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No Time To Die (Spoiler Alert)

2021-10-15T21:58:00.002-04:00

The final film of Daniel Craig’s James Bond career, No Time to Die continues the fragmented story of the past five films, joining 007 in a life of retirement is his lover, Madeleine (Léa Seydoux), a psychiatrist with a dark past. Attacked whilst on vacation, it is revealed that Madeleine hasn’t been entirely truthful to Bond, as the two part ways and Bond seeks out the villainous Lyutsifer Safin (Rami Malek). Eventually seeing the errors of their ways, Bond and Madeleine join forces with Lashana Lynch’s Nomi to take down the maniacal villain on his island lair. As the film rages towards its violent climax, Bond defeats Safin in a rather muted fashion and unusually finds himself totally alone, without a getaway vehicle or even the company of his accomplice. Deciding not to make a grand escape with a jetpack, hovercraft or hot air balloon, instead James Bond awaits his fate as missiles head to destroy the poisonous island. For the first time in the franchise’s history, James Bond dies. Following in the footsteps of Harrison Ford’s Han Solo in Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Robert Downey Jr’s Iron Man in Avengers: Endgame, the death of Daniel Craig’s Bond represents a monumental shift in the series. However, no matter how radical this climax may seem, it is perhaps the most loyal to Ian Fleming’s original vision. As Daniel Craig stated in a recent interview, “It’s very complicated the relationship Fleming had to Bond…He didn’t like him. He tried to kill him off. There’s not a lot there as far as character is concerned. Fleming called him ‘a shadow’”. So what does this ending mean for the future of James Bond? The death of 007 represents a significant statement of intent from Barbara Broccoli and the James Bond crew, levelling the landscape of the current character, and in many ways the decades of history that has preceded. As the after-credits titles read “James Bond will return”, though the form in which the character may return could very well be far different. Having long-relied on franchise iconography to carry the series from film to film, the death of James Bond can also trigger the death of the Aston Martin DB5, the Martinis and the Bond girls. Never has there been a better time to refit 007 with a brand new suit, car and modern bunch of ideals. Cast a younger actor, a woman or an actor from an entirely different ethnicity. Switch up the tone and create something more unique, instead of copying contemporary action flicks. Restore the simple pleasures of Roger Moore’s era. The possibilities to revolutionise the James Bond series are truly endless. It’s time for Bond to live and let die.

Mission: Impossible 7" has been shut down

2021-06-17T09:47:00.001-04:00

(CNN)Months after its star Tom Cruise was reportedly recorded reprimanding crew members for violating social distancing protocols, production for "Mission: Impossible 7" has been shut down because of a positive Covid test.

Paramount, which is producing the latest film in the Cruise franchise, did not reveal who on the production had tested positive in a statement the studio provided to CNN.

"We have temporarily halted production on Mission: Impossible 7 until June 14th, due to positive coronavirus test results during routine testing," the statement read. "We are following all safety protocols and will continue to monitor the situation."

Filming in Italy had initially been suspended in February 2020 because of the pandemic and then resumed in October.

In December, British newspaper The Sun obtained and published audio tapes that allegedly feature Cruise chiding two crew members who were reportedly standing within six feet of each other.

"We are the gold standard," Cruise can be heard saying in the audio recording The Sun reported as being him. "They're back there in Hollywood making movies right now because of us! Because they believe in us and what we're doing."

CNN has contacted reps for Cruise for comment.

The film has been scheduled for a May 2022 release.

Ice Age: Collision Course proves once and for all that this dying franchise

2016-07-24T23:46:00.001-04:00

In Kevin Smith's Clerks II, there's a scene where Randall, one of Smith's most iconic characters, derisively described The Lord of the Rings trilogy as a lot of walking, only to drop a ring into a volcano. If he were to sum up the Ice Age films, he'd have basically done the same thing, except he'd still be walking, and there'd be no closure in a ring being destroyed. Indeed, Ice Age: Collision Course is just more of the same for the franchise that spawned it: travel from here to there, make some jokes, and once and awhile check in on Scrat. Suffice it to say, this movie only really serves one purpose: to prove that the franchise needs a swift and sudden ending.

With a series of meteors threatening life as they know it, Manny (Ray Romano,) Diego (Denis Leary,) and Sid (John Leguizamo) must lead their group, including Ellie (Queen Latifah,) Shirah (Jennifer Lopez,) Peaches (Keke Palmer,) and Julian (Adam Devine) to safety. Of course, the road to safety is really a path to danger, as Buck (Simon Pegg) has convinced the team to head to where the largest meteor is supposed to hit, in an effort to somehow avoid their historically dictated fate.

If you're looking for an animated film that tests the boundaries of storytelling in the medium of children's films, then you'd better go see Finding Dory again, as Ice Age: Collision Course is pretty much your standard, all-star kids comedy. With glowing nipples, dangerous yoga contortions, and a marriage subplot that plays it so safe it requires a combination to unlock, you basically know where this film is going at least 20 steps ahead of time. I wish I could say that there's at least enough humor to keep the audience past the age of 6 entertained, but unless you're really hankering for jokes referencing Armageddon, then I really can't say that. In fact, it seems that the Ice Age series has mistaken adding characters to its already hefty dramatis personae as a tactic for making things funnier. As you can tell by the constantly unfunny Crash and Eddie, it's not.

All's not lost though, as there are a couple of bright spots that save Ice Age: Collision Course from itself. Scrat, as per usual, gets some of the funniest gags involving zero dialogue, but a Looney Tunes sensibility. Also, Simon Pegg's Buck continues to be a character that deserves his own spin off, as his adventures and witty repartee are an oasis from the cloying wedding subplot this film contains. And last, but not least, Neil deGrasse Tyson's minuscule cameo kind of makes me wish Fox would commission a Cosmos for Kids series, using his character, Neil deBuck Weasel as the storyteller. But considering Scrat has always been the crutch of the Ice Age series, and the roles of Pegg and Tyson are so small, they can't overcome the crushing pall of unfunny material that makes up the meat of the film.

The fact that Ice Age is on its fifth sequel, and still hasn't resolved itself into an ending, is enough to make you apologize to The Land Before Time franchise for complaining when it crossed the threshold of ten films. It would be best if Fox just feeds this languishing franchise to the nearest predator, in order to give Scrat, Buck, and Neil deBuck Weasel their own buddy comedy. Alas, the chances of this happening are the same as an asteroid wiping out the animated cast of Ice Age: Collision Course, so I wouldn't recommend holding your breath.

Star Trek Beyond Opens Number One

2016-07-24T23:41:00.001-04:00

With $59 million, Star Trek Beyond still has one of the top ten openings of 2016 so far, but marks a notable drop from Star Trek's $75 million and Star Trek Into Darkness' $70 million openings. The drop isn't unusual for franchises, but it's the opposite trend from the original Star Trek films, each of which consecutively opened higher from the original in 1979 until the ninth film, Star Trek: Insurrection, in 1998.

PG-13 horror films aren't as common as their R-rated brethren, but their dirt cheap budgets just as easily result in insta-profits. Lights Out opened with a strong fourth place start with $21 million against a $5 million budget, making it one of the more profitable horror flicks in the last couple of years.

The Ice Age franchise is beginning to feel like this decade's Land Before Time. The fifth animated pre-historic venture in the series, Ice Age: Collision Course, opened in fifth place with a just $21 million. Despite a $105 million production budget, international sales have already pushed the movie well out of the red. But with the lowest domestic opening of the franchise so far, it's not clear how much longer the cash cow can be milked before it converts to direct to Netflix.

Jeremy Irons’ Returning as Alfred in Justice League

2016-05-01T13:49:00.000-04:00

Jeremy Irons will be returning as Alfred in the Zack Snyder-directed Justice League: Part One, the actor told Showbiz 411. Irons can currently be seen in theaters as Alfred in Warner Bros. Pictures‘ Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, which has earned over $856 million worldwide.

Production is already underway for Justice League in London. Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill and Gal Gadot are reprising their roles as the DC Trinity, Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman, in the film, with Jason Mamoa appearing as Aquaman, Ray Fisher as Cyborg, and Ezra Miller as The Flash. Amber Heard is set to play Queen Mera in the film as well before moving to the solo Aquaman movie in 2018, Willem Dafoe is appearing in a mystery role, and J.K. Simmons is playing Commissioner Gordon.

Justice League will debut in theaters on November 10, 2017. While we’ll have to wait and see how big his role is in that film, Irons’ Alfred will undoubtedly have a lot of screen time in the upcoming Ben Affleck-directed, and co-written, untitled solo Batman movie.

‘Avatar’ Sequels: Plans to be Shot - All Four Sequels Concurrently

2016-04-19T14:05:00.002-04:00

Last week at CinemaCon, James Cameron and 20th Century Fox announced they were planning four Avatar sequels. The release schedule currently has Avatar 2 due Christmas 2018, Avatar 3 is due Christmas 2020, Avatar 4 is due Christmas 2022, and Avatar 5 is due Christmas 2023. There weren’t any details beyond that, but now Cameron has done an interview with Famous Monsters of Filmland to talk about the upcoming quadrilogy of sequels and what he has planned.
For starters, he isn’t planning to shoot them back-to-back. Instead, he’s taking a miniseries approach and shooting them concurrently, which seems fairly bold when the first sequel is only two years away and the final sequel is due in seven years. Cameron explains:

“It’s not back-to-back. It’s really all one big production. It’s more the way you would shoot a miniseries. So we’ll be shooting across all [AVATAR scripts] simultaneously. So Monday I might be doing a scene from Movie Four, and Tuesday I’m doing a scene from Movie One. … We’re working across, essentially, eight hours of story. It’s going to be a big challenge to keep it all fixed in our minds, exactly where we are, across that story arc at any given point. It’s going to be probably the most challenging thing I’ve ever done. I’m sure the actors will be challenged by that as well. It’s like, ‘No, no, no, no, this person hasn’t died yet, so you’re still in this phase of your life.’ It’s a saga. It’s like doing all three GODFATHER films at the same time.”

2015 Oscar Nominations

2015-01-21T14:39:00.001-05:00

Best Motion Picture

“American Sniper” Clint Eastwood, Robert Lorenz, Andrew Lazar, Bradley Cooper and Peter Morgan, Producers
“Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)” Alejandro G. Iñárritu, John Lesher and James W. Skotchdopole, Producers
“Boyhood” Richard Linklater and Cathleen Sutherland, Producers
“The Grand Budapest Hotel” Wes Anderson, Scott Rudin, Steven Rales and Jeremy Dawson, Producers
“The Imitation Game” Nora Grossman, Ido Ostrowsky and Teddy Schwarzman, Producers
“Selma” Christian Colson, Oprah Winfrey, Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner, Producers
“The Theory of Everything” Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Lisa Bruce and Anthony McCarten, Producers
“Whiplash” Jason Blum, Helen Estabrook and David Lancaster, Producers

Achievement in Directing

“Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)” Alejandro G. Iñárritu
“Boyhood” Richard Linklater
“Foxcatcher” Bennett Miller
“The Grand Budapest Hotel” Wes Anderson
“The Imitation Game” Morten Tyldum

Performance By an Actor in a Leading Role

Steve Carell in “Foxcatcher”
Bradley Cooper in “American Sniper”
Benedict Cumberbatch in “The Imitation Game”
Michael Keaton in “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)”
Eddie Redmayne in “The Theory of Everything”

Performance By an Actress in a Leading Role

Marion Cotillard in “Two Days, One Night”
Felicity Jones in “The Theory of Everything”
Julianne Moore in “Still Alice”
Rosamund Pike in “Gone Girl”
Reese Witherspoon in “Wild”

Performance By an Actor in a Supporting Role

Robert Duvall in “The Judge”
Ethan Hawke in “Boyhood”
Edward Norton in “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)”
Mark Ruffalo in “Foxcatcher”
J.K. Simmons in “Whiplash”

Performance By an Actress in a Supporting Role

Patricia Arquette in “Boyhood”
Laura Dern in “Wild”
Keira Knightley in “The Imitation Game”
Emma Stone in “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)”
Meryl Streep in “Into the Woods”

Best Animated Feature

“Big Hero 6” Don Hall, Chris Williams and Roy Conli
“The Boxtrolls” Anthony Stacchi, Graham Annable and Travis Knight
“How to Train Your Dragon 2” Dean DeBlois and Bonnie Arnold
“Song of the Sea” Tomm Moore and Paul Young
“The Tale of the Princess Kaguya” Isao Takahata and Yoshiaki Nishimura

Achievement in Cinematography

“Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)” Emmanuel Lubezki
“The Grand Budapest Hotel” Robert Yeoman
“Ida” Lukasz Zal and Ryszard Lenczewski
“Mr. Turner” Dick Pope
“Unbroken” Roger Deakins

Achievement in Costume Design

“The Grand Budapest Hotel” Milena Canonero
“Inherent Vice” Mark Bridges
“Into the Woods” Colleen Atwood
“Maleficent” Anna B. Sheppard and Jane Clive
“Mr. Turner” Jacqueline Durran

Best Documentary Feature

“CitizenFour” Laura Poitras, Mathilde Bonnefoy and Dirk Wilutzky
“Finding Vivian Maier” John Maloof and Charlie Siskel
“Last Days in Vietnam” Rory Kennedy and Keven McAlester
“The Salt of the Earth” Wim Wenders, Juliano Ribeiro Salgado and David Rosier
“Virunga” Orlando von Einsiedel and Joanna Natasegara

Best Documentary Short Feature

“Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1” Ellen Goosenberg Kent and Dana Perry
“Joanna” Aneta Kopacz
“Our Curse” Tomasz Sliwinski and Maciej Slesicki
“The Reaper (La Parka)” Gabriel Serra Arguello
“White Earth” J. Christian Jensen

Achievement in Film Editing

“American Sniper” Joel Cox and Gary D. Roach
“Boyhood” Sandra Adair
“The Grand Budapest Hotel” Barney Pilling
“The Imitation Game” William Goldenberg
“Whiplash” Tom Cross

Best Foreign Language Film

“Ida” Poland
“Leviathan” Russia
“Tangerines” Estonia
“Timbuktu” Mauritania
“Wild Tales” Argentina

Achievement in Makeup and Hairstyling

“Foxcatcher” Bill Corso and Dennis Liddiard
“The Grand Budapest Hotel” Frances Hannon and Mark Coulier
“Guardians of the Galaxy” Elizabeth Yianni-Georgiou and David White

Achievement in Original Score

“The Grand Budapest Hotel” Alexandre Desplat
“The Imitation Game” Alexandre Desplat
“Interstellar” Hans Zimmer
“Mr. Turner” Gary Yershon
“The Theory of Everything” Jóhann Jóhannsson

Achievement in Original Song

“Everything Is Awesome” from “The Lego Movie”Music and Lyric by Shawn Patterson
“Glory” from “Selma”Music and Lyric by John Stephens and Lonnie Lynn
“Grateful” from “Beyond the Lights”Music and Lyric by Diane Warren
“I’m Not Gonna Miss You” from “Glen Campbell…I’ll Be Me”Music and Lyric by Glen Campbell and Julian Raymond
“Lost Stars” from “Begin Again”Music and Lyric by Gregg Alexander and Danielle Brisebois

Achievement in Production Design

“The Grand Budapest Hotel” Production Design: Adam Stockhausen; Set Decoration: Anna Pinnock
“The Imitation Game” Production Design: Maria Djurkovic; Set Decoration: Tatiana Macdonald
“Interstellar” Production Design: Nathan Crowley; Set Decoration: Gary Fettis
“Into the Woods” Production Design: Dennis Gassner; Set Decoration: Anna Pinnock
“Mr. Turner” Production Design: Suzie Davies; Set Decoration: Charlotte Watts

Best Animated Short Film

“The Bigger Picture” Daisy Jacobs and Christopher Hees
“The Dam Keeper” Robert Kondo and Dice Tsutsumi
“Feast” Patrick Osborne and Kristina Reed
“Me and My Moulton” Torill Kove
“A Single Life” Joris Oprins

Best Live-Action Short Film

“Aya” Oded Binnun and Mihal Brezis
“Boogaloo and Graham” Michael Lennox and Ronan Blaney“
Butter Lamp (La Lampe Au Beurre De Yak)” Hu Wei and Julien Féret
“Parvaneh” Talkhon Hamzavi and Stefan Eichenberger
“The Phone Call” Mat Kirkby and James Lucas

Achievement in Sound Editing

“American Sniper” Alan Robert Murray and Bub Asman
“Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)” Martín Hernández and Aaron Glascock
“The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies” Brent Burge and Jason Canovas
“Interstellar” Richard King
“Unbroken” Becky Sullivan and Andrew DeCristofaro

Achievement in Sound Mixing

“American Sniper” John Reitz, Gregg Rudloff and Walt Martin
“Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)” Jon Taylor, Frank A. Montaño and Thomas Varga
“Interstellar” Gary A. Rizzo, Gregg Landaker and Mark Weingarten
“Unbroken” Jon Taylor, Frank A. Montaño and David Lee
“Whiplash” Craig Mann, Ben Wilkins and Thomas Curley

Achievement in Visual Effects

“Captain America: The Winter Soldier” Dan DeLeeuw, Russell Earl, Bryan Grill and Dan Sudick
“Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” Joe Letteri, Dan Lemmon, Daniel Barrett and Erik Winquist
“Guardians of the Galaxy” Stephane Ceretti, Nicolas Aithadi, Jonathan Fawkner and Paul Corbould
“Interstellar” Paul Franklin, Andrew Lockley, Ian Hunter and Scott Fisher
“X-Men: Days of Future Past” Richard Stammers, Lou Pecora, Tim Crosbie and Cameron Waldbauer

Best Adapted Screenplay

“American Sniper” Written by Jason Hall
“The Imitation Game” Written by Graham Moore
“Inherent Vice” Written for the screen by Paul Thomas Anderson
“The Theory of Everything” Screenplay by Anthony McCarten
“Whiplash” Written by Damien Chazelle

Best Original Screenplay

“Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)” Written by Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, Jr. & Armando Bo
“Boyhood” Written by Richard Linklater
“Foxcatcher” Written by E. Max Frye and Dan Futterman
“The Grand Budapest Hotel” Screenplay by Wes Anderson; Story by Wes Anderson & Hugo Guinness
“Nightcrawler” Written by Dan Gilroy

‘American Sniper’: Details on Steven Spielberg’s Version of the Movie Revealed

2015-01-20T16:53:00.000-05:00

Warner Bros. clearly anticipated that American Sniper – the film adaptation of the late Chris Kyle’s memoir – could be a contender in the 2015 awards season, once Clint Eastwood agreed to direct the film. However, even the studio couldn’t have predicted that the movie would rack up multiple Oscar nominations (including for Best Picture) – before opening to more than $100 million at the U.S. box office over the four-day MLK holiday frame, when it expanded nation-wide.

The overall critical reception for Sniper has been a positive one but, given the current political climate, it probably comes as little surprise to learn that the film’s success has now ignited a larger debate about not just its accuracy, but also the political statement the movie makes… assuming you think it makes one at all. For those reasons, it’s all the more interesting to learn what the movie’s original director, Steven Spielberg, had in mind with his planned rendition of Kyle’s life story.

THR has published an article (hat tip to both /Film and From Director Steven Spielberg) that offers a brief history of the American Sniper movie; starting in 2010 with screenwriter Jason Hall’s first meeting with the real-life Kyle: the ex-Navy SEAL credited with the most sniper kills in U.S. military history. Hall’s script, as presented through Eastwood’s movie, spans Kyle’s life from his time as a child – being taught life lessons by his father Wayne (Ben Reed) – to his choice to join the military as a grown man (Bradley Cooper), and undergo multiple tours of Iraq during the 2000s, after he’d met and started a family with his wife, Taya (Sienna Miller).

The second and third act of Eastwood’s American Sniper (and, in turn, Hall’s script) are framed by Kyle’s ongoing battle with an Iraqi sniper known as Mustafa (Sammy Shiek) – an expert marksman and ex-Olympic athlete, whose life outside war otherwise remains a mystery, even after he is killed in battle by Kyle. It turns out the treatment of the Mustafa character was perhaps the main difference between Spielberg and Eastwood’s versions of Kyle’s experiences.

Here is the relevant excerpt, from the THR article:

For a few months after Kyle’s funeral, it looked as if Steven Spielberg would be directing American Sniper. Spielberg had read Kyle’s book and Hall’s screenplay and was willing to commit to it as his next movie, with DreamWorks co-producing. But he had some ideas of his own. For one thing, he wanted to focus more on the “enemy sniper” in the script — the insurgent sharpshooter who was trying to track down and kill Kyle. “He was a mirror of Chris on the other side,” Hall explains of Spielberg’s vision. “It was a psychological duel as much as a physical duel. It was buried in my script, but Steven helped bring it out.”

As Spielberg added more and more ideas to the story, the page count continued to grow, bloating to 160. Warner Bros.’ budget for the film, though, remained a slender $60 million. Ultimately, Spielberg felt he couldn’t bring his vision of the story to the screen for that amount of money and dropped out of the project. Within a week, Warner Bros. president Greg Silverman, one of the three executives who run the studio, asked domestic distribution chief Dan Fellman to call Clint Eastwood.

One of the common criticisms that’s been made of American Sniper (it’s also an issue raised in our 4-star review of the film) is that it works better as a wartime-set action/thriller than it does as an insightful biopic about the real Chris Kyle. As our Kofi Outlaw put it, by the time Eastwood’s film begins to draw to a close (and Kyle calls him wife in the heat of battle to tell her he’s ready to truly come home at last), “we’ve simply witnessed a journey, with no larger statement about what the journey means, thematically, or how/why we should relate.”

Spielberg’s plan to beef up the Mustafa character – so that he might serve as a proper reflection of Kyle and his own personal beliefs – might’ve corrected this problem, while at the same time providing a more human face for the Iraqi population in the story than Eastwood’s version manages to offer (an issue that’s sparked more than a little in the way of heated debate about the film). This, in turn, might have given American Sniper a more cohesive thematic backbone, as a whole, and improved the film purely as a work of cinematic storytelling… the discussion about how accurate (or not) the whole thing is, aside.

However, it’s not clear if Spielberg’s version of American Sniper would’ve devoted more time to examining Kyle’s life after he returned home from his final tour overseas – and then, began helping other veterans with PTSD, resulting in his premature death at the hands of one such recovering soldier. That part of Hall’s shooting script (and, in turn, Eastwood’s movie) has also been criticized for playing out too much like a rushed epilogue, when it should’ve been just as fully explored as the other key developments in Kyle’s life depicted in his big screen biography.

Eastwood’s version of American Sniper is, of course, the one that actually made it to the big screen; and thus, the version that people are going to continue to debate and/or dissect not just now, but for years to come. Still, as always, it’s interesting to think about what might’ve been… and how (if at all) the general response would’ve differed, by comparison.

2015 Most Anticipated Movies

2015-01-17T15:34:00.001-05:00

25. Pixels

Release Date: July 24, 2015
Director: Chris Columbus
Cast: Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Josh Gad, Peter Dinklage, Michelle Monaghan, Brian Cox, Ashley Benson, Jane Krakowski

The premise of Pixels – a live-action film about the earth getting attacked by alien-controlled classic video games – is a pretty easy sell.

24. Chappie

Release Date: March 6, 2015
Director: Neill Blomkamp
Cast: Hugh Jackman, Sigourney Weaver, Dev Patel

This sci-fi thriller tells the story of a stolen robot who embodies the qualities of a human child and must learn from those around him. His journey will help change the way people perceive robots for the better.

23. Mr. Holmes

Release Date: Unknown
Director: Bill Condon
Cast: Ian McKellen, Laura Linney, Hiroyuki Sanada

Another adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle most notable creation, Sherlock Holmes. Ian McKellan will be playing the 93 year-old version of Mr. Holmes taking on one last case he couldn’t solve before is something we can’t wait for.-

22. Jupiter Ascending

Release Date: February 6, 2015
Directors: Andy Wachowski, Lana Wachowski
Cast: Channing Tatum, Mila Kunis, Eddie Redmayne, Sean Bean, James D’Arcy, Douglas Booth, Gugu Mbatha-Raw

The story is a little out there, it follows Jupiter (Mila Kunis), an Earth janitor (and secret heir to an entire planet) who gets caught up in an intergalactic power struggle over simple greed. Her protector (Channing Tatum) is literally part wolf and must help Jupiter fulfill her destiny.

21. Crimson Peak

Release Date: October 16, 2015
Director: Guillermo del Toro
Cast: Charlie Hunnam, Jessica Chastain, Tom Hiddleston, Mia Wasikowska, Doug Jones, Jim Beaver

Crimson Peak is a romantic ghost tale about a young author (Wasikowska) falling in love with a mysterious man and living in his old mansion up in secluded mountains – a far from ordinary mansion. Crimson Peak could be something special.

20. Magic Mike XXL

Release Date: July 1, 2015
Director: Gregory Jacobs
Cast: Channing Tatum, Joe Manganiello, Kevin Nash, Matt Bomer, Gabriel Iglesias, Adam Rodriguez, Michael Strahan, Elizabeth Banks, Jada Pinkett Smith, Andie MacDowell, Donald Glover, Amber Heard

19. Kingsman: The Secret Service

Release Date: February 13, 2015
Director: Matthew Vaughn
Cast: Colin Firth, Samuel L. Jackson, Taron Egerton, Mark Strong, Michael Caine, Jack Davenport, Sofia Boutella, Mark Hamill

Starring Colin Firth as a badass veteran super agent.

18. Jurassic World

Release Date: June 12, 2015
Director: Colin Trevorrow
Cast: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Judy Greer, Jake Johnson, Vincent D’Onofrio, Omar Sy, Brian Tee, Irrfan Khan, BD Wong, Ty Simpkins, Katie McGrath

There might be a chance that the Jurassic Park franchise can be successfully relaunched a decade later. For longtime fans, returning character, Dr. Henry Wu.

17. Terminator Genisys

Release Date: July 1, 2015
Director: Alan Taylor
Cast: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Emilia Clarke, Jai Courtney, Jason Clarke, Matt Smith, Byung-hun Lee, J.K. Simmons

Director Alan Taylor attempts to salvage the franchise after a pair of botched entries tarnished the brand. The oddly named but ambitious Terminator Genisys pretends that Terminator 3 & 4 along with the Sarah Connor Chronicles TV series never exited and establishes a brand new timeline.

16. The Gunman

Release Date: March 20, 2015
Director: Pierre Morel
Cast: Sean Penn, Idris Elba, Javier Bardem, Ray Winstone, Jasmine Trinca, Mark Rylance, Peter Franzén

A story of a spy played by Sean Penn, who wants to retire with his lover. Unfortunately, his organization won’t let him leave, forcing him to live on the run.

15. Spectre

Release Date: November 6, 2015
Director: Sam Mendes
Cast: Daniel Craig, Ralph Fiennes, Naomie Harris, Ben Whishaw, Christoph Waltz, Monica Bellucci, Dave Bautista, Léa Seydoux, Andrew Scott

We can't wait to see where Daniel Craig’s 007 goes next as he re-teams with Sam Mendes for Spectre, the 24th Bond feature.

14. The Martian

Release Date: November 25, 2015
Director: Ridley Scott
Cast: Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Jeff Daniels, Michael Peña, Kristen Wiig, Kate Mara, Sebastian Stan, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Sean Bean

A Ridley Scott sci-fi film starring Matt Damon as an astronaut stranded on Mars.(The Image shown above is from Elysium).

13. The Fantastic Four

Release Date: August 7, 2015
Director: Josh Trank
Cast: Miles Teller, Kate Mara, Michael B. Jordan, Jamie Bell, Toby Kebbell, Tim Blake Nelson

It’s hard to know what to expect from a new live-action adaptation of the Marvel founding family.

12. Black Mass

Release Date: September 18, 2015
Director: Scott Cooper
Cast: Johnny Depp, Benedict Cumberbatch, Joel Edgerton, Sienna Miller, Kevin Bacon, Juno Temple, Dakota Johnson, Corey Stoll, Adam Scott, Peter Sarsgaard

Johnny Depp is seen as the balding criminal Whitey Bulger in the ’80s. Black Mass is based on the 2001 book Black Mass: The True Story of an Unholy Alliance Between the FBI and the Irish Mob by Dick Lehr and Gerard O’Neill. (Image above is from Public Enemies)

11. Ant-Man

Release Date: July 17, 2015
Director: Peyton Reed
Cast: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas, Corey Stoll, Judy Greer, Hayley Atwell, Bobby Cannavale, Michael Peña

This movie will take viewers back in time to meet two of the founding members of The Avengers from Marvel Comics.

10. The Good Dinosaur

Release Date: November 25, 2015
Director: Peter Sohn
Cast: Neil Patrick Harris, Judy Greer, Bill Hader, Frances McDormand, John Lithgow, Lucas Neff

The long-awaited “movie about dinosaurs” a new original movie from Pixar will finally arrives in 2015, from the geniuses at one of the world’s best animation houses.

9. Inside Out

Release Date: June 19, 2015
Directors: Pete Docter, Ronaldo Del Carmen
Cast: Diane Lane, Amy Poehler, Bill Hader, Mindy Kaling, Kyle MacLachlan, Phyllis Smith, Lori Alan, Lewis Black

What if your emotions were actually controlled by little individuals inside your brain, and what if they were in conflict? We'll find out in Inside Out, a story about a girl named Riley who must deal with the emotions of moving to a new home in a new city and going to a new school.

8. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2

Release Date: November 20, 2015
Director: Francis Lawrence
Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Julianne Moore, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jeffrey Wright, Stanley Tucci, Donald Sutherland, Toby Jones, Sam Claflin, Jena Malone

Mockingjay – Part 1 let us down a little in 2014 for feeling really incomplete and just serving as a “setup” movie, but I guess it did successfully get everyone sold on seeing the conclusion of The Hunger Games saga. In Part 2, Katniss and the surviving rebels of District 13 must make their last stand and unite the districts against the Capitol. - this time it’s war.

7. Furious 7

Release Date: April 3, 2015
Director: James Wan
Cast: Paul Walker, Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson, Michelle Rodriguez, Jason Statham, Lucas Black, Ronda Rousey, Kurt Russell, Djimon Hounsou, Iggy Azalea, Jordana Brewster, Tyrese Gibson, Tony Jaa, Ludacris

Delayed to 2015 due to the tragic passing of star Paul Walker, his onscreen Fast and Furious family reunites for their toughest challenge yet.

6. Tomorrowland

Release Date: May 22, 2015
Director: Brad Bird
Cast: Britt Robertson, George Clooney, Judy Greer, Hugh Laurie, Kathryn Hahn, Keegan-Michael Key

This mysterious sci-fi movie with connections to Disney’s theme park of the same name sees a young, curious girl learn of the existence of a futuristic, better place, and sets off on a journey of discovery to find the real thing.

5. Mission: Impossible V

Release Date: December 25, 2015
Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Cast: Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg, Alec Baldwin, Ving Rhames, Rebecca Ferguson

For Mission: Impossible – Tom Cruise returns to the role of Ethan Hunt, bringing back the crew (sans Paul Patton) for another adventure.

4. The Hateful Eight

Release Date: November 13, 2015
Director: Quentin Tarantino
Cast: Channing Tatum, Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, Walton Goggins, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Tim Roth, Zoë Bell, Bruce Dern, Demian Bichir

The Hateful Eight is another Western by Tarantino that follows a group of bounty hunters a few years after the Civil War attempting to survive a nasty storm, as betrayals quickly turn to violence in typical Tarantino fashion.

3. Mad Max: Fury Road

Release Date: May 15, 2015
Director: George Miller
Cast: Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron, Zoë Kravitz, Nicholas Hoult, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley

Over 30 years later, the Max Max series will be returning to theaters. Tom Hardy will be in the role of Max Rockatansky which was originally played by Mel Gibson.

2. The Avengers: Age of Ultron

Release Date: May 1, 2015
Director: Joss Whedon
Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Mark Ruffalo, Jeremy Renner, Samuel L. Jackson, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen, Cobie Smulders, James Spader, Paul Bettany, Stellan Skarsgård

Earth’s Mightiest Heroes will re-team in 2015. A few new characters to their cast to help battle the greatest threat to the Marvel Cinematic Universe yet – Ultron.

1. Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens

Release Date: December 18, 2015
Director: J.J. Abrams
Cast: Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford, Oscar Isaac, Adam Driver, John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Gwendoline Christie, Lupita Nyong’o, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson, Peter Mayhew, Kenny Baker, Anthony Daniels, Max von Sydow

Star Wars 7 is our pick for most anticipated film of 2015 especially since Disney acquired Lucasfilm and announced they would continue the saga back in late 2012. Episode VII is only the beginning.

Latest Movie News

2014-03-05T15:48:00.000-05:00

Philip Seymour Hoffman's Dead at age 46, His Final 24 Hours

2014-02-03T15:50:00.002-05:00

In many ways, Philip Seymour Hoffman was a consummate New Yorker: happiest to go about his business quietly, without being bothered by strangers.

His last day, spent going to local haunts near his West Village apartment, was proof of that.

In the afternoon, the actor, who was found dead at home on Sunday afternoon at the age of 46, stopped by the Chocolate Bar, a coffeehouse that he frequented.

"He was fine," assistant manager Kate St. Cyr told DNAInfo.com. "He's been in a great mood, really happy."

St. Cyr added that Hoffman often stopped in with his three children, and the group would indulge in peanut butter swirl ice cream.

"He seemed to have a really great relationship with his kids," St. Cyr said, calling the Oscar winner "a really sweet dad." "That's, I think, what's upsetting most of us. We feel really sad for his kids."

That evening, Hoffman enjoyed a quiet dinner with two men at Automatic Slims, a restaurant down the street from his home.

"They were in an out within an hour," a bartender told People magazine. "They were deep in conversation. He had a cranberry and soda and a cheeseburger."

The bartender added that while one of Hoffman's companions ordered a beer, the actor steered clear of alcohol.

"He seemed fine," the bartender added.

What happened next is a bit darker.

He was supposed to pick up his kids from their mother, costume designer Mimi O'Donnell, Sunday morning, and his failure to arrive raised concerns.

A friend, David Katz, came to check in on him and found his body. A law enforcement official told ABC News that heroin was found at the scene, and a hypodermic needle was sticking out of Hoffman's arm. A cause of death is expected to be released today.

"We are devastated by the loss of our beloved Phil and appreciate the outpouring of love and support we have received from everyone," his family said in a statement. "This is a tragic and sudden loss and we ask that you respect our privacy during this time of grieving. Please keep Phil in your thoughts and prayers."

TV and Movie Stars We Lost in 2013

2013-12-27T14:15:00.000-05:00

As 2013 comes to a close, we look back at some of the people we lost from film and television. Through their work on big screen and small, these talented men and women entertained, delighted and brought us closer together. Their lives touched ours, and with their deaths, our shared world becomes a little less magical. Take a moment with us to remember the movie and TV stars who died in 2013.

January

Tony Lip (July 30, 1930 - January 4, 2013)
Tony Lip, a veteran actor known for playing mob roles on The Sopranos television show and in many major feature films, has died. He was 82. While best known for playing mob kingpin Carmine Lupertazzi in The Sopranos on HBO, Lip has also had roles in movies including The Godfather, 'Goodfellas and Donnie Brasco.

Huell Howser (October 18, 1945 - January 6, 2013)
Huell Howser, the homespun host of public television's popular California's Gold travelogues, died at age 67.

Conrad Bain (February 4, 1923 - January 14, 2013)
Conrad Bain, a veteran stage and film actor who became a star in middle age as the kindly white adoptive father of two young African-American brothers in the TV sitcom Diff'rent Strokes, has died.

February

Dale Robertson (July 14, 1923 - February 27, 2013)
Dale Robertson, an Oklahoma native who became a star of television and movie Westerns during the genre's heyday, died Tuesday. He was 89. In the 1950s, he moved into television, starring in series such as Tales of Wells Fargo (1957-62), Iron Horse (1966) and Death Valley Days (1968-70).

March

Bonnie Franklin (January 6, 1944 - March 1, 2013)
Bonnie Franklin, the pert, redheaded actress whom millions came to identify with for her role as divorced mom Ann Romano on the long-running sitcom One Day at a Time, died due to complications from pancreatic cancer. She was 69.

Richard Griffiths (July 31, 1947 - March 28, 2013)
Richard Griffiths, the versatile British actor who played the boy wizard's unsympathetic Uncle Vernon in the Harry Potter movies, died at age 65. Griffiths appeared in dozens of movies and TV shows, but will be most widely remembered as a pair of contrasting uncles — the hero's grudging Muggle guardian in the Harry Potter series, and flamboyant Uncle Monty in 1980s cult classic Withnail and I.

April

Shain Gandee (November 1, 1991 - April 1, 2013)
Shooting for the second season of the MTV reality show BUCKWILD was suspended after popular cast member Shain Gandee was found dead along with two others inside a sport utility vehicle in West Virginia.

Jane Henson (June 16, 1934 - April 2, 2013)
Jane Henson died following a battle with cancer. She was 78. She and Jim Henson met in a University of Maryland puppetry class in the mid-1950s, and became creative and business partners in the development of the Muppets.

Annette Funicello (October 22, 1942 - April 8, 2013)
Annette Funicello, the most popular Mouseketeer on The Mickey Mouse Club, who matured to a successful career in records and '60s beach party movies but struggled with illness in middle age and after, died at age 70.

Jonathan Winters (November 11, 1925 - April 11, 2013)
Jonathan Winters, the cherub-faced comedian whose breakneck improvisations and misfit characters inspired the likes of Robin Williams and Jim Carrey, died at age 87.

Allan Arbus (February 15, 1918 - April 19, 2013)
Allan Arbus, who played the wise — and wisecracking — psychiatrist Dr. Sidney Freedman on TV's M.A.S.H., died at age 95.

Deanna Durbin (December 4, 1921 - April 20, 2013)
Deanna Durbin, a star whose songs and smile made her one of the biggest box office draws of Hollywood's Golden Age with fans that included Winston Churchill, died at age 91.

May

Ray Harryhausen (June 29, 1920 - May 7, 2013)
Ray Harryhausen, a special effects master whose sword-fighting skeletons, six-tentacled octopus, and other fantastical creations were adored by film lovers and admired by industry heavyweights, died at 92.

Jeanne Cooper (October 25, 1928 - May 8, 2013)
Jeanne Cooper, the enduring soap opera star who played grande dame Katherine Chancellor for nearly four decades on The Young and the Restless, died at age 84.

Jean Stapleton (January 19, 1923 - May 31, 2013)
Jean Stapleton, the stage-trained character actress who played Archie Bunker's far better half, the sweetly naive Edith, in TV's groundbreaking 1970s comedy All in the Family, has died. She was 90.

June

Esther Williams (August 8, 1921 - June 6, 2013)
Esther Williams, the swimming champion turned actress who starred in glittering and aquatic Technicolor musicals of the 1940s and 1950s, died at 91. Following in the footsteps of Sonja Henie, who went from skating champion to movie star, Williams became one of Hollywood's biggest moneymakers, appearing in spectacular swimsuit numbers that capitalized on her wholesome beauty and perfect figure.

James Gandolfini (September 18, 1961 - June 19, 2013)
James Gandolfini, whose portrayal of a brutal, emotionally delicate mob boss in HBO's The Sopranos was the brilliant core of one of TV's greatest drama series and turned the mobster stereotype on its head, died while on holiday in Italy. He was 51.

July

Cory Monteith (May 11, 1982 - July 1, 2013)
Cory Monteith, the handsome young actor who shot to fame in the hit TV series Glee but was beset by addiction struggles so fierce that he once said he was lucky to be alive, was found dead in a hotel room at age 31.

Joe Conley (March 3, 1928 - July 7, 2013)
Joe Conley, an actor best known as the small town storekeeper on the TV series The Waltons, has died at age 85. A native of Buffalo, N.Y., Conley had bit parts on 1960s series like Green Acres and The Beverly Hillbillies before he landed the role on CBS's The Waltons in 1972 that would last nearly a decade.

Mel Smith (December 3, 1952 - July 19, 2013)
Actor and writer Mel Smith, a major force in British comedy whose evening news parody anticipated the hijinks of hits such as The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, died of a heart attack at age 60.

Dennis Farina (February 29, 1944 - July 22, 2013)
Dennis Farina, a onetime Chicago cop who as a popular actor played a cop on Law & Order, has died after suffering a blood clot in his lung. He was 69. For three decades, Farina was a character actor who displayed remarkable dexterity, charm and, when called for, toughness, making effective use of his craggy face, steel-gray hair, ivory smile and ample mustache.

Eileen Brennan (September 3, 1932 - July 28, 2013)
Eileen Brennan, who went from musical comedy on Broadway to wringing laughs out of memorable characters in such films as Private Benjamin and Clue, has died. She was 80.

Michael Ansara (April 15, 1922 - July 31, 2013)
Michael Ansara, a television and movie actor whose roles included a Klingon on Star Trek, died at 91. Besides Star Trek role, Ansara appeared on dozens of TV shows, including Broken Arrow, 'Law of the Plainsman, 'I Dream of Jeannie, 'Hawaii 5-0 and Murder, She Wrote.

August

Karen Black (July 1, 1939 - August 8, 2013)
Karen Black, the prolific actress who appeared in more than 100 movies and was featured in such counterculture favorites as Easy Rider, 'Five Easy Pieces and Nashville, died in Los Angeles this August.

Lisa Robin Kelly (March 5, 1970 - August 14, 2013)
That '70s Show actress Lisa Robin Kelly has died at age 43. Kelly portrayed Laurie Forman, sister of Topher Grace's lead character Eric, on the Fox series. It concluded in 2006.

August Schellenberg (July 25, 1936 - August 15, 2013)
Canadian actor August Schellenberg, who starred in the Free Willy films, died at his Dallas home after a fight with lung cancer. He was 77.

Lee Thompson Young (February 1, 1984 - August 19, 2013)
Lee Thompson Young, who began his acting career as the star of the Disney Channel's The Famous Jett Jackson and was featured in the film Friday Night Lights and the series Rizzoli & Isles, died at age 29.

Julie Harris (January 15, 1931 - August 24, 2013)
Julie Harris, one of Broadway's most honored performers, whose roles ranged from the flamboyant Sally Bowles in I Am a Camera to the reclusive Emily Dickinson in The Belle of Amherst, died Saturday. She was 87.

September

Patricia Blair (January 15, 1931 - September 13, 2013)
Patricia Blair, an actress who played leading roles in 1960s television westerns like Daniel Boone and The Rifleman, died on Sept. 9 at her home in North Wildwood, N.J. She was 80. Her first movie was Jump Into Hell (1955), about the battle of Dien Bien Phu in French Indochina. She appeared in the horror film The Black Sleep (1956), which starred Bela Lugosi and Lon Chaney Jr., and the 1959 film City of Fear before turning to television. Her last role was in the 1979 Robert Redford-Jane Fonda movie The Electric Horseman.

October

Ed Lauter (October 30, 1938 - October 16, 2013)
Veteran character actor Ed Lauter, whose long, angular face and stern bearing made him an instantly recognizable figure in scores of movies and TV shows during a career that stretched across five decades, died at age 74.

Hal Needham (March 6, 1931 - October 25, 2013)
Hal Needham, a top Hollywood stuntman who turned to directing rousing action films including Smokey and the Bandit and The Cannonball Run, has died. He was 82.

Marcia Wallace (November 1, 1942 - October 25, 2013)
Marcia Wallace, who was the voice of scoffing schoolteacher Edna Krabappel on The Simpsons and played wisecracking receptionist Carol on The Bob Newhart Show in the 1970s, died at age 70.

November

Paul Walker (September 12, 1973 - November 30, 2013)
When actor Paul Walker died this November, the shock reverberated throughout the entertainment world. The star of the Fast & Furious movie series was just 40 years old, gone far too soon in a tragic car crash.

December

Eleanor Parker (June 26, 1922 - December 9, 2013)
Eleanor Parker, who was nominated for Academy Awards three times for her portrayals of strong-willed women and played a scheming baroness in The Sound of Music, died at 91. Parker was nominated for Oscars in 1950, 1951 and 1955, but then saw her career begin to wane in the early 1960s. Her last memorable role came in 1965's The Sound of Music, in which she played the scheming baroness who loses Christopher Plummer to Julie Andrews.

Tom Laughlin (August 10, 1931 - December 12, 2013)
Actor-writer-director Tom Laughlin, whose production and marketing of Billy Jack set a standard for breaking the rules on and off screen, has died. Billy Jack was released in 1971 after a long struggle by Laughlin to gain control of the low-budget, self-financed movie, a model for guerrilla filmmaking.

Audrey Totter (December 20, 1917 - December 12, 2013)
Audrey Totter, the radio actress who became a silver screen star by playing femme fatales in 1940s film noir including Lady in the Lake, died in December. She was 95 and had recently had a stroke. Totter was under contract with MGM starting in 1944. After landing a small part in The Postman Always Rings Twice, Totter went on to a series of roles as tough-talking blondes.

Peter O'Toole (August 2, 1932 - December 14, 2013)
Peter O'Toole, the charismatic actor who achieved instant stardom as Lawrence of Arabia and was nominated eight times for an Academy Award, died at the age of 81.

'Hobbit' box office leader with $73.6M

2013-12-17T21:30:00.002-05:00

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Warner Bros. fantasy "Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug" debuted at No. 1 at the weekend box office both domestically and internationally.

The film earned $73.6 million in U.S. ticket sales, per final numbers for the weekend box office announced by studios Monday.

Though it took first place, "The Desolation of Smaug" fell short of its prequel's debut. "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" opened this same weekend last year with $84.6 million.

But the sequel earned $135.4 million in international sales in select markets, like Germany and Korea, which surpassed international sales for the opening weekend of "An Unexpected Journey" in the same markets. Globally, "The Desolation of Smaug" has brought in $209 million.

Cooling off to the No. 2 position, Disney's animated tale "Frozen" earned $22.6 million in its third weekend, bringing its overall domestic ticket total to nearly $164.8 million.

Lionsgate's holiday-themed "Tyler Perry's a Madea Christmas" came in third with $16 million.

"The Hunger Games: Catching Fire," earned $13.7 million for the fourth-place slot, while Disney's "Thor: The Dark World" remained in the top five with $2.8 million, bringing its domestic total to $198.2 million.

With awards season well underway, The Weinstein Co.'s Oscar hopeful, "Philomena," starring Judi Dench, landed in the No. 8 spot at the weekend box office with $1.8 million. Dench received a best-actress Golden Globe Awards nomination for her performance as a nun in search of her son.

David O. Russell's con artist romp, "American Hustle," opened in limited release in just six locations, scoring $740,455 over the weekend and landing at No. 15. "American Hustle," featuring stellar performances by Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper, Amy Adams and Jennifer Lawrence, has been nominated for seven Golden Globe Awards and two Screen Actors Guild Awards.

At $147.5 million, the overall gross of this weekend's ticket sales surpassed the $136.5 million gained the same weekend last year.

With only a few weeks left in the year for moviegoers to populate the multiplex, the wide selection of impressive films fares well for eclipsing 2012's box office record of $10.8 billion.

___

The top 20 movies at U.S. and Canadian theaters Friday through Monday, followed by distribution studio, gross, number of theater locations, average receipts per location, total gross and number of weeks in release, as compiled Monday by Rentrak, are:

1. "The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug," Warner Bros., $73,645,197, 3,903 locations, $18,869 average, $73,645,197, 1 week.

2. "Frozen," Disney, $22,568,138, 3,716 locations, $6,073 average, $164,772,211, 4 weeks.

3. "Tyler Perry's a Madea Christmas," Lionsgate, $16,007,634, 2,194 locations, $7,296 average, $16,007,634, 1 week.

4. "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire," Lionsgate, $13,671,666, 3,563 locations, $3,837 average, $357,503,663, 4 weeks.

5. "Thor: The Dark World," Disney, $2,820,055, 2,264 locations, $1,246 average, $198,245,744, 6 weeks.

6. "Out Of the Furnace," Relativity Media, $2,425,978, 2,101 locations, $1,155 average, $9,574,440, 2 weeks.

7. "Delivery Man," Disney, $1,968,891, 2,041 locations, $965 average, $28,091,575, 4 weeks.

8. "Philomena," The Weinstein Company, $1,820,479, 835 locations, $2,180 average, $11,083,457, 4 weeks.

9. "The Book Thief," 20th Century Fox, $1,734,679, 1,158 locations, $1,498 average, $14,936,447, 6 weeks.

10. "Homefront," Open Road, $1,706,286, 2,103 locations, $811 average, $18,507,155, 3 weeks.

11. "Dallas Buyers Club," Focus Features, $1,174,269, 574 locations, $2,046 average, $14,301,134, 7 weeks.

12. "The Best Man Holiday," Universal, $1,055,690, 922 locations, $1,145 average, $69,019,695, 5 weeks.

13. "Nebraska," Paramount, $911,784, 250 locations, $3,647 average, $3,377,783, 5 weeks.

14. "Gravity," Warner Bros., $745,457, 503 locations, $1,482 average, $252,779,065, 11 week.

15. "American Hustle," Sony, $740,455, 6 locations, $123,409 average, $740,455, 1 week.

16. "12 Years a Slave," Fox Searchlight, $732,825, 497 locations, $1,474 average, $36,364,513, 9 weeks.

17. "Last Vegas," CBS Films, $606,753, 726 locations, $836 average, $61,757,975, 7 weeks.

18. "Saving Mr. Banks," Disney, $413,373, 15 locations, $27,558 average, $413,373, 1 week.

19. "Inside Llewyn Davis," CBS Films, $356,785, 15 locations, $23,786 average, $910,317, 2 weeks.

20. "Captain Phillips," Sony, $290,176, 323 locations, $898 average, $104,017,034, 10 weeks.

'12 Years a Slave,' 'American Hustle' Continue March to Oscar Showdown With Critics' Choice Noms

2013-12-17T21:24:00.002-05:00

The Broadcast Film Critics Association stayed firmly in the mainstream today when this poor-man's Golden Globes followed the herd, keeping dual Oscar faves "12 Years a Slave" and "American Hustle" atop the heap with 13 nominations each.

"Gravity" also stayed in the hunt in the runup to the Academy Awards with 10 nominations today for the 19th Critics' Choice Awards.

A point to remember this season: it's about the numbers and "Gravity" is essentially a duet, eligible for fewer acting nominations for its two-person cast, while "12 Years a Slave" and "American Hustle" are big, star-studded ensemble pieces.

Following their success at last week's Golden Globes and Screen Actors Guild nominations, those three movies can now be seen as the clear frontrunners. Meanwhile, indie darlings (aka the bridesmaids) "Nebraska," "Inside Llewyn Davis," "Her," and "Dallas Buyers Club" made the BFCA's list of 10 Best Picture nominees, alongside Martin Scorsese's "The Wolf of Wall Street," "Saving Mr. Banks," and "Captain Phillips."

Possibly in an effort to round up more talent for their Critics' Choice Movie Awards rodeo — to be broadcast live on Jan. 16 on The CW – the group announced shamelessly long lists of nominees — six for Best Actor, Best Actress, and the Supporting categories, too, among many others.

With all those nominees there's no chance for an Oprah Winfrey or Robert Redford snub here. And no chance for top-tier talent without a real shot at the Oscar to escape the BFCA awards ceremony. The BFCA, in their effort to be star inclusive, have even tossed in Scarlett Johansson for her vocal talent in "Her."

On the plus side, the BFCA recognizes movies that are typically outside of the elitist, drama-heavy Awards run: films like "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire." This also means that Jennifer Lawrence will go up against Sandra Bullock for Best Actress in an Action Movie.

Another good move is the recognition of comedies, particularly the Simon Pegg-Edgar Wright-Nick Frost collaboration "The World's End" – a funny movie that is unambiguously a comedy. And props to a Critics' Group so unstuffy that they recognize Pegg n the category Best Actor in a Comedy. Take that, "American Hustle's" Christian Bale!

With 280 members in the United States and Canada, the BFCA, a collection of radio, TV and online critics, boasts about being the largest critics' organization on the continent. But is bigger better? Ask the cast of "Gravity."

Here's the complete list of nominees for the 19th Critics' Choice Movie Awards:

Picture

"American Hustle"

"Captain Phillips"

"Dallas Buyers Club"

"Gravity"

"Her"

"Inside Llewyn Davis"

"Nebraska"

"Saving Mr. Banks"

"12 Years a Slave"

"The Wolf of Wall Street"

Actor

Christian Bale — "American Hustle"

Bruce Dern — "Nebraska"

Chiwetel Ejiofor — "12 Years a Slave"

Tom Hanks — "Captain Phillips"

Matthew McConaughey — "Dallas Buyers Club"

Robert Redford — "All Is Lost"

Actress

Cate Blanchett — "Blue Jasmine"

Sandra Bullock — "Gravity"

Judi Dench — "Philomena"

Brie Larson — "Short Term 12"

Meryl Streep — "August: Osage County"

Emma Thompson — "Saving Mr. Banks"

Supporting Actor

Barkhad Abdi — "Captain Phillips"

Daniel Brühl — "Rush"

Bradley Cooper — "American Hustle"

Michael Fassbender — "12 Years a Slave"

James Gandolfini — "Enough Said"

Jared Leto — "Dallas Buyers Club"

Supporting Actress

Scarlett Johansson — "Her"

Jennifer Lawrence — "American Hustle"

Lupita Nyong'o — "12 Years a Slave"

Julia Roberts — "August: Osage County"

June Squibb — "Nebraska"

Oprah Winfrey — "Lee Daniels’ The Butler"

Young Actor/Actress

Asa Butterfield — "Ender's Game"

Adele Exarchopoulos — "Blue Is the Warmest Color"

Liam James — "The Way Way Back"

Sophie Nelisse — "The Book Thief"

Tye Sheridan — "Mud"

Acting Ensemble

"American Hustle"

"August: Osage County"

"Lee Daniels’ The Butler"

"Nebraska"

"12 Years a Slave"

"The Wolf of Wall Street"

Director

Alfonso Cuarón — "Gravity"

Paul Greengrass — "Captain Phillips"

Spike Jonze — "Her"

Steve McQueen — "12 Years a Slave"

David O. Russell — "American Hustle"

Martin Scorsese — "The Wolf of Wall Street"

Original Screenplay

Eric Singer and David O. Russell — "American Hustle"

Woody Allen — "Blue Jasmine"

Spike Jonze — "Her"

Joel Coen and Ethan Coen — "Inside Llewyn Davis"

Bob Nelson — "Nebraska"

Adapted Screenplay

Tracy Letts — "August: Osage County"

Richard Linklater, Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke — "Before Midnight"

Billy Ray — "Captain Phillips"

Steve Coogan and Jeff Pope — "Philomena"

John Ridley — "12 Years a Slave"

Terence Winter — "The Wolf of Wall Street"

Cinematography

Emmanuel Lubezki — "Gravity"

Bruno Delbonnel — "Inside Llewyn Davis"

Phedon Papamichael — "Nebraska"

Roger Deakins — "Prisoners"

Sean Bobbitt — "12 Years a Slave"

Art Direction

Andy Nicholson (production designer), Rosie Goodwin (set decorator) — "Gravity"

Catherine Martin (production designer), Beverley Dunn (set decorator) — "The Great Gatsby"

K.K. Barrett (production designer), Gene Serdena (set decorator) — "Her"

Dan Hennah (production designer), Ra Vincent (set decorator) — "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug"

Adam Stockhausen (production designer), Alice Baker (set decorator) — "12 Years a Slave"

Editing

Alan Baumgarten, Jay Cassidy, Crispin Struthers — "American Hustle"

Christopher Rouse — "Captain Phillips"

Alfonso Cuarón, Mark Sanger — "Gravity"

Daniel P. Hanley, Mike Hill — "Rush"

Joe Walker — "12 Years a Slave"

Thelma Schoonmaker — "The Wolf of Wall Street"

Costume Design

Michael Wilkinson — "American Hustle"

Catherine Martin — "The Great Gatsby"

Bob Buck, Lesley Burkes-Harding, Ann Maskrey, Richard Taylor — "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug"

Daniel Orlandi — "Saving Mr. Banks"

Patricia Norris — "12 Years a Slave"

Makeup

"American Hustle"

"The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug"

"Lee Daniels’ The Butler"

"Rush"

"12 Years a Slave"

Visual Effects

"Gravity"

"The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug"

"Iron Man 3"

"Pacific Rim"

"Star Trek Into Darkness"

Animated Feature

"The Croods"

"Despicable Me 2"

"Frozen"

"Monsters University"

"The Wind Rises"

Action Movie

"The Hunger Games: Catching Fire"

"Iron Man 3"

"Lone Survivor"

"Rush"

"Star Trek Into Darkness"

Actor in an Action Movie

Henry Cavill — "Man of Steel"

Robert Downey Jr. — "Iron Man 3"

Brad Pitt — "World War Z"

Mark Wahlberg — "Lone Survivor"

Actress in an Action Movie

Sandra Bullock — "Gravity"

Jennifer Lawrence — "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire"

Evangeline Lilly — "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug"

Gwyneth Paltrow — "Iron Man 3"

Comedy

"American Hustle"

"Enough Said"

"The Heat"

"This Is the End"

"The Way Way Back"

"The World’s End"

Actor in a Comedy

Christian Bale — "American Hustle"

Leonardo DiCaprio — "The Wolf of Wall Street"

James Gandolfini — "Enough Said"

Simon Pegg — "The World's End"

Sam Rockwell — "The Way Way Back"

Actress in a Comedy

Amy Adams — "American Hustle"

Sandra Bullock — "The Heat"

Greta Gerwig — "Frances Ha"

Julia Louis-Dreyfus — "Enough Said"

Melissa McCarthy — "The Heat"

Sci-Fi/Horror Movie

"The Conjuring"

"Gravity"

"Star Trek Into Darkness"

"World War Z"

Foreign Language Film

"Blue Is the Warmest Color"

"The Great Beauty"

"The Hunt"

"The Past"

"Wadjda"

Documentary Feature

"The Act of Killing"

"Blackfish"

"Stories We Tell"

"Tim’s Vermeer"

"20 Feet from Stardom"

Song

"Atlas" — Coldplay — "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire"

"Happy" — Pharrell Williams — "Despicable Me 2"

"Let It Go" — Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez — "Frozen"

"Ordinary Love" — U2 — "Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom"

"Please Mr. Kennedy" — Justin Timberlake, Oscar Isaac and Adam Driver — "Inside Llewyn Davis"

"Young and Beautiful" — Lana Del Rey — "The Great Gatsby"

Score

Steven Price — "Gravity"

Arcade Fire — "Her"

Thomas Newman — "Saving Mr. Banks"

Hans Zimmer — "12 Years a Slave"

Brad Pitt And Angelina Jolie: A Cruise Ship Wedding?

2013-07-20T20:31:00.000-04:00

It wouldn't be the first time a wedding was performed at sea; cruise line captains do it with some frequency. Accepted internationally as a legal deal, it often beats the price of a fancy wedding on land too. For high-profile celebrities Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, being married at sea offers another advantage too: no paparazzi as far as the eye can see.

Originally planning to marry this summer at Chateau Miraval, their estate in France, the couple is now looking to tie the knot aboard the Hebridean Princesson a cruise ship wedding instead, reports Entertainment.

Used by the Queen of England in 2006 to celebrate her 80th birthday and again in 2010 for a family holiday, the Hebridean Princess was originally a car ferry but was refit in 1989 to become a luxury cruise ship. Due to the small size of the ship, Brad and Angelina's guest list would be limited to 50 people at an estimated cost of £300,000 (about $450,000).

If they do this, you can bet that cruise ships world wide will have a front-row seat via satellite like they did to the royal wedding between Prince William and Kate Middleton, broadcast live.

Batman/Superman teamup movie coming in 2015

2013-07-20T20:24:00.000-04:00

SAN DIEGO --Start your drooling, fanboys and fangirls, and get ready for lots of Batarangs and heat vision. Batman and Superman will soon be teaming up on a big screen near you.

At a Warner Bros. panel at Comic-Con Saturday, the studio announced that Henry Cavill, the star of this summer's Man of Steel, will reprise the role of Superman in a sequel that will also feature Batman.

Man of Steel director Zack Snyder will act in the same capacity for the follow-up, expected in 2015.

No casting for Batman was mentioned but Snyder teased that the Gotham City hero's relationship with Superman in Frank Miller's seminal 1980s comic The Dark Knight Returns will inform aspects of Man of Steel 2.

Sopranos Star James Gandolfini Dead at age 51

2013-06-20T12:29:00.001-04:00

Actor James Gandolfini is dead at 51. He suffered a massive heart attack while on a trip to Italy with his son, Michael.

An autopsy on the body of James Gandolfini, the New Jersey-bred actor whose Mafia-boss character survived six seasons of mob hits and panic attacks on “The Sopranos,” will be performed Thursday, the Associated Press reported.

The man behind Tony Soprano was with his teenage son, Michael, 13, in Italy when he suffered a massive heart attack on Wednesday, a source close to the barrel-chested actor said. He was 51.

Gandolfini and his family had spent “a beautiful day out together,” the actor’s assistant, Tom Richardson, told friend Mike Sullivan on Wednesday.

The news floored Gandolfini’s friends, fellow actors and “Sopranos” co-stars, including Steve Schirripa, who was in a box suite at Yankee Stadium when word reached him by phone. The color drained from Schirripa’s face and uncertainty reigned for a half-hour as he and other “Sopranos” cast members, like Lorraine Bracco and Steve Van Zandt called each other, desperate for details.

“I had to get up and leave,” said Schirripa, who played Tony’s brother-in-law, Bobby Baccalieri. “It was like being told a brother had died. Jimmy Gandolfini was as great a friend as he was an actor and a human being.”

“The phone hasn’t stopped. I spoke to a lot of the guys from ‘The Sopranos.’ We were crying,” Schirripa added. “People joke about us being a family. But we are a family.”

Soon enough, Twitter and Facebook exploded with rumors and contradictory information about Gandolfini’s death, including claims that it was a hoax.

But managers Mark Armstrong and Nancy Sanders confirmed the death in a statement: “It is with immense sorrow that we report our client James Gandolfini passed away today.”

“Our hearts are shattered, and we will miss him deeply.”

The stunning news came almost exactly six years after the gut-wrenching and inconclusive series finale of “The Sopranos.”

Gandolfini was a frequent visitor to Italy, where his parents both grew up. His family owns land near Milan. It was initially unclear whether the actor had been suffering from health problems before his sudden death. He was in Italy partly to attend the 59th Taormina Film Festival in Sicily.

Gandolfini had been working on a new TV series, “Criminal Justice,” and speculation had always swirled about a “Sopranos” movie.

'Independence Day' Sequel Coming In 2015

2012-09-13T16:18:00.003-04:00

The aliens are coming! It's been almost 20 years since Will Smith and Jeff Goldblum saved the world from an alien invasion, and on July 3, 2015, citizens of Earth will face another attack in Independence Day 2.

Twentieth Century Fox announced the news of the action sci-fi film sequel, but it was the 1996 film's co-screenwriter Dean Devlin that had his doubts about doing a sequel. "We resisted doing the sequel for years because we still wanted to honor the first one. The first one gave us all careers and we really love that movie and loved the experience," he told The Hollywood Reporter this past year. "I feel like we got it. I think it took a long time, but I feel like we finally got something that really feels like, 'That’s worth seeing as a sequel to Independence Day."

After Earth star Will Smith has yet to be confirmed to star in the sequel but his Independence Day co-star Bill Pullman told Crave Online, "The Will Smith part of it may be ongoing but I think there's strategies for both. I like what I have to do in both of them. I'm not in an old age home in a wheelchair being wheeled out for one more moment. It’s a very interesting conception of what happens to [my character] between then and when it picks back up."

Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson back together

2012-09-13T13:47:00.002-04:00

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2' goes big with its final trailer(Video)

2012-09-08T12:15:00.002-04:00

You didn't think that "The Twilight Saga" -- the record-breaking movie franchise that has brought in over $2.5 billion in ticket sales worldwide -- was going to go out quietly, did you? Watch the full movie right here, below.

Kristen Stewart in 'Breaking Dawn - Part 2' (Photo: Summit Entertainment)We've seen glimpses in the previous trailers of how Bella (Kristen Stewart) has been completely transformed since Edward (Robert Pattinson) turned her into a vampire at the end of "Part 1," but in this preview we can see how she's literally become a weapon. Bella can grab a leaping cougar out of mid-air and wrestle it to the ground. She can leap off waterfalls and sheer cliff faces. And in the heat of battle, she can even be picked up by Edward and swung like a baseball bat to deliver a powerful kick to the face.

It's not just Bella's abilities that are getting supersized in this last installment. The new trailer shows "Part 2" has a globe-trotting scope far beyond what we've seen in the previous four films. Irina (Maggie Grace) mistakenly reports to the powerful vampire coven, the Volutri, that Bella and Edward's daughter Renesmee is an immortal child -- a young human turned into a vampire. The Volturi mark Bella and Edward's family for death, so the Cullens have to rally vampire clans from across the world to join their fight -- including clans from Egypt, the Amazon, and across Europe.

With Jacob (Taylor Lautner) bringing his pack of werewolves into the fray, it all stacks up to one massive showdown on a snow-covered field, with the Volturi on one end and the Cullen's combined forces on the other. It's more vampires than "Twilight" has ever assembled together before, and -- in a departure from Stephenie Meyer's book -- it looks like it's going to be a massive rumble.

"The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2" will hit theaters on November 16.

Jeffrey Wright In 'Catching Fire': Actor Will Play Beetee In 'Hunger Games' Sequel

2012-09-07T18:07:00.000-04:00

The strangely awesome cast of "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" just got a little bit more strange and awesome. Lionsgate announced Friday that world-class actor Jeffrey Wright has been cast as Beetee in the second installment of the franchise. Back in July, Variety had reported that Tony Shaloub was the front-runner for the role.

In "Catching Fire," the second book in Suzanne Collins' best-selling trilogy, Beetee is a former Hunger Games victor from District 3. He is known as "Volts" because of his prowess with electronics equipment and helps Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) during the Quarter Quell -- the 75th Hunger Games which brings together past champions.

Wright is the latest prestigious actor to join "Catching Fire." In addition to Lawrence (an Oscar nominee for "Winter's Bone"), the cast includes Philip Seymour Hoffman, Woody Harrelson, Donald Sutherland, Jena Malone, Liam Hemsworth, Elizabeth Banks, Josh Hutcherson and Sam Claflin. Hoffman and Wright appeared together in last year's "Ides of March."

Francis Lawrence is set to direct "Catching Fire." The film arrives in theaters on Nov. 22, 2013.

Weekend Picks: ‘Lawless,’ ‘The Possession’ & ‘The Oogieloves in the Big Balloon Adventure’

2012-08-31T15:59:00.001-04:00

Here's our Weekend Picks, your weekly movie preview in either video or blog form (or both, if you want to be extra informed).

'The Expendables 2' topped the box office for the second straight weekend, but in order to three-peat, the big guns are going to have to mow down three new wide releases brimming with bootlegging brothers, a demonic possession, and some highly huggable Oogieloves. (And if that's not enough competition, Disney's now pushing two earlier releases -- Pixar's "Brave" and "Marvel's The Avengers," — onto 1,700 screens each, hoping to take a big slice of the Labor Day Weekend pie.)

Before you decide your weekend fare, we breakdown all the new releases, big and small, so you'll be fully prepped to pick the right flick for you.

The Weinstein CompanyLawless

What's the Story?

Set during the depths of the depression, in the dearth of prohibition Virginia, Shia LaBeouf, Jason Clarke, and Tom Hardy play the infamous Bondurant Brothers, practitioners of a successful bootlegging operation selling some highly-rated moonshine. When a corrupt and eye-brow-less Special Deputy, played by Guy Pearce, tries to forcibly take a cut of the brother's profits, the Bondurants react the only way they can: violently.

Who Will Like It?

This one's for fans of dynamite ensemble casts, period pieces, bloody gangster movies, and remarkable, mostly true stories.

Fun Fact:

It wasn't all brotherly love on the set; LaBeouf and Hardy reportedly got in an actual brawl off-screen.

LionsgateThe Possession

What's the Story?

Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Kyra Sedgwick play the newly-divorced parents of Em, their youngest daughter who becomes excessively attached to an ancient box purchased at a yard sale. As Em's behavior gets downright dangerous, the family realizes she has been possessed by an ancient malevolent spirit, hell-bent on devouring its human host.

Who Will Like It?

If you love demonically possessed things that go bump in the night, in the vein of "The Omen" (1976) and "The Exorcist" (1973), then this is the paranormal activity for you.

Fun Fact:

Sam Raimi, writer and director of the classic 1981 horror flick

"The Evil Dead" (not to mention the director behind all three "Spider-Man" movies), produced this one.

Kenn Viselman PresentsThe Oogieloves in the Big Balloon Adventure

What's the Story?

In this interactive dance party of a movie, embedded with prompts to let kids know just when to get up and jam along, the Oogieloves, colorful creatures from the land of Lovelyloveville, are joined in a magical-balloon-chasing quest by a host of whacky characters played by the likes of some big time names: Chazz Palminteri, Christopher Lloyd, Cloris Leachman, Toni Braxton, and Jamie Pressly, to name a few.

Who Will Like It?

Families with small children or anyone who's ever wondered what might happen if the "Teletubbies" met "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" (1975) should be dancing in the aisles for this one.

Fun Fact:

Oogieloves is the first film produced by Kenn Viselman, the marketing genius behind the hit TV shows "Teletubbies" and "Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends".

Or for those of you more indie inclined, opening in limited release this week: a group of post-apocalyptic survivors hunkered down in an abandoned house must stave off a group of well-armed hostiles if they want to survive "The Day"; the fourth highest grossing Chinese film of all time comes to America as Jet Li kicks epic 3D IMAX butt in "The Flying Swords of Dragon Gate"; former college enemies come together to corner the phone sex market in "For a Good Time, Call…"; Orlando Bloom tries to be "The Good Doctor" but Elvis's granddaughter Riley Keough gives him a suspicious (and creepy) mind; and in order to find her young son, Jessica Biel confronts a haunting kidnapping legend in "The Tall Man".

Stars preparing for 'The Hunger Games' sequel 'Catching Fire'

2012-08-20T15:46:00.001-04:00

Catching a Workout

Climbing trees, hand-to-hand combat, weapons wielding and a lot of running -- the physical rigor required of the actors on the "The Hunger Games" series is enormous. It's no wonder some of them have been spotted working out, likely in preparation for the film's sequel, "Catching Fire" -- set to start shooting in mere weeks.

Both Jennifer Lawrence and Liam Hemsworth have been seen sporting their workout gear.Josh Hutcherson is also said to be getting prepared: "I've been working out a lot, getting back in the right shape for the role -- because this last year, I sort of split my time and enjoyed myself -- so I've been paying for that for the last month-and-a-half or so, getting back into the gym and eating healthy."
Liam Hemsworth is spotted going to a pilates studio in Los Angeles in mid-July this year. His fiancé, pop star Miley Cyrus, was nearby.

'Top Gun' Director Tony Scott leaps to death

2012-08-20T14:31:00.000-04:00

A source has revealed to ABC news that Tony Scott, director of "Top Gun" and "Crimson Tide," was diagnosed with inoperable brain cancer.

Scott took his own life on Sunday by jumping off a bridge in Los Angeles, California. At approximately 12:35 p.m., several bystanders alerted the authorities that someone had jumped from Vincent Thomas Bridge spanning San Pedro and Terminal Island in Los Angeles Harbor.

"I can confirm that Tony Scott has passed away. The family asks that their privacy is respected at this time," Simon Halls, the director's spokesperson, said in a statement.

Investigators found contact information in Scott's Toyota Prius and a suicide note in his office.

The English-born director directed dozens of blockbuster successes -- from "Beverly Hills Cop II" to "True Romance" -- and has left an indelible impression on the film world.

Kristen Stewart Dropped from 'Snow White' Sequel Plans

2012-08-14T22:03:00.001-04:00

Universal has decided to shelve its planned Snow White and the Huntsman sequel and is instead focusing on a solo Huntsman movie starring Chris Hemsworth. Kristen Stewart will not be invited to return if the follow-up goes forward.

Sources tell The Hollywood Reporter that the sequel to June'sSnow White, which starred Stewart, Hemsworth and Charlize Theron, is being reconceived as a spinoff movie. It's unclear whether director Rupert Sanders will return, although one source with ties to the production says he will. However, screenwriter David Koepp, who had been hired to pen the continuation of the original film, is being settled out of his rich contract, according to sources, as the project is being transformed into something other than the movie that Koepp had been hired to write.

"The studio is currently exploring options to continue the franchise," a Universal spokeswoman says.

The move comes in the wake of Stewart, 22, and the married Sanders, 41, apologizing publicly for a romantic affair after compromising photos of the duo were published in July. (Stewart was dating herTwilight co-start Robert Pattinson.) While it might have been awkward for Stewart and Sanders to reunite for a sequel, it is not clear why the decision to move forward without Stewart was made. Universal did not respond to a request for comment.

It is highly unusual for Hollywood studios to drop stars of franchises between the first and second installments. The original plan, according to sources, was to make two films featuring the Snow White character and a third film spinning off the Huntsman, similar to how Fox's X-Men series has spun off Wolverine.

But it's far from clear whether a Snow White follow-up will ever get made. The movie was a modest hit for Universal, grossing $389.2 million worldwide on a budget of about $170 million. But Stewart, one of Hollywood's top stars thanks to the Twilight franchise, commands

Universal currently is looking for a new writer and insiders hope to start filming next July when Hemsworth, who also stars in Marvel's Thor series, becomes available.