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1-20 of 59 articles from 2009 « Prev | Next »
Weekend Box Office Review: Avatar Defies Skeptics and Snowstorms, Earns $73 Million in Debut Weekend
20 December 2009 7:51 PM, PST
| Huffington Post
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If Avatar were the most expensive movie of all-time, there might be some responsibility to score the biggest opening-weekend of all time. But, at $240 million, Avatar was not the most expensive movie ever. 2012 ($260 million), Spider-Man 3 ($275 million) and Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End ($300 million) all cost more. Heck, thanks to 2012 (remember when Roland Emmerich was known for cheap effects that looked expensive?), it was not even the most expensive non-sequel. But expectations are a dangerous thing, so how much Avatar pulled in this weekend will not matter as much as perception of said numbers. If the press jumps on the 'mere' $73 million opening sprint the way they crucified King Kong's $50 million 3-day and $66 million five-day opening, then the film may forever be considered
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- Scott Mendelson
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Christmas and new year TV films
18 December 2009 5:30 AM, PST
| The Guardian - Film News
| See recent The Guardian - Film News news
»
Not sure what to watch? We can help with our comprehensive guide to the best films on TV this Christmas and new year
Choose a date
Saturday 19 December | Sunday 20 December | Monday 21 December | Tuesday 22 December | Wednesday 23 December |Christmas Eve | Christmas Day | Boxing Day | Sunday 27 December | Monday 28 December | Tuesday 29 December | Wednesday 30 December | New Year's Eve | New Year's Day
Saturday 19 December
Yes Man (Peyton Reed, 2008)
10am, 8pm, Sky Movies Premiere
Remember Jim Carrey in Liar, Liar, where he forces himself to tell the truth for 24 hours? Well, here Jim Carrey forces himself to answer yes to any request, for a year. Which is upping the ante somewhat, but doesn't make it a better film. This is a return to the manic, gurning, not-very-funny Carrey, as if The Truman Show, Eternal Sunshine etc hadn't happened. Just say no.
The Golden Compass (Chris Weitz, 2007)
11.40am, 8pm, Sky Movies Family
What with Harry Potter, Narnia, Lemony Snicket and all,
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- Paul Howlett
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Christmas and new year TV films
18 December 2009 5:30 AM, PST
| The Guardian - TV News
| See recent The Guardian - TV News news
»
Not sure what to watch? We can help with our comprehensive guide to the best films on TV this Christmas and new year
Choose a date
Saturday 19 December | Sunday 20 December | Monday 21 December | Tuesday 22 December | Wednesday 23 December |Christmas Eve | Christmas Day | Boxing Day | Sunday 27 December | Monday 28 December | Tuesday 29 December | Wednesday 30 December | New Year's Eve | New Year's Day
Saturday 19 December
Yes Man (Peyton Reed, 2008)
10am, 8pm, Sky Movies Premiere
Remember Jim Carrey in Liar, Liar, where he forces himself to tell the truth for 24 hours? Well, here Jim Carrey forces himself to answer yes to any request, for a year. Which is upping the ante somewhat, but doesn't make it a better film. This is a return to the manic, gurning, not-very-funny Carrey, as if The Truman Show, Eternal Sunshine etc hadn't happened. Just say no.
The Golden Compass (Chris Weitz, 2007)
11.40am, 8pm, Sky Movies Family
What with Harry Potter, Narnia, Lemony Snicket and all,
…
- Paul Howlett
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Hamlet on TV | TV matters
16 December 2009 4:05 PM, PST
| The Guardian - TV News
| See recent The Guardian - TV News news
»
Hamlet, in its three-hour-plus entirety, will be shown on BBC2 on Boxing Day
On Boxing Day, BBC2 screens an adaptation of David Tennant's Hamlet, which should settle for some time the debate over whether it's possible to transfer theatre to TV: Gregory Doran's RSC production has been reimagined as an intimate, intense film.
The screening contributes to the debate on ideal lengths for TV shows. Viewers get three hours, three minutes in Denmark without a break; even in the theatre, they can pee after three acts.
There have been lengthier items of television: operas, Wimbledon finals, live awards shows. But Otello and Federer v Nadal had intermissions or gaps between games, and those industry prize-givings only stretched into the night because of self-indulgence.
So, 185 unbroken minutes is the Moby Dick of small-screen slots, although its last half-hour overlaps with the 150 minutes of Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End,
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- Mark Lawson
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Emma Watson: Decade's Highest-Grossing Actress
16 December 2009 8:47 AM, PST
| Extra
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Brains, beauty and now box office bragging rights -- Emma Watson has it all!
According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Watson, 19, is the highest-grossing actress of the decade.
See what the "Harry Potter" stars looked like as kids
Watson's role as Hermione Granger in six "Harry Potter" films helped her rake in $5.4 billion at the box office, or roughly $900 million per film. The actress' co-star, Dame Maggie Smith, who plays Hogwarts teacher Minerva McGonagall in the films,
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New Moon enters new phase for Twilight franchise
24 November 2009 4:01 AM, PST
| The Guardian - Film News
| See recent The Guardian - Film News news
»
The UK has officially caught Stephenie Meyer fever after The Twilight Saga: New Moon's strident opening weekend, and the Coens' A Serious Man deals another little cut to star prestige
The winner
When the original Twilight movie arrived in the UK last December, it opened with a decent £2.51m – not a bad number, considering Stephenie Meyer's books had yet to achieve blockbuster status. But it was far, far behind the Us debut figure for the picture: $69.6m (£42.1m).
What a difference a year makes. With the first Twilight film a huge phenomenon on DVD, and the Meyer books belatedly reaching a wide UK readership, Edward Cullen and Bella Swan have ascended to iconic characters here, and Britain has succumbed to R-Pattz mania. Now sequel New Moon has debuted in the UK with £11.68m, which is a whopping 4.6 times the opening weekend of the original film. In three days,
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- Charles Gant
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Box Office: New Moon Fails to Surpass The Dark Knight’s Opening Weekend
22 November 2009 6:00 PM, PST
| Slash Film
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While it did break midnight and opening day records, The Twilight Saga: New Moon was unable to beat The Dark Knight's huge opening weekend record, despite being the highest opening weekend of 2009.
The Summit Entertainment sequel took in an estimated $140.7 million domestically over the three day weekend, about $18 million shy of Batman's record $158 million, and even shy of Spider-Man 3's $151.1 million. New Moon will probably beat the life-time domestic theatrical gross of Twilight by the end of the week.
New Moon's worldwide total is $258.8 million, the seventh highest worldwide opening of all time, behind Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Spider-Man 3, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
The header image via deathtoll1912, the comic above thanks to
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- Peter Sciretta
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Phew! 'New Moon' Fails to Clinch Opening Weekend Record
22 November 2009 8:37 AM, PST
| Cinematical
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According to estimates over at Variety, The Twilight Saga: New Moon failed to top The Dark Knight's three-day opening weekend record of $158 million, bringing what I'm sure will be a huge sigh of relief to all those folks (and there's lots of them) who felt the film was in no way deserving of these historic milestones. Instead, after clinching the Best Midnight Opening record and Best Opening Day record, New Moon will have to settle for third on the Best Opening Weekend list after walking away with a pretty astonishing $130 $140 million when it was all said and done.
If that number holds up (and it should), the film will replace Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End for third place on the list of all-time best opening weekends (domestic), and will settle in behind only Spider-Man 3 (second) and The Dark Knight (first). Still, with $130 $140 million, New Moon more
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- Erik Davis
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Contest: Win Huge Prizes from Ninja Assassin!
20 November 2009 6:32 AM, PST
| MovieWeb
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Ninja Assassin is leaping into theaters on November 25th. Starring Pop Superstar Rain, this blood-soaked adventure is sure to appease the tiny Ninja hiding in all our hearts. If you want to join the clan, you'll need some of this exciting and cool swag that we are giving away in honor of the film's release. We've got stealth backpacks, beanies, and T-shirts waiting for your next Ninja mission. This stuff isn't going to stick around our dojo forever. Hurry up and slice your way into this contest before a better ninja gets there first! Here's how you can win:
We're giving away the following prizes:
- Stealth Ninja Backpack
- Ninja Assassin Beanie
- Ninja Assassin Silver Tee
- Ninja Assassin Full Zip Hoodie
- Sets of Ninja Star Push Pins
- Ninja Assassin 2"x3" Tattoo
- Sets of 4 Die-Cut Ninja Star Coaster
to enter this exciting contest today!
Raizo
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'Pirates 4' Director Rob Marshall 'Excited' To Work With Johnny Depp
19 November 2009 10:17 PM, PST
| MTV Movie News
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'He's incredible, as an actor and as a person too. So I know it'll be a great experience,' 'Chicago' director said of his lead actor.
By Adam Rosenberg, with reporting by Josh Horowitz
Johnny Depp in "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End"
Photo: Disney
When "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" was announced for a summer 2011 release, fans went wild. Then the project hit rough waters following the departure of studio chief Dick Cook, a big supporter of "Pirates" star Johnny Depp. The Jack Sparrow actor subsequently expressed hesitation about continuing with the series.
Still, the project sails forward. Depp's not a lock until he signs off on the script, which he hasn't yet seen, but Captain Barbossa actor Geoffrey Rush told MTV in late September that he's been told to keep his schedule open for cameras to roll next spring.
And before any of that took place,
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Disaster movie 2012 opens with $225m tidal wave at global box office
17 November 2009 4:37 PM, PST
| The Geek Files
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The End Of The World proved to be a massive attraction for moviegoers as Roland Emmerich's 2012 opened this weekend with an earth-shattering $225million at the worldwide box office.
Ticket sales in the Us and Canada brought in $65million, with the foreign tally of $160million from 105 countries, led by France.
Sony's Columbia Pictures said the film scored the highest worldwide opening for an original film not based on an established franchise, brand or best-seller.
In global terms, it ranks No 9 for film openings, behind (from No1 to 8) Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Spider-Man 3, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King and The Da Vinci Code.
It surpassed June's worldwide opening for Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
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- David Bentley
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Big Surprise: Top Grossing Movies of the Decade Are Basically All Franchise Films
17 November 2009 3:14 PM, PST
| FilmJunk
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Here's another list for you to digest as we approach the end of the decade. Jason Kottke [1] recently took a look at the list of highest-grossing films from 2000-2009 courtesy of Wikipedia [2], and makes the observation that only one movie in the top 20 is based on an original screenplay. The rest of the movies are all adaptations of books or sequels to existing franchises.
Now, it's pretty easy to jump on this list and whine and moan about how it means there is nothing original in Hollywood anymore. While I agree that there is a problem with studios valuing brand over concept, don't forget, we are talking about the movies that made the most money here. Of Course familiar characters and titles are going to attract more viewers than strange and unfamiliar ones... doesn't that make sense? A lot of people don't even see movies at the theatre, so they
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- Sean
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Goodbye Email From Disney's Gallagher
14 November 2009 2:23 PM, PST
| Deadline Hollywood
| See recent Deadline Hollywood news
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Here was the farewell email that Disney's Jim Gallagher sent to his staff this past week:
Friends,
I've had the pleasure of sending a number of these emails to you all over the past 3+ years, to celebrate our numerous #1 openings and the box office records we've set together. Today however, I am sad to announce that due to the restructuring, I will no longer be President of Marketing for the studios, and that I will be leaving the company.
I have been extremely proud of the marketing campaigns we've built and executed together: Pirates 3, Wall-e, Wild Hogs, Disney-Pixar's Up, The [...]
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- Nikki Finke
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Johnny Depp to Play Tonto in Lone Ranger Movie
4 November 2009 5:26 AM, PST
| Reelzchannel.com
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As long ago as March 2008, there was news that Jerry Bruckheimer was producing a live-action Lone Ranger movie and that Pirates of the Caribbean writers Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio were working on the screenplay. Not much else was heard of the project until rumors started circulating in May of this year that Jack Sparrow, himself, Johnny Depp, would be starring in the film as Tonto, the Ranger's Native American partner.
In September, during a huge Walt Disney Pictures media blitz, Depp was officially announced to play Tonto. Recently, in a group interview in Santa Monica, Bruckheimer said that the project is still moving forward.
Elliot and Rossio worked on that also with some other writers and with Johnny. So they're creating something that has a kind of true-to-the-western [feel], but adding other additional elements like we did with Pirates so it won't be just a straight-ahead western.
According to some reports,
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- BrentJS Sprecher
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How Much Would It Cost to Film in Space?
2 November 2009 7:07 PM, PST
| FilmSchoolRejects.com
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While the rest of us were stumbling around a backyard dressed like Zin'rokh, Destroyer of Worlds, Access Hollywood was busy running a brief interview with Wes Anderson in which the director claimed that he would love to shoot a film in space. Or at least get some of the scenes for a movie by actually filming in outer space.
For some reason, many other outlets decided it was news even though the only options here are that Anderson was joking or is crazy. As we all know, jokes only work as headlines for The Onion, and "Wes Anderson Is Crazy" wouldn't even have been fresh information back in 2002.
But it got me thinking.
With so many people mocking the situation and claiming how outlandish it is, I decided I wanted to know just how (in dollars and cents) outlandish it really is.
So, I turned to an expert on the matter - the 5-year old that lives
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- Dr. Cole Abaius
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Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Trailer Starring Jake Gyllenhaal
2 November 2009 3:29 PM, PST
| FilmJunk
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After a low quality version of the trailer found its way onto YouTube earlier today, IGN [1] has wisely decided to unveil the official trailer for Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time a few hours early. I have to admit, I've been pretty curious to see what Jerry Bruckheimer and Mike Newell could do with this video game franchise on the big screen. All the right elements are here for an epic action/fantasy film, but will it just turn out to be another terrible game-to-movie travesty?
One thing I can say after watching this trailer is that it looks very... expensive. I mean, the amount of special effects on screen here are ridiculous, at times almost on par with that 5-minute clip [2] from Roland Emmerich's 2012. Although I like what I see of the costumes and scenery, I'm not too sure about a lot of the weird CG effects.
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- Sean
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'Michael Jackson's This Is It' Banks $2.2 Million On Premiere Night
29 October 2009 6:57 AM, PDT
| MTV Movie News
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Concert documentary opens big in late-night showings on Tuesday.
By Gil Kaufman
Photo: Dibyangshu Sarkar/ Getty Images
Predictions were that "Michael Jackson's This Is It" could be the highest-grossing music film of all time, and the documentary chronicling the final concert rehearsals of the King of Pop got off to a good start. A series of late-night screenings pulled in $2.2 million in the U.S. on Tuesday, setting the film up for a possible #1 ranking at the box office this Halloween weekend, according to The Associated Press.
The fright-filled weekend could set up a showdown between the zombie-loving late pop star and the surprise success of low-budget horror flick "Paranormal Activity," which pulled in just $1.7 million on Tuesday after topping the box office last weekend. While "Activity" will expand to its widest release yet over the weekend when it unfolds on 2,400 screens, "This Is It" will be playing on more than 3,500 screens.
…
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Michael Jackson's This Is It takes on Lord of the Rings
12 October 2009 1:07 PM, PDT
| The Geek Files
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The power of Michael Jackson lives on - and it's proving enough to conquer the mystical might of the Lord of the Rings.
The late singer's upcoming concert movie Michael Jackson's This Is It has overtaken Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring - the first film in Peter Jackson's trilogy - in a league table of films with the highest advance ticket sales of all time.
MovieTickets.com said This Is It had knocked The Fellowship of the Ring of the 25th place in the chart.
The Jacko film documents the star's preparations for his planned 50-date concert series and will be released on October 28. Sony Pictures edited hundreds of hours of rehearsal footage to create the movie after paying $60million for the film rights.
A Michael Jackson single and album with the same title are also set to be released.
The highest grossing concert film
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- David Bentley
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'On Stranger Tides' Author Tim Powers Discusses How His Story Fits Into A 'Pirates Of The Caribbean' Universe
7 October 2009 2:00 PM, PDT
| MTV Movies Blog
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Late last month, "On Stranger Tides" author Tim Powers confirmed that Disney does indeed plan to use elements of his book for the forthcoming "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides." He didn't have much more to say about it at the time, but it was the confirmation fans had been speculating about since Disney dropped the bombshell at their D23 Expo that a fourth "Pirates" movie was incoming.
Now, Powers is apparently free -- or at least more free -- to discuss Disney's ownership of the rights to his book, published in 1988. "About a week ago my agent wrote and said, 'You're now able to say that in fact Disney did option the book,'" Powers told the Los Angeles Times in an interview. "That happened a while ago, it'll be three years in April." Three years means that Disney picked up the rights just as "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
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- Adam Rosenberg
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Pirates 4's source
6 October 2009 9:52 PM, PDT
| JoBlo.com
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Wanna know what Pirates 4 will be about? Here's a tip: read the book.
Remember at the end of Pirates 3, where Jack Sparrow mentions he's going after the Fountain of Youth? Then at D23 when part 4's title was revealed as On Stranger Tides? Turns out there's a book published in 1987 under that very title which centers on a guy who hooks up with Blackbeard and his pirates for a quest to find the Fountain of Youth. Lawsuit? Not really.
Author Tim Powers got swamped with fan mail and legal
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- Tony Lang
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