1. "Zombieland" ($25 million)
2. "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" ($16.7 million)
3. "Toy Story" & "Toy Story 2" (3-D Double Feature) ($12.5 million)
4. "The Invention of Lying" ($7.35 million)
5. "Surrogates" ($7.34 million)
Based on yesterday's projections, the remainder of the box office weekend played out as many suspected it would. Unsurprisingly, the Woody Harrelson-starring "Zombieland" took the first place prize with $25 million, surpassing its $23.6 million budget in its first weekend in theaters. The creature-filled dark comedy, which also stars notable up-and-comers Jesse Eisenberg ("Adventureland"), Emma Stone ("Superbad") and Abigail Breslin ("Little Miss Sunshine"), marks the sixth time a Sony film has opened in the number one spot this year. Read more...
1. "Zombieland" ($9.4 million)
2. "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" ($3.7 million)
3. "Toy Story" & "Toy Story 2" (3-D Double Feature) ($3.2 million)
4. "The Invention of Lying" ($2.5 million)
5. "Surrogates" ($2.2 million)
One might wonder why Sony Pictures is so happy in the middle of a zombie apocalypse, but the movie studio has plenty of reasons to smile as the Woody Harrelson-starring "Zombieland" nabbed the top spot at the box office on its opening day. The film earned $9.4 million going into Saturday, and Deadline Hollywood Daily's Nikki Finke is projecting a $25 million weekend total for the film. The movie was produced for an estimated $23.6 million, so "Zombieland" should have no trouble clawing its way towards the profit margin by Sunday's end. Read more...
Please excuse the delay in running this week's Box Office Poll. I experienced some technical difficulties when working from home yesterday, so I put this post off for today. What a week we're in for movies. I don't know about y'all, but every wide release that opens is on my list as well as a fair few of the limited releases. So let's get to it.
Tough to say what the big one for the week is going to be. I think the top contender -- though not necessarily by a wide margin -- is "Zombieland," a comedy-horror flick starring Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin. As a zombie apocalypse sweeps across the world, the foursome set out on a cross-country trip to... well I'm not entirely sure. They kill lots of zombies though. Read more...
Tags A Serious Man, abigail breslin, Bright Star, capitalism: a love story, Drew Barrymore, ellen page, emma stone, ethan coen, Jane Campion, Jesse Eisenberg, joel coen, juliette lewis, kristen wiig, marcia gay harden, michael moore, More Than A Game, Paranormal Activity, ricky gervais, The Boys Are Back, The Invention of Lying, toy story, toy story 2, toy story 3, whip it, woody harrelson, zoe bell, zombieland
Does that headline scare you away or intrigue you? If it's a little bit of both, then my job here is done. Keep reading, secure in the knowledge that I'd never post anything overtly offensive or stomach-turning here... without warning you first.
Today's eBay Prop-Watch pick was selected in honor of "Capitalism: A Love Story." Michael Moore's latest op-ed-in-motion, dealing with the ongoing financial crisis, the factors that led to it and the prognosis moving forward, hits theaters this Friday. The Prop-Watch pick actually has nothing to do with "Capitalism"; it is instead a bit of leftover coolness from the filmmaker's previous effort, "Sicko." That latex bit makes more sense now, right? Read more...
As if last week's mixed-genre Friday openings weren't enough, we've got the same song this week as well. I'm thinking that the front-runner is "Fame." Not only does it possess an all-ages appeal, but there's also the nostalgia factor to consider. The 1980 original was quite popular, so even childless thirty-somethings can find something to enjoy with this remake. Maybe.
It's not like there aren't other options. Michael Moore is back with another message-driven doc, "Capitalism: A Love Story." This one's about the sorry state of financial affairs that our nation is currently in, with the focus on what went wrong and how we got to where we currently are. Moore is nothing if not a crowd-pleaser, so expect to find his same brand of wry, scathing humor mixed with shocking facts about corporate and governmental wrongdoings. Read more...
Tags ben foster, bruce willis, cam gigandet, capitalism: a love story, Coco Before Chanel, dennis quaid, fame, I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell, michael moore, pandorum, Paranormal Activity, Radha Mitchell, Surrogates, The Blue Tooth Virgin, The Boys Are Back, Twilight
Tonight, the Toronto International Film Festival kicks off with the world premiere screening of "Creation," directed by Jon Amiel. The movie stars real-life husband and wife Paul Bettany and Jennifer Connelly as Charles Darwin and Emma Darwin, respectively. It is an adaptation of the Darwin bio "Annie's Box" by Randal Keynes.
Of course, "Creation" just kicks things off. There's a whole weekend of indie madness to immerse yourself in. Sure, those of us who aren't fortunate enough to be in Toronto are going to have to wait. But there are some good flicks coming out of the fest, stuff that you're sure to see hit theaters in some form in the coming months. Here are a few of the highlights we have to look forward to... Read more...
Tags capitalism: a love story, Colin-Farrell, creation, Gabourey Sidibe, george clooney, heath ledger, jason reitman, jennifer connelly, John Hillcoat, johnny depp, Jon Amiel, jude law, Lee Daniels, michael moore, Mo'Nique, paul bettany, Precious, The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus, The Road, Tom Waits, up in the air, Viggo Mortensen
-- The poster for Michael Jackson's "This Is It" premiered at Yahoo! Movies. It's a cool image: Jackson's silhouette, arms thrown outward and upward, with a collage of performance stills scattered around inside the human form. For those who haven't been keeping track, "This Is It" is a documentary featuring the recently departed pop star's final performance footage. (Yahoo! Movies)
-- Jerry Bruckheimer is preparing to blow up the small screen with loud noises, lots of gunplay and spectacular explosions. The mega-producer is bringing his talents to NBC for an untitled TV series which will tell "the stories of a team charged with making sure fugitive criminals don't evade justice." The last time Bruckheimer teamed with NBC was for the short-lived "E-Ring" in 2005. (The Hollywood Reporter) Read more...
Only "Fahrenheit 9/11" director Michael Moore has the balls to show up at AIG headquarters with the intent of taking the entire board of directors away in a citizen's arrest. The below trailer spoils that particular ploy -- it didn't work -- but expect to see plenty of others unleashed when Moore's "Capitalism: A Love Story" hits theaters on October 2 (limited NY/LA engagements starting September 23).
Michael Moore’s latest documentary finally has a title. Despite what people may have believed after his recent promotional stunt, it is not called “Save Our CEOs.” Nor is it the original working title, “Bailout.” Instead the film is now called “Capitalism: A Love Story,” which makes it sound like a romantic comedy about a greedy couple who meet on Wall St.
Maybe it really is that in a way, because the film involves the financial crisis and criticizes the bankers and corporate leaders who greedily got us in this mess with their passionate love for the all mighty dollar. Of course, "Love Story" is also a documentary. The kind that Moore does best, which is to say it will leave audiences divided on their interest in and their response to its content. Read more...