The writing duo of Thomas Lennon and Robert Ben Garant are best known for their work on comedies and family friendly projects: Reno 911!, Taxi (2004), The Pacifier, Herbie: Fully Loaded, Let’s Go to Prison, Balls of Fury, Mr. Peabody & Sherman, Baywatch (2017), Night at the Museum, and Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian. But they’ve also written the horror comedy Hell Baby, and Garant has written the horror films The Veil and Jessabelle. So it’s not entirely off brand to hear that they wrote the initial screenplay for the upcoming horror film The Casket Girls, with Gabrielle Union (Breaking In) on board to star and executive produce.
Deadline reports that Justin G. Dyck will be directing The Casket Girls and has done script revisions with Keith Cooper (Anything for Jackson). Dyck has a lot of directing credits to his name, most of them being on romantic TV movies,...
Deadline reports that Justin G. Dyck will be directing The Casket Girls and has done script revisions with Keith Cooper (Anything for Jackson). Dyck has a lot of directing credits to his name, most of them being on romantic TV movies,...
- 9/18/2024
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Exclusive: Daytime Emmy-winner Mike Manning and Olivia Blue will star in alien adventure film Unexpected Treasures, directed by John Paul Ungaretti, and written by Ungaretti, and Christina Heller. Ungaretti, best known for his work in the VFX and editorial department on movies like Water for Elephants and Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked and shows like Lost Ollie and Outer Banks on Netflix.
The film’s cast is rounded out with AnnaMaria DeMara, Jay Whittaker, Michael Dunn, Lauren Han, and Rex Edhlund.
Production for the film recently wrapped in Joshua Tree, CA. The script was inspired by the many extra-terrestrial-related stories and folklore of the Joshua Tree community and desert area. In the film, a wild alien encounter restores a local resident’s faith in humanity.
The film’s cast is rounded out with AnnaMaria DeMara, Jay Whittaker, Michael Dunn, Lauren Han, and Rex Edhlund.
Production for the film recently wrapped in Joshua Tree, CA. The script was inspired by the many extra-terrestrial-related stories and folklore of the Joshua Tree community and desert area. In the film, a wild alien encounter restores a local resident’s faith in humanity.
- 5/3/2024
- by Valerie Complex
- Deadline Film + TV
Tubi’s upcoming titles for April include five new Tubi Originals:
YA comedy Crushed, starring Bebe Wood Two titles timed to the 110th anniversary of the Titanic’s sinking – a documentary, Mysteries From The Grave: The Titanic, and a horror film, Titanic 666, starring AnnaLynne McCord (“90210”), Keesha Sharp (“Empire”) and Jamie Bamber (“Battlestar Galactica”) Action movie Lord Of The Streets, featuring
Mma stars Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Anderson Silva.
The action sci-fi film Corrective Measures, starring Michael Rooker (“The Walking Dead”), Bruce Willis (“The Sixth Sense”) and Tom Cavanaugh (“The Flash”)
Unless otherwise noted, all titles below will begin streaming on April 1.
Tubi Originals
Crushed – 4/1 – After the hottest guy in school likes her Instagram photo, a high-achieving, high-strung high school girl carries out totally crazy schemes to hook up with him before the senior class trip ends. But things spiral when her obsession gets out of control.
Mysteries From...
YA comedy Crushed, starring Bebe Wood Two titles timed to the 110th anniversary of the Titanic’s sinking – a documentary, Mysteries From The Grave: The Titanic, and a horror film, Titanic 666, starring AnnaLynne McCord (“90210”), Keesha Sharp (“Empire”) and Jamie Bamber (“Battlestar Galactica”) Action movie Lord Of The Streets, featuring
Mma stars Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Anderson Silva.
The action sci-fi film Corrective Measures, starring Michael Rooker (“The Walking Dead”), Bruce Willis (“The Sixth Sense”) and Tom Cavanaugh (“The Flash”)
Unless otherwise noted, all titles below will begin streaming on April 1.
Tubi Originals
Crushed – 4/1 – After the hottest guy in school likes her Instagram photo, a high-achieving, high-strung high school girl carries out totally crazy schemes to hook up with him before the senior class trip ends. But things spiral when her obsession gets out of control.
Mysteries From...
- 4/1/2024
- by Stephen Nepa
- Age of the Nerd
Tubi originals for April include “Dead Hot,” co-starring Vanessa Hudgens and Gg Magree. They play witchcraft students who long to connect with the spirit world. But when a ghost hunt goes wrong, they head to Salem, Massachusetts, for a masterclass.
“A Good Man,” another streamer original, lands on April 13. A man enters a new relationship in the aftermath of his wife’s affair. But soon, things go awry when he notices familiar signs of betrayal.
The four movies that comprise “The Scorpion King” arrive April 1. A prequel and spinoff of “The Mummy,” the first movie, in 2002, is a sorcery action-adventure film starring starring Dwayne Johnson, Steven Brand, Kelly Hu, Grant Heslov, and Michael Clarke Duncan. An evil ruler wants to conquer the tribes of the desert.
Jim Carrey fans will want to revisit the two “Ace Ventura” comedies. Carrey shows off his gift for physical comedy, while creating a wacky...
“A Good Man,” another streamer original, lands on April 13. A man enters a new relationship in the aftermath of his wife’s affair. But soon, things go awry when he notices familiar signs of betrayal.
The four movies that comprise “The Scorpion King” arrive April 1. A prequel and spinoff of “The Mummy,” the first movie, in 2002, is a sorcery action-adventure film starring starring Dwayne Johnson, Steven Brand, Kelly Hu, Grant Heslov, and Michael Clarke Duncan. An evil ruler wants to conquer the tribes of the desert.
Jim Carrey fans will want to revisit the two “Ace Ventura” comedies. Carrey shows off his gift for physical comedy, while creating a wacky...
- 3/31/2023
- by Fern Siegel
- The Streamable
Bob Odenkirk is in stable condition after suffering a “heart-related incident” on the set of “Better Call Saul.” Reports surfaced on Tuesday, July 27 that Odenkirk was rushed to the hospital after collapsing on the set of the sixth and final season of the AMC drama series. The production films in New Mexico. While Odenkirk’s representatives confirmed his hospitalization to numerous outlets, no cause for his collapse was given for several hours. Now Odenkirk’s team has issued a statement confirming the actor is in stable condition.
“We can confirm Bob is in stable condition after experiencing a heart-related incident,” reps for the actor said in a statement (via The Hollywood Reporter). “He and his family would like to express gratitude for the incredible doctors and nurses looking after him, as well as his cast, crew and producers who have stayed by his side. The Odenkirks would also like to...
“We can confirm Bob is in stable condition after experiencing a heart-related incident,” reps for the actor said in a statement (via The Hollywood Reporter). “He and his family would like to express gratitude for the incredible doctors and nurses looking after him, as well as his cast, crew and producers who have stayed by his side. The Odenkirks would also like to...
- 7/28/2021
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
Fresh off the long-awaited arrival of Zack Snyder’s Justice League (a.k.a. the fabled Snyder Cut), HBO Max has no need to appease fandom culture in April 2021. But the streaming service is gonna do it anyway!
The most notable new release for HBO Max this month is the HBO series The Nevers. This show, created by Joss Whedon, is set in a 19th century steampunk London and finds a sizable portion of the population (predominantly women) having been “Touched” by mysterious paranormal powers. There’s an interesting bit of irony at play here, as HBO Max is following up the Snyder Cut with a show created by his original Justice League replacement. Or at least there could have been an interesting bit of irony here, if Whedon had not bowed out from the show and been enthusiastically left out of the marketing material by HBO.
Read more Movies...
The most notable new release for HBO Max this month is the HBO series The Nevers. This show, created by Joss Whedon, is set in a 19th century steampunk London and finds a sizable portion of the population (predominantly women) having been “Touched” by mysterious paranormal powers. There’s an interesting bit of irony at play here, as HBO Max is following up the Snyder Cut with a show created by his original Justice League replacement. Or at least there could have been an interesting bit of irony here, if Whedon had not bowed out from the show and been enthusiastically left out of the marketing material by HBO.
Read more Movies...
- 4/1/2021
- by Alec Bojalad
- Den of Geek
Warner Bros. next tent pole animated feature, Lego: The Piece of Resistance, has just landed Elizabeth Banks and Morgan Freeman. They will be lending their voices for the film, with Freeman taking on the role of Vitruvius. The cast currently is made up of Chris Pratt (Parks and Recreation) in the lead and Will Arnett (Let's Go To Prison). Arnett will be voicing Batman for the film, and it is rumored that WB is hoping to nab Channing Tatum for the voice of the Man of Steel, Superman. The plot: an ordinary Lego mini-figure, mistakenly thought to be the extraordinary MasterBuilder, is recruited to join a quest to stop an evil Lego tyrant from gluing the universe together. The film will be directed by Phil Lord & Christopher Miller (21 Jump Street) and be released February 28, 2014. Unofficial Synopsis - Emmet is an ordinary, law-abiding Lego mini-figure who lives in Legoverse, and...
- 8/27/2012
- ComicBookMovie.com
Escaping one's past is not an easy task, especially in the film industry. Many actors, writers and directors find themselves pigeonholed into a specific genre from which escape appears impossible. Others are stuck with moviegoers' preconceived negative expectations of their movies. For example, I've been flabbergasted by the relentless bashing of Uwe Boll (Rampage, Attack on Darfur).
Actor/filmmaker Dax Shepard is another actor/filmmaker who suffers from the same stereotyping as Boll. Despite his success in the television series Parenthood, it doesn't help that Shepard got his start as Ashton Kutcher's stooge in the MTV hidden-camera show Punk'd, along with roles in Let's Go to Prison and Without a Paddle.
Shepard received little critical acclaim for his directorial debut: the 2010 mockumentary Brother's Justice, in which he pretends to change genres from comedy to martial-arts action films. Expectations for his latest project, the road-chase movie Hit and Run -- which Shepard wrote,...
Actor/filmmaker Dax Shepard is another actor/filmmaker who suffers from the same stereotyping as Boll. Despite his success in the television series Parenthood, it doesn't help that Shepard got his start as Ashton Kutcher's stooge in the MTV hidden-camera show Punk'd, along with roles in Let's Go to Prison and Without a Paddle.
Shepard received little critical acclaim for his directorial debut: the 2010 mockumentary Brother's Justice, in which he pretends to change genres from comedy to martial-arts action films. Expectations for his latest project, the road-chase movie Hit and Run -- which Shepard wrote,...
- 8/22/2012
- by Debbie Cerda
- Slackerwood
Dax Shepard has come a long way. His first major acting gig was assisting in Ashton Kutcher's pranks on "Punk'd." It paid (well as much as MTV pays), but it probably didn't provide great clips for his acting reel. Still, he persevered, worked hard and eventually his talent won out in what has always been a very cutthroat business (and no doubt his reality background didn't help). Currently, Shepard plays Crosby a fan favorite on NBC's "Parenthood" and has memorable turns in flicks such as "Baby Mama," "Let's Go To Prison" and "Zathura." Moreover, he's publicly always been humble about his...
- 8/21/2012
- by Gregory Ellwood
- Hitfix
Screenwriting duo and comedy mainstays Ben Garant and Thomas Lennon have increasingly become Hollywood's box office saviors, supplying the scripts for both “Night at the Museum” films as well as “The Pacifier,” and their success has allowed them a “one-for-them, one-for-us” status among the studios. Their more personal work has seen less fanfare however, ranging from the executive-mangled (“Let's Go To Prison”) to holistically mangled (“Reno 911: Miami”), but news arrives today that both men have decided to use their clout on their first co-directorial effort.
Darko Entertainment (Richard Kelly's company) will produce alongside Principato Young Entertainment to bring us “Hell Baby,” a horror-comedy starring Rob Corddry and Leslie Bibb as a husband and wife who move into a haunted house in New Orleans. Tormented by the forces within, they call a team of Vatican exorcists, to be played by Lennon and Garant, to save them from having a demonic baby.
Darko Entertainment (Richard Kelly's company) will produce alongside Principato Young Entertainment to bring us “Hell Baby,” a horror-comedy starring Rob Corddry and Leslie Bibb as a husband and wife who move into a haunted house in New Orleans. Tormented by the forces within, they call a team of Vatican exorcists, to be played by Lennon and Garant, to save them from having a demonic baby.
- 3/21/2012
- by Charlie Schmidlin
- The Playlist
[1] There comes a moment in many a comedy star's life when he decides it's time to try his luck with dramatic acting. Apparently, that point is now for comedian/actor Dane Cook. Though he's made his name with mediocre comedies like Good Luck Chuck and Employee of the Month, Cook took on a more dramatic part in 2007's Dan in Real Life, and now he's doing his darkest turn yet inAnswers to Nothing. Directed by Matthew Leutwyler, the drama follows a several "lost souls" in L.A. who are connected by a missing girl case. Cook plays one of those lonely people, a cheating husband to Lost's Elizabeth Mitchell and a frustrated son to Barbara Hershey. Julie Benz, Zach Gilford, and Eric Palladino also star. Watch the trailer after the jump. [via Moviefone [2]] The plot appears to center around a kidnapping case being investigated by Benz's character, who in turn is buddies with Mitchell's.
- 10/7/2011
- by Angie Han
- Slash Film
Will Arnett has been humanized!
The actor, who has excelled at playing self-deluded or entitled losers on Arrested Development, Running Wilde, and 30 Rock, turns it way down on the new domestic sitcom Up All Night, co-starring Christina Applegate, about an older married couple dealing with the arrival of their first child.
Arnett, 41, didn't get his big break in 2003's Arrested Development until he was in his early 30s. But he's definitely made up for lost time since then, on TV and in the movies, becoming Hollywood's go-to guy when the role calls for "smarmy." In 2007 alone, he appeared in eight films (although two were voice-work, including Ratatouille).
But Up All Night is a change of pace for the actor. Could this more "sober" role be the start of a whole new career?
Recently, we caught up with Arnett to talk about type-casting, working with Applegate, and how he approaches potentially "offensive" humor.
The actor, who has excelled at playing self-deluded or entitled losers on Arrested Development, Running Wilde, and 30 Rock, turns it way down on the new domestic sitcom Up All Night, co-starring Christina Applegate, about an older married couple dealing with the arrival of their first child.
Arnett, 41, didn't get his big break in 2003's Arrested Development until he was in his early 30s. But he's definitely made up for lost time since then, on TV and in the movies, becoming Hollywood's go-to guy when the role calls for "smarmy." In 2007 alone, he appeared in eight films (although two were voice-work, including Ratatouille).
But Up All Night is a change of pace for the actor. Could this more "sober" role be the start of a whole new career?
Recently, we caught up with Arnett to talk about type-casting, working with Applegate, and how he approaches potentially "offensive" humor.
- 9/13/2011
- by Brent Hartinger
- The Backlot
This weekend, Contagion spreads onto over 3,700 screens at 3,222 locations (including 257 IMAX venues) and is poised to end The Help's reign. Warrior trains to be a slow-burning crowd pleaser on close to 2,100 screens at 1,869 locations, while Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star and Creature should be contenders for the worst opening title, hitting 1,500 and 1,507 single-screen locations, respectively. With a rash of familiar faces (Matt Damon, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Winslet, Jude Law, etc.) and deadly disease thriller storyline, Contagion recalls Outbreak, only with a darker, grittier, more global bent. Back in 1995, Outbreak debuted to $13.4 million or the equivalent of nearly $25 million adjusted for ticket price inflation. Contagion's infection and potential end-of-humanity angles also echo the recent zombie craze, and the movie's even opening in the same mid-September slot that the Resident Evil franchise is known for. Contagion's diffuseness, though, may not make it a threat to September's record books.
- 9/9/2011
- by Brandon Gray <mail@boxofficemojo.com>
- Box Office Mojo
Thomas Lennon and Robert Ben Garant, two of the (lesser talented) guys behind "The State" and "Reno! 9/11" before selling their souls in exchange for unearned cash (and lots of it) are releasing a book today called Writing Movies for Fun and Profit: How We Made a Billion Dollars at the Box Office and You Can, Too! It's a semi-serious self-help book for screenwriters, not about how to make a good film, but about how to make a commercially successful one. In other words, how to cheat the system.
Clearly, Lennon and Garant have a lot of experience in making incredibly shitty but very popular films that appeal to moviegoers barely smart enough to count out their ticket money. Garant and Lennon are so proud of this ability to write films for dumbshits that they want share screenwriting advice to all those out there, not who want to make good films,...
Clearly, Lennon and Garant have a lot of experience in making incredibly shitty but very popular films that appeal to moviegoers barely smart enough to count out their ticket money. Garant and Lennon are so proud of this ability to write films for dumbshits that they want share screenwriting advice to all those out there, not who want to make good films,...
- 7/6/2011
- by Dustin Rowles
Come on, people. We've got to start looking through this bullshit already. It's out of hand. It's called celebrity attention disorder. It works in two ways:
1) A celebrity or filmmaker makes a big budget film, and in order to generate attention for the movie, he teases a sequel before the movie even comes out even if the movie is not the type that warrants a sequel. Often, a director will say something to the effect of, "I've already sketched out a trilogy" for a movie like, say, Beastly, that few people have any interest in. One movie blog picks that sound bite up, 50 more run with it because movie blogs mimic each other, and Presto! There are 50 more posts dedicated to motherfucking Beastly, and you've got thousands of readers thinking, "Ooooh! This movie is worthy of a trilogy? Maybe it's better than it looks." And then a ridiculously shitty movie...
1) A celebrity or filmmaker makes a big budget film, and in order to generate attention for the movie, he teases a sequel before the movie even comes out even if the movie is not the type that warrants a sequel. Often, a director will say something to the effect of, "I've already sketched out a trilogy" for a movie like, say, Beastly, that few people have any interest in. One movie blog picks that sound bite up, 50 more run with it because movie blogs mimic each other, and Presto! There are 50 more posts dedicated to motherfucking Beastly, and you've got thousands of readers thinking, "Ooooh! This movie is worthy of a trilogy? Maybe it's better than it looks." And then a ridiculously shitty movie...
- 4/5/2011
- by Dustin Rowles
Subject: Will Arnett, 40-year old Canadian actor & occasional comedian
Date of Assessment: July 9, 2010
Positive Buzzwords: "Arrested Development," timing, marriage
Negative Buzzwords: Disappointment, underwhelming, squandered talent
The Case: Since this guy is commonly referred to as the father of the comedy messiah around these parts, it should be fairly interesting to declare a contrary position. I am speaking, of course, of Will "I've Made a Huge Mistake" Arnett. Now, I loved him in "Arrested Development" just as much as the rest of you did. However, you must understand that I've reviewed some really shitty Will Arnett movies -- The Brothers Solomon, The Rocker, and G-Force -- in recent years. For further examples of supreme awfulness, one doesn't need to look any further than Jonah Hex, When In Rome, Hot Rod, and Let's Go to Prison. Other than those crapfests, Arnett's been sticking to some safe bets; that is, he's been lending...
Date of Assessment: July 9, 2010
Positive Buzzwords: "Arrested Development," timing, marriage
Negative Buzzwords: Disappointment, underwhelming, squandered talent
The Case: Since this guy is commonly referred to as the father of the comedy messiah around these parts, it should be fairly interesting to declare a contrary position. I am speaking, of course, of Will "I've Made a Huge Mistake" Arnett. Now, I loved him in "Arrested Development" just as much as the rest of you did. However, you must understand that I've reviewed some really shitty Will Arnett movies -- The Brothers Solomon, The Rocker, and G-Force -- in recent years. For further examples of supreme awfulness, one doesn't need to look any further than Jonah Hex, When In Rome, Hot Rod, and Let's Go to Prison. Other than those crapfests, Arnett's been sticking to some safe bets; that is, he's been lending...
- 7/9/2010
- by Agent Bedhead
I'm not going to use this to knock on When in Rome, especially since our own Jenni Miller already did that. Well, to be fair, she did it a lot sweeter than I would have. It's a cute romantic comedy idea that just doesn't work. However, one of the hapless souls who has their love life screwed around with in this movie is Will Arnett, and we loves us some Will Arnett. It feels like he's just a few steps away from headlining movies on his own, paired with some straight guy or girl. Or better yet, appearing with his wife Amy Poehler. (Watch them together in a Parks & Recreation episode.)
Most people know Arnett from his spin as Gob on the awesome Arrested Development, which will hopefully, finally, eventually be getting a movie soon, but he's held his own in some smaller comedies, including the underrated Let's Go To Prison and The Brothers Solomon.
Most people know Arnett from his spin as Gob on the awesome Arrested Development, which will hopefully, finally, eventually be getting a movie soon, but he's held his own in some smaller comedies, including the underrated Let's Go To Prison and The Brothers Solomon.
- 2/3/2010
- by Kevin Kelly
- Cinematical
Earlier this month we told you that "Arrested Development" creator Mitch Hurwitz was scripting an absolutely for-reals, big-screen Arrested Development movie, and that he would direct it himself. Speaking at a writing panel this weekend at the Austin Film Festival (where he appeared alongside Steven Zaillian and Ad executive producer Ron Howard), Hurwitz dropped a few more hints about what exactly we might be seeing plot-wise, and it sounds like somebody in the Bluth family (or heck, maybe all of 'em) will be heading to prison.
Honestly, it's hard to tell what Hurwitz meant when he briefly gave in to moderating producer Marcia Nasatir's prodding at the "Art of Storytelling" panel in Austin. According to Austin 360, "Hurwitz relented to Nasatir, and said that there would be a heavy jail presence and then made jokes about the inclusion of Tarp money, a nod to the inability of a film to...
Honestly, it's hard to tell what Hurwitz meant when he briefly gave in to moderating producer Marcia Nasatir's prodding at the "Art of Storytelling" panel in Austin. According to Austin 360, "Hurwitz relented to Nasatir, and said that there would be a heavy jail presence and then made jokes about the inclusion of Tarp money, a nod to the inability of a film to...
- 10/26/2009
- by Jen Yamato
- Cinematical
With the whispers of the Arrested Development movie quiet for the moment, Fox have reunited some of the key team for a new and as-yet-untitled comedy starring Will Arnett.Ad's creative mastermind Mitch Hurwitz and his co-executive producer Jim Vallely are putting together the single camera comedy for Arnett, who will play another smug privileged rich boy (see also Let's Go To Prison, 30 Rock and his quirkier take on the type in Arrested Development) who despite his own protestations falls for a hippy who hates his lifestyle and values. Arnett, currently in cinemas as the voice of a crime-fighting guineapig in G-Force, also has romantic laugher When in Rome with Kristen Bell and comic book Western Jonah Hex with Josh Brolin and Megan Fox coming up in the next year.
- 8/11/2009
- EmpireOnline
The Hollywood Reporter has broken the news that Will Arnett (Arrested Development) and Michael Shannon (Dead Birds) have joined the cast of Jonah Hex. Both actors previously appeared together in the 2006 comedy Let's Go To Prison, and will join a cast that includes Josh Brolin (Grindhouse: Planet Terror), John Malkovich (Shadow Of The Vampire), and Megan Fox (Jennifer's Body, Transformers). The adaptation of the popular DC Comics horror/western begins shooting this month.
The UK site Broadcast Now has snagged the first image from the BBC's remake, The Day Of The Triffids. This is the third time that the John Wyndham novel has seen a live-action adaptation, following a 1962 film, and a 1981 Australian mini-series. Wyndham also wrote The Midwich Cuckoos, the source material upon which Village Of The Damned was based. 'Midwich has also been adapted three times. The latest 'Triffids stars Brian Cox, Jason Priestly, Dougray Scott, and Eddie Izzard...
The UK site Broadcast Now has snagged the first image from the BBC's remake, The Day Of The Triffids. This is the third time that the John Wyndham novel has seen a live-action adaptation, following a 1962 film, and a 1981 Australian mini-series. Wyndham also wrote The Midwich Cuckoos, the source material upon which Village Of The Damned was based. 'Midwich has also been adapted three times. The latest 'Triffids stars Brian Cox, Jason Priestly, Dougray Scott, and Eddie Izzard...
- 4/1/2009
- Fangoria
'Feet' doesn't fail Warners as it tops boxoffice
The dancing penguins beat out the new James Bond at the North American boxoffice this weekend, though by a slimmer margin than originally reported Sunday. Warner Bros. Pictures' Happy Feet on Monday reported a domestic gross for the three-day frame of $41.5 million, while Sony Pictures' Casino Royale, a co-production with MGM, earned $40.8 million for the weekend prior to the Thanksgiving holiday. The other new wide release, the poorly reviewed Let's Go to Prison bowed to $2.2 million and an eleventh spot in the weekend's boxoffice ranking.
The films, despite their solid boxoffice numbers, were unable to top last year's numbers at this time, when Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire opened to $102 million and 20th Century Fox's Walk the Line opened in No. 2 with $22.3 million. In fact, at $145.8 million, the total boxoffice this weekend was down a steep 19% when compared to the $180.5 million earned this weekend last year.
Both of the top-ranked films scored extremely well with audiences. Feet, from director George Miller, earned an overall "A-" according to exit pollster Cinemascore. The PG film set in Anarctica's world of the Emperor penguins attracted 60% women, mostly mothers attending the film with their children.
The films, despite their solid boxoffice numbers, were unable to top last year's numbers at this time, when Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire opened to $102 million and 20th Century Fox's Walk the Line opened in No. 2 with $22.3 million. In fact, at $145.8 million, the total boxoffice this weekend was down a steep 19% when compared to the $180.5 million earned this weekend last year.
Both of the top-ranked films scored extremely well with audiences. Feet, from director George Miller, earned an overall "A-" according to exit pollster Cinemascore. The PG film set in Anarctica's world of the Emperor penguins attracted 60% women, mostly mothers attending the film with their children.
- 11/20/2006
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
'Happy Feet' on top but 007 in hot pursuit
It looks as if the animated penguins beat out James Bond for first place at the North American boxoffice on the weekend before Thanksgiving. But with the two movies so close, it could be that Monday afternoon's final numbers will be the true determinant of who wins the frame.
As it stood Sunday, estimates reported by each of the studios indicated that Warner Bros. Pictures' Happy Feet is the winner by a $1.7 million margin. The PG-rated CG-animated film earned an estimated $42.3 million compared with Sony Pictures' Casino Royale, a Columbia Pictures/MGM co-production, which grossed $40.6 million.
The other new wide release, Universal Pictures' Let's Go to Prison, bowed at a dismal $2.1 million, good for 12th place overall.
Even with two $40 million-plus openers, the weekend still was down a staggering 22.3% compared with last year at this time, when Warners' juggernaut Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire bowed to $102 million and 20th Century Fox's Walk the Line opened to $22.3 million.
Today's numbers will be telling, considering that Casino is handicapped by a 140-minute run time, while Happy Feet's family-friendly themes will attract a lot of kid-priced tickets. Nonetheless, the two well-reviewed films each scored in the range expected.
For Warners, Happy Feet marked the company's largest bow for an animated movie. It also was the largest-opening animated Imax movie, pulling in an estimated $2.4 million on 79 screens, beating out the $2.1 million 3-D bow of The Polar Express. Overall, the penguin movie from director George Miller (Babe), a Village Roadshow co-production, grossed a solid per-theater average of an estimated $11,125.
"We're in great shape," Warners distribution president Dan Fellman said. "Historically, family movies are outstanding over the holiday, so we are well positioned now. We think we'll play well through Christmas and the end of the year."
Armed with strong reviews and a debonair new Bond in British actor Daniel Craig, Casino definitely caught fire with audiences. Although it didn't open to the record-breaking $47 million of the last Bond outing, 2002's Die Another Day, the PG-13 Casino -- featuring Eva Green as the new Bond girl -- certainly could be deemed a success.
"Considering that Pierce Brosnan) began opening 'Bond' in the $20 million range and worked his way up to $40 million, the strength of Craig's terrific new Bond is evident," Sony distribution president Rory Bruer said.
As it stood Sunday, estimates reported by each of the studios indicated that Warner Bros. Pictures' Happy Feet is the winner by a $1.7 million margin. The PG-rated CG-animated film earned an estimated $42.3 million compared with Sony Pictures' Casino Royale, a Columbia Pictures/MGM co-production, which grossed $40.6 million.
The other new wide release, Universal Pictures' Let's Go to Prison, bowed at a dismal $2.1 million, good for 12th place overall.
Even with two $40 million-plus openers, the weekend still was down a staggering 22.3% compared with last year at this time, when Warners' juggernaut Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire bowed to $102 million and 20th Century Fox's Walk the Line opened to $22.3 million.
Today's numbers will be telling, considering that Casino is handicapped by a 140-minute run time, while Happy Feet's family-friendly themes will attract a lot of kid-priced tickets. Nonetheless, the two well-reviewed films each scored in the range expected.
For Warners, Happy Feet marked the company's largest bow for an animated movie. It also was the largest-opening animated Imax movie, pulling in an estimated $2.4 million on 79 screens, beating out the $2.1 million 3-D bow of The Polar Express. Overall, the penguin movie from director George Miller (Babe), a Village Roadshow co-production, grossed a solid per-theater average of an estimated $11,125.
"We're in great shape," Warners distribution president Dan Fellman said. "Historically, family movies are outstanding over the holiday, so we are well positioned now. We think we'll play well through Christmas and the end of the year."
Armed with strong reviews and a debonair new Bond in British actor Daniel Craig, Casino definitely caught fire with audiences. Although it didn't open to the record-breaking $47 million of the last Bond outing, 2002's Die Another Day, the PG-13 Casino -- featuring Eva Green as the new Bond girl -- certainly could be deemed a success.
"Considering that Pierce Brosnan) began opening 'Bond' in the $20 million range and worked his way up to $40 million, the strength of Craig's terrific new Bond is evident," Sony distribution president Rory Bruer said.
- 11/19/2006
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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