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Tag: Box Office

  • The Force Awakens Is Now the Highest-Grossing Movie in US History

    Everyone knew that Star Wars: The Force Awakens was going to be a box office juggernaut, but in just 20 days the movie now has the title of highest-grossing film in US history.

    Domestic totals for The Force Awakens have surpassed $760.5 million, the mark set by Avatar.

    The official Star Wars site has issued this statement:

    “[T]hanks to fans new and old, Star Wars: The Force Awakens is now the highest grossing film of all-time at the domestic box office, surpassing Avatar’s $760.50 million record in just 20 days. The movie also holds the records for biggest opening day at the domestic box office ($119.1 million), biggest opening weekend at the domestic box office ($247.96 million), and biggest IMAX opening at the domestic box office ($30.1 million), among many others.”

    “We are proud of these records, but know that they would not be possible without fans’ enthusiasm and continued support. We feel it here and it drives us every day, and it will continue to in the very bright future of Star Wars. There has indeed been an awakening — and it’s all thanks to you.”

    The Hollywood Reporter notes that The Force Awakens still has a long way to go to break Avatar‘s international totals.

    Adjusting for inflation, however, The Force Awakens doesn’t actually hold the domestic box office record. It’s in 21st place.

    But that’s likely to change.

  • Steve Jobs Box Office Numbers Disappoint

    Steve Jobs Box Office Numbers Disappoint

    Steve Jobs, the new film from writer Aaron Sorkin (The Social Network) and director Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire) disappointed at the box office during its wide release opening weekend.

    Things were looking good for the film’s potential for profitability when its release was limited to a small number of screens, but it appears that the wider audience just doesn’t care that much, and it looks like it’s going to be a flop.

    The film cost $30 million to make. When it played in only a handful of theaters, it reportedly took in $2.5 million, which was really good on a per screen basis. Unfortunately, when it opened up to nearly 2,500 theaters, it only took in $7.3 million.

    There are likely a variety of factors that came into play, and it would be disingenuous to discount the fact that audiences have already seen a Steve Jobs movie released in recent years. Jobs, which starred Ashton Kutcher and Josh Gad was released in 2013, and has been on Netflix for some time.

    Brent Lang, senior film and media reporter at Hollywood industry publication Variety asks what went wrong and opines:

    Looking back, it’s difficult to see how “Steve Jobs” could overcome the commercial headwinds it faced. Because of its Silicon Valley subject matter and screenwriter Aaron Sorkin’s involvement, the film has been compared to the Facebook drama “The Social Network.” That film managed to turn critical raves for Sorkin’s cutting dialogue into big box office and a $22.4 million opening. But the comparisons are faulty. “The Social Network” benefited from arriving just as Facebook was becoming ubiquitous. In 2010, it opened as everyone was discovering the thrill of over-sharing vacation pictures and political screeds. Even as it hit the zeitgeist, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg remained largely unknown to the general public. The story of the social media platform’s litigious origins had the shock of new.
     
    In contrast, Jobs, his genius for design and demanding personality, have all been thoroughly picked over. There’s the Walter Isaacson biography that formed the basis for the Sorkin picture, the Kutcher biopic, and endless profiles and think pieces. Steve Jobs is many things, but he is not an unknown commodity.

    Steve Jobs took 7th place in the weekend box office behind: The Martian (in its 4th week), Goosebumps (in its 2nd week), Bridge of Spies (in its second week), The Last Witch Hunter (in its first week), Hotel Transylvania 2 (in its fifth week), and Paranormal Activity (in its first week).

    The movie did manage to beat out Guillermo del Toro’s Crimson Peak in its second week. Technically Steve Jobs was in its third week following its first two weeks of limited release.

    According to Box Office Mojo, the film has so far grossed less than $10 million.

    Image via YouTube

  • Elizabeth Banks Says Possibility Of ‘Pitch Perfect 3’ Depends On The Fans

    Many have been wondering if a Pitch Perfect 3 movie is already in the works, and that’s even before Pitch Perfect 2 hit theaters. For director Elizabeth Banks, that possibility depends on the fans.

    Banks admitted in an interview that “it would be disingenuous to say that no one’s talking about a ‘Pitch Perfect 3,’ the possibility of it.”

    “We are really focused on getting as many butts in seats for this one,” she added. “If fans embrace it, we are going to seriously think about what the continuing journey would look like, but we don’t know what that is yet.”

    If the opening numbers are anything to go by, Pitch Perfect fans are clearly saying that they want another round.

    The sequel to the sleeper hit scored big over the weekend, raking in $70.3 million, putting it way ahead of Mad Max: Fury Road. The Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron flick took in a neat $44.4 million.

    And once you add in the figures from Pitch’s non-US foray plus the soundtrack sales then the movie easily crosses the $100 million mark.

    Not bad for a musical comedy about a cappella groups.

    Aside from directing, Banks also reprised her role for the sequel, with original cast mates Anna Kendrick, Brittany Snow and Rebel Wilson still along for the ride.

    Now with the apparent success of Pitch Perfect 2, the buzz about another offering is louder, especially since Wilson, who plays the scene stealing Fat Amy, was quoted as saying she already signed up for a third installment.

    If the next Pitch Perfect project does fall through and Banks returns to direct it, it will go a long way in firmly ensconcing her as a director of note and will greatly aid other female directors as well.

    For despite the pressure that Banks felt while filming the movie, she has shown that she can deliver the goods.

  • Avengers: Age Of Ultron Has Second Biggest Box Office Opening Ever

    Avengers: Age Of Ultron Has Second Biggest Box Office Opening Ever

     It’s a unique case of second-best still being great.

    Avengers: Age of Ultron smashed the box-office this weekend with a whopping $187.7 million opening sales, garnering the honor of having the second-best debut weekend of all time.

    The number one spot is still being held by its predecessor The Avengers, which set the bar impossibly high when it earned $207.4 million when it opened in 2012.

    Executives over at Disney are understandably still ecstatic with the way the follow-up to The Avengers has performed, especially since they went up against 3 major sporting events – the Kentucky Derby, game 7 between the Spurs and the Clippers and the highly-anticipated fight between Mayweather and Pacquaio.

    Dave Hollis, Disney’s head of distribution has acknowledged that “we’re in a rare air here.”

    “Having the second biggest opening weekend in the history of the movie business is always going to be something you walk away overwhelmingly happy with,” he added.

    But Age of Ultron does pick up the honor of having the biggest debut for a sequel. Its opening weekend has eclipsed Iron Man 3’s $174.1 million opening salvo in 2013.

    The Joss Whedon helmed movie sees superheroes Black Widow (Scarlett Johnasson), Captain America (Chris Evans), Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner),  Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) and Thor (Chris Hemsworth) go up against technological villain Ultron (voiced by the amazing James Spader). New characters Wanda and Pietro Maximoff, also known as the Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver, are also introduced. They’re played by Elizabeth Olsen and Aaron Taylor-Johnson respectively.

    The latest offering from the House of the Mouse heralds the start of the summer season and insiders are hopeful that it’s a sign of good things to come.

    A robust summer offering that boast of movies like “Ant-Man,” “Jurassic World,” “Pitch Perfect 2”and “Magic Mike XXL” should come up with good numbers and help the industry recover from last year’s dismal performance.

  • “Furious 7” Earns $15.8M At Thursday Night Opening, A Franchise Record

    Furious 7 busted the record for the Fast & Furious franchise in its Thursday night opening.

    At $15.8 million, Furious 7 obliterated the opening of Fast & Furious 6, which sat at $6.5 million.

    At IMAX locations alone, fans of the franchise rolled in to see Furious 7 to the tune of $2.2 million. That would be the third-best number for Thursday previews after The Dark Knight Rises and Iron Man 3.

    In fact, Furious 7 is doing so well, that it is the best showing in recent times for any film after The Hunger Games: Mockingjay-Part 1. Mockingjay took in $17 million during its Thursday night premiere, and went on to make a staggering $121.9 million debut back in November.

    Whether or not Furious 7 will do as well as The Hunger Games: Mockingjay-Part 1 remains to be seen, but there is no doubt that people were super excited to see this movie.

    Many flooded in to see Furious 7 because they are fans of the franchise, but some are seeing it because it was Paul Walker‘s last movie before he died in a car crash during filming.

    During an early screening of Furious 7 in Los Angeles last month, Vin Diesel choked up when talking about his “brother”, Paul Walker.

    “This was a labor of love. It was in some ways the hardest movie I ever had to do because the relationships that you see on film are so real,” he said of Furious 7.

    He added, “When the tragedy happened, I lost my best friend. I lost my brother.”

    As he was speaking, Vin Diesel became emotional and had to pause to gather himself, but the crowd was quick with cheers of support for the Furious 7 star.

    At the end, he concluded, “More importantly, it’s for my brother there,” and pointed at Walker’s image on the screen.

    Have you seen Furious 7 yet? What did you think?

  • ‘Planet of the Apes’ Sequel Proves Better Than the First

    Dawn of the Planet of the Apes hit theaters this weekend and saw some big numbers in its first few days. Dawn, which is the sequel to 2011’s Rise of the Planet of the Apes, took home $73M, easily making its way into the No. 1 spot in the box office. Second place was Transformers: Age of Extinction, bringing in a measly $16M this weekend. It’s clear: people are fans of the apes.

    Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, directed by Matt Reeves, picks up a decade after the first Apes movie, after the simian virus wipes out most of the Earth’s population. Without humans, the genetically evolved apes begin developing a flourishing society. Led by Caesar, the apes encounter a group of surviving humans and begin a tumultuous journey to finding peace. Dawn’s $73M box office easily beats Rise’s $54M opening weekend numbers, proving to be a stronger and smarter film.

    And the critics agree, too: The Hollywood Reporter’s Todd McCarthy says that Dawn “manages to do at least three things well: maintain a simmering level of tension without letup for two hours, seriously improve on a very good first entry in a franchise and produce a powerful humanistic statement using a significantly simian cast of characters.”

    It’s also incredibly visually stunning, as CGI apes are brought to life in a eerily real way, “truly making us believe we are watching intelligent apes in action,” Hollywood Reporter continues. Actors portrayed their ape counterparts with motion capture, adding the humanistic quality to their movements. Stunning effects, combined with a genuine, smart storyline, make Dawn of the Planet of the Apes the breakout movie of the summer.

    Image via YouTube

  • “Transformers” Smashes Box Office Records

    “Transformers” Smashes Box Office Records

    It was a good weekend for Optimus Prime and the Autobots.

    Despite poor reviews (a 17% rating on rottentomatoes.com), Transformers: Age of Extinction absolutely crushed at the box office last weekend. The Michael Bay blockbuster starring Mark Wahlberg (not Shia LaBeouf, who also had a busy weekend) took in $100 million domestically, the best opening weekend of any film this year.

    Transformers: Age of Extinction achieved the fourth largest June opening weekend of all-time (behind only to 2013’s Man of Steel, 2010’s Toy Story 3 and 2009’s Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen).

    But that’s just the beginning. The fourth Transformers installment also raked in another $201.3 million from 37 different territories internationally. The most impressive numbers coming from China, where the film earned about $90 million, making it the best opening for a foreign film ever.

    Transformers: Age of Extinction is also a career box office high for Mark Wahlberg. The film tells the tale of what happens five years after the epic battle that left Chicago nearly in ruins.

    Coming in at second place this weekend at the box office is the action comedy sequel 22 Jump Street. The movie has already surpassed its domestic total from the original Jump Street in just three weeks. So far, the film has taken in $139.8 million domestically.

    Here’s how the top ten finished at the box office over the weekend:

    1. Transformers: Age of Extinction: $100 million (opening weekend)
    2. 22 Jump Street: $15.4 million ($139.8 million U.S. cumulative; week 3; previous ranking: no. 2)
    3. How to Train Your Dragon 2: $13.1 million ($121.8 million U.S. cumulative; week 3; previous ranking: no. 3)
    4. Think Like a Man Too: $10.4 million ($48.2 million U.S. cumulative; week 2; previous ranking: no. 1)
    5. Maleficent: $8.2 million ($201.9 million U.S. cumulative; week 5; previous ranking: no. 5)
    6. Jersey Boys: $7.6 million ($27.3 million U.S. cumulative; week 2; previous ranking: no. 4)
    7. Edge of Tomorrow: $5.2 million ($84.15 million U.S. cumulative; week 4; previous ranking: no. 6)
    8. The Fault in Our Stars: $4.8 million ($109.5 million U.S. cumulative; week 4; previous ranking: no. 7)
    9. X-Men: Days of Future Past: $3.3 million ($223.4 million U.S. cumulative; week 6; previous ranking: no. 8)
    10. Chef: $1.65 million ($19.4 million U.S. cumulative; week 8; previous ranking: no. 10)

    Image via Transformers, Twitter

  • Zac Efron Admits Crush on “Neighbors” Costar Rose Byrne

    Zac Efron, the 26-year-old Hollywood hunk and notorious bachelor, recently opened up to Cleo magazine about his ideal woman, and it’s none other than his Neighbors costar and Australian actress Rose Byrne.

    “She might be my favourite actress in the world!” Zac gushes about the 34-year-old beauty. “She’s got like a light about her you can’t teach or learn. It’s really kinda magical. In this movie she plays a strong, funny, easy-going woman. She’s gonna redefine what you want a wife to be.”

    Efron also admits that he also has a thing for Aussie women: “Australian girls are incredibly charming. Rose has a unique perspective on life, it’s really upbeat and funny. You could say that’s gotta be from Australia.”

    Although Zac speaks fondly of his lovely costar, he also adds he’s not looking to settle down with anyone just yet. He’s been rumored to be spending more time with another Neighbors costar, Halston Sage. “They were seeing each other a bit during filming of their movie together and ever since he went to rehab they got a lot closer,” the insider said.

    We can’t blame her – Efron’s chiseled physique is on display for a good chunk of the movie, which Zac says was done on purpose. “[Seth] would say ‘OK, Zac, shirt off for this scene’ and I would say ‘OK, yes sir.’ Eventually I realized that the cameras weren’t even pointed my direction and he was just f–king with me,” Zac admitted on The Tonight Show.

    All the shiftlessness and R-rated debauchery has proven to be ratings gold for the film, which just crossed over $200 million in the box office. Neighbors is still in theaters and sitting nicely at the number 3 spot.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Godzilla Box Office Surprises at $93M

    Godzilla Box Office Surprises at $93M

    Godzilla, Legendary and Warner Bros’s new take on the classic 1950’s Japanese monster film, opened at No. 1 this weekend with a whopping $93 million in box office sales. This number easily passes the prediction of $76 million by BoxOffice.com and critics alike. The film stars Breaking Bad’s Bryan Cranston, a plant worker who believes that the quarantined, supposedly radioactive Japanese town is really hiding something much, much larger.

    Godzilla is the second biggest opening of 2014, only behind Captain America’s $95 million. (The Amazing Spider-Man 2 takes third with $91 million.) It takes the record for 6th biggest debut weekend for a non-sequel, and it’s Warner Bros largest May debut ever. And unlike big budget pics like Spiderman’s $250m, Godzilla took $160m to make, a number it’s likely to make back before it leaves theaters.

    What made the movie work so well? “The tone of the movie was effectively communicated through the marketing,” said Jon Jashni, Legendary’s president. Legendary paid for 75% of the movie and Warner Bros put in 25%, but they collaborated equally on marketing. “Thomas Tull and his [Legendary] team did an incredible job and have delivered a new franchise,” said Warners president Dan Fellman. It’s being rumored that the two movie studios are already working on the sequel. “If this comes out and works well, we’ll figure it out,” Legendary’s Tull said at a May 1 screening of the film in Hollywood.

    Sony’s 1998 take at Godzilla, starring Matthew Broderick, did $136m domestically and $380m worldwide. Looks like this version, 15 years later, will far surpass that with not only effective marketing, but 3D ticket sales – which accounted for 51% of Godzilla’s gross sales. The visually stunning effects make it a must-see IMAX experience for any movie-goer.

    “It’s just the ultimate monster movie,” says director Gareth Edwards about Godzilla’s appeal. And others agree: the film has a 72% on Rotten Tomatoes and is overall being received well; Variety film critic Peter DeBruge says that director Edwards manages to “make good on his ability to conjure enormous scope and scale via clever staging and visual effects.”

    Image via Youtube

  • ‘The Other Woman’ Debuts at No. 1 at the Box Office

    Cameron Diaz’s newest comedy The Other Woman hit theaters this weekend and went straight to the top. The film made $25 million in its opening weekend, enough to kick Captain America: Winter Soldier out of the top spot, which brought in $16 million in its fourth week of release (for a total of $225 million US ticket sales).

    The Other Woman stars Diaz, Leslie Mann and Kate Upton who team up to take on the man that’s three-timing them all. Leslie Mann plays the wife of Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, who many may recognize from HBO’s Game of Thrones. When Leslie finds out her husband’s been sleeping with both Cameron and Kate, instead of hating them, she becomes their friends in mutual hatred of Coster-Waldau, and together they embark on an epic revenge plan.

    Despite poor critical reviews (The New York Times called it “dumb, lazy, and unoriginal”) and a 25% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, audiences still rated the film a B+ on CinemaScore. Clearly audiences (who were 75% women) responded to message of female empowerment behind the film and applauded its efforts.

    “‘The Other Woman’ once again proves the power of female comedies,” says Spencer Klein, sales manager for 20th Century Fox. The $40 million movie “significantly outperformed” expectations: Fox was only hoping to see $17 million this weekend. “It’s been a while for a female-driven comedy like this,” he said, adding that the movie had become something of a “girls’ night out” experience for gal pals across the country.

    Image via YouTube

  • ‘Heaven is for Real’ Movie Crushes Johnny Depp at Box Office

    The Heaven is for Real movie opened in theaters on April 16th, and on Easter weekend it crushed Johnny Depp’s new film Trandsendence in box office earnings. Heaven is for Real soared, bringing in $21.5 million from 2, 417 theaters. Depp’s film opened to a rather dismal $11.5 million coming from a total of 3, 455 movie theater locations.

    Based on the best-selling book of the same name written by Todd Burpo and Lynn Vincent, Heaven is for Real tells the story of little Colton Burpo who says he went to Heaven and came back again during a surgical procedure. Greg Kinnear stars as Colton Burpo’s father in the film. This is the latest in a series of Christian films to earn big at the box office in recent weeks. Noah, starring Russell Crowe, started big. God’s Not Dead, featuring Duck Dynsasty stars Willie and Corie Robertson, did much better than expected in a very limited theater run.

    Perhaps part of the film’s initial success stems from the Twitter campaign producers launched which focuses on strong family values.

    Bishop T.D. Jakes of The Potter’s House mega church even recommended the following video about the film, which includes snippets with some of the cast members.

    Heaven is for Real made quite a stir when the book was published, with many saying the story was contrived or highly embellished by Colton Burpo’s pastor father Todd Burpo. Producers obviously thought it had enough pull to draw people in to movie theaters, and Easter weekend’s box office numbers proved them right.

    Do you have plans to see Heaven is for Real, and if so, did you first read the book? What is drawing you to want to see this new Christian film?

    Image via YouTube

  • ‘Noah’ Movie Has Big Opening; Still Mired In Controversy

    The much-talked about biblical epic Noah scored a stellar $44 million opening this weekend despite the huge amount of controversy that has surrounded it prior to its release.

    Paramount’s big budget film grossed more than $95 million worldwide on opening day, courtesy of an early launch in countries like Mexico and South Korea. In Russia, the film grossed $17 million, which is the highest ever opening for a non-sequel. Noah is number four on the list of top openings of all time.

    The film, which was directed by Darren Aronofsky of Black Swan fame, features a darker take on the Old Testament tale. During filming, Noah sparked a lot of buzz among Christian groups in the United States, and even got banned from several Muslim countries. As a result, Paramount Pictures added a disclaimer at the beginning of its film stating that “artistic license was taken” in interpreting the biblical tale of Noah.

    Noah’s surprisingly impressive showing surpassed another strong box office contender, the science fiction action Divergent. The film, which stars Theo James and Shailene Woodley, was the second top grosser this weekend with approximately $27 million in ticket sales.

    Paramount Pictures president of domestic marketing Megan Cooligan stated that the results were “fantastic” and that the film “surprises people and makes them want to talk about it”. Paramount vice chair Rob Moore added that Noah’s “increased attention” in the U.S. and around the world definitely worked to the film’s advantage as it piqued people’s interest – whether positively or negatively.

    The film drew a diverse audience, which included African-Americans, Catholic Latinos, Christians, and fans of the acclaimed The Wrestler director. Cooligan also noted that although there was a nice balance of age ranges in the crowd, more than half of the number of ticket buyers belong to the over-25 age group.

    Is ‘Noah’ Movie Bogus?


    Image via Noah Movie, Twitter

  • Disney’s “Frozen” To Become The Biggest Animated Film Of All Time

    Disney’s “Frozen” To Become The Biggest Animated Film Of All Time

    Hearing about Disney’s Frozen has been pretty much unavoidable over the past several months, as the hit film continues to be adored by fans worldwide. It was released around the holidays, just in time for all of the kids to go, and many have seen it multiple times.

    Frozen is an animated film from Disney, and it has easily become an instant classic, getting everyone to sing along to the songs in a way that has not been done for several years.

    The film’s hit song “Let It Go” was performed by Idina Menzel at the recent broadcast of the Academy Awards. In the film, Menzel plays Elsa, the queen who accidentally casts an eternal Winter on her village.

    In addition to Idina Menzel, the film stars Kristen Bell, Josh Gad, and Jonathan Groff in a handful of incredibly memorable roles. Some of the cast even got together for a special stage performance shortly before the Academy Awards, to the delight of many fans.

    Disney’s Frozen had a big night at the Oscars, as the song won the Academy Award for Best Original Song, and of course it won the award for Best Animated Feature as well.

    In addition to its Oscar nomination, “Let It Go” has been gone viral in a number of ways, given all sorts of tributes and remixes, and even one version that has Elsa singing the song in 25 different languages.

    In expected news for anyone who has heard anything about Disney’s Frozen, and its massive popularity, the film is set to become the biggest animated film of all time. It has certainly sparked the interest of a wide variety of people, unlike other Disney films of the recent past.

    The DVD of the film was finally released yesterday, and the film continues to make even more money at the box office. Earlier this month, the film passed the $1 billion mark, which makes it only the second animated feature in history to cross that mark, following in the footsteps of Toy Story 3.

    After passing the $1 billion mark in theaters, Frozen remained in the top 10 at the box office for several weeks. Upon its initial release, it quickly rose to the top of the ranks, knocking off The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, which had seemed unstoppable at the time.

    Disney’s Frozen features plenty of songs that people all over the world have started singing along to, and a separate sing-along version of the film was even released in theaters due to high demand, and the popularity of the soundtrack.

    Image via Facebook

  • Mr. Peabody And Sherman Rises To The Top Spot At The Box Office

    Aaron Paul’s new action film Need For Speed opened this weekend, but fell short to Mr. Peabody and Sherman, the film that ended up winning this weekend at the box office.

    Need For Speed is based on the popular videogame series of the same name, and it certainly attracted some due to Aaron Paul’s appearance, who has gained plenty of popularity over his role as Jesse Pinkman in Breaking Bad.

    Perhaps it was simply that more families were going to the theater this weekend, since Mr. Peabody and Sherman was able to dethrone 300: Rise Of An Empire, which had been at the top of the box office last week.

    Need For Speed did not stand a chance, even in its opening weekend, and only earned $17.8 million. The total put the film in the No.3 spot, behind the two films that had claimed the top spots last week. The film cost $66 million to make, and luckily with some help outside of the U.S., it was able to at least earn $63.4 million worldwide in the opening weekend.

    Dave Hollis, the distribution chief behind Need For Speed, said “It’s a disappointing start on the domestic side, but to open to that number worldwide and nearly match the budget of the film is great. This was a very affordable movie and with many territories left to open, everyone will be just fine.”

    On the other hand, the animated film Mr. Peabody And Sherman topped the North American chart with $21.2 million, which gives it a 10-day domestic total of $63.2 million.

    The animated family film comes from DreamWorks animation and 20th Century Fox, featuring the voices of Ty Burrell and Max Charles, as Mr. Peabody and Sherman, respectively.

    In other box office news, The Grand Budapest Hotel continued to impress with its limited release, and grossed $3.6 million as it expanded from four to 66 theaters in its second weekend. Veronica Mars also opened this past weekend, and with a bit of a niche audience, and only 265 theaters in the United States, it only made $2 million, which had the film tying for 10th place, along with The Mounuments Men.

    Mr. Peabody and Sherman came in second place last week, and won fairly easily this week. However, Divergent opens this Friday, and should certainly take the top spot in its opening weekend.

    Does anyone think that Mr. Peabody and Sherman will be able to compete with Divergent?

    Image via Facebook

  • “300: Rise OF An Empire” Takes Top Spot At The Box Office

    It probably does not come as a surprise to anyone that 300: Rise Of An Empire has taken the top spot at the box office in its opening weekend. It destroyed all of its competition, earning roughly $45 million domestically.

    The film is the sequel to the hit 2007 hit film 300, which quickly became a fan favorite. The rallying cry from 300 even inspired the Spartans of Michigan State, who started using it as a chant during games in order to get everyone pumped up.

    While the first film followed King Leonidas of Sparta, the sequel centers around Greek general Themistokles, who leads the charge against invading Persian forces led by mortal-turned-god Xerxes and Artemisia, vengeful commander of the Persian navy.

    The cast of 300: Rise Of An Empire includes Lena Headey and Rodrigo Santoro from the first film, and brings in Sullivan Stapleton and Eva Green as Themistokles, and Artemisa, respectively.

    The epic war adventure was shown in 3-D this time around, and also had showings in IMAX, which helped its earnings at the box office. The 342 IMAX screens brought in $6.8 million (or 15 percent) of the film’s weekend earnings, while 3-D showings accounted for 63 percent of the grosses.

    300: Rise Of An Empire gives audiences the story of the Persian invasion of ancient Greece, and comes from a different perspective than the first film. The sequel ties in nicely with the original 300, and the events of the recent film were taking place around the same time, making it almost a mix of a prequel and sequel, which has not been done much before.

    The original 300 film was groundbreaking in its visuals, and despite some lackluster reviews for the new film, audiences continued to flock to the theaters. The film had a big opening weekend, but still did not come close to 300‘s opening weekend of $70 million in March of 2007.

    One thing that may have helped to turn some people away was the fact that Zack Snyder was no longer directing the film, since he did such a great job with the first one, and Noam Murro took over instead. However, Snyder did still write and produce the film.

    While 300: Rise Of An Empire easily claimed the top spot at the box office, the new animated film from DreamWorks, Mr. Peabody and Sherman, took the second spot with an estimated $32.5 million. Third and fourth place went to Liam Neeson’s Non-Stop thriller, and The Lego Movie, which had been the previous reigning champions.

    Image via Youtube

  • The Lego Movie Expected to Earn $60 Mil over Weekend

    The LEGO Movie will set surprisingly high box office numbers this weekend. Critical praise and a great marketing strategy won the film most of its viewers, but the LEGO’s main selling point was its family appeal. Children and parents can enjoy the film equally: parents view a visually sophisticated and complex animated feature, while the younger viewers see something kid-friendly.

    LEGO earned $17.1 million on Friday, which puts it on track to reach $60 million over the weekend. This exceeds most people’s expectations for the film. Even box office optimists didn’t expect the movie to make more than $50 million in its opening weekend. The film cost less than $70 million to develop and produce, so reaching over $50 million is a huge accomplishment. If The LEGO Movie continues on its box office path, it could extend to over $200 million at the box office – a number usually reserved for heavy-hitter animated features, like films from Pixar and Disney.

    The LEGO Movie follows a young leader named Emmet (voiced by Chris Pratt). The film starts in a totalitarian-type world where an evil president (voiced by Will Ferrell) uses shallow entertainment and consumerism to keep the LEGO world people submissive. Emmet, who cheerfully follows the rules at first, is mistaken one day for a chosen ruler called the “Master Builder.” A rebellious citizen named Wyldstyle (voiced by Elizabeth Banks) works alongside him to take down the president. The pair encounters other important LEGOs who join their fight, including Batman (Will Arnett), Green Lantern (Jonah Hill), Abraham Lincoln (Orville Forte) and Wonder Woman (Cobi Smulders).

    Many critics claim this is the smartest and most original animated film produced in years.  EW critic Owen Gleiberman called the film ”startlingly sophisticated.” And said, “The LEGO Movie, likewise, invents a kind of child-friendly meta universe in which the playthings on display are at once objects and characters. The transparently fake LEGO constructions embody the pure spirit of make-believe.”

    Image Via Official Website

  • Lone Survivor Leading The Box Office

    Lone Survivor Leading The Box Office

    Lone Survivor has set the record for the second-biggest opening ever in the month of January by bringing in $37.8 million. That number is expected to grow to $100 million over the next few weeks.

    The Navy SEAL action-packed film starring Mark Wahlberg, Taylor Kitsch, Emile Hirsch and Ben Foster was released nationwide on Friday. The movie, directed by Peter Berg, is based on Marcus Luttrell’s first-hand account of one of the deadliest battles in Afghanistan.

    On Marcus Luttrell’s website, he recounts the events that occurred on June 28, 2005.

    On June 28, 2005, Luttrell and SEAL Team 10 were assigned to a mission to kill or capture Ahmad Shah (nom de guerre Mohammad Ismail), a high-ranking Taliban leader responsible for killings in eastern Afghanistan and the Hindu-Kush mountains.

    Luttrell was the only survivor. Badly wounded, he managed to walk and crawl seven miles to evade capture. He was given shelter by an Afghan tribe, who alerted the Americans of his presence, and American forces finally rescued him six days after the gun battle. Following his physical recovery from Operation Redwing, Marcus went back and completed one more tour before being medically retired. He then wrote the book, Lone Survivor, to share the amazing story of his brothers who paid the ultimate sacrifice.

    Lone Survivor’s success was, in part, by the endorsements it received during recent sporting events. Not only was the film pushed during college and pro football postseasons, Marcus Luttrell, himself, appeared during the UFC 168 event to discuss the movie.

    Post by Marcus Luttrell.

    Berg said that he wanted people to experience what Luttrell and his team went through, and to see what kind of sacrifice they made for their country. “What I’ve found at screenings is that people are reacting to the opportunity to experience what these men went through, to pay their respects,” Berg said on Monday. “It’s a chance for audiences to express their patriotism in a way that doesn’t feel political, and we don’t have a lot of chances to do that.”

    Post by Marcus Luttrell.

    Image via Twitter

  • ‘Frozen’ Movie Exceeds Box Office And Billboard Expectations

    ‘Frozen’ Movie Exceeds Box Office And Billboard Expectations

    Animated film “Frozen,” which was released in the U.S. on November 27, has had a very successful week in the box office all the while surpassing other Disney films.

    The wintry film has earned over $300 million nationwide and $642 million worldwide, exceeding other popular films such as: :”Toy Story 3,” “Shrek 2 and 3,” and “Finding Nemo.”

    During January 3 to 5, the movie topped $298 million in North America alone.

    The 1994 film “The Lion King” is the only other film that has reached this milestone, so now Disney celebrates the prestigious achievement of two movies. However, “Frozen” still falls second runner-up to its predecessor.

    On Tuesday, the animated film received not one but two “Best Animated Feature” awards at the North Texas Film Critics Association’s Awards ceremony and the Oklahoma Film Critics Circle Awards ceremony.

    What is even more shocking is that the “Frozen” soundtrack is now NO. 1 on the Billboard 200, beating Beyoncé’s self-titled album, “Beyoncé.”

    According to Billboard.com:

    ““Frozen” is just the fourth animated film soundtrack to reach No. 1 since the Billboard 200 became a regularly published weekly chart in 1956. It follows Jack Johnson’s “Curious George” (2006), and Disney’s “Pocahontas” (1995) and “The Lion King” (1994).” (image)

    It originally made is mark at No. 18 the second week of December, but the soundtrack continues to grow in sales because of its strong stance in the box office.

    Overall, “Frozen” ranks fourth place as the highest-grossed film of 2013!

    “Frozen” has definitely had an outstanding week and it seems as though people are enjoying the soundtrack or already in search to obtain movie paraphernalia of their own.

     

     

    So, I’ve yet to see the movie. Have you? How was it?

    Image via Youtube, MOVIECLIPS Trailers

  • ‘Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones’ Set to Slaughter the Competition

    Who says only high-budget movies make a killing at the box office?

    Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones, is poised to gross $25 million to $30 million in box office sales this weekend. With a production budget of only $5 million, it’s safe to say this film will score a major profit.

    In order to take top honors at the movies this holiday weekend, however, this Latino-targeted horror flick will have to take down Frozen and The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, both of which have been raking in millions of their own.

    Disney’s animated family film Frozen has made a respective $275 million since its opening, and is projected to make another $20 million this weekend alone.

    The Hobbit sequel has earned about $209 million since its opening, and has been No. 1 at the box office for the last three weeks.

    The Marked Ones features Andrew Jacobs as “Jesse,” a young Latino in Oxnard. Much to his dismay, he is marked for possession by the demons from the previous Paranormal Activity movies.

    Before you rush off to the theater, check out this review:

    Celebs and fans alike went to Twitter to discuss their excitement and personal reviews of the flick:

    Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones is the fifth production in this “found-footage” franchise that provides both scares and laughs simultaneously. Paranormal Activity was the first in the series, and was also created on a small budget, but scored big at the box office with $109 million in sales. The 2012 release of Paranormal Activity 4 was still profitable, but only brought in about $53.9 million in sales.

    The Marked Ones is the only new release this weekend. Although Frozen and The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug are its top competitors, it will still have to play against fan favorites Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues, American Hustle, Saving Mr. Banks, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty and The Wolf of Wall Street to earn the top spot.

    Image via Twitterr

  • Dhoom 3 Beats Box Office Records

    Dhoom 3 Beats Box Office Records

    The Bollywood smash hit Dhoom 3 had the widest ever release for an Indian film in North America with shows in 236 theatres.

    Debuting in the United States with a weekend box office take of $3.3 million, it is unlike most Indian films in that it is set in Chicago, rather than India.

    The movie, directed by Vijay Krishna Acharya, centers on Aamir Khan, who plays an acrobat and illusionist named Sahir who lives in Chicago. It’s a departure from the first two Dhoom movies in that it only nominally follows the exploits of a pair of Indian buddy cops Jai and Ali.

    The thriller follows Sahir and his overwhelming desire to avenge his father’s destruction at the hands of a greedy banker. Set against the backdrop of the Chicago skyline, the film is a high-powered special effects extravaganza.

    Reviews have been mixed for the film, but many reviewers do rave over the special effects and the dazzling musical numbers that burst forth from the screen with color and excitement.

    The Hollywood Reporter said, “Imagine a mashup of Cirque du Soleil, steampunk and Bollywood — throw in a few motorcycle chases, a love story, a secret double, a heist and the year’s funkiest music — and you’re just beginning to scratch the surface of Dhoom 3. The crazy thing is, it all works.”

    Image via YouTube

  • ‘Dhoom 3’ Breaks Box Office Records

    ‘Dhoom 3’ Breaks Box Office Records

    Director Vijay Krishna Acharya’s “Dhoom 3” starring Bollywood heavyweight Aamir Khan is approaching $31 million at the global box office, raking in roughly $16 million in India alone, after opening on Friday.

    Dhoom 3 has set a box office record in North America for a Bollywood film, garnering $3.3 million so far, after opening in 236 theaters. The Yash Raj Films distributed title came in at no. 9 in the U.S., following “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” and “Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues,” which held the first and second spots respectively. Dhoom 3 is also doing well in Dubai, Malaysia, Kenya and the U.K.

    The trailer for Dhoom 3 promises playing card sorcery, crotch-rocket jousting, inexplicable Elvis-impersonation, running down faces of buildings through whirlwinds of loose USD, holographic computer manipulation reminiscent of “Minority Report,” Windy City chase scenes reminiscent of “The Dark Knight,” multigenerational orphan-teachings, a “yes-man” and novelty baseball bats aflame:

    Stars of “Dhoom 2”, Bollywood legend Hrithik Roshan and former Miss World Aishwarya Rai, who incidentally is married to Dhoom 2 and Dhoom 3 star Abhishek Bachchan, are sadly not featured in Dhoom 3.

    Dhoom 3 concerns buddy cops Jai Dixit and Ali Akbar, played by Bachnan and Uday Chopra respectively, as they face off against an antagonist duo of thieves played by Khan and Katrina Kaif. Heists, chases and dancing ensue, in what is said to be one of the most expensive Indian movies ever produced. Dhoom 3 is also the first Bollywood film to be released in IMAX.

    IMAX Entertainment CEO Greg Foster commented on Dhoom 3, “This was a fantastic movie by very skilled filmmakers and we’re thrilled that this is our first venture into the Bollywood world. Given its success, we’ll be doing more.”

    Image via YouTube.