 million
3. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs: $11.5 million
4. Paranormal Activity: $7.9 million
5. Toy Story / Toy Story 2: $7.7 million
We've got three new films going into wide release this Friday:
Law Abiding CitizenWhat's It All About: Jaimie Foxx is the District Attorney and Gerard Butler is the crazed man determined to avenge himself upon the legal system that allowed his wife and daughter's murderers to go free.
Why It Might Do Well: Foxx is an Oscar-winner.
Why It Might Not Do Well: The plot feels like a recycled Death Wish for the twenty-first century.
Number of Theaters: 2,700
Prediction: $11 million
Where the Wild Things AreWhat's It All About: Spike Jonze directs this feature adaptation of the classic children's book.
Why It Might Do Well: The book has been around since 1963 and has built quite a following.
Why It Might Not Do Well: Will kids go for the cool but non-digital characters?
Number of Theaters: 3,500
Prediction: $36 million
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