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Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)

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Bloom to Get $40 Million Paycheck? Not on Your Life, Says Disney
9 April 2008 (StudioBriefing)
An on-its-face laughable report that Orlando Bloom would receive $40 million to star in a movie based on the video game Prince of Persia spread all over the Internet Monday until Disney got wind of it and attempted to stomp it out. Late in the day, the website Coming Soon reported that the studio said that there was no truth to the report. "What we do know so far is that Mike Newell (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire) is expected to start shooting Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time soon at Pinewood Studios in the UK and in Morocco as well," the website added.

Midnight Screenings Attract Kids and Adults
12 July 2007 (StudioBriefing)
Apparently a lot of kids were allowed to stay up late Tuesday as midnight screenings of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix raked in a record-breaking $12 million in 2,311 theaters. The figure represented the biggest gross for a film opening at midnight on Wednesday, far exceeding the previous record high -- $8 million, earned by The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King in 2003. The last Potter movie, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, took in $6 million at its midnight screenings in 2005.

Movie Reviews: 'Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix'
10 July 2007 (StudioBriefing)
The words seem to echo in reviews all over the country: Harry Potter has lost his magic. "Whatever happened to the delight, and, if you'll excuse the term, the magic in the Harry Potter series?" Roger Ebert asks in the Chicago Sun Times of the new Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Gene Seymour comments in Newsday that a newcomer to the Potter movies "may be forgiven for wondering where the magic is; not just the transfigurations, sparkling explosions and assorted phantasmagoria ... but the sense of wonder and transport that helped make [author J.K.] Rowling's books into a global cultural phenomenon." Lou Lumenick in the New York Post puts it more tersely: "There are lots of special effects, but sadly, no real magic." Kenneth Turan's review in the Los Angeles Times is headed: "The Magic Is Gone." On the other hand, Colin Bertram in the New York Daily News concludes his review by remarking, "The magic is definitely back." Still other critics point out that Potter fans will definitely be back, too. "[The] fifth Potter movie will be another surefire box-office wonder," writes Bob Longino in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "It's easily better than Sorcerer's Stone and Chamber of Secrets. It's as dark as Azkaban and as unsettling as Goblet of Fire." A.O. Scott in the New York Times is one of several critics who simply give the movie a passing grade. "It manages to succeed as a piece of entertainment without quite fulfilling its potential as a movie," he writes, adding unenthusiastically that while it "is not a great movie, it is a pretty good one." Glenn Whipp in the Los Angeles Daily News concludes that the film "will satisfy the faithful." However, some critics maintain that many Potter fans will be disappointed. Carrie Rickey in the Philadelphia Inquirer, for example, calls it "a slog that might induce Potter fatigue even among stalwarts."

Warner Bros. Reports Earnings Slide
1 February 2007 (StudioBriefing)
Warner Bros., which looked like it couldn't buy a hit for much of last year, saw its revenue drop more than 10 percent from 2005, according to Time Warner's SEC filing Wednesday. After such bombs as Poseidon, Lady in the Water, and the Ant Bully, not even hits like Happy Feet and The Departed late in the year could put the studio close to equaling its record earnings in 2005, when it released Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and Batman Begins. Nevertheless Time Warner was able to report a 34-percent net gain for its fourth quarter due in large measure to the sale of AOL's businesses in France and the U.K.

Five Million Copies of 'Pirates' Sold on First Day
7 December 2006 (StudioBriefing)
In its first day in video stores, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest sold nearly 5 million copies Tuesday, according to Disney's Buena Vista Home Video, thereby tying the record set by Warner Bros.' Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire in March. The company reportedly shipped 20 million copies to retailers and has said that it hopes to break the existing record held by its own The Lion King of 30 million DVD and VHS copies sold.

'Pirates' Loot British Video Shops
28 November 2006 (StudioBriefing)
In its first week on the shelves of British retailers, Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest has sold a record 1.5 million copies. The film beat the previous record of 1.4 million set by Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. However, it failed to come close to the 2.2 million sales of both the DVD and VHS versions of Titanic in 1999. Disney said that it was shipping another 1 million copies to British retailers from its plant in Mexico. The DVD is due to be released one week from today (Tuesday) in the U.S.

Penguins Live ... And Let Die
27 November 2006 (StudioBriefing)
Families across the country ate their bird and had it, too over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. In a curious bit of irony, Happy Feet, an animated film about saving monarch penguins in Antartica, was the number one film at the box office on the day that millions of Americans feasted on turkeys. According to ShowBizData.com, the Warner Bros. movie earned $50.8 million between Wednesday and Sunday ($37.2 million from Friday to Sunday). In second place was Sony/MGM's Casino Royale, which raked in $45.4 million over the five-day period ($31.3 million for the three-day). Disney's Déjà Vu debuted in third place with $28.6 million ($20.4 million over the three days). Associated Press writer David Germain described the holiday as "sturdy but unremarkable." It was down 3.4 percent from the comparable weekend last year, which saw Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire leading with $81 million.

The top ten films for the weekend, according to final figures provided by ShowBizData.com: 1. Happy Feet, $37.02 million; 2. Casino Royale, $31.3 million; 3. Déjà Vu, $20.38 million; 4. Deck the Halls, $11.76 million; 5. Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, $10.29 million; 6. The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause, $10.12 million; 7. Flushed Away, $5.82 million; 8. Stranger Than Fiction, $5.73 million; 9. Bobby, $4.75 million; 10. The Fountain, $3.75 million.

March of the Penguins -- Over 007
20 November 2006 (StudioBriefing)
Box office analysts ought to have hedged their bets when it came to Casino Royale's chances over the weekend. Although the Sony/MGM movie was virtually their unanimous choice to outdistance the competition -- by far -- it ended up in second place, marched over by the animated penguins in Warner Bros.' Happy Feet. According to estimates released Sunday, the penguin movie earned $42.3 million, while the Bond flick raked in $40.6 million. Although the grosses for each film were regarded as solid, many analysts had predicted that they would be higher. Meanwhile, Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, which had topped the box office for the last two weekends, fell to third place with about $14.35 million, to bring its total to $90.5 million. The top three films fell just $2.75 million short of reaching $100 million, a box office rarity. Nevertheless, on the same weekend a year ago, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire brought in $102.3 million on its own. Universal's Let's Go to Prison, a third film to open in wide release (not screened for critics), flopped with just $2.1 million, failing even to crack the top 10.

The top ten films for the weekend, according to studio estimates compiled by Exhibitor Relations: 1. Happy Feet, $42.3 million; 2. Casino Royale, $40.6 million; 3. Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, $14.35 million; 4. The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause, $8.2 million; 5. Flushed Away, $6.8 million; 6. Stranger Than Fiction, $6.6 million; 7. Babel, $2.9 million; 8. Saw III, $2.8 million; 9. The Departed, $2.6 million; 10. The Queen, $2.3 million.

Radcliffe To Bare All in Theatrical Debut
1 August 2006 (WENN)
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire star Daniel Radcliffe will bare all onstage in his West End, London debut. The teenager and his Potter co-star Richard Griffiths have been confirmed as the stars of the revival of Peter Shaffer's controversial play Equus. Radcliffe will play a disturbed youth obsessed with blinding horses in the production and his publicist Vanessa Davies confirms he will strip for the role. She says, "This is an extraordinary play and, yes, there is a scene of nudity in it, but that's not what the play is about." Griffiths, who plays Harry Potter's villainous Uncle Vernon in the fantasy films, has been confirmed to play a psychiatrist in the play, which will open in March.

DVD Merchants Hand Out Unique Awards
12 July 2006 (StudioBriefing)
The Entertainment Merchants Association handed out its 2005-2006 DVD awards Tuesday night in categories that hardly resembled those for other awards ceremonies. For example, Paramount Home Entertainment's Titanic: Special Collector's Edition received trophies for Best Video Transfer From a Non-Digital Source and Best Supplementary Material. Buena Vista Home Entertainment's Lost: The Complete First Season picked up awards for Best Commentary and Best Overall Presentation for a TV release. Warner Home Video's two-disk Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: Special Edition received honors for DVD Extras of the Year and Sellthrough Title of the Year from a Major Studio.

'Wedding Crashers' and 'Virgin' Land Five MTV Nominations
25 April 2006 (WENN)
Zany comedies Wedding Crashers and The 40-Year-Old Virgin have topped this year's MTV Movie Awards nominations with five gongs apiece. The two films will compete with King Kong, Sin City and Batman Begins for the Best Movie Prize, while Virgin's Steve Carell will fight for the Best Performance honor with Jake Gyllenhaal, Joaquin Phoenix, Reese Witherspoon, Rachel McAdams and Terrence Howard. Batman Begins' Christian Bale, Jessica Alba (Sin City), Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter & The Goblet Of Fire), Kate Beckinsale (Underworld: Evolution) and Ewan McGregor (Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge Of The Sith) will fight it out for the Best Hero prize while the Best Villains race is between Harry Potter bad guy Ralph Fiennes, Darth Vader Hayden Christensen and Batman foe Cillian Murphy, among others. In other categories, Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo star Rob Schneider will compete with Beyonce Knowles (The Pink Panther), Alba, and Jessica Simpson (Dukes Of Hazzard) for the Sexiest Performance honor. And parents-to-be Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt are favorites to claim the Best Fight for their rumble in Mr. and Mrs. Smith. The 2006 MTV Movie Awards will air on June 8.

'King Kong' DVD Sets Record
9 April 2006 (WENN)
U.S. consumers snapped up 6.5 million copies of King Kong in its first six days in stores, making it the best-selling Universal Studios release ever. The sales tally amounts to more than $100 million in revenue, which is in addition to the $550 million worldwide box-office earnings. The blockbuster is currently the second-biggest seller so far this year, outdone only by Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, which sold nearly 9 million DVDs in its first week of release.

Chinese Films Top Hollywood's at Mainland Box Office
29 March 2006 (StudioBriefing)
China has not only survived what it once described as the cultural invasion of Hollywood, but it apparently is eminently holding its own. Daily Variety reported today (Wednesday) that six of the top-10-grossing films in China last year were locally produced, marking the first time local films outgrossed imports since China began allowing foreign films to be shown in 1994. The biggest earner was also China's costliest ($30-40 million), Chen Kaige's The Promise, which took in $18 million in China and is set to be released in the U.S. on May 5. The No. 2 film was Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, with $11.5 million.

Oscar Wins Not Translating to Ticket Sales
9 March 2006 (StudioBriefing)
Oscar winners saw virtually no spike in midweek attendance following Sunday night's ceremonies. Brokeback Mountain was the only film to return to the top ten, but its gross actually fell considerably below that of the previous week, when it was expected to take top honors. The film is not expected to remain in the top ten through the weekend. The best film winner, Crash, did see an increase in DVD sales, rising to No. 19 on Amazon.com's list of top sellers, up more than 80 places from the previous week. Lionsgate said on Monday that it had sold 17,500 copies of Crash, but that was nothing compared with North American sales of 5 million copies of the fourth Harry Potter movie, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, on the same day.

Take That, Carl Icahn!
2 February 2006 (StudioBriefing)
Time Warner produced some heavy ammunition Wednesday to defend itself in its battle with dissident shareholder Carl Icahn -- a fourth-quarter report showing a 21-percent boost in profit to $1.4 billion, up from $1.1 billion a year ago. The results were significantly above analysts' expectations. The company in particular credited strong performances by its cable networks, cable system, and AOL for the increase. However, filmed entertainment was down 13 percent, largely due to the fact that its Warner Bros. unit had nothing to match the success of last year's Lord of the Rings film; nevertheless, it noted, the company saw outstanding results from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. In a conference call with analysts, Time Warner CEO Richard Parsons boasted, "If I can be allowed one moment of immodesty, no one can run these businesses better than the current management is running them." Icahn, however, was unimpressed. In a speech in New York quoted in today's (Thursday) Los Angeles Times, Icahn remarked that the company "should be doing better. ... If you just broke it up, the stock would be higher. ... In Time Warner, we're saying the conglomerate concept does not work."

Bon Jovi Apologizes to Madonna
22 January 2006 (WENN)
Jon Bon Jovi has apologized to Madonna after wrongly accusing her of exploiting her children by proudly displaying them at movie premieres. The "Livin' On A Prayer" hitmaker berated the pop superstar for allowing Lourdes, nine, and Rocco, five, to attend public events, advising her to shield them from media intrusion. But the 43-year-old soon realised his mistake after the Material Girl hit back, insisting her children had never attended a single film opening. He says, "I put my foot in my mouth recently with a comment about Madonna. Let me apologise because I don't know the woman." However, the rocker continues to express distaste for publicity hungry celebrities: "There are celebrities who will go out of their way to get their picture in the paper and I just think that is a load of rubbish." Lourdes and Rocco have since been photographed attending the Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire premiere in London on November 12.

Imax Has Its Best Year Ever
10 January 2006 (StudioBriefing)
Canadian-based IMAX saw ticket sales at its giant-screen theaters soar 35 percent in 2005, largely due to the success of blockbuster films that had been converted to the IMAX format, the company said Monday. IMAX's success was all the more remarkable given an overall 6 percent drop at the domestic box office. Leading the field for IMAX was Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, which earned $16 million on 89 screens, just edging out Batman Begins: The IMAX Experience, which took in $15.9 million. Both films were produced by Warner Bros. Analysts observed that since moviegoers have thereby indicated that they are willing to pay a premium for IMAX screenings, studios will no doubt be releasing additional movies in the IMAX format. Eric Wold, an analyst at Merriman Curhan Ford & Co. in San Francisco, told today's (Tuesday) Toronto Globe & Mail: "Most theaters can't really compete against each other. They all offer the same movies at the same times, the same theaters and the same popcorn. They have to offer something else."

'Narnia' Wins by a Whisker
4 January 2006 (StudioBriefing)
Final box-office figures for the holiday weekend showed that Disney's The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, & the Wardrobe earned a little more than Universal's King Kong in total gross but a little less than Kong on a per-theater basis. Narnia, which played in 3,853 locations, brought in $33.71 million or $8,750 per screen, while Kong, which played in 3,627 locations, counted $31.83 million in ticket sales and averaged $8,775 per screen.

The top ten films over the four-day holiday weekend, according to final figures compiled by Exhibitor Relations (figures in parentheses represent total gross to date): 1. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe, Disney, $33,712,024, 4 Wks. ($225,703,346); 2. King Kong, Universal, $31,826,925, 3 Wks. ($175,559,825); 3. Fun with Dick and Jane, Sony, $21,025,463, 2 Wks. ($64,607,789); 4. Cheaper by the Dozen 2, 20th Century Fox, $18,857,703, 2 Wks. ($54,684,215); 5. Rumor Has It ..., Warner Bros., $11,790,273, 2 Wks. ($26,865,647); 6. The Family Stone, 20th Century Fox, $10,297,267, 3 Wks. ($46,334,354); 7. Memoirs of a Geisha, Sony, $10,215,915, 4 Wks. ($30,633,403); 8. The Ringer, Fox Searchlight, $8,050,428, 2 Wks. ($21,652,504); 9. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Warner Bros., $7,635,442, 7 Wks. ($277,083,157); 10. Munich, Universal, $6,436,850, 2 Wks. ($15,949,005).

'Brokeback' in "Amazing" Fourth Week
3 January 2006 (StudioBriefing)
In limited release, Brokeback Mountain remained the champ as it took in $4.8 million over the four days in just 269 theaters, averaging $17,702 per screen. (Daily Variety observed that the figure was up an "amazing" 61 percent from the previous week, although it added only 52 theaters) Another Heath Ledger starrer, Casanova, brought in $560,000 from 37 theaters, or $15,243 per screen. Playing in 532 theaters, Steven Spielberg's Munich earned $6.1 million or an average of $11,515 per screen. Woody Allen's Match Point performed far beyond expectations, earning $517,000 from just eight theaters or $64,625 per theater. And The Matador opened in four theaters in New York and Los Angeles with $92,000, or $23,100 per screen.

The top ten films for the weekend, according to studio estimates compiled by Exhibitor Relations: 1. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Buena Vista, $32.8 million; 2. King Kong, Universal, $31.6 million; 3. Fun With Dick and Jane, Sony, $21 million; 4. Cheaper by the Dozen 2, Fox, $19.3 million; 5. Rumor Has It ..., Warner Bros., $11.6 million; 6. The Family Stone, Fox, $10.2 million; 7. Memoirs of a Geisha, Sony, $10 million; 8. The Ringer, Fox Searchlight, $8 million; 9. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Warner Bros., $7.5 million; 10. Munich, Universal, $6.1 million.

The top-ten films for the year: 1. Star Wars, Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, $380.3 million; 2. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, $276.9 million; 3. War of the Worlds, $234.3 million; 4. The Chronicles of Narnia, $224.8 million; 5. Wedding Crashers, $209.2 million; 6. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, $206.5 million; 7. Batman Begins, $205.3 million; 8. Madagascar, $193.2 million; 9. Mr. & Mrs. Smith, $186.3 million; 10. Hitch, $177.7 million.

'King Kong' Still Lumbering
28 December 2005 (StudioBriefing)
Box-office trackers are continuing to predict that, in the end, King Kong will justify its $220-million production cost. Several are noting that Titanic took in much less than King Kong in its opening weeks, yet went on to become the biggest box-office winner of all time. In an interview with the Associated Press, Paul Dergarabedian, head of Exhibitor Relations, noted that the Peter Jackson film earned $9.2 million on Christmas day. "The fact it did such strong business Christmas day shows there's a lot of interest in the movie," Dergarabedian said. Exit polls also showed a high level of audience satisfaction with the film. Analysts attributed the fact that it was not doing the kind of box-office business that the recent Star Wars. Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings films did to several factors: There was no built-up fan base for King Kong; it had to compete with a plethora of new releases; and it runs over three hours, limiting the number of times theaters can screen it. John Fithian, president of the National Association of Theater Owners, told A.P.: "I'm not worried about King Kong. It's the type of movie that will continue to do business well into the new year." Meanwhile, Chuck Viane, president of Disney's Buena Vista Pictures Distribution, predicted that The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe will probably pass the $200-million mark at the box office by New Year's Eve. "I think what you have here is a movie instantly becoming one of those holiday classics," he told A.P.

The top ten films over the four-day holiday weekend, according to final figures compiled by Exhibitor Relations (figures in parentheses represent total gross to date): 1. King Kong, Universal, $33,274,690, 2 Wks. ($120,597,410); 2. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, $Disney, $31,692,295, 3 Wks. ($165,135,135); 3. Fun With Dick and Jane, Sony, $21,530,160, 1 Wk. ($29,105,916 -- From Wednesday); 4. Cheaper by the Dozen 2, 20th Century Fox, $15,340,679, 1 Wk. ($20,622,433 -- From Wednesday); 5. Memoirs of a Geisha, Sony, $10,165,114, 3 Wks. ($13,254,749); 6. The Family Stone, 20th Century Fox, $10,009,399, 2 Wks. ($29,209,405); 7. The Ringer, Fox Searchlight, $7,702,439, (New); 8. Rumor Has It, Warner Bros., $7,515,000, (New); 9. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Warner Bros., $6,500,000, 6 Wks. ($263,215,000); 10. Munich, Universal, $6,040,860, (New).

Ape Wins -- But No Chest-Thumping Yet
27 December 2005 (StudioBriefing)
The lion and the ape ran neck and neck at the box office over the weekend, and when it was over it appeared that the ape had won -- as Universal's King Kong posted an estimated $31.4 million in ticket sales over the four-day holiday and $21.3 million for the weekend. Disney's The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe appeared to have placed second with $30.1 million for the holiday and $20.4 million for the weekend. However, the estimates were so close that analysts generally noted that the positions of the two films could be reversed when final figures are released later today (Tuesday). Meanwhile, two comedies that debuted on Wednesday did so-so business, with Sony's Fun With Dick and Jane earning about $23.5 million for the four days and Fox's Cheaper by the Dozen 2, $14.8 million.

The top ten films for the weekend, according to studio estimates compiled by Exhibitor Relations: 1. King Kong, $31.4 million.; 2. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, $30.1 million.; 3. Fun With Dick and Jane, $23.5 million.; 4. Cheaper by the Dozen 2, $14.8 million.; 5. The Family Stone, $10.9 million.; 6. Memoirs of a Geisha, $10.2 million.; 7. The Ringer, $8.4 million.; 8. Rumor Has It, $7.5 million.; 9. Wolf Creek, $5.9 million.; 10. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, $5.7 million.

'Goblet of Fire' Is UK Film of 2005
23 December 2005 (WENN)
Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire is Britain's most successful movie of 2005 - beating off competition from Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge Of The Sith and Charlie And The Chocolate Factory. The fourth installment in the magical series creating by JK Rowling has grossed $77.4 million at the UK box office since its release last month - $7.2 million more than Revenge Of The Sith with $70.2 million. Tim Burton's remake of Charlie And The Chocolate Factory took $67.1 million to claim third spot. Wallace And Gromit: The Curse Of The Were-Rabbit and Steven Spielberg's War Of The Worlds round off the top five with end of year grosses of $57.2 million and $54.9 million respectively.

'Brokeback' Galloping Into More Cities
20 December 2005 (StudioBriefing)
After seeing Brokeback Mountain perform strongly in a handful of conservative test cities last weekend, Focus Features has decided to accelerate its expansion schedule for the gay cowboy romance. Brokeback, which set a per-theater box-office record over the weekend for any non-IMAX movie released in more than 50 theaters, is expected to move onto 300-400 screens by Jan. 6. It currently is playing in 69 theaters and had been expected to expand to 250 on Jan. 13. Final box-office figures put the film's weekend gross at $2.5 million, with a per-screen average of $36,455. Reports about the film's surprisingly strong performance vied with reports about King Kong's tame performance in the national news media Monday. They shared a common theme -- that the weeks ahead will determine whether the opening results for each movie represents a fluke or a precursor.

The top ten films over the weekend, according to final figures compiled by Exhibitor Relations (figures in parentheses represent total gross to date): 1. King Kong, Universal, $50,130,145, 1 Wk. ($66,181,645 -- From Wednesday); 2. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Disney, $31,837,683, 2 Wks. ($113,169,644); 3. The Family Stone, 20th Century Fox, $12,521,027, 1 Wks. ($12,521,027); 4. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Warner Bros., $5,952,452, 5 Wks. ($252,598,259); 5. Syriana, Warner Bros., $5,605,167, 4 Wks. ($22,462,362); 6. Walk the Line, 20th Century Fox, $3,688,031, 5 Wks. ($82,607,528); 7. Yours, Mine & Ours, Paramount, $3,511,110, 4 Wks. ($45,202,963); 8. Brokeback Mountain, Focus Features, $2,508,494, 2 Wks. ($3,474,311); 9. Just Friends, New Line, $2,080,852, 4 Wks. ($29,572,142); 10. Aeon Flux, Paramount, $1,751,220, 3 Wks. ($23,215,672).

Movie Reviews: 'Brokeback Mountain'
19 December 2005 (StudioBriefing)
As Brokeback Mountain expanded into most major cities this weekend, critics continued to heap praise on it. Stephen Holden in the New York Times called it "moving and majestic" and "a landmark." But Kenneth Turan in the Los Angeles Times remarked that Brokeback "is a groundbreaking film because it isn't. It's a deeply felt, emotional love story that deals with the uncharted, mysterious ways of the human heart just as so many mainstream films have before it. The two lovers here just happen to be men." Joe Morgenstern wrote in the Wall Street Journal: "Love stories come and go, but this one stays with you -- not because both lovers are men, but because their story is so full of life and longing, and true romance." Peter Howell in the Toronto Star described it as "that rarest of things, a small picture that packs a big enough punch for Oscar consideration -- it's currently the front-runner -- but that retains all the distinctive elements that make it so unlike most multiplex offerings." Several critics, however, suggested that their colleagues had gone too far. Glenn Whipp in the Los Angeles Daily News faulted the movie for being "tediously paced," and commented, "It's really a conventional love story in the mode of Gone With the Wind or Titanic." And Kyle Smith in the New York Post concluded that the film gets "gummed up with melodrama" and "though it's sad and sobering, it's still only a rough draft of a great movie."

The top ten films for the weekend, according to studio estimates compiled by Exhibitor Relations: 1. King Kong, $50.15 million; 2. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion<, the Witch and the Wardrobe, $31.2 million; 3. The Family Stone, $12.7 million; 4. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, $5.9 million; 5. Syriana, $5.5 million; 6. Walk the Line, $3.6 million; 7. Yours, Mine & Ours, $3.4 million; 8. Brokeback Mountain, $2.4 million; 9. Just Friends, $1.95 million; 10. Aeon Flux, $1.7 million.

The Lion Roars at the Box Office
13 December 2005 (StudioBriefing)
Although analysts had predicted that the weekend gross for The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe would exceed Disney's estimate of $67.1 million once the Sunday churchgoer crowd made its presence known, the film actually took in somewhat less than the estimate, $65.6 million. Still, the total represented the second-biggest weekend opening ever in December, topped only by the $72.6 million debut of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King in 2003. The strong showing of the movie helped boost the overall box office by nearly 17 percent over the comparable weekend a year ago. The movie also earned an estimated $42 million in 14 overseas markets, Disney said.

The top ten films over the weekend, according to final figures compiled by Exhibitor Relations (figures in parentheses represent total gross to date): 1. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Disney, $65,556,312, (New); 2. Syriana, Warner Bros., $11,737,143, 3 Wks. ($13,236,572); 3. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Warner Bros., $10,265,443, 4 Wks. ($244,069,305); 4. Walk The Line, 20th Century Fox, $5,738,176, 4 Wks. ($76,991,362); 5. Yours, Mine & Ours, Paramount, $5,051,879, 3 Wks. ($40,819,218); 6. Aeon Flux, Paramount, $4,561,619, 2 Wks. ($20,218,288); 7. Just Friends, New Line, $3,808,637, 3 Wks. ($26,372,794); 8. Pride & Prejudice, Focus Features, $2,579,523, 5 Wks. ($26,473,313); 9. Chicken Little, Disney, $2,306,627, 6 Wks. ($127,280,176); 10. Rent, Sony, $2,004,157, 3 Wks. ($26,915,863).

'Narnia' Has Heavenly Opening
12 December 2005 (StudioBriefing)
In the end, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe turned out to be everything that Disney had prayed for -- and more. In its opening weekend, the family film grossed an estimated $67.1 million, far exceeding analysts' predictions. The total box office was reportedly swollen by large numbers of adults paying full-ticket prices. "The movie is playing to everybody," Disney distribution chief Chuck Viane told today's (Monday) Los Angeles Times. "We always knew it would. But thinking something would happen and seeing it come together are two very different things." Some industry observers suggested that the film's actual gross could turn out to be substantially higher once Sunday's ticket sales are counted. (Weekend estimates are based on actual sales for Friday and Saturday but only an educated guess for Sunday.) Some reports indicated that churchgoers packed theaters on Sunday to see a film which some describe as a Christian allegory. Narnia also opened strongly overseas, taking in $40 million in 14 countries. Narnia took in $14 million in the U.K. alone, far surpassing Disney's biggest opening -- $12.3 million for Finding Nemo in 2003. Also opening well was the George Clooney starrer Syriana, which managed to take in $12 million despite what critics described as a dense plot. After three weeks in first place, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire fell to third place with $10.3 million, bringing its domestic total to $244.1 million. In a remarkable opening in just five theaters, Brokeback Mountain earned $544,549 or $108,910 per theater. It was the strongest limited opening in recent memory and seemed to allay concerns that the public would not accept a film dealing with the ill-starred romance of two gay cowboys.

The top ten films for the weekend, according to studio estimates compiled by Exhibitor Relations: 1. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, $67.1 million; 2. Syriana, $12 million; 3. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, $10.3 million; 4. Walk the Line, $5.75 million; 5. Yours, Mine & Ours, $5.15 million; 6. Aeon Flux, $4.6 million; 7. Just Friends, $3.9 million; 8. Pride & Prejudice, $2.5 million; 9. Chicken Little, $2.3 million; 10. Rent, $2 million.

Harry's Fire Isn't Doused Yet
5 December 2005 (StudioBriefing)
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire became the only film of 2005 to hold on to first place at the box office for three consecutive weekends, taking in an estimated $20.5 million, a drop of 63 percent from a week ago. It has now earned $229.9 million domestically since its opening. Overseas, the Warner Bros. film has grossed $330.6 million. Surprisingly, Paramount's sci-fi flick Aeon Flux, which the studio declined to show to critics, opened in second place with about $13.1 million, beating out Walk the Line, which had been holding strong for its first two weeks, particularly at midweek screenings. The Johnny Cash biopic dropped 48 percent to $10 million. The family comedy Yours, Mine and Ours took the fourth spot with $9.4 million.

The top ten films for the weekend, according to studio estimates compiled by Exhibitor Relations: 1. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, $20.45 million; 2. Aeon Flux, $13.1 million; 3. Walk the Line, $10 million; 4. Yours, Mine & Ours, $8.4 million; 5. Just Friends, $5.9 million; 6. Pride & Prejudice, $4.62 million; 7. Rent, $4.6 million; 8. Chicken Little, $4.5 million; 9. Derailed, $2.4 million; 10. In the Mix, $1.9 million.

Potter-Mania To Continue
2 December 2005 (StudioBriefing)
Critics are regarding Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire as a sure bet to retain its No. 1 position at the box office for the third consecutive time this weekend, as only one film, Paramount's Aeon Flux, opens wide. The studio canceled advance screenings for the sci-fi movie -- always a bad sign. (Website reviewers who previewed it at sneak screenings hated it. Brian Orndorf of FilmJerk.com wrote that it is "the type of lazy sci-fi blockbuster filmmaking that normally only rears its head on basic cable. While fun to watch Charlize Theron prance around in spandex, the film is a chore to sit through. And if you're not already a fan of the [MTV] series, the film will be a complete snooze.") Fox's Walk the Line, which continues to show surprising strength, was expected to remain the No. 2 film.

IMAX Has Its Biggest Weekend Ever
29 November 2005 (StudioBriefing)
The combination of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and The Polar Express produced the biggest sales in history last weekend at IMAX theaters, according to IMAX executives. "As we kick off one of our most exciting holiday seasons yet with our partners at Warner Bros. Pictures, we're thrilled to report a record-breaking week and weekend at IMAX theatres," IMAX Co-Chairmen and Co-CEOs Richard L. Gelfond and Bradley J. Wechsler said in a statement. "The sustained box office performance of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: The IMAX Experience and the better-than-expected opening weekend results of The Polar Express: An IMAX 3D Experience proves that the two films play very well together, maximizing IMAX theater show schedules at all times of the day. We are confident that both films will generate healthy financial returns for Warner Bros. Pictures and the growing IMAX theatre network." The Harry Potter movie brought in $1.85 million on 66 IMAX screens (bringing its total on the giant screens to $6.9 million), while the year-old The Polar Express took in an additional $1.2 million.

The top ten films over the weekend, according to final figures compiled by Exhibitor Relations (figures in parentheses represent total gross to date): 1. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Warner Bros. $54,727,138, 2 Wks. ($201,010,207); 2. Walk the Line, 20th Century Fox, $19,212,273, 2 Wks. ($54,008,042); 3. Yours, Mine & Ours, Paramount, $17,461,108, 1 Wk. ($24,321,341 -- From Wednesday); 4. Chicken Little, Disney, $12,568,113, 4 Wks. ($118,398,441); 5. Rent, Sony, $10,016,021, 1 Wk. ($17,138,943 - From Wednesday); 6. Just Friends, New Line, $9,191,331, 1 Wk. ($13,243,107 - From Wednesday); 7. Pride and Prejudice, Focus Features, $7,158,119, 3 Wks. ($16,032,282); 8. Derailed, Weinstein Co. $4,609,066, 3 Wks. ($29,307,115); 9. In the Mix, Lions Gate, $4,448,491, 1 Wk. ($6,138,207 - From Wednesday); 10. The Ice Harvest, Focus Features, $3,740,799, 1 Wk. ($5,047,783 - From Wednesday).

Revenue High for 'Harry'; Low 'Rent'
28 November 2005 (StudioBriefing)
The latest Harry Potter movie may have dropped 47 percent in its second weekend; five new films couldn't do as well as two new ones a year ago; one of them, Rent, may have opened like a house on fire, but it quickly fizzled out; Daily Variety may have reported that for the first time in eight years, only one film earned more than $20 million over the Friday-Sunday period. And yet, despite all that bad news, if estimates hold, the Thanksgiving box office will rank second only to 2000's as the highest ever for the holiday. No one doubted that Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire would lead the pack. It took in $81.3 million over the five-day holiday period, bringing its 10-day total to $201.1 million. (The BBC reported that worldwide ticket sales have topped $408 million.) What surprised many was the strong second-week performance of Walk the Line, the Johnny Cash biopic, which earned $27.6 million over the holiday to bring its total to $54.7 million. And while the critics may have dumped on Yours, Mine & Ours, moviegoers spent $24.5 million to see it, making it the leader among the five films released wide over the weekend. Opening in limited release in Los Angeles, New York, and Toronto, the George Clooney-Matt Damon thriller Syriana took in an astounding $553,372 in just five theaters over the five days. Its three-day take of $372,725 ($74,429 per theater) was the best ever for a Thanksgiving weekend, Variety observed. The film is due to go nationwide on Dec. 9.

The top ten films for the Friday-Sunday period of the holiday weekend, according to studio estimates compiled by Exhibitor Relations: 1. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, $54.9 million; 2. Walk the Line, $19.7 million; 3. Yours, Mine & Ours, $17.5 million; 4. Chicken Little, $12.4 million; 5. Rent, $10.7 million; 6. Just Friends, $9.3 million; 7. Pride & Prejudice, $7 million; 8. Derailed, $4.7 million; 9. In the Mix, $4.5 million; 10. The Ice Harvest, $3.7 million.

Fiennes Considers Legal Action After "Younger Model" Slur
28 November 2005 (WENN)
British actor Ralph Fiennes is considering suing a US publication that falsely reported he'd ditched his 61-year-old lover Francesca Annis for a younger model. The Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire star, 42, is furious at an article in the New York Post which alleged he was seen flirting and canoodling with 43-year-old actress Gina Gershon. It read: "They made out in a booth and then cuddled the rest of the night." After protesting his innocence, Fiennes refused to make any further comment on the press slur, but a close friend insists, "He'll fight this all the way." The source adds, "There is no truth in any of these suggestions. It's pure personal conjecture."

High Screen Offsets High Ticket Prices
25 November 2005 (StudioBriefing)
Although high ticket prices are often blamed for the box-office downturn this year, moviegoers are apparently not reluctant to pay a 30-percent premium to watch movies in the IMAX format. According to today's (Friday) Toronto Star, a film shown in an IMAX theater now generates eight times the revenue of the same film shown in a conventional theater. The IMAX version of the latest Harry Potter movie is likely to become the biggest hit yet for the giant-screen company. In an interview with the newspaper, IMAX Co-chairman and Co-CEO Richard Gelfond observed that while only a few years ago, he was begging studios to release their movies in IMAX, top film executives are now coming to him, fighting over release dates. However, Matthew Harrigan of Colorado investment banking firm Janco Partners Inc. told the Star that IMAX may now be facing strong competition from a new, low-cost digital 3-D process developed by Disney and George Lucas's Industrial Light & Magic, currently being employed in some theaters showing Chicken Little. Harrigan described the process as "inferior" to IMAX. "However, the danger is that it does entice people into theaters, and at a cheaper cost than IMAX," he said.

"Rentheads" Vow to Return
25 November 2005 (StudioBriefing)
The strong box-office performance of Rent on Wednesday was being attributed to a large turnout of "Rentheads," inveterate fans of the musical who lined up at theaters to see it hours before it opened the way younger fans of Harry Potter did to see Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire a week earlier. Nearly all of those lined up in front of a theater in Chicago told the Chicago Sun-Times that they planned to see the movie more than once this weekend.

'Potter' and 'Rent' Fans Pack Theaters
25 November 2005 (StudioBriefing)
On Wednesday, the first day of the five-day Thanksgiving holiday, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire continued to burn up the box office, raking in $14.12 million to bring its total to $133.34 million, according to Exhibitor Relations. In second place, Sony's film version of Rent performed better than expected as it debuted with $4.97 million. It beat out three other films opening over the holiday period: Paramount's Yours, Mine & Ours, with $3.36 million; New Line's Just Friends with $2.03 million; and Lions Gates' In the Mix with $848,000. Playbill magazine observed on its website today that with an estimated 800,000 tickets for Rent sold on Wednesday, "more people saw Rent in movie form in one day than saw Rent onstage at Broadway's 1181-seat Nederlander theatre in over a year and a half of sold-out performances."

Movie Reviews: 'Pride & Prejudice'
24 November 2005 (StudioBriefing)
Also opening wide this holiday weekend will be Focus Features' Pride & Prejudice, which in limited release has been packing them in. (Last weekend, it had the second-highest per site average in the top ten, behind only Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.) Some critics have fairly swooned over this latest remake of the Jane Austen novel -- and especially over star Keira Knightley. Roger Ebert in the Chicago Sun-Times writes that her "performance is so light and yet fierce that she makes the story almost realistic; this is not a well-mannered Masterpiece Theatre but a film where strong-willed young people enter life with their minds at war with their hearts." Stephen Holden in the New York Times seems downright smitten: "When this 20-year-old star is on the screen, which is much of the time, you can barely take your eyes off her," he writes. Jami Bernard in the New York Daily News writes a sort of star-is-born review: "Keira Knightley, all of 20 years old, takes her place in the sun," she proclaims. Wesley Morris in the Boston Globe concludes his review by remarking, "Those of us who put ourselves through King Arthur and Domino looking for signs of a great actress can leave Pride & Prejudice ecstatic. We finally get what we paid for." Indeed, writes Stephen Hunter in the Washington Post, moviegoers may not be attracted by the familiar story, but by the actress who carries it. "Lord God, can this little gal take control of a scene, dominate a movie, project to the last seat, radiate power and personality unto the rafters. For this movie really is far more about Knightley than it is about Austen."

Five New Films Served Up for Holiday
23 November 2005 (StudioBriefing)
Five movies debuting over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend aren't expected to earn together what Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire will earn on its own. Harry, which brought in $102.7 million in its first three days of release -- then added another $7.9 million on Monday -- is expected to gross about $85 million over the Wednesday-Sunday period. All five of the new releases: Sony's Rent; Paramount and Sony/MGM's Yours, Mine and Ours; Focus Films' The Ice Harvest; New Line's Just Friends; and Lions Gate's In the Mix (not shown to critics) are each opening to mostly poor-to-lukewarm reviews. Focus Films' Pride and Prejudice, which opens wide after two weeks of limited release, is expected to outdraw several of the newcomers. So is Fox's Walk the Line, which had a surprisingly strong opening last week, when it took in $22.4 million.

Potter Hotter Than Thought
22 November 2005 (StudioBriefing)
As many analysts had expected, more families turned out at the multiplex on Sunday to see Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire than Warner Bros. had forecast. Final figures indicated that the movie earned $102.3 million over the weekend versus the studio's estimated $101.4 million. (Estimates released by the studio on Sunday are based on actual revenue reported on Friday and Saturday but only an educated guess for Sunday.) Tickets purchased at IMAX theaters accounted for $2.9 million of the total. All of the other films in the top-ten list performed about as expected, with 20th Century Fox's Johnny Cash bio, Walk the Line, debuting in second place with $22.3 million and the third week of Disney's Chicken Little placing third with $14.7 million. Meanwhile, Warner Bros. International said today (Tuesday) that the Harry Potter film took in $25,516,137.66 in the U.K. over the weekend, making it the biggest opening in British box-office history.

The top ten films over the weekend, according to final figures compiled by Exhibitor Relations (figures in parentheses represent total gross to date): 1. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Warner Bros., $102,335,066, (New); 2. Walk the Line, 20th Century Fox, $22,347,341, (New); 3. Chicken Little, Disney, $14,711,378, 3 Wks. ($99,093,096); 4. Derailed, Weinstein Co. $6,506,669, 2 Wks. ($21,817,607); 5. Zathura, Sony, $5,133,592, 2 Wks. ($20,316,508); 6. Jarhead, Universal, $4,753,335, 3 Wks. ($54,280,420); 7. Get Rich or Die Tryin', Paramount, $4,420,706, 2 Wks. ($24,547,483); 8. Saw II , Lions Gate, $3,961,863, 4 Wks. ($79,918,817); 9. The Legend of Zorro, Sony, $2,355,095, 4 Wks. ($42,840,410); 10. Pride and Prejudice, Focus Features, $2,141,554, 2 Wks. ($6,000,723).

Is Latest Potter Film Posted Online?
22 November 2005 (StudioBriefing)
It remained unclear Monday whether Internet pirates had succeeded in breaching Warner Bros.' elaborate security defenses and posted copies of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Prior to the release of the earlier installments, there were numerous reports about poor-quality copies being posted online. Forbes magazine reported Monday that it had found 1,500 AVI and 500 MPEG versions of the movie available for download on peer-to-peer file-sharing sites. Nevertheless, a spokesman for Warner Bros. told the magazine, "We are 100% sure that these files you have found are not going to be of the Harry Potter film" -- a statement that suggests that the studio itself may have posted decoys in an effort to confuse -- or perhaps even trap -- illegal downloaders.

'Goblet' Gobbles Up $101.4 Million
21 November 2005 (StudioBriefing)
In a word, Warner Bros.' latest Harry Potter movie, The Goblet of Fire, was hot. Setting a record for a fall/winter release, the movie grossed an estimated $101.4 million over the weekend, which would make it the fourth biggest three-day gross in history, behind only Spider-Man, Star Wars: Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith, and Shrek 2, all of which opened in the spring or summer. In addition, the movie opened in 19 countries, where it took in an additional $181.4 million. The figures could change significantly when actual results for Sunday are announced later today. Some parents, concerned about the PG-13 rating, may have been waiting to hear from other moviegoing friends whether the film may have been too intense for smaller children. Moreover, Sunday is traditionally a family day and some families may have been waiting until then to head for the local multiplex. If estimates hold, ticket sales for the top 12 films rose 19 percent to $171 million from the year-ago period, despite an overall drop of 8 percent for the entire year. "People want to go to the movies, and Harry Potter gave then a huge reason to go," Exhibitor Relations chief Paul Dergarabedian told today's (Monday) Los Angeles Daily News. "This is exactly what the industry needs and what everyone has been waiting for. Heading into the extended Thanksgiving holiday weekend, it should boost the box office even more."

Cash Biopic Walks Away with $22.4 Million
21 November 2005 (StudioBriefing)
Although it was overshadowed by the latest Harry Potter movie, 20th Century Fox's Johnny Cash bio, Walk the Line, debuted in second place with a far-higher-than-expected $22.4 million. Daily Variety observed that no other film has opened as strongly against a Harry Potter flick, and it quoted Fox distribution chief Bruce Snyder as saying, "It was selling out in towns I've never seen sell out and doing business in the upscale marketplace." Two other family films, however, couldn't compete against Potter. The box-office take for Chicken Little dropped 53 percent to $14.8 million; the take for Zathura dropped 62 percent to $5.1 million. Get Rich or Die Tryin' also was shot down, falling 64 percent to $4.4 million.

The top ten films for the weekend, according to studio estimates compiled by Exhibitor Relations: 1. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, $101.4 million; 2. Walk the Line, $22.4 million; 3. Chicken Little, $14.8 million; 4. Derailed, $6.5 million; 5. Zathura, $5.1 million; 6. Jarhead, $4.8 million; 7. Get Rich or Die Tryin', $4.4 million; 8. Saw II, $3.9 million; 9. The Legend of Zorro, $2.3 million; 10. Pride & Prejudice, $2.1 million.

Radcliffe Is Britain's Wealthiest Teenager
21 November 2005 (WENN)
Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe has been calculated Britain's richest teenager. Radcliffe, who shot to stardom at the age of 11 after starring in JK Rowling's first magical wizard movie Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone, is now 16 and richer than fellow teenagers Charlotte Church and Joss Stone. Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire director Mike Newell is relieved Radcliffe and co-stars Rupert Grint and Emma Watson have not been carried away by their wealth. He says, "They all know exactly what they're worth but they have not become impossible. My worst fear is that they would have realized that they are absolutely the stars." Radcliffe has just signed a $14.4 million deal to make the fifth movie in the series - Harry Potter The Order Of The Phoenix.

How Big the Pot(ter) of Gold?
18 November 2005 (StudioBriefing)
With critics hailing Warner Bros.' Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire as the best of the four Potter films, analysts are speculating about whether the film will also become the best at the box office. Each of the three predecessors opened with about $90 million domestically, with last year's Prisoner of Azkaban scoring the highest gross, $93.7 million. Some analysts suggest that the new film has a slight chance of pushing past the opening of Star Wars: Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith, which bowed with $108.4 million last May. The big question is, what will be the effect of the PG-13 rating at the box office? Will it keep families with small children away? (If so, that could represent a big boost for Disney's Chicken Little.) Or will it result in attracting more adults, who shunned the earlier Potter flicks after concluding that they were principally aimed at youngsters? "We have no concerns that the box office is going to be great," Warner Bros. distribution chief Dan Fellman, told Daily Variety. "Whether it will be $5 million more or less [than the previous films], it's hard to say."

Movie Reviews: 'Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire'
17 November 2005 (StudioBriefing)
No doubt about it, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, is the best Harry Potter movie yet, most of the major critics seem to agree. The film, which opens in most cities at midnight tonight, is being ecstatically praised, even by critics who expressed reservations about the three earlier Potter flicks. One of the reasons may be that Harry has now crossed over into puberty (although the character is 14, Daniel Radcliffe, the actor who plays him, is 16), and is being allowed more intense experiences, both in terms of magic and romance. (Although the previous films were rated PG, the new one is rated PG-13.) Jami Bernard in the New York Daily News calls it "the darkest, most thrilling entry yet in the movie franchise." To Carrie Rickey in the Philadelphia Inquirer, the new movie "is the most fun and the most fraught with conflict." Kenneth Turan in the Los Angeles Times concludes: "It's taken them long enough, but the movies have finally gotten Harry Potter right. Despite the reported $2.7 billion earned by the series' three previous attempts, it's not until Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire that a film has successfully recreated the sense of stirring magical adventure and engaged, edge-of-your-seat excitement that has made the books such an international phenomenon." Roger Ebert in the Chicago Sun-Times observes, "The film is more violent, less cute than the others, but the action is not the mindless destruction of a video game; it has purpose, shape and style." Much of the credit for the film's artistic success, the critics say, goes to director Mike Newell (Four Weddings and a Funeral, Donnie Brasco). Eleanor Ringel Gillespie in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution notes that Newell "is the first Brit to direct a Potter picture. Perhaps that's why he 'gets' the books better than his predecessors. He's more comfortable with the boarding-school setting -- the rush between classes, the heart-to-hearts in hidden rooms, the petty estrangements and the unnecessary hurts."

Several critics have high praise for the older actors in the cast. Manohla Dargis in the New York Times particularly singles out Ralph Fiennes, writing: "For years, the movies have tried to transform this delicate beauty into a heartthrob, but as Schindler's List proved, Mr. Fiennes is an actor for whom a walk on the darker side is not just a pleasure, but liberation. His Voldemort may be the greatest screen performance ever delivered without the benefit of a nose; certainly it's a performance of sublime villainy." Chris Vognar in the Dallas Morning News suggests that parents ought not to be concerned about that PG-13 ratings. "The film follows in the fantasy tradition of stretching perceptions of the possible, and it does so in a richly realized and recognizably human universe. Sometimes, it's better to be scared than bored," he writes. Ty Burr in the Boston Globe agrees, noting that the movie "is oddly less scary in some ways than last year's Prisoner of Azkaban -- less predicated on computer-generated ghoulies and funhouse shocks. The dread here cuts deeper, though. When we hear the wail of a grieving father toward the end of the movie, it's the first genuinely human moment in a Harry Potter film, and it is awful." A handful of critics are less than enthusiastic about the movie, however. "Count me among those just mild about Harry," writes Kyle Smith in the New York Post. "The all-out cuteness of the Hogwartsians, with their Pufnstufs and Whiffenpoofs, is fine for people of developing minds, but the story so often stops its forward motion to take us on long detours into the land of CGI effects that it amounts to a $150 million magic show." An equally lukewarm review comes from Claudia Puig in USA Today, who remarks: "It's hard to beat the last movie, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, and this film is not better, but it has much to recommend it."

First Potter Reviews Are In
7 November 2005 (StudioBriefing)
The first British reviews are in for Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire following Saturday night's London premiere, and if they are any indication of how the film will be received elsewhere, Warner Bros. executives will have reason to raise a goblet or two of their own to their future box-office success. "The passage of Harry and his friends into their teenage years has come off smoothly," James Christopher writes in the London Times. "Adolescence is Harry's new foe. And it brings the kind of challenges that most parents hate." Christopher credits director Mike Newell for a "considerable triumph" in keeping "the thrills up to exhilarating scratch." David Edwards in the Daily Mirror calls the fourth Potter film "the best yet -- a magnificent, magical and truly mesmerising fantasy epic that reminds you just how great a kids' movie can be."

Newell Clashes With Producers Over Potter Financing
26 October 2005 (WENN)
Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire director Mike Newell is keen to make more movies about the teenage wizard, despite slamming executives who refused to give him enough money for lavish scenes. The director was stunned by the small budget for the fourth movie in the magical movie franchise, but insists Warner Brothers made up for the shortfall by allowing him complete artistic freedom. He says, "I very clearly remember that within a couple of months of starting work I was intensely angered by the lack of money - that there wasn't enough money to make the film properly and that really p**sed me off." But he concedes, "Warner Brothers and the producers were quite extraordinary about letting me go."

U.K. Censors Won't Let Pre-Teens See New Potter Movie Without Parent
20 October 2005 (StudioBriefing)
For the first time, a Harry Potter movie has been classified 12A by British censors, barring children under 12 from seeing it unless accompanied by an adult. "Younger viewers could be frightened by some of the more intense scenes" in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, the British Board of Film Classification ruled. The rating is stronger than the U.S. PG-13 -- the rating Goblet of Fire received here -- which merely warns parents that the film may be inappropriate for children under the age of 13 but does not prevent them from seeing it.

Rowling Fights Piracy with Potter Downloads
9 September 2005 (WENN)
Author JK Rowling is selling her famous Harry Potter books as audio downloads in a desperate attempt to stamp out piracy. The British writer decided to allow her work to be made officially available for purchase on Apple's iTunes website, after Potter fans spotted bootleg versions on the internet. She says, "Apart from the fact that they are illegal, the Potter content of these can bear very little resemblance to anything I've ever written. Many Harry Potter fans have been keen for digital access for a while, but the deciding factor for me in authorizing this new version is that it will help combat the growing incidents of piracy in this area." Rowling has also attacked online auction giant eBay for failing to take responsibility for fake autographs purporting to be signed by her which were on the site. She says, "As far as I could tell on the day I dropped in, only one of the signatures on offer appeared genuine. There seem to be a lot of people out there trying to con Harry Potter fans." eBay spokesman Hani Durzi says, "It's the responsibility of the copyright owner to report any listings that violate their rights. When they do, we take those listings down immediately."

Newell: 'Children Are Violent and Corrupt'
1 August 2005 (WENN)
Director Mike Newell is using his forthcoming movie Harry Potter and the Goblet Of Fire to vent his seething mistrust of children. The 63-year-old film-maker is determined to obliterate any sense of false innocence in the magical tale, as he insists kids should be depicted in a more truthful light - as bloodthirsty maniacs. He says, "I was very anxious to break the franchise out of this goody-two-shoes feel. It's my view that children are violent, dirty, corrupt anarchists. Just adults-in-waiting basically."

Exhibitors Predict 2005 Will Beat 2004
22 July 2005 (StudioBriefing)
Not only are movie exhibitors confident that the box-office slump is over, but some are now predicting that a strong fourth quarter will put the year's receipts ahead of 2004's. In interviews with Reuters, the exhibitors indicated that they have strong hopes for King Kong, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Paul Dergarabedian, president of Exhibitor Relations Co. Inc., told the wire service: "It looks very, very good for the end of the year but again we have a lot of ground to make up." Thus far this year, the box office is down 7 percent from last year.

Radcliffe's Parents Move Location of Fifth Potter Film
19 June 2005 (WENN)
The filming of Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix is returning to its original British location after the parents of Harry Potter actor Daniel Radcliffe voiced safety fears over filming in the Czech Republic. The fifth big screen installment appeared destined to have a Czech location after Warner Bros executives announced earlier this year they were dismantling movie sets at Leavesden studios in Hertfordshire, and rebuilding them in Prague to save production costs. But Daniel's parents, Alan Radcliffe and Marcia Gresham, told producers they were concerned at letting their son - who turns 15 next month - spending long periods of time in a city increasingly famous for its wild nightlife and growing sex industry. As a result the most of the filming will now take place at the original Leavesden studios. A crewmember says, "Some of it is going to happen in Prague but we have been told that most of the filming is going to happen here. It's because of Daniel's parents, and you can see their point. Prague is not the place for a 15-year-old boy to spend several months in." The fourth movie, Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire, hits cinemas this November .

Next Potter Film Gets IMAX Release
2 May 2005 (StudioBriefing)
IMAX is expected to announce today (Monday) that it will produce an "IMAX Experience" version of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire that will open on its giant-screen theaters on Nov. 18, the same day it opens in conventional venues, according to Daily Variety. The deal with Warner Bros. marks IMAX's ninth with the studio and includes this summer's Batman Begins and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, which will also be released on IMAX and conventional screens simultaneously. Warner Bros. distribution chief Dan Fellman told the trade paper: "IMAX is carving out a new distribution platform that can generate incremental revenues for event films."

ABC To Preview New 'Harry Potter' Movie
15 April 2005 (StudioBriefing)
ABC said Thursday that on May 7 it will preview scenes from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire when it airs Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. "As a special treat for Harry Potter film fans," the network said in a statement, "this presentation will include interstitials throughout featuring an exclusive first look at film clips, cast interviews, and behind-the-scenes footage from the fourth Harry Potter film, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, opening in theaters November 18th, 2005."

'Goblet of Fire' Movie, Game To Be Released on Same Day
13 April 2005 (StudioBriefing)
"See the movie, then buy the video game." That may well be the message Warner Bros. will be delivering when it releases Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire theatrically in November. The studio and video game maker Electronic Arts said Tuesday that a video game based on the movie, formatted for most major systems, will be released simultaneously with the theatrical premiere.

Hurley Chased To Star in 'Harry Potter V'
21 February 2005 (WENN)
Movie bosses are pursuing Elizabeth Hurley to play a wicked witch in forthcoming sequel Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix. The 39-year-old British beauty is being lined up to play evil Bellatrix Lestrange, a member of Potter nemesis Voldemort's gang, in the fifth film of the popular wizard series. A source says, "The producers have tried to keep details of the cast under wraps but they have always wanted someone beautiful and mystical to play Bellatrix and they reckon Liz can pull it off." Before Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix hits screens audiences will first be treated to fourth film Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire, due for release in November.

Radcliffe's Aquatic Christmas Cards
29 November 2004 (WENN)
Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe ordered the movie sequel's cast and crew to pose for photos 20 feet under water - for a bizarre Christmas card The 15-year-old actor - who plays the boy wizard - had finished shooting a mermaid scene for his latest movie Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire and decided to take advantage of the specially constructed tank, by staging an aquatic photo shoot and asking computer experts to add reindeer antlers and snow for his festive cards. Radcliffe explains on his website DanRadcliffe.co.uk, "It was taken 20 feet down in a tank specially constructed at Leavesden Studios in Watford, England. Every person you see helped me through this very demanding sequence."

Harry Potter Kids Threatened
16 August 2004 (StudioBriefing)
An anonymous caller to Leavesden Studios near London on Friday warned that an attack on the stars of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire has been planned. "It's payback time. ... This is for all you've done to our women and kids," the caller said, a studio source told the Associated Press. Following the phone threat the studio reportedly drafted police and dog handlers to patrol the perimeter of the studio and tripled the number of guards. "We are responding with extra vigilance," a police spokesman told A.P.

Terrorist Scare for Harry Potter Movie
16 August 2004 (WENN)
Security has been stepped up on the set of the new Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire movie after the studio where it is being shot received a chilling terror threat. Leavesden Studio near London answered the menacing phone call last Friday, which warned of a brutal attack on the film's young stars. And insiders fear Al-Qaeda - the terrorist network responsible for the September 11 attacks - are behind the threat. A studio source says, "The caller apparently said, 'It's payback time... this is for all you've done to our women and kids.' The film is being made by American company Warner Bros so it sounds like it could have an Iraq or Al-Qaeda connection." Police and dog handlers have been drafted in to patrol the perimeter fence and the number of security guards has been trebled. A police spokesman says, "We are responding with extra vigilance."

Fiennes Is Voldemort
6 August 2004 (WENN)
Oscar-nominated Ralph Fiennes has won the highly sought-after role as Harry Potter's nemesis Lord Voldemort in the fourth film in the blockbuster series. The Schindler's List actor will play the evil wizard - who has never been seen before, but whose spirit is visible in the first three movies - in Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire. The film, directed by Four Weddings And A Funeral's Mike Newell, sees the return of Daniel Radcliffe as Potter, alongside mainstays Rupert Grint and Emma Watson. Harry Potter and the Goblet Of Fire is set to be released in November 2005.

Harry Potter and the Advance of Time
26 May 2004 (StudioBriefing)
Despite widespread published speculation that the young stars of the Harry Potter films will eventually be replaced by younger actors, director Alfonso Cuarón is predicting that they will stay in their roles for the entire planned series of seven films. Cuarón, who directed them in the third film, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, which opens on June 4, told the BBC Tuesday, "It would be amazing to have the whole series with the same kids. ... It would be something very special, for the ages." Cuarón pointed out that they've already begun working (with British director Mike Newell) on the fourth film, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. "So far, they're holding up very good, the way that they are aging," the director remarked. Nevertheless, producer David Heyman told the New York Post Tuesday, "There will come a point when one, two or all three of them will move on. I don't know when that will be -- with the fifth, sixth or seventh movies -- but it's inevitable."

Unknown Wins Coveted Harry Potter Role
10 May 2004 (WENN)
Unknown actress Katie Leung has beaten thousands of young actresses to play the part of Harry Potter's first girlfriend in Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire. Scottish-born Leung, 16, was picked from more than 4,000 applicants for the role of Cho Chang - the Chinese girl who wins the heart of the boy wizard. A movie insider says, "The film producers and author J K Rowling were keen to get a complete unknown for the part of Cho Chang and Katie's absolutely perfect. She's pretty, bright and one can see why Harry would have a crush on her. She has a glittering career ahead of her."

Malkovich Signs for 'Potter IV'
30 April 2004 (WENN)
Hollywood star John Malkovich has landed a starring role in the next Harry Potter movie, playing evil Lord Voldemort. The Dangerous Liaisons actor's daughters Amandine, 13 and Lowrie, 12 - huge fans of the fantasy franchise - convinced him to appear in Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire. But he will have to share the part with a computerized puppet - at the beginning of the film, the wizard is supposed to be so wasted by his own evil he is barely a skeleton. A movie insider says, "He is perfect for the role. He will play the 'restored' human version of Lord Voldemort and has a spectacular fight scene with Harry at the end of the film." Mike Newell has taken on directing duties on the fourth Potter picture, which recently began shooting. The first two were helmed by Chris Columbus and the third - the soon to be released Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban - was directed by Alfonso Cuaron.

Harry Potter Family Left Out of Fourth Film
8 April 2004 (WENN)
Boy wizard Harry Potter's evil uncle and aunt have been cut from the fourth movie in the fantasy series. British actors Richard Griffiths and Fiona Shaw were shocked to discover scenes involving their characters Vernon and Petunia Dursley have been scrapped from the film adaptation of JK Rowling's fourth book Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire. Sleepy Hollow star Griffith explains, "Filming had already started on the fourth and Fiona and I asked the producers, 'Are we in it?' and they said, 'Oh, did no one tell you?' The problem is that the fourth book is just too long for a film, so they've done away with our bit - where Harry is at home with the Dursleys - and will just begin with him at school." The 56-year-old even begged Rowling to write a special scene for the scheming pair. He adds, "I said to JK Rowling, 'Couldn't the Dursleys turn up to an open day at Harry's school or something?' But she said, 'I don't think so.'" Griffiths, Shaw and Harry Melling - who plays the Dursleys' indulged son Dudley - have yet to find out whether they will be reappearing in the fifth movie.

Winslet for Fourth Potter Movie?
24 March 2004 (WENN)
English rose Kate Winslet is in talks to star in the fourth Harry Potter movie - as a French wizard. The Titanic star, 29, has been asked to play Fleur Delacour in the film adaptation of JK Rowling's Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire, by director Mike Newell. Filming is set to begin next month and Winslet's director husband Sam Mendes has been encouraging his stunning wife to accept, for the sake of their son Joe and her daughter Mia. Mendes says, "Some weeks ago Kate had a meeting with the director and some producers of the Harry Potter movies. She was asked to have an important role as a young French wizard or something like that in the fourth film. She is still thinking about it. I told her to do it just for the kids. Mia and Joe will thank her in the future." Winslet wouldn't be the first actress to star in the boy wizard films for her offspring - Emma Thompson signed to play Professor Sybill Trelawney in Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban to impress her four-year-old daughter Gaia.

Atkinson Slams 'Potter' Reports
9 January 2004 (WENN)
Latest: British comic Rowan Atkinson has slammed reports that he will take the role of Lord Voldemort in Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire as lies. The Mr. Bean star - who has recently received treatment for depression - was named by a number of credible sources as the frontrunner to play the evil character, who is the schoolboy wizard's arch enemy. But his agent Janette Linden says, "There's no truth whatsoever that Rowan will be in the next Harry Potter movie."

Atkinson Becomes 'Potter' Baddie
7 January 2004 (WENN)
Rowan Atkinson is trying to overcome the depression caused by the critical mauling of his last film by becoming a villain - he's playing Lord Voldemort in the new Harry Potter film. The British 48-year-old star had to check into a rehabilitation clinic in America after last year's Johnny English was slammed by critics - even though it did relatively good business at the box office. However, the rubber-faced funnyman has decided to expand his repertoire by signing up for the part of evil Voldemort in the upcoming The Goblet Of Fire, which is due for release in 2005. A source comments, "Its a very major career change for Rowan. He has been looking to spread his wings and branch out into other roles. "He doesn't want to be the nice guy or the rubber-faced chap forever." Atkinson's character has previously appeared only as a spirit, but is brought by to life by "death eaters" in the Goblet Of Fire, which will follow this year's third Potter installment, The Prisoner Of Azkaban.

Isaacs' Harry Potter Wait
2 December 2003 (WENN)
Harry Potter star Jason Isaacs has no idea if his character will make an appearance in the fourth installment of the magical franchise - and neither do the movie's producers. The British star - who played evil Lucius Malfoy in both The Sorcerer's Stone and Chamber Of Secrets - was not required by new Potter director Alfonso Cuaron for third movie The Prisoner Of Azkaban. But he's still hoping that when fourth film The Goblet Of Fire is made, he will return. He says, "Just as we were finishing Chamber of Secrets, Alfonso Cuaron came along and I got to shake hands with him and that was about it. Then they started Azkaban. I'm sure they had a whale of a time. But I don't know what's happening with Goblet of Fire. I phoned to find out and they said, 'We've no idea, sorry. The scripts are just coming in...' There's 700 pages or something that they have to make a two-hour movie from, so I don't know whether they're going to put Lucius Malfoy in or not. If I thought begging would do any good, I'd be out there every day. But that would probably just irritate them."

Mike Newell To Direct Fourth Harry Potter Film
11 August 2003 (StudioBriefing)
British director Mike Newell, whose films include Four Weddings and a Funeral, Donnie Brasco, and the upcoming Mona Lisa Smile, starring Julia Roberts, has been selected to helm the fourth Harry Potter movie, The Goblet of Fire, Warner Bros. announced on Sunday. The first two Potter films were directed by American director Chris Columbus, while the third film, The Prisoner of Azkaban, is currently being filmed by Mexican director Alfonso Cuarón. In a statement, Producer David Heyman said that Newell was "the perfect choice." He added: "He is great with actors and imbues all his characters, all his films, with great humanity."

A 16-Year-Old Harry Potter?
18 June 2003 (StudioBriefing)
Although analysts have suggested that the three young stars of the Harry Potter movies are quickly outgrowing their characters, the Reuter News Agency on Tuesday, citing an industry source familiar with the matter, reported that they will likely return for the fourth Potter film, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, due to be released in November 2005. By that time, Daniel Radcliffe, who portrays Harry Potter, will be 16 years old. Reuters quoted Seth Siegel, founder of The Beanstalk licensing and marketing consultancy group, as warning that if the stars are not replaced by younger actors, "licensing will fade away." Wendi Green, an agent for child actors with Abrams Artists Agency, told the wire service, "If [they] are too old, kids can't relate to it."

Daniel Radcliffe Stays On As Potter
16 June 2003 (WENN)
Teen actor Daniel Radcliffe's mother has dismissed as "rubbish" rumors that her son will not be appearing in another Harry Potter film. Marcia Gresham leapt to the defense of her 13-year-old, following persistent talk of his poor academic performance. And the protective mom denies Daniel is facing a choice between schoolwork and his role as the young wizard. She says, "It is all rubbish." Movie insiders confirm Daniel is contracted to star in the next movie based on JK Rowling's books. A source says, "Daniel will be in the fourth film, Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire. There is not a grain of truth in reports that his schoolwork has been suffering. He has had the best results ever. His schoolwork has never been better - he is a very hardworking young man."

Fifth Harry Potter Book Gets Large Orders
23 May 2003 (WENN)
The fifth novel in the popular Harry Potter series is already on course to be Amazon.com's largest new product release - a month before it hits shelves. The company, based in Seattle, Washington, says more than 500,000 copies of Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix were ordered in just four months on the site. Amazon.com has received more than 875,000 orders for the book on all of its websites worldwide. Previously, Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire was Amazon.com's largest new product release, with more than 350,000 orders placed on the site in the five months leading up to its July 8, 2000 release and 410,000 copies ordered in advance of its release on Amazon sites worldwide.

'Harry Potter IV' May Be Split in Two
10 April 2003 (WENN)
The makers of the massively successfully Harry Potter series of films are considering splitting the fourth novel into two separate films. The producer of Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire has revealed that pre-production is taking so long that the book may be made into two separate movies. David Heyman was speaking at the DVD launch of the second Potter film The Chamber Of Secrets. He says, "We started work on the script last Monday. We're going to shoot it as one and see how it ends up. If it's too long then we'll make it into two." The young cast of the film, including Daniel Radcliffe as Potter, were all at the launch party of what may become one of the biggest selling DVDs of all time. They all say they "cannot wait" to read JK Rowling's fifth book, The Order Of The Phoenix, out in June.

Potter Five to Hit Shelves This Summer
16 January 2003 (WENN)
The wait is over - the fifth Harry Potter novel will hit bookshelves on June 21, and it will be a bumper volume. Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix will weigh in at an incredible 255,000 words, over 50,000 words longer than Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire. The fifth installment of the immensely popular series will be released simultaneously around the world. Nigel Newton, chief executive of Bloomsbury Publishing, says, " Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix is absolutely superb and will delight all J.K. Rowling's fans. She has written a brilliant and utterly compelling new adventure." And it appears there will be a shocking surprise in store for the apprentice wizard. A brief segment of the text has been released. In it, Rowling writes, "Dumbledore lowered his hands and surveyed Harry through his half-moon glasses. 'It is time, ' he said, 'For me to tell you what I should have told you five years ago, Harry. Please sit down. I am going to tell you everything'."

'Order of the Phoenix' Finished Says J.K. Rowling
11 November 2002 (WENN)
Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling has uttered the words every fan of her books has been waiting for - the fifth part of the magical saga is finished. The pregnant writer has revealed that the new book, Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix, is longer than the fourth tome, Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire, by one chapter. She says, "At the moment it's 38 chapters. I'm really pleased with it. I'm just going to tweak it a tiny bit more, then the publishers will have it." The eagerly-awaited book will be out in shops within five months while the second film adaptation, Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets, will hit cinemas on November 15.