Snicker, snicker. Oh, please. A sweet Southern belle like Reese would never sully her name and reputation like that. Little Jakey has a well-publicized bathroom fetish - he probably just went in there, made some monkey noises, washed his hands and left.
 | | Christian Bale to star in 'Terminator 4?' |
Christian Bale is to star in 'Terminator 4', it has been claimed.
 | | Angelina Jolie's Beowulf A Hit |
Angelina Jolie's computer-animated flick Beowulf — in which Jolie, 32, appears in a simulated nude scene — raked in $28.1 million, claiming the No. 1 box office spot.
 | | Jennifer Lopez's next film going straight to video |
Jennifer Lopez's next film is going straight to video. "Bordertown" - where Jennifer Lopez plays a reporter probing the murders of female factory workers in Mexico - will hit video stores in January, reports Moviefone.
 | | Nicole Kidman's latest movie 'The Golden Compass' to flop? |
Nicole Kidman's latest movie 'The Golden Compass' - based on the first book in Philip Pullman's 'His Dark Materials' novel trilogy - is widely anticipated to be a box-office flop.
A source told the New York Post newspaper: "People working on the movie say it is just plain bad."
Harvey Weinstein, who worked with Lindsay Lohan on 'Bobby', believes
Lindsay is "wonderful talent" and insists he would be happy to hire her
after she leaves rehab.
 | | Harry Potter fans upset | | |  |
Harry Potter fans have been left furious after the final book's ending was
revealed.
 | | Emma Watson is rich | | | |
Emma Watson will be playing Hermione Granger for all seven Harry Potter films, despite earlier rumors that she might quit the franchise.
The 16-year-old actress, reportedly told movie bosses she no longer
wanted to play Hermione over fears of being typecast, now the beauty been persuaded to
commit to the remaining installments of the boy wizard series.
 | | Don’t hold a Grudge | | | |
Most reviewers said the scariest part of “The Grudge 2″ was that they made a sequel — but since it opened at Number 1 (taking in $22 million over the weekend) we get to poo-poo those who called it ”a pile of No. 2.”
Hey, boring “poo poo” is the new pretty.
Brown stains aside, I thought it had a few good moments, but a large part of the film was very slow paced. It gave us too much time to wonder about our miserable lives.
The fun part — for the people that went with me– was wondering how much they paid Sarah Michelle Gellar; who returns only for a short cameo, to introduce us to a new heroine. I place my bet at around 10 mil (that’s about one million a minute).
There were girls in “skimpy outfits,” and Jennifer Beals shines as “a stepmom-turned-psycho-killer” — um, we hear the bad spirits made her do it.
The problem here is the new Grudge doesn’t go anywhere, its a replay on a theme rather than the continuation of a story. — and put at least one of us to sleep.
by Henry Cruz
 | | 'Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest' banned in China. | | | |
'Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest' has been banned in China.
Chinese censors have refused to allow the film to be screened because of its
"violent and supernatural content".
 | | "Cars," tops "Nacho Libre" | | | |
"Cars," the latest animated feature from Pixar, held off Jack Black's new comedy "Nacho Libre" to retain the number one position at the North American box office, bringing in $31.2 million during its second weekend, according to studio estimates released on Sunday.
The Jack Black comedy ``Nacho Libre'' earned $27.5 million. Among other new films, ``The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift'' was third with $24.1 million and ``The Lake House'' was fourth with $13.7 million, box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations Co. said today in a statement.
 | | Jennifer Aniston Breaks Box Office Poison Curse! | | | |
The Break-Up, starring Jennifer Aniston and Vince Vaughn, debuted at the top of the American box office over the weekend. Aniston's $52 million project stunned Hollywood watchers with its nearly $40 million, according to industry estimates reports New York Post
The Universal Pictures release had been expected to open in the $20 million range, but thanks to a strong female backing , the movie took off.
 | | Jennifer Aniston To Break Box Office Poison Curse? | | | |
If predictions from BoxOfficeReport.com are on track, Jennifer Aniston fans are running out to end her Box Office Poison curse. The movie 'The Break Up' is predicted to make 44 million in its opening weekend up from 31 million yesterday.
The Breakup stars Jennifer Aniston and real life boyfriend Vince Vaughn as Brooke and Gary, a steady couple who have many reasons to break up but none to get together, except that they fall in love. Since the scenes where they're together are so much less convincing than the ones where they fall apart, watching the movie is like being on a double-date from hell writes ROGER EBERT
 | | "The Da Vinci Code" # 1 | | | |
The controversial adaptation of Dan Brown's best-selling novel, "The Da Vinci Code" secured , the second-biggest debut ever at the global box office, its distributor said on Sunday.
The story of a Vatican cover-up involving Jesus Christ and his supposed offspring, sold about $77 million worth of tickets at movie theaters in the United States and Canada during its first three days, according to Columbia Pictures reports Reuters.
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Hostel # 1 |
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Low-budget horror film Hostel has topped the US box office in its first three days of opening reports BBC news. "Hostel," a film about three young backpackers who become the victims of a torture ring bumped off the previous weekend's No. 1 film, Disney's "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe," which came in second with $15.4 million to lift its domestic total to $247.6 million.
Hostel, directed by Eli Roth, took an estimated $20.1m according to early studio estimates. Hostel, which was produced for less than $5m , was purportedly inspired by true events and is described as "graphic and deeply disturbing" by the film-makers. Kill Bill's Quentin Tarantino served as an executive producer for the film.
Universal's "King Kong" was third with $12.5 million, raising its domestic total to $192.5 million.
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'Narnia' rules box office |
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The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe returned to the top of the North American box office during the New Year holiday weekend.
The adaptation of CS Lewis' story took $32.8m at the North American box office over the weekend and Monday, ending King Kong's two-week reign.
"King Kong" added $31.6 million and the Jim Carrey comedy remake "Fun with Dick & Jane" with $21 million.
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Magic at the Box office for "Harry Potter" |
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Can I get a witness? After only two weeks the worldwide box office for "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" generated $408 million giving a boost for the slumping movie business, (which has had attendance running 8 percent behind last year's).
"You've got to look at 'Harry Potter' as being the savior of the box office right now," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations to the Associated Press.
"Goblet " took in $54.9 million in the US over the three-day weekend to hold onto the top movie; That brings the 10-day tally for North America to $201.1 million (beating the previous performances of the other three films, led by the $186 million tally for the first one, 2001's "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone").
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Chicken Little still on top |
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"Chicken Little" ruled the North American box office for a second weekend according to studio estimates issued on Sunday.
Dropping only 20 percent from opening-week ticket sales, "Chicken Little," Walt Disney Co.'s first fully computer-animated movie sold about $32 million worth of tickets in the three days beginning Friday, followed by the sci-fi adventure "Zathura" with $14 million, the thriller "Derailed" with $12.8 million, and rapper 50 Cent's urban drama "Get Rich or Die Tryin'" with $12.5 million.
"Chicken Little" revolves around the age-old tale of a chicken that thinks the sky is falling. In Disney's adaptation, no one believes the chicken when he warns of a greater peril reports Reuters
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"Chicken Little," opens big |
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"Chicken Little," Walt Disney Co.'s first fully computer-animated movie, opened to a better-than-expected $40.1 million at the North American box office, the company said on Sunday.
The haul came as a relief to Disney executives, who were releasing the studio's first in-house computer-generated film after relations with Pixar deteriorated. Still, it's a big drop from Pixar's The Incredibles, which opened with $70.5 million the same weekend last year reports USA TODAY.
Disney's partnership with Pixar, in which it has shared box office grosses of $3.2 billion since 1995 from movies like the "Toy Story" series and "Finding Nemo," expires next year.
The two companies are in talks to renew the pact, although Pixar is pursuing a deal under which it would pay a flat fee for distribution and keep the profits for itself. The "Chicken Little" tally includes sales of $2.1 million from 85 theaters offering a 3-D experience. "It's a great way to tell a story," said Dick Cook, chairman of Walt Disney Studios, and "underscores that moviegoers are looking for something new and fresh."
"Chicken Little" also opened at No. 1 in Mexico, Russia, Malaysia and Taiwan, totaling $5.5 million, Disney said.
Jarhead, Sam Mendes' film about the first Gulf War, was No. 2 with $28.8 million, about $10 million above expectations.
Last week's leader, horror sequel Saw II, dropped to number three after taking $17.2m
The Legend of Zorro, which reunites Catherine Zeta Jones and Antonio Banderas, dropped two places to number four with takings of $10m, followed by the Meryl Streep and Uma Thurman comedy Prime, with $5.3m.
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Saw II on top |
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According to studio estimates issued on Sunday, "Saw II" sold $30.5 million worth of tickets in its first three days since October 28. "Saw II" stars Donnie Wahlberg as a corrupt cop who must work with a cancer-ridden killer to free a group of people, including the cop's son reports Reuters.
"The Legend of Zorro," reuniting Antonio Banderas and Catherine Zeta-Jones in a sequel to the 1998 "The Mask of Zorro," followed at No. 2 with $16.5 million in its first three days.
"Prime," a comedy starring Uma Thurman and Meryl Streep, opened at No. 3 with $6.4 million.
Horse racing drama Dreamer, starring Kurt Russell and child star Dakota Fanning, slipped from number two to four, while Wallace and Gromit fell to number five.
Nicholas Cage's latest movie Weather Man, directed by Gore Verbinski of Pirates of the Caribbean fame, was a new entry at number six, with takings of $4.2m
Last weekend's champion, the videogame-inspired sci-fi thriller "Doom," dropped to No. 7 with $4.1 million.
Overall takings in the US and Canadian box office were down 6.5% on last year reports BBC
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Dakota Fanning does number 2 |
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Here's the thing, I don't have a problem with "overly cute child actors."
Hollywood execs this weekend are scratching their heads wondering why Dakota Fanning's new film, "Dreamer," could not draw families to the movies -- coming in at number two (with a disappointing $9 million at the box office).
Somebody out in Hollywood must've sent a memo to every movie studios that Fanning is the "it" child star of the moment, and all kid roles must be given to her. Find a new kid.
Well, here's my memo (feel free to take notes): enough of the same crap! Please don't hire the same child actor to star in every movie to play the same exact role.
Try something new. Here's a new buzz word: "original casting," and while you're at it try "original stories" (no more old TV shows remade into big budget films).
By Henry Cruz
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The Fog on top |
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Columbia Pictures' low-budget update of the 1980 horror film, The Fog" opened at No. 1 in a relatively quiet weekend at the North American box office, grossing $12.2 million, according to studio estimates issued on Sunday. "The Fog," stars Tom Welling, Maggie Grace and Selma Blair in the story of a small coastal town terrorized by a t mist and vengeful ghosts from a 100-year-old shipwreck.
"It cost in the neighborhood of around $18 million to make, so it will be very successful for us," said Rory Bruer, president of distribution for Columbia, a unit of Sony Corp..
Last weekend's No. 1 film, clay-animation adventure "Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit," dropped one spot (second place) with ticket sales of $11.7 million.
Cameron Crowe's romantic comedy "Elizabethtown," debuted at No. 3 with $11 million in ticket sales.
"Domino," an R-rated action flick starring Keira Knightley as a real-life bounty hunter opened at No. 6 with $4.7 million. "Domino" was released by New Line Cinema, a unit of Time Warner Inc.
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Wallace & Gromit on top .... |
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Just as the makers of Wallace & Gromit were celebrating their number one success at the US box office, a storage warehouse containing characters and sets from their previous hits was burning down. "Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit." The clay-animated family film debuted as the top weekend movie with $16.1 million.
The three-storey Victorian building in Bristol contained the "entire history" of Aardman Animations. Sets from films such as Chicken Run and the Wallace & Gromit series were destroyed in the fire reports Times UK
The airplane thriller "Flightplan," which had held the top box-office slot for two weekends, slipped to second place with $10.8 million.
"In Her Shoes," opened at No. 3 with $10 million.
Al Pacino and Matthew McConaughey's sports-gambling flick "Two for the Money" debuted in fourth place with $8.4 million.
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"Flightplan" still on top |
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For the second weekend in a row , the Walt Disney Co. release "Flightplan" was #1 at the box office. "Flightplan" sold $15 million worth of tickets in the three days beginning September 30, according to studio estimates issued on Sunday.
In Flightplan Jodie Foster stars as a mother who manages to lose her daughter aboard a transatlantic flight. Last week, US flight attendants claimed that the film portrays them as insensitive and officious.
"Serenity," a film based on the sci-fi TV series "Firefly," opened at No. 2 with $10.1 million reports Reuters.
The animated film "Tim Burton's Corpse Bride" slipped one place to No. 3 with $9.8 million in its second weekend of wide release.
"A History of Violence," a thriller starring Viggo Mortensen and Maria Bello as a small-town couple terrorized by some gangsters, jumped 14 places to No. 4 with $8.2 million in its first weekend of wide release.
The surfing picture "Into the Blue," was No. 5 with $7 million.
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Oprah Waves Her Magic Wand |
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Over twenty years ago, when Oprah had but a local talk show in Chicago, she fell in love with Alice Walker's novel "The Color Purple." As soon as she heard it was being adapted for a film, she wanted a part. Quincy Jones, who was one of the film's producers, happened to be in Chicago, saw Oprah's show and asked Steven Spielberg to consider Miss O for a role in the movie. She reportedly begged Spielberg to put her name on the movie poster; he must have thought something like "Who does she think she is, E.T.?" because he didn't put her name on that poster.
Fast forward to 2005. "Purple" is being made into a Broadway musical. Though some doubting Thomases wonder how you can sing and dance about family violence, incest and racial discrimination, Oprah is signing on to promote the project, donating $1 million of her own money towards the production costs and getting her name up on the theatre marquis above the play's title. The Bosh is excited for Oprah but dearly hopes that the name Alice Walker is also prominent on that marquis.
"Purple" the musical got what they call "mixed" reviews when it ran last year in Atlanta but has been "significantly revised" since. Major talent is involved: Marsha Norman wrote the libretto, Gary Griffin is the director, music and lyrics are by Brenda Russell, Allee Willis and Stephen Bray. Oprah's imprimatur guarantees widespread interest in the show. Note to Yoko Ono: Do you see Oprah Winfrey trying to control every last detail of the artistic elements of this show? (By Scott Rose)
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"Flightplan" No. 1 |
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Jodie Foster piloted "Flightplan" to a No. 1 debut, her airborne thriller taking in $24.6 million reports AP. In "Flightplan" Kyle Pratt (Foster) faces every mother's worst nightmare when her six-year-old daughter Julia vanishes without a trace mid-flight from Berlin to New York. Already emotionally devastated by the unexpected death of her husband, Kyle desperately struggles to prove her sanity to the disbelieving flight crew and passengers while facing the very real possibility that she may be losing her mind. The thriller landed ahead of "Tim Burton's Corpse Bride," the runner-up with $20.1 million.
The weekend's other new wide release, rapper Bow Wow's rollerskating romp "Roll Bounce," opened at No. 4 with $8 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.
David Cronenberg's "A History of Violence," starring Viggo Mortensen as a family man whose tranquil life is shattered by intrusive mobsters (Ed Harris and William Hurt), opened strongly in limited release with $504,000 in 14 theaters. The movie expands to about 1,200 theaters Friday.
Also debuting solidly was Roman Polanski's adaptation of Charles Dickens' "Oliver Twist," featuring Ben Kingsley as pickpocket mentor Fagin, which took in $69,000 at five theaters. The film will be shown in about 800 theaters Friday.
"Flightplan" was the first No. 1 debut in almost five months for distributor Disney.
"Long time coming. You never expect that. We're usually more consistent," said Chuck Viane, Disney head of distribution.
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Just Like Heaven on top |
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The love story "Just Like Heaven" expelled "The Exorcism of Emily Rose" from first place at the weekend box office in North America.
The Reese Witherspoon-Mark Ruffalo romantic comedy is expected to gross 16.5 million dollars in its debut, according to Los Angeles-based Exhibitor Relations Co. Inc.
The haul is nearly $5 million less than most analysts predicted, thanks to a dearth of men reports USATODAY. According to distributor DreamWorks, roughly 77% of the audience was female
"That's the highest percentage of women I can ever remember for one of our films," says Jim Tharp, distribution chief for DreamWorks. "Clearly, we needed more romantic-minded men to show up."
"The Exorcism of Emily Rose" dropped to second place with 15.3 million dollars, followed by the opening of "Lord of War" (9.2 million dollars), "The 40-Year-Old Virgin" (5.8 million dollars) and the debut of "Cry Wolf" (4.5 million dollars).
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The Exorcism of Emily Rose |
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"The Exorcism of Emily Rose" scared the competition at the weekend box office in North America, grossing about 30.2 million dollars in its debut to take the first place, according to estimates on Sunsay.
It cost less than $20 million to produce, said its distributor, Sony Pictures.
"Exorcism" revolves around the trial of a priest, played by Tom Wilkinson, who presided over the fatal exorcism of a teenager, played by Jennifer Carpenter.
"The40-Year-Old Virgin" rose one place to No. 2 with $7.9 million in its fourth weekend. The total for the comedy stands at $82.3 million.
Last weekend's leader, the action-thriller "Transporter 2," starring Jason Statham, fell to No. 3 with $7.2 million. Its 10-day total rose to $30.1 million.
African thriller "The Constant Gardener,"starring Ralph Fiennes, slipped one place to No. 4 with $4.9 million, taking its 10-day total to $19.1 million.
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'40-Year-Old Virgin' on top |
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"The 40-Year-Old Virgin" was number one at the box office in North America for the second straight weekend, raking in about 16.4 million US dollars, showed estimates out Sunday.
In "The 40-Year-Old Virgin" Steve Carell plays Andy Stitzer, a dedicated collector of fantasy action figures who rides his bike to work at an electronics store and, after hours, watches TV's Survivor with elderly neighbors. He has had a few girlfriends, but things never quite took off romantically. Over the years, his bad luck with women has morphed into resignation.
"The Brothers Grimm" opened in second place, earning about 15 million dollars, according to the Los Angeles-based box office tracking firm Exhibitor Relations Co. Inc.
"Red Eye" was third with 10.4 million dollars, followed by "Four Brothers" (7.8 million) and "Wedding Crashers" (6.25 million).
Many have pointed out that what a lot of gays, suburban housewives and Eminem have in common is a love of peroxide and an addiction to prescription drugs.
When the homophobe and general all-around jerk Eminem announced the cancellation of his European tour earlier this week, the reason given for the cancellation was "exhaustion."
Now, his publicist is admitting that he checked into a rehab center because of an addiction to prescription sleeping pills. The drugs the jerk has been using are members of the opiate family, like heroin, and they are not just highly addictive but also they cause the body to build up a resistance and so to get the same effect the addict must take ever-increasing quantities of the drugs.
Overdoses can be fatal, but those who have in the past been offended by Eminem's racism, homophobia and obnoxiousness shouldn't get their hopes up. (By Scott Rose)
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"Four Brothers," on Top |
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"The Skeleton Key," a thriller starring Kate Hudson, earned $15.8 million for the No. 2 spot at the North American weekend box office in North America .
Director John Singleton's revenge drama "Four Brothers," sold about $20.4 million worth of tickets in the three days since opening on Aug. 12 for the No. 1 spot
The story follows four men who seek to find the killer of their kindly foster mother. It stars Mark Wahlberg, Andre 3000 of hip-hop duo OutKast, Tyrese Gibson and Garrett Hedlund.
The comedy sequel "Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo" (Columbia), starring Rob Schneider opened at No. 5 with $9.4 million. "The Dukes of Hazzard" (Warner Bros.) fell to No. 3 with $13 million, taking its 10-day haul to $57.5 million reports Reuters.
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Dukes of Hazzard on Top |
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The Dukes of Hazzard" starring Jessica Simson topped the North American weekend box office with $30.6 million worth of tickets in its first three days, distributor Warner Bros. Pictures said on Sunday. Set in present day, The Dukes of Hazzard follows the adventures of cousins, Bo (Seann William Scott) and Luke (Johnny Knoxville) Duke, who with the help of their cousin Daisy (Jessica Simpson) and Uncle Jesse (Willie Nelson), try and save the family farm from being destroyed by Hazzard County's commissioner Boss Hogg (Burt Reynolds). The film, which cost $53 million to make, opened at the high end of forecasts.
Before Warner Bros. could release "Dukes of Hazzard," it agreed to pay $17.5 million in an out-of-court settlement to a group of people who held rights to the TV show reports Reuters
The Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn comedy "Wedding Crashers" slipped to No. 2 with $16.5 million, followed by "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" with $10.6 million.
All three films came from Time Warner Inc., whose Warner Bros. unit handled "Dukes" and "Charlie," while "Wedding Crashers" came from its New Line Cinema arm.
"Must Love Dogs" earned $7.4 million for the fifth spot . The French-made documentary "March of the Penguins" earned $7.1 million for the sixth spot.
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"Wedding Crashers" on top |
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The Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn comedy "Wedding Crashers" topped the North American weekend box office with $20.5 million. The film jumps to No. 1 after two weekends in second place.
Johnny Depp's "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," the top movie the previous two weekends, slipped to No. 2 with $16.4 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.
"Wedding Crashers" lifted its domestic total to $116.1 million. "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" has taken in $148.1 million.
"Sky High," featuring Kurt Russell and Kelly Preston in an action comedy set at a high school for superheroes debuted in third place with $14.6 million.
"Stealth," finished at No. 4 with $13.5 million.
"Must Love Dogs," a romance starring Diane Lane and John Cusack, came in fifth with $13.05 million.
The top 12 movies took in $112.1 million, down 21 percent from the same weekend last year reports MSNBC
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"The Island" no 4 |
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Action director Michael Bay's "The Island" opened at a disappointing No. 4 with $12.1 million at the weekend Box Office. The $120 million movie stars Ewan McGregor and Scarlett Johansson as inhabitants of a utopian society with a terrible secret reports Reuters.
"Clearly this is a disappointing opening," said Jim Tharp, head of domestic theatrical distribution at closely held DreamWorks SKG Inc. "We can only hope that the film finds its audience in the coming weeks."
While the studio knew it had a problem on its hands, it had hoped "The Island" would open nearer $15 million, Tharp added.
"Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" remains at the top spot having sold about $28.3 million worth of tickets.
The comedy "Wedding Crashers," starring Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn, held at No. 2 with $26.2 million.
Twentieth Century Fox's comic-book adaptation "Fantastic Four" was No. 3 for a second weekend with $12.3 million, and a three-week tally of $122.6 million.
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Willy Wonka film tops US box office |
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"Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" - Tim Burton's take on the Roald Dahl novel that inspired the 1971 classic "Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory" - pulled in more than $55.3 million during its opening weekend, according to early estimates.
The Owen Wilson/ Vince Vaughn comedy "Wedding Crashers," opened at #2 with more than $32.2 million. The duo play divorce mediators who have perfected a wedding-crashing method that allows them to scour receptions for attractive ladies - until one of them finds he is falling for an engaged woman reports MTVnews. The strong debuts paced Hollywood to its second-straight weekend of rising revenues after a slump that lasted nearly five months. The top 12 movies took in $155.7 million, up 10.5 per cent from the same weekend last year.
"Fantastic Four" starring Jessica Alba and Chris Evans slipped from the #1 spot to the #3 position with more than $22.7 million.
Steven Spielberg blockbuster, "War of the Worlds," slipped from #2 to #4 with $15 million. The sci-fi thriller based on the classic H.G. Wells novel centers on an alien invasion as seen through the eyes of one family, with Tom Cruise and Dakota Fanning playing father and daughter.
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Fantastic Four No. 1 |
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Despite largely lukewarm reviews from critic, the superhero movie "Fantastic Four" earned $56 million at North American box office according to Nielsen EDI. The New York Times said the film was "fantastic only its commitment to mediocrity," while USA Today called it a "ho-hum futuristic foray," reports Reuters. In the movie Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic, who can elongate his body; Susan Storm/Invisible Woman, who not only can become invisible at will but can render other objects invisible; Johnny Storm/Human Torch, who can shoot fire from his finger tips and bend flame; and Ben Grimm/The Thing, monster with superhuman strength, together battle the evil Doctor Doom.
"War of the Worlds," slipped to No. 2 with $31.3 million for the three days beginning on Friday, followed by "Batman Begins" with $10.2 million.
The Jennifer Connelly suspense film "Dark Water" opened at No. 4 with $10.1 million, and the Brad Pitt-Angelina Jolie action thriller "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" slipped two places to No. 5 with $7.9 million.
Fantastic Four's take is$15 million more than most analysts' expectations In the movie
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War of the Worlds Reaches $204.2M in 5 Days |
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Tom Cruise's 43rd birthday fell on Sunday, and did he ever have good reason to celebrate.
The box-office haul for his War of the Worlds was huge: $204.2 million, including $101.7 million from its first five days of release in North America, It was the strongest opening for any Cruise film ever reports People MagazineM. War of the Worlds' $77.6 million total, from Friday to Monday, ranks as the second-best for a July 4 holiday weekend, behind "Spider-Man 2," which grossed $116 million in the same period last year. After six days, "Spider-Man 2" was at $180 million.
The $135 million film has already earned more than the totals of Cruise's last two films, "Collateral" and "The Last Samurai," and of Spielberg's most recent effort "The Terminal." They previously worked together on 2002's "Minority Report," which ended up with $132 million reports CNN.
"Batman Begins," the champion for the last two weeks, slipped to No. 2 in North America with a four-day sum of $18.7 million, taking its total to $154.1 million. The superhero movie, starring Christian Bale as the Caped Crusader and Holmes as his love interest, was released by Warner Bros. Pictures.
"Mr. & Mrs. Smith," a thriller starring Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, held steady at No. 3 with $12.7 million in its fourth week. The 20th Century Fox release has earned $146.1 million to date.
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War of the Worlds Opens to $21.7 Million |
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War of the Worlds, starring Tom Cruise, opened to an estimated $21.7 million from 3,908 theaters domestically on Wednesday.
Wednesday debut of "War of the Worlds" at the domestic box offices tops $15 million by "Batman Begins" earlier this month, but not the $40 million from "Spider-Man 2" last year.
Worldwide, the film about an alien invasion of Earth raked in an additional $13.3 million for a global opening of $34.6 million, Los Angeles-based Paramount said in a statement on Thursday.
Some commentators have speculated a fan backlash against Cruise for his behavior in recent television interviews in which he enthusiastically professed his love for actress Katie Holmes and trumpeted the views of Scientology, his religion reports Reuters.
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"Batman Begins" no 1 |
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Warner Brothers' "Batman Begins" led the weekend box office, taking in an estimated $26.8 million in its second weekend in theaters, for a total of $121.7 million in domestic ticket sales.
"We're thrilled that we hit No.1 two weeks in a row," said Jeff Goldstein, Warner Bros' executive vice-president and general sales manager of domestic distribution. "It shows that the audience likes it and that word of mouth is strong."
Sony's "Bewitched," the comedy starring Nicole Kidman and Will Ferrell, came in second with $20.2 million in its opening weekend, drawing a nearly 60 percent female audience, most of which was 25 and over reports New York Times.
"Mr. and Mrs. Smith," distributed by 20th Century Fox and now in its third weekend, took in $16.7 million, while Disney's "Herbie: Fully Loaded" starring Lindsay Lohan took in $12.7 million. Disney executives had debated whether the sexy, party-going tabloid image of its star, Lindsay Lohan, might discourage parents from letting their children see the G-rated "Herbie: Fully Loaded." Strong word of mouth buoyed the movie from a bad opening on Wednesday to a solid estimated finish of $17.8 million for its first five days.
The overall box office performance, while solid, still lagged well behind last year, with 2005 revenues off by 7 percent, according to Exhibitor Relations.
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Batman Begins No. 1 |
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Batman Begins, took in a solid $46.9 million for the weekend, according to studio estimates from Nielsen EDI. Batman Begins fell $10 million short of the most conservative expectations and could not lift the industry out of its slide reports USATODAY. The top 12 movies took in $128.5 million, down 1.6 percent from the same weekend in 2004, according to studio estimates Sunday. Mr. & Mrs. Smith was No. 2 for the weekend with $27.3 million, down 46% in its second week, followed by Madagascar, with $11.1 million in its fourth week.
The weekend's only other new wide release, Hilary Duff's The Perfect Man, opened with a weak $5.5 million gross, less than half the $13.6-million debut for the teen queen's 2004 romance, A Cinderella Story.
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Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie No. 1 |
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"Mr. & Mrs. Smith," the film starring Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie topped the UK box office chart on its first week of release. The action thriller, starring Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt as married assassins hired to kill one another, bumped the current Star Wars film from the top spot. "Mr. & Mrs. Smith," took £3.9m on its opening weekend reports BBC
Directed by The Bourne Supremacy's Doug Liman, the film has been released amid rumors of a relationship between the stars.
The movie also topped the North American weekend box office, despite largely lukewarm reviews from critics. The impressive $51.1 million at the North American weekend box office is the best debut for Pitt and Jolie and was more than $10 million above most analysts' expectations reports USA Today.
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Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie No. 1 |
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"Mr. & Mrs. Smith," the film with Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt playing married assassins rang up an impressive $51.1 million this weekend, according to studio estimates from box office tracker Nielsen EDI. Despite largely lukewarm reviews from critics, the debut is the best for Pitt and Jolie and was more than $10 million above most analysts' expectations reports USA Today. In the movie Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt are assassins, secretly hopping the world and killing for hire. But their separate lives collide when each finds out their next target is their own spouse.
"Mr. and Mrs. Smith" debuted amid a tabloid fury about whether Pitt and Jolie were an item.
"I don't know if the tabloids helped," says Bruce Snyder, Fox's head of distribution. "But obviously they didn't do to us what they did to Gigli."
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Revenge Of The Sith |
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The final episode in the Star Wars films has remained at the top of the box office chart in the US and Canada.
Revenge Of The Sith took $70.7m, according to early estimates. The third installment of the "Star Wars" prequels has already grossed more than $271.1 million in its first 12 days in theaters. Box-office newcomer "Madagascar" made a strong debut at #2 with $61 million.
Adam Sandler's "The Longest Yard," bowed at #3 with $60 million. The comedy stars Sandler as a pro quarterback-turned-convict who is asked to put together a team of inmates to compete against the prison guards in a fixed football game reports MTV news.
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Star Wars Overload III |
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The final chapter in the "Star Wars" movie saga grossed a record $50 million from its first 24 hours in North American theaters, the highest box office amount ever for a single day.
After breaking records on Thursday George Lucas' Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith added another $35.5 million on Friday from 3,661 theaters.
The anticipated movie, budgeted at $113 million, is expected to surpass Spider-Man's $83 million as the biggest two-day total ever reports coming soon.net
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Jennifer Lopez-Jane Fonda vehicle a hit |
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The Jennifer Lopez-Jane Fonda panned vehicle "Monster-in-Law" took top honors at the North American weekend box office. "Monster-in-Law," Fonda's first film since 1990's "Stanley & Iris," sold about $24 million worth of tickets since opening May 13. In "Monster-in-Law," Fonda plays a mother out to sabotage the relationship between the characters played by Lopez and Michael Vartan of the TV show "Alias." It was followed by the Will Ferrell-Robert Duvall soccer comedy, "Kicking & Screaming," which scored a three-day estimate of $20.9 million. In "Kicking & Screaming," Ferrell plays the coach of a soccer team, which must face off against a team coached by his over-achieving father, played by Duvall.
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Guide Takes $21.7M in Debut |
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Walt Disney Co.'s science-fiction comedy "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy'' opened as the top-grossing film in the U.S. and Canada over the weekend with $21.1 million in ticket sales. The comic sci-fi adventure, based on the book of the late Douglas Adams, had the biggest April opening ever for a PG-rated film, according to Walt Disney Pictures.
Universal Pictures' "The Interpreter," starring Nicole Kidman and Sean Penn, fell to second with $13.8 million. Sony Corp.'s "XXX: State of the Union," starring Samuel L. Jackson and Ice Cube, opened in third with $12.7 million, box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations Co. said today in a statement.
"We're disappointed," said Rory Bruer, Sony's president of domestic distribution. "We feel like we have a really terrific star in Ice Cube and a great director in Lee Tamahori. Everyone worked hard to make this movie a success."
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Guide beats XXX |
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Sony's new "XXX" movie, starring Ice Cube, opened well below what was hoped for, taking in just $13.7 million over the three day weekend at the North American Box Office.
"We're disappointed," said Rory Bruer, Sony's president of domestic distribution. "We feel like we have a really terrific star in Ice Cube and a great director in Lee Tamahori. Everyone worked hard to make this movie a success."
The respected Broadway company Dodger Theatricals bombed in 2004 with "Dracula, the Musical," (critics said it had no bite) and is bombing anew in 2005 with "Good Vibrations," the Beach Boys musical. Critics said it stank like skunk weed and audiences listened, buying as few tickets as possible. The show will close this Sunday, meaning that you could still rush to see, if not save it. Featuring 30 songs with music and lyrics by Brain Wilson and the Beach Boys, the spectacle cost $7 million dollars; wagging tongues say that every penny of that has been lost. What heartbreak for those involved; what indifference for those not involved. (By Scott Rose)
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'Sin City' Tops North American Box Office |
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R-rated "Sin City," starring Bruce Willis, Jessica Alba, Mickey Rourke, Benicio Del Toro and Clive Owen, opened as the top film in the U.S. and Canada this weekend with an estimated $28.1 million in ticket sales. "Sin City" was released by Miramax's Dimension Films, which is owned by Disney. "Sin City'' stars Willis as Hartigan, a cop who has vowed to protect a prostitute played by Jessica Alba. The film, co- directed by Robert Rodriguez, is mostly in black and white with splashes of color in some scenes.
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'Guess Who' opens at number 1 |
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The comedy "Guess Who," starring Bernie Mac and Ashton Kutcher debuted at number one with an estimated 21 million dollars at the weekend box office. The update of the 1967 classic "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" stars Mac as a black father vexed after learning his daughter's boyfriend (Kutcher) is white, a reversal of the "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" scenario, which starred Spencer Tracy, Katharine Hepburn and Sidney Poitier in the story of a white woman engaged to a black man.
Sandra Bullock's sequel "Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous" opened in second place with 14 and a-half (m) million dollars.
Last week's number one movie, "The Ring 2," slipped to third, followed in fourth by "Robots." "The Pacifier" was fifth.
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