Movies and More

Weekend Report: 'Puss' Fends Off Stiller, Murphy, Stoners

2011-11-07T00:38:00.001-08:00

Boxofficemojo.com

With a nearly unprecedented hold, Puss in Boots easily claimed first place for the second straight weekend. Openers Tower Heist and A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas both came in on the low end of expectations, though neither was an outright disappointment. Overall box office was down at least 20 percent from the same frame last year, when Megamind and Due Date opened to $46 million and $32.7 million, respectively.

Puss in Boots eased just three percent to $33.04 million in its second frame. That's the smallest non-Holiday drop ever for a saturated release (2,500+ theaters), and also smallest for a very wide release (2,000+ theaters) since My Dog Skip gained 3 percent in its second wide weekend in 2000. The miniscule decline can be attributed in part to suppressed grosses last weekend from Halloween distractions and inclement weather in the Northeast, though solid word-of-mouth (it received an "A-" CinemaScore last weekend) was surely a factor as well. Through 10 days in theaters, Puss in Boots has earned $75.5 million and should be poised for another strong frame next weekend before a barrage of family movies begins to open on Nov. 18.

Tower Heist debuted to an estimated $25.1 million from 3,367 locations. That's a bit off from other Ben Stiller comedies like Meet the Parents ($28.6 million), Starsky and Hutch ($28.1 million), Along Came Polly ($27.7 million), and Tropic Thunder ($25.8 million). It's also way down from Eddie Murphy's Norbit ($34.2 million) and slightly lower than 1996's The Nutty Professor ($25.4 million), albeit with much lower ticket sales. According to a Universal spokesperson, Tower Heist's audience was 56 percent female and 62 percent 30 years of age and older, and it received a middling "B" CinemaScore.

A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas opened with an estimated $13.07 million at 2,875 venues, which is a bit lower than Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay's $14.9 million start in 2008. A whopping 95 percent of that tally came from 3D presentations at 2,550 locations, which is a higher 3D share than The Lion King (in 3D) (92 percent) or Shark Night 3D (86 percent). Exit polling indicated that the audience was 62 percent male and 73 percent under the age of 35, and it earned a "B" CinemaScore. As Christmas movies usually hold up well, the third Harold & Kumar should hang in better in coming weeks than Guantanamo Bay, though it's going to be tough to keep a substantial number of 3D theaters through Thanksgiving and in to December.

Paranormal Activity 3 fell 53 percent to an estimated $8.53 million in its third frame. It has now made $95.3 million, and should pass $100 million next weekend. There's also still a very obscure chance that it could ultimately close above the first movie's $107.9 million total.

In Time rounded out the Top Five by easing just 36 percent to $7.7 million. Among recent sci-fi thrillers, that's a better hold than both Source Code and The Adjustment Bureau, albeit with a lower 10-day total ($24.2 million).

Footloose had another strong weekend, declining 17 percent to an estimated $4.55 million. The dance remake has now earned $44.8 million. Real Steel also had a light decline, easing 29 percent to $3.4 million for a total of $78.8 million.

In its second weekend, The Rum Diary fell 42 percent to $2.99 million for a weak $10.4 million total. It is now a lock to become star Johnny Depp's lowest-grossing release in over 2,000 theaters since 1999's The Astronaut's Wife.

The Ides of March eased 29 percent to an estimated $2 million for a decent $36.8 million total. Moneyball rounded out the Top 10 with a light 20 percent dip to $1.9 million for a total of $70.3 million.

Around-the-World Roundup: 'Tintin' Wins Again

2011-11-07T00:37:00.000-08:00

Boxofficemojo.com
The Adventures of Tintin expanded in to the rest of Europe and the Middle East and easily repeated a top the foreign box office charts this weekend. In Time received a bit of a boost from an expansion, while Puss in Boots continued to dominate in Russia.

Tintin added an estimated $40.8 million from 45 territories, which brings its two-week total to $125.3 million. The Steven Spielberg animated adventure's best debut came from a solid second place start in Russia ($5.9 million). However, its top market was once again France, where it plummeted 64 percent to $7.8 million after its enormous opening last weekend. It held extremely well in Spain (easing 12 percent to $6.15 million), and it also added $3.6 million in Germany and $3.3 million in the United Kingdom. Finally, the movie was up 25 percent to $2.5 million in author Herge's native Belgium. Next weekend, Tintin is set to expand in to a handful of smaller Asian markets like India, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand.

In Time grossed $16.5 million in 51 markets for a total of $37.6 million. It had a solid opening in the U.K. ($3 million), but was unimpressive in Mexico ($1 million) and Brazil ($609,000). Its top market ended up being holdover Russia, where it dipped 21 percent to $3.9 million.

Puss in Boots earned another $15 million from just four markets, most of which was collected in Russia. It eased just 10 percent to $13.6 million for a total of $35 million there, which makes it the 11th highest-grossing movie ever after just two weekends. Overall, Puss in Boots has made $39 million so far in its very limited overseas run.

Paranormal Activity 3 continued to generate scares all over the world as it scored $14.1 million from 50 markets. It debuted in first place in Germany with $3.6 million and had a decent $1.8 million start in Japan. The movie has so far earned $77.1 million overseas, and with a few openings still remaining it will almost certainly wind up topping Paranormal Activity 2's $92.8 million foreign total.

Real Steel has quietly become a bit of a foreign hit over the past month—the robot boxing movie added another $10.7 million for a total of $127.2 million from 38 territories. According to distributor Walt Disney Pictures, that's just 61 percent of their overseas potential, meaning Real Steel could be on its way to around $200 million total. It will move one step closer to that goal when it expands in to China this weekend.

Along with its estimated $25.1 million domestic debut, Tower Heist grossed $9.5 million from 23 foreign markets this weekend. It had solid starts in the U.K. ($2.3 million), Germany ($1.7 million) and Spain ($1.6 million).

Rise of the Planet of the Apes extended its reign overseas with another $7.5 million. Most of this comes from China, where it eased 26 percent to $6.6 million. Overall, the movie has made $292.8 million overseas, and it shouldn't have much of a problem closing north of $300 million.

Johnny English Reborn added $7.3 million for an overseas total of $139.6 million. In the process, it eclipsed predecessor Johnny English's $132.5 million total.

Other Notables - Weekend Gross - Gross-to-Date
Contagion - $5 - $45.5
The Help - $3.2 - $22.2
The Smurfs - $1.2 - $416.5
Footloose - $1.1 - $10

Friday Report: 'Tower' Barely Steals Lead from 'Puss'

2011-11-05T21:52:00.000-07:00

boxofficemojo.com
Tower Heist grabbed first place on Friday, though it was a pretty standard start for such a star-powered vehicle. On the weekend, the Ben Stiller-Eddie Murphy comedy should end up behind Puss in Boots, which held extremely well. Meanwhile, A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas was unable to convert 3D premiums and holiday themes in to a new franchise high.

Tower Heist scored an estimated $8.1 million from 3,367 theaters on its opening day. That's way off from Due Date ($12.2 million), which debuted on the same weekend last year. It was also a tad behind Ben Stiller movies Tropic Thunder, Starsky and Hutch and Along Came Polly, all of which started with between $8.2 and $9.5 million. Still, it's an improvement over all of director Brett Ratner's original movies besides the first Rush Hour. The movie should wind up around $24-$25 million on the weekend.

Puss in Boots dipped just 18 percent to an estimated $7.8 million. That's DreamWorks Animation's third-best second Friday drop behind Shrek and How to Train Your Dragon, which can be explained in part by a soft debut last Friday due to Halloween festivities and inclement weather in the Northeast. The movie has now earned over $50 million, and will almost certainly take first place for the weekend with between $29 and $33 million.

The third entry in the Harold & Kumar series debuted to an estimated $5.44 million, which was a slight decline from Guantanamo Bay's $5.97 million. It did end up a bit ahead of recent early November Christmas movies Fred Claus and The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause, though it will likely be much more front-loaded than those family movies. On the weekend, Harold & Kumar will likely wind up with between $14 and $15 million.

Paranormal Activity 3 claimed fourth place and fell 55 percent to $2.9 million. The movie has now made nearly $90 million, and should cross $100 million before the end of its run. In Time was off 42 percent to an estimated $2.5 million, while The Rum Diary declined 47 percent to an estimated $984,000. Their eight-day totals rested at $19 million and a poor $8.4 million, respectively.

Clint Eastwood's J. Edgar: Review and Round Up

2011-11-05T01:43:00.000-07:00

blogs.indiewire.com

All eyes are on the last batch of major year-end movies to be factored into the Oscar zeitgeist. Clint Eastwood’s J. Edgar, at least, will play better for the older Academy—many of whom lived through the decades depicted in this ambitious J. Edgar Hoover biopic dominated by Leonardo DiCaprio’s moving performance in the title role—than the wider moviegoing public. Eastwood acknowledged this during his intro at Thursday’s AFI FEST opening night unveiling at Mann’s Chinese, thanking Warner Bros., his home for 41 years, for supporting so many offbeat projects that were not mainstream: “Sometimes they turned out pretty good,” he said.

Indeed, Eastwood has delivered a consistent string of quality films, even after his career peaks, the Oscar-winning Mystic River and Million Dollar Baby. Written by Milk‘s Dustin Lance Black, J. Edgar cross-cuts between the old Hoover, not willing to release his hold on the reins of power after 48 years and eight presidents (many of them afraid of his secret files), and flashbacks to his life from age 19 through his rise to power at the Bureau of Investigation (eventually the FBI). Hoover started out responding vigilantly to terrorist violence and wound up corrupt, paranoid and egomaniacal.

More details and a round-up of early reviews are below.

As he did in Unforgiven, Eastwood explores how media manipulates the perception of people in the public eye. Again, many of us know more about how Hoover was portrayed in fictional comic books than the real story. The Lindbergh kidnapping figures in this compelling narrative, as does Attorney General Robert Kennedy (Eastwood regular Jeffrey Donovan). The three people closest to Hoover—who is depicted as a closeted homosexual—are his secretary (Naomi Watts), his mother (Judi Dench) and his best friend and lieutenant (Armie Hammer), who all remain loyal to the bitter end. (All three could wind up with Oscar nominations, and DiCaprio will give George Clooney a run for the Best Actor Oscar.)

Their understanding love for Hoover, along with DiCaprio’s star wattage under piles of digitally enhanced age makeup, give the film its tragic dimension. Like Brokeback Mountain, this unfulfilled romance is about the love that dare not speak its name. How these two men negotiated their intimate relationship is fascinating—and heartbreaking. They dated no women, held hands but did not kiss, slept alone in their own homes—and ate lunch and dinner together every day.

Eastwood delivers again.

THR:

“J. Edgar is a mightily ambitious work that provokes a host of assorted reactions,..This surprising collaboration between director Clint Eastwood and Milk screenwriter Dustin Lance Black tackles its trickiest challenges with plausibility and good sense, while serving up a simmeringly caustic view of its controversial subject’s behavior, public and private. Big-name talent behind and in front of the camera, led by a committed performance by Leonardo DiCaprio in the title role, assures extensive media attention and public curiosity up to a point.”

Screen Daily:

The film’s first hour is problematic and somewhat turgid. Eastwood and his cinematographer Tom Stern decided to shoot in grim desaturated colours and make use of heavy shadows, which hardly helps a muddy narrative that takes a while to cohere. But in the second hour, Eastwood does what he does so well which is to focus on the characters,..Indeed, as always, when Eastwood turns his compassionate eye onto the frailties and emotions of his characters, the film flies and reminds us why he remains one of the world’s most vital filmmakers. It’s hard not to tear up when Tolson sobs over Hoover’s body, but Eastwood isn’t making us cry about Hoover in particular. Ever the humanist, he is merely showing one man crying for the loss of his lifelong love.”

Variety:

“While not exactly coy, Eastwood’s classically styled look at Hoover’s life takes a long time to arrive at questions of the character’s proclivities. When it does get there, however, this new dimension of the character so enlivens what has been a mostly dry portrayal of one man’s crusade to reform law enforcement that it becomes the pic’s focus,..The opening reel establishes both the scope of the story, which ranges from Hoover’s 20s to his final days overseeing the FBI at age 77, and DiCaprio’s remarkable ability to play the character at any point along that timeline. Aided by a convincing combination of facial appliances, makeup and wigs, the thesp draws auds past that gimmick and into the character within a matter of a few scenes. There’s an innate kindliness to DiCaprio that makes for a more likable protagonist than Hoover as the tempestuous monster so many biographers describe, which is good news for the film’s commercial prospects but seemingly at odds with reality.”

InContention:

“Leonardo DiCaprio is exceptional in the title role, digging into an incredibly complex character, committing from frame one to the embodiment and maintaining that course without losing focus. It’s at times a broad portrayal of a broad persona, but I thought the actor found ways to dial it down and make the internal machinations of the man count. And I think it could very well carry him to that elusive first Oscar win. The film itself, though, wasn’t as impressive. The problems mostly stem from a somewhat lazy, arbitrarily structured “greatest hits” screenplay from Dustin Lance Black. It’s clunky and labored, but it’s really only part of the problem.”

Elijah Wood Will Kill Again in Remake of 1980 Horror Film 'Maniac'

2011-11-05T01:32:00.000-07:00

firstshowing.net

by Ethan Anderton

After taking on the likable, charming role of Frodo in Lord of the Rings, a role which he'll reprise for Peter Jackson's return to Middle-Earth with The Hobbit, actor Elijah Wood took on a drastically different role as the quiet, creepy cannibalistic killer Kevin in Sin City. Now he looks to be taking on another sinister role again as Bloody Disgusting reports (with confirmation from Deadline) that Wood has landed the lead role in Maniac, a remake of William Lustig's 1980 horror film of the same name. Wood will play a strange guy who sells antique mannequins but also happens to be a serial killer who finds his victims online. Read on!

Once he has his prey in front of them, he scalps and kills them, and all of this apparently gives him some sort of satisfaction of revenge against his abusive mother. Clearly the film's called Maniac for a reason. The Hills Have Eyes and Piranha 3D writers Alexandre Aja and Gregory Levasseur are scripting the remake with P2 and Wrong Turn at Tahoe director Franck Khalfoun directing the film. This certainly sounds like another provocative role for Wood who gestates between charming things like Happy Feet and the forthcoming sequel and adult fare like the comedy series "Wilfred" on FX.

Justin Bieber may get more than a kiss on next week's Billboard 200 with 'Mistletoe'

2011-11-05T01:28:00.000-07:00

hitfix.com

By Melinda Newman

Justin Bieber is getting an early Christmas present next week: no, not a bundle of joy, but rather a No. 1 album as “Under The Mistletoe” is on target to sell up to 220,000 copies.

That would make the title Bieber’s third No. 1 album. And he’s only 17. But “Mistletoe” is only one of six new titles revamping the top 10 of the Billboard 200 next week. Bolstered by the success of hit single, “That Way,” rapper Wale could see “Ambition” blast onto the chart at No. 2, with sales of as much as 175,000 copies. That’s certainly a nice leap from his last album, which peaked at No. 21, according to Billboard.

Susan Boyle’s “Someone To Watch Over Me,” also looks strong with the potential to sell 150,000 in its opening frame. Boyle has become a standby for fourth quarter releases since capturing the world’s attention on “Britain’s Got Talent.”

Miranda Lambert’s “Four the Record” will likely bow atop the Billboard Country album chart, but will have to settle for No. 4 on the Billboard 200. However, that number will be good enough to give her her highest debut so far.

The other big debuts will be Florence + the Machine’s “Ceremonials,” which will likely chart around No. 7, according to Hits Daily Double, and Tyrese’s “Open Invitation,” whose 70,000 units could land it at No. 10 (that’s great news for sales given that there have been weeks when 70,000 landed an album at No. 1!).

This week’s No. 1, Coldplay’s “Mylo Xyloto,” will still sell more than 100,000 copies, but will like drop to No. 5, while Adele’s “21” drops out of the top 5 for the first time since its February release, moving to No. 6. Michael Buble’s holiday album, “Christmas,” drops to No. 8, while Kelly Clarkson’s “Stronger” falls to No. 9.

The chart will be posted next Wednesday.

Relativity's Snow White Project Finally Has a Name

2011-11-05T01:25:00.000-07:00

thewrap.com

Relativity's Snow White project finally has a title.

The re-imagining of the fairy tale will be called "Mirror Mirror," the studio announced on Friday.

"Mirror Mirror" stars Lily Collins as Snow White, Armie Hammer as the prince and Julia Roberts as the evil queen.Tarsem Singh directs.

Filming for the comedy action adventure wrapped in mid-September. The theatrical release date is set for March 16, 2012.

Universal has its own competing Snow White project starring Kristen Stewart. That film version of the story of the poisoned apple eating ingenue is entitled "Snow White and the Huntsman." That film bows in theaters on June 1, 2012.

Ridley Scott Confirms He's Directing the New 'Blade Runner' Sequel

2011-11-05T01:16:00.000-07:00

Source: WSJ Speakeasy

by Alex Billington

It was officially announced just a few months ago that after finishing his sci-fi Prometheus, director Ridley Scott would be returning to his roots once again to direct another new Blade Runner movie. We followed that up with a brief update from the producers on what it might be about, but now we've got some additional confirmation and a brief update from Ridley Scott, courtesy of an interview on the WSJ's Speakeasy blog. He's definitely direct and says "I think I'm close to finding a writer that might be able to help me deliver... we're quite a long way in, actually." Beyond that, he also mentions that it's "liable to be a sequel." Read on!

The new Blade Runner project is being developed by Alcon Entertainment, where they said that it will be a "wholly original" idea from Ridley. Details were a little hazy back then, which is why it's great to have confirmation from Ridley Scott himself, and a hint that it might be more of a sequel than a prequel, since it could really go ether way. Scott also confirms that this new one won't have Rick Deckard in it, Harrison Ford's character, or anyone from the original 1982 film. Speaking of, Ridley comments on how the original was "unpopular" because it "didn't offer a romantic view of the future", with his own theory. Scott says:

"That's why I think I was so unpopular" when the film was released, Scott says, because at the core of the film is a story about mortality. "Even though people think it's a cool Philip Marlowe film with Deckard played by Harrison Ford," he says, "the film is very much about humanity."

I'm very intrigued to see what he has on his mind for this new sequel if it might be, again, about mortality and humanity. So far I honestly think this project is off to a great start and in very good hands - those mostly being Ridley's. But, as the producers said when the news came out originally, "We want people to know that we're very serious about doing this in an artistic way.

Benicio Del Toro Might Play the Villain in Abrams' 'Star Trek' Sequel!

2011-11-05T01:05:00.000-07:00

Source: Variety

by Alex Billington

Whoa - some big casting news out of left field today. Variety is reporting that J.J. Abrams is looking at casting Benicio Del Toro as a mysterious, currently unnamed, villain in the upcoming Star Trek sequel, which will start shooting in January. Unfortunately, they don't know what role he's playing, and neither does Del Toro apparently, as they say "Del Toro has met with Abrams but doesn't [even] know what the role is, in order to keep in a secret." But he's expected to receive the offer by the end of the weekend, let's hope he takes it, cause this would be awesome to see, whoever/whatever he'll be in this highly anticipated sequel.

Star Trek 2, which doesn't really have an official title yet, reteams director J.J. Abrams with writers Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci and Damon Lindelof penning the script. Most of the Enterprise crew from the first one are returning in their roles, but obviously we should expect some new faces. Speculation runs rampant on who Benicio Del Toro could be playing, from some Klingon (which I could see) to Khan to a brand new character like Nero, only time will tell. This is obviously early news to report, but I think it would be badass to see if he accepts the role and goes all out for it.

Craig, Bardem star in new Bond thriller 'Skyfall'

2011-11-04T00:29:00.000-07:00

Associated Press
LONDON (AP) — Ah, Mr. Bond, we've been waiting for you — and at last 007 is back, several years after his last screen adventure.

Producers announced Thursday that filming has begun on "Skyfall," the delayed 23rd film in the series and Daniel Craig's third outing as the suave British superspy.

Craig, who has brought a hard edge to his portrayal, told reporters that the movie, directed by Sam Mendes and shot in London, Scotland, Turkey and China, would be "Bond with a capital B."

Craig said he was "tremendously excited" to be stepping back into the role for the first time since 2008's "Quantum of Solace."

Work on the film was postponed, and Bond's future looked uncertain, when studio MGM filed for bankruptcy in 2010. But MGM's new management and EON Productions announced earlier this year that the spy would live to fight another day.

Craig will be joined by Spanish star Javier Bardem as Bond's nemisis, while British actors Albert Finney, Ralph Fiennes and Ben Whishaw will play as-yet-undisclosed roles.

Judi Dench returns as spy chief M and the film introduces two new Bond girls — English actress Naomie Harris as a field agent named Eve and French performer Berenice Marlohe as "a glamorous, enigmatic character" named Severine.

"There's lots of surprises," said Mendes, who won an Academy Award for his 1999 film "American Beauty."

"I think this has all the elements of a classic Bond movie, including — to quell any rumors — a lot of action," Mendes said.

Some have questioned the choice of Mendes, best known for his stage work and emotionally intense dramas like "Revolutionary Road" and "The Road to Perdition."

But he and the producers said they did not plan to take the series in a radically new direction.

Producer Michael G. Wilson said the series had "started down a path" with Craig's first appearance as a gruff, muscular Bond in "Casino Royale" in 2006.

"And we're sticking to that path," Wilson said. "An interesting story, well written, with a great cast and plenty of action."

Mendes said action movies were "a world that's new to me, and I've embraced it."

"The action needs to coexist with the drama, and that's the balance we've got to strike," he said.

Filming will take place in London's government district of Whitehall, at Pinewood Studios outside the British capital and on location in Istanbul, Shanghai and the Scottish wilderness.

Early reports that the film would shoot in India and South Africa have not materialized, but the producers insisted they had not trimmed Bond's budget since "Quantum of Solace," which was widely reported to have cost roughly $200 million.

"It is in the same range as the last one," Wilson said. "We haven't had to change anything in the script to get what we want."

Cast members said they had been training hard for their roles — Craig, it seems, by growing the designer stubble he sported at Thursday's press conference.

Bardem joked that the hardest part for him was "learning the English vowels." Harris said she had been doing yoga, learning stunt driving and firing machine guns, "which I've discovered I have a real taste for."

Producers Wilson and Barbara Broccoli — old hands at building suspense around the movies — kept many details under wraps.

Of the plot, they revealed only that "Bond's loyalty to M is tested as her past comes back to haunt her" and MI6 comes under attack.

As for the meaning of the title, Broccoli said it "has some emotional resonance which will be revealed in the film."

Broccoli said the producers hoped Mendes would sign up for a second film, and "definitely" wanted Craig to return as Bond.

"Skyfall" is due to be released on Oct 26, 2012 in Britain and Nov. 9 in the United States, 50 years since the release of the first 007 film, "Dr. No."

There will be no change to one part of the series' winning formula — attractive women and hunky men. Asked whether Craig and Bardem would take their shirts off, Broccoli sought to reassure fans.

"Damn right," she said.

"If Barbara gets her way," Wilson added, "it'll be more than just their shirts."

Kim Kardashian: Intuition led to divorce decision

2011-11-04T00:20:00.000-07:00

Associated Press

SYDNEY (AP) — A grim-looking Kim Kardashian said "intuition" led her to end her 72-day-old marriage, insisting in an Australian television interview on Thursday there was no "right or wrong" way to handle the situation.

The hosts of Australia's "Sunrise" program grilled the 31-year-old reality TV star on how hard she worked to save her brief marriage to pro basketball player Kris Humphries, asking whether she had sought counseling before filing for divorce.

"I think when you know so deep in your heart that you just have to listen to your intuition, and follow your heart," Kardashian replied. "There's no right or wrong thing to do."

Kardashian, who is in Australia with her sister Khloe to promote a line of handbags, has faced withering criticism since she filed for divorce from Humphries on Monday after just 10 weeks of marriage. Her lavish, black-tie wedding was featured in a two-part, four-hour special on the American entertainment network E!, and critics have called it a greedy, moneymaking publicity stunt that garnered her millions of dollars. E! executives denied they orchestrated the nuptials.

"I think what really just, I think, upsets me most is that there has been from the start so many rumors of money and dollar signs ... and so much of it not being true," Kardashian said.

But when pressed to more directly address the accusations that the marriage was a sham, the stony-faced star replied: "I think that's all I'm really going to say about the situation right now, and just kind of focus on why we're here in Australia."

She and Khloe then quickly steered the conversation to their "Kardashian Kollection" handbags.

In a separate interview on Australia's Channel 10, Kardashian insisted she "married for love."

"Anyone that would get married for a TV show — it's just, you know, ridiculous," she said. "And it's just sad that I even have to defend that."

She also said she has not decided what to do with her 20.5-carat engagement ring, or with the gifts she received from her $172,000 wedding registry.

Kardashian rose to fame after a sex tape featuring her and a former boyfriend went public. She parlayed her notoriety into modeling gigs, a lucrative reality TV empire and fashion and beauty lines.

Review: Third 'Harold & Kumar' a familiar trip

2011-11-04T00:16:00.000-07:00

Associated Press
Pot smoke, mounds of coke and little, bitty Ecstasy pills. Urine, feces and semen. Topless nuns, stoned kids and a bloody Santa Claus. And of course, a singing and dancing Neil Patrick Harris.

These are among the many things that get thrown at the wall — sometimes literally — in "A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas." Very few of them stick. This third film in the "Harold & Kumar" franchise is inordinately jacked up with visual effects and peppy holiday music, but nothing can disguise the fact that this series has run out of steam, that the film's stars have outgrown the roles that made them famous.

Even references to the celebrity they've achieved outside these movies — that John Cho played Sulu in J.J. Abrams' "Star Trek" and Kal Penn worked for President Obama's administration in the White House Office of Public Engagement — feel too cute. And as is so often the case, they're just not all that funny. Much of the humor comes from the same tired, repetitive stoner shtick. The main difference is that when someone takes a long hit off a bong (or joint or pipe), the smoke comes wafting toward you from the screen.

Yes, the use of 3-D is super gimmicky, but hey, at least director Todd Strauss-Schulson is consistent in staying with it the whole way through in making his first feature. Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg, who wrote the 2004 cult hit "Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle" and wrote and directed the 2008 sequel "Harold & Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay," are credited with the screenplay, but very little of the original daring and verve remains.

By this point, Cho's Harold and Penn's Kumar have grown apart. Harold is a Wall Street big shot (with the obligatory protestors chanting outside his window) living a comfortable suburban life and trying to have a baby with his wife, Maria (Paula Garces). Kumar, meanwhile, remains disheveled and stoned all day in his rundown apartment, having been kicked out of medical school for failing a drug test.

A convoluted set of circumstances involving deflowering a virgin, finding the perfect Christmas tree and outsmarting Ukrainian mobsters creates the opportunity for these two old friends to reconcile. They also get a chance to reunite with Harris, who revisits the role that helped reinvigorate his career: a fictionalized, drugged-up, hyper-sexualized (and voraciously straight) version of himself. Harris smoothly rides a fine line between smiling, preening TV star and scheming, predatory fiend. When he's on screen, there's an exciting and even dangerous air about the movie that's missing elsewhere, with the raunchiness of the R-rated comedy now seeming so pervasive and tame.

A couple of other elements to point out in this hodgepodge of cinematic styles and silly subplots: a Claymation sequence when the pals go on a bad drug trip that's darkly paranoid and good for a few laughs; and the Wafflebot, a talking droid that serves fresh waffles and loyally follows its owner. You don't have to have the munchies to enjoy it, but being under the influence of something might make the film a lot more effective.

"A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas," a Warner Bros. release, is rated R for strong crude and sexual content, graphic nudity, pervasive language, drug use and some violence. Running time: 90 minutes. One and a half stars out of four.

Jennifer Lopez To Produce And Possibly Star In Where In The World Is Carmen Sandiego?

2011-11-04T00:09:00.000-07:00

cinemablend.com
Carmen Sandiego, who started as a educational computer game character before being featured in a game show and an animated series is getting the big screen treatment, courtesy of Walden Media and Jennifer Lopez. According to Deadline, has purchased the rights to the title and while she is only attached as a producer at this point, Jennifer Lopez is expected to star as the red-coated criminal. Going with the title Where In The World Is Carmen Sandiego, the plot is described as National Treasure meets The Thomas Crowne Affair. It centers on Sandiego's former partner at the ACME decective agency who searches around for the mysterious woman, who has become the world's greatest thief. But as he gets closer to solving the mystery of Sandiego's whereabouts, he begins to question whether she is a villain or a hero.

Honestly, the most surprising part of this story is that Carmen Sandiego is still being used as a teaching tool in half of the country's elementary schools. That title resonates with the 90s so much for me that I figured every single copy of the game fell off the face of the Earth on January 1, 2000. I, however, was not joking about Rockapella. Whoever ends up directing this movie needs to have them perform the score. The biggest bummer is that Lynne Thigpen, who played The Chief on the PBS show, died in 2003. Even sadder is that they'll probably try and get someone like Queen Latifah to take her place, but let's be real: that won't work at all.

Kristen Stewart's Breaking Dawn Sex Scene: Why It Was Reshot

2011-11-04T00:05:00.000-07:00

people.com

By Dahvi Shira
Kristen Stewart has said herself that shooting the sex scene for Breaking Dawn – Part 1 with Robert Pattinson didn't feel like "a scene within a Twilight film" – and now, the anticipated movie's director explains why.

"[There are MPAA] guidelines on thrusting intercourse," Bill Condon told Celebuzz of the original scene shot for the PG-13 film. "[Kristen] got very into it."

Not only is the Twilight series teen-intended, but the scene itself, "was so much more about romance than it was about hot-and-heavy action," Condon told MTV.com – so, taking out the part that would give it an 'R' rating "was a very kind of simple adjustment to make."

The Summit series's big three – Robert Pattinson, 25, Taylor Lautner, 19, and Stewart, 21 – spent Thursday morning in Hollywood, where they were honored at Grauman's Chinese Theatre with a hand and footprint ceremony.

Accompanied by everyone's parents, along with Stephenie Meyer and Jimmy Kimmel, the trio signed autographs, posed for personal pictures and greeted their screaming fans. But not before sticking their hands and feet into wet, black cement.

"This is so crazy for us," Stewart told the crowd. "I've been so enamored by this business, Hollywood. I think this is the coolest thing I've done in my life. I've grown up thinking that. I just love this business. This is insane that I'm doing this."

Calling the whole experience "ridiculous and amazing," Pattinson thanked the fans, acknowledging them for "driving this franchise forward."

Secrecy surrounds new James Bond movie "Skyfall"

2011-11-04T00:01:00.000-07:00

Reuters
LONDON (Reuters) - Daniel Craig will be back dodging bullets and vanquishing villains from China to Turkey in the 23rd installment of the James Bond film franchise, but the stars and director of "Skyfall" are keeping the who, what and how under wraps for now.

As previously announced, Oscar-winning director Sam Mendes directs his first Bond adventure, which celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2012 when Skyfall is released.

One of the few details Mendes revealed to more than 100 reporters from around the world at the film's London press launch were his cast and the locations of the blockbuster, which starts production on Monday.

Bond regulars Craig and Judi Dench, as his stern spymaster M, return to their roles, Spanish actor Javier Bardem plays the villain and French actress Berenice Marlohe and Britain's Naomie Harris are Bond girls.

All five were at the press briefing, where they were joined by Bond producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael Wilson.

In addition, Mendes said the latest installment in one of cinema's longest and most successful film franchises will feature Ben Whishaw "who will be playing a part I can't tell you about in scenes I can tell you nothing about.

"And Albert Finney, who will also be playing a part I can tell you nothing about in scenes that I can't really tell you about and Ralph Fiennes, who, similarly, I can give you very little information about."

Asked whether he had not named all of the characters the leading actors would be playing because Bond fans might recognize them, the "American Beauty" director replied: "They might do. On the other hand they might not."

What producers have confirmed is that Skyfall will take Bond on another action-packed mission to London, Shanghai, Istanbul and Scotland.

A press release gave a brief plot outline, saying Bond's loyalty to M is tested "as her past comes back to haunt her.

"As MI6 (British intelligence) comes under attack, 007 must track down and destroy the threat, no matter how personal the cost."

NO "AUSTERITY" BOND

Mendes and his producers sought to reassure fans that tough economic conditions in the real world would not make the fictional exploits of the suave superspy any less spectacular.

"It, I think, has all the elements of a classic Bond movie, including, to quell any rumors, a lot of action," Mendes said.

Wilson added: "I think it's in the same (cost) range as the last film and we really haven't had to change anything in the script. We haven't had to sacrifice anything."

The 22nd Bond movie, "Quantum of Solace," cost an estimated $200 million to produce, more than the previous installment and Craig's Bond debut "Casino Royale," which cost a reported $150 million.

Any extra outlay did not translate into higher ticket sales, however, with Casino Royale earning $594 million at the global box office and Quantum of Solace $586 million, according to website www.boxofficemojo.com.

Sony Pictures, part of Sony Corp, will distribute Skyfall, which is set to hit British theaters on October 26, 2012 and U.S. cinemas on November 9 after a studio bankruptcy put production on hold for months and the last movie earned mixed reviews.

Next year is the 50th anniversary of the series, which began in 1962 with Sean Connery -- breathing life into the character created by former intelligence officer and novelist Ian Fleming -- on Her Majesty's secret service in "Dr. No."

Debt-laden Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc, known for its roaring lion logo and behind some of Hollywood's most fabled films including "The Wizard of Oz," filed for bankruptcy in November last year.

But two months later it confirmed Bond 23 would hit theatres in November, 2012, and in April MGM and Sony announced they would co-finance and distribute the next two Bond movies.

Craig's first appearance as Bond in 2006 was hailed as a refreshing change in direction toward a tougher, more serious 007, and reviews were overwhelmingly positive.

Quantum of Solace fared less well with the critics, although positive reviews still outweighed the negative and both films were commercially successful.

When Craig was asked if he would continue in one of cinema's most recognizable roles for a few more years, Broccoli interjected and said: "Yes, definitely."

Police: Bieber sexual tryst may be investigated

2011-11-03T23:42:00.000-07:00

Associated Press
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A Los Angeles police commander says his department could investigate an alleged sexual tryst between an underage Justin Bieber and a now 20-year-old woman because it violates California's statutory rape law.

Cmdr. Andrew Smith said Thursday that no report has been taken about the October 2010 incident at Staples Center. However, police could look into the matter after various media outlets reported Mariah Yeater filed a paternity suit earlier this week against Bieber.

Yeater had just turned 19 when she says she and Bieber, then 16, had a sexual encounter after one of his concerts. Bieber's camp denies he is the father of her baby boy, born in July.

California law states anyone who has unlawful sex with a minor and not more than three years older is guilty of a misdemeanor, which carries up to a one-year jail sentence.

Scarlett Johansson says "nothing wrong" with nude photos

2011-11-03T23:24:00.000-07:00

Reuters
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Actress Scarlett Johansson has addressed her nude photo scandal from earlier this year, saying there was nothing wrong with her taking the photos, in an interview with Vanity Fair on Tuesday.

"I know my best angles," said Johansson. "They were sent to my husband," referring to her now ex-husband, Canadian actor Ryan Reynolds.

"There's nothing wrong with that. It's not like I was shooting a porno. Although there's nothing wrong with that either," added "The Avengers" actress.

Johansson fell victim to leaked nude photos in September, after a hacker infiltrated her private email account.

The photos show the 26 year-old actress in a towel with an exposed backside, while another shows her topless. They were posted on several celebrity gossip websites.

The hacker, Christopher Chaney from Florida, was arrested in October and charged with 26 counts of cyber-related crime, including leaking private photos from Johansson and other actresses including Mila Kunis and Vanessa Hudgens.

Johansson, who usually is reluctant to speak about her private life, also touched on her divorce from Reynolds, 35, earlier this year after two years or marriage.

"I didn't really know what to do with myself. It was such a strange time. There was nothing that was interesting to me. I had a very public separation. It was difficult. I felt very uncomfortable," said the actress.

The "Lost in Translation" star will next be seen alongside Matt Damon in the Christmas-themed movie "We Bought A Zoo."

The full interview will be in the December issue of Vanity Fair, available on newsstands in New York and Los Angeles on Nov 3, and nationwide on Nov 9.

Judge orders 30 days in jail for Lindsay Lohan

2011-11-03T23:21:00.000-07:00

Reuters
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A judge on Wednesday sentenced Lindsay Lohan to 30 days in jail for violating probation and ordered the troubled actress to perform a strict schedule of community service and psychological counseling.

The "Mean Girls" actress must report to jail on November 9 and will not be eligible for house arrest or early release, unless required by law. With overcrowding in Los Angeles jails, the sheriff could order Lohan's release after just a few days.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Stephanie Sautner sentenced Lohan to a total 300 days, but stayed the remaining 270 depending on how well the actress performs community service. After jail, Lohan must begin a five-month routine of work performing cleaning and other tasks at the Los Angeles county morgue, as well as regularly attending counseling.

"(This) sentence is known as 'putting the keys to the jail in the defendant's hands,'" Sautner told Lohan, because the ultimate responsibility for staying out of a jail cell depends entirely on Lohan's actions.

Lohan, 25, dressed demurely in a blue-and-white polka dot dress and answered "yes" to the judge's questions on whether she understood the sentence. At various times she appeared on the verge of tears. She left the courtroom without comment, and her spokesman said there would be no statement.

Lohan rose to fame as a likable child star of Disney movies such as "The Parent Trap," but has been in and out of trouble -- spending time in rehab and in jail -- since 2007 when she was convicted on a drunk driving and drug possession charges.

Earlier this year, she was convicted of stealing a gold necklace from a jewelry story. At that time, judge Sautner sentenced her to 480 hours community service at a Los Angeles women's detention center and at the county morgue.

Two weeks ago, Judge Sautner revoked her probation because Lohan failed to adequately perform the service at the women's center and repeatedly missed court-ordered psychotherapy sessions. Judge Sautner angrily admonished Lohan and characterized her actions as having "blown off" her sentence.

In court on Wednesday, prosecutors said Lohan had canceled 12 of her 20 scheduled sessions at the women's center and missed 14 of 19 scheduled psychotherapy appointments.

Judge Sautner asked Lohan if she admitted to violating her probation by missing the appointments, and the actress answered "yes, your honor."

The judge then reinstated probation and changed Lohan's sentence. If all goes according to plan, Lohan's community service would end by March 29, 2012, and she would serve out the remaining days of her sentence under her own supervision.

Kristen Stewart 'Would Love' To Make 'Snow White' A Franchise

2011-11-03T20:19:00.000-07:00

Source:MTv
"Breaking Dawn" won't fully finish the "Twilight" saga until part two arrives in theaters next fall. But even before Kristen Stewart puts Bella Swan behind her, she'll be stepping into another iconic character's shoes — or armor, as it were.

Stewart is the star of "Snow White and the Huntsman," director Rupert Sanders' take on the classic fairy tale about the fairest maiden of them all. But don't call this Snow White a maiden — in Sanders' vision, Stewart's Snow is a sword-wielding, armor-clad warrior training under the tutelage of the titular huntsman, played by "Thor" star Chris Hemsworth. Those involved with "Huntsman" have already drawn comparisons to "Lord of the Rings," and it's not just because of their similarities in style… if all goes well, "Snow White" could launch a brand new franchise for Stewart.
But having already participated in five "Twilight" films, some of the most hotly watched movies in recent memory, is Stewart really ready for another franchise? We put that question to the star during "MTV First: 'Breaking Dawn – Part 1'" — our exclusive sit-down with "Twilight" stars Stewart, Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner — and she explained why she's more than happy to continue on with the "Snow White" brand.

"To be totally candid and honest with you, when I first signed on to this thing, the idea of doing another franchise was like, 'Whoa. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it,'" she told MTV News, speaking of her reluctance to accept another franchise so soon after "Twilight" was behind her. "It was something that was so far outside my realm of thinking. I was so focused on the first one, that I was like, 'Yeah, maybe. Maybe.'"

Something changed along the way, however. Now, Stewart is whistling a very different tune, and is more than a little bit pleased with her work on "Huntsman."

"Now I've got stars in my eyes," she said. "I'm literally over the moon about what I'm doing right now. I can't imagine that I would say ['no']. Yes, I would love to."

Dirty Dancing Remake Gets A Release Date From Lionsgate

2011-11-03T20:12:00.000-07:00

cinemablend.com
Get ready to have the time of your life all over again on July 26, 2013. That, according to a Tweet, is when Lionsgate plans to release its Dirty Dancing remake. You have until then to get Baby out of the corner.

How will it do? That depends. Craig Brewer treated the original Footloose, a similar pop-music-infused time-capsule treasure from the 1980s, with reverence, and was rewarded with nearly $40 million in domestic ticket sales. But Dancing’s success depends on so many factors, starting with director. Can you get a Kenny Ortega, or even a Brewer? Should you think outside of the box, like Paramount did with Footloose?

And who do you cast? Rumors swirled that Footloose star Kenny Wormald was circling the part of Johnny, made famous by the late Patrick Swayze. It’s a thankless job, as anyone who lands in the gig will be compared (unfavorably) to Swayze. But Wormald took the Bacon criticisms in stride, then proved to everyone he can act AND dance.

The next step will be securing the music. As Brewer repeatedly said, it isn’t Footloose without "Let’s Hear It For the Boy," and the same goes for Dancing. The story’s timeless, but you better have some version of "(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life" in there. Same goes for "She’s Like the Wind," though in a classy move, I vote they keep Swayze’s version as a tribute.

Whatever. Just so long as we don’t get a remake of Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights 10 years from now, I’m cool with all of this.

Box Office Slows in October

2011-11-02T21:31:00.000-07:00

boxofficemojo.com
After a record-breaking September, the box office cooled off significantly in a disappointing October. Overall grosses were down around 12 percent to $605 million, which makes it the worst October since 2006 ($522.6 million). With roughly 76 million tickets sold, it is also about tied with October 2007 for lowest estimated monthly attendance since 1996. Through the end of October, yearly box office is off roughly 4.1 percent to $8.44 billion.

The top movie in October 2011 was Paranormal Activity 3 with $83.5 million through just 11 days in theaters. That's nearly 25 percent ahead of its predecessor through the same point, making it one of the success stories of the month. It should ultimately be the only Fall 2011 release to pass $100 million.

Real Steel took second with a solid $74.3 million, while September release Dolphin Tale claimed third with $40.5 million. Footloose shimmied its way in to fourth with $38.9 million, and Moneyball rounded out the Top Five with $37.9 million. Puss in Boots wasn't far behind with $36.2 million through just four days in theaters, though that gross was on the very low end for DreamWorks Animation fare.

As is to be expected, October generated a handful of major disappointments. The Thing remake/prequel scared up a meager $16.2 million, and has all but disappeared from theaters after just two and a half weeks. Foreign hits The Three Musketeers and Johnny English Reborn also bombed with $15.2 million and $6.6 million, respectively, though the month's biggest failure was easily The Big Year. The comedy, which stars Steve Martin, Owen Wilson and Jack Black, generated a nearly non-existent $6.85 million in ticket sales through 18 days in theaters.

3D once again didn't have much of an effect on the box office. The Three Musketeers and Puss in Boots were the only new entries in the format, and total 3D ticket sales accounted for at most $50 million (or roughly 8 percent of grosses).

Through October, box office is off roughly $360 million, or 4.1 percent, from the same period in 2010. For the year to end up breaking even, from here on out box office needs to be up an average of 20 percent year-over-year. Considering the biggest monthly improvement in 2011 was a 15 percent bump in May, that's going to be difficult to accomplish. Still, with a plethora of high-profile sequels like The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn (Part One), Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows and Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked and hotly anticipated "original" fare like The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and The Adventures of Tintin, it's too early to officially rule anything out.

Around-the-World Roundup: 'Tintin' Animates Overseas Box Office

2011-11-01T21:36:00.000-07:00

boxofficemojo.com
A full two months ahead of its U.S. opening, The Adventures of Tintin debuted across much of Europe and easily took the top spot at the foreign box office this weekend. Tintin wasn't the only movie impressing in its overseas opening: Bollywood movie RA One set a new weekend record in India, while Puss in Boots had a monster debut in Russia.

Steven Spielberg's Tintin opened to $56.1 million in 19 territories, though over half of that came from France and the United Kingdom. In France, where the Tintin comic books are essential reading for children, the movie earned a whopping $21.9 million through its first five days. That's the top opening ever for a non-sequel in France. Its $10.4 million debut in the U.K. wasn't as astonishing, though it's still a very strong start there. It also impressed in author Herge's native Belgium, where it earned $2.2 million.

Across other major European markets, the movie tallied solid numbers in Spain ($6.6 million) and Germany ($4.6 million) though it was unremarkable in Italy ($1.3 million). Next weekend, Tintin expands in to Russia and a handful of smaller Eastern European and Middle Eastern territories.

Superhero movie RA One, featuring Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, debuted to $33.4 million overseas. The majority of that came in India, where it set the new opening weekend record with $28.3 million. It also set the Diwali record when it opened on the holiday, which fell on Wednesday, October 26 this year.

Puss in Boots snatched up $17.2 million from just three markets, though most of that was from an enormous $15.1 million debut in Russia. Distributor Paramount Pictures International is reporting that it's a record for an original animated movie, though it's debatable if a prequel/spin-off technically qualifies as "original."

Last weekend's winner Paranormal Activity 3 dipped to fourth place with an estimated $16.6 million from 48 markets. Its top holdover was the U.K. with $3 million followed by France with $2 million, and its set to expand in to Japan and Germany this coming weekend. Through two weekends in theaters, the found footage horror three-quel has grossed $54.1 million.

While In Time only wound up with middling results domestically this weekend, it had a solid $15.4 million launch in 34 overseas territories. Its highest-grossing market was Russia with $5 million, and it opened in first place in Australia with $2.6 million. Other major markets included South Korea ($1.7 million) and Taiwan ($1.1 million), though the overwhelming majority of its markets were smaller ones. The Justin Timberlake-Amanda Seyfried sci-fi thriller expands in to the U.K., Brazil, Mexico and India this weekend.

Real Steel added another $12.2 million from 34 markets to bring its foreign total to a very respectable $108 million. Its top territory was France, where it dipped just 15 percent to $2.3 million, and it also earned another $1 million in Brazil. The movie has now made over $182 million worldwide, and with an opening in Germany this weekend it's poised to join the $200 million club in the near future.

While it's quickly disappearing from the domestic box office, Johnny English Reborn extended its impressive overseas run this weekend with a $12.1 million haul. That brings its total to $123.9 million, and it should pass the first Johnny English's $132.5 million total sometime next weekend.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes had its last major opening, and it was a big one: the prequel debuted to $9 million in China for an overall weekend gross of $10.4 million. On a worldwide basis, Apes has now made an outstanding $453 million.

Contagion added $8.5 million for a foreign total of $36 million. It held particularly well in the U.K., where it dipped a light 28 percent to $1.7 million.

Weekend Report: 'Puss' Purrs Softly

2011-10-31T23:48:00.000-07:00

boxofficemojo.com
With over $34 million, Puss in Boots scored the top Halloween weekend ever, though it was notably lower than nearly all other DreamWorks Animation titles. Justin Timberlake and Johnny Depp also underwhelmed, though Timberlake's In Time drastically outperformed Depp's The Rum Diary. Even with all three titles missing the mark to various degrees, overall box office was up around 10 percent from the same frame last year when Saw 3D let with $22.5 million.

Puss in Boots's debut was the lowest for a DreamWorks Animation movie since 2006's Flushed Away, though that was a co-production with Aardman Animation. It's also less than half of Puss's last big screen appearance, Shrek Forever After, which opened to $70.8 million last May. It did at least manage to barely top Saw III ($33.6 million) for top Halloween weekend opening ever.

According to distributor Paramount Pictures, the audience was 59 percent female and 55 percent 25 years and older. Additionally, 35 percent of the audience was Hispanic. 3D presentations at 2,827 locations accounted for 51 percent of grosses, while IMAX screenings at 268 venues contributed 7 percent. The movie received an "A-" CinemaScore and should hold up well without any direct family competition over the next three weeks, though reaching Megamind's $148.4 million total will be tough.

Paranormal Activity 3 plummeted 66 percent to $18.1 million for its second weekend. That's worse than Paranormal Activity 2's 59 percent decline, and that had to contend with the opening of Saw 3D. Still, with a 10-day total of $80.9 million, Paranormal Activity 3 will exceed its predecessor's $84.8 million total sometime this week.

In Time debuted in third place with $12.05 million from 3,155 theaters. That's lower than star Justin Timberlake's Friends with Benefits ($18.6 million) and comparable sci-fi movies like Source Code ($14.8 million) and Surrogates ($14.9 million). It did at least manage to open higher than Repo Men ($6.1 million) and Babylon A.D. ($9.5 million).

After a great hold last weekend, Footloose fell a steeper 47 percent to $5.5 million in its third frame. The remake has now grossed a solid $38.5 million.

Even with an active promotional push from star Johnny Depp, The Rum Diary stumbled in to fifth place with just $5.1 million from 2,273 theaters. That's a fraction of Depp's The Tourist ($16.4 million), and it's actually the worst start ever for a Depp movie opening at over 2,000 locations.

Johnny Depp's 'Rum Diary' Tanks at Box Office: What Went Wrong

2011-10-30T20:34:00.000-07:00

hollywoodreporter.com
Moviegoers, who love Johnny Depp when he sashays on screen as Captain Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, stayed away en masse from his newest film The Rum Diary, in which he plays a fictionalized version of gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson.

Thompson may be just as colorful as Sparrow – the late journalist, who died in 2005, was famous for his intake of booze and drugs – but Depp’s newest movie, inspired by one of Thompson’s books, might as well have ended up in the drunk tank.

Opening this weekend in 2,272 theaters, the R-rated movie grossed just $5 million, ranking fifth for the weekend and earning just $2,205 per location.

A huge international star, Depp can claim three movies among the top-ten worldwide grossers of all time: 2006’s Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, which ranks sixth with $1.07 billion; this year’s Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, which is eighth with $1.04 billion; and Alice in Wonderland, which is ninth with $1.02 billion. Even Depp’s less successful movies have done far more business than Rum Diary. Last year’s The Tourist, in which he costarred with Angelina Jolie, opened to $16.5 million and went on to gross $67.7 million domestically and $278.3 million worldwide, while the animated movie Rango, in which he voiced the title character, opened to $38.1 million in North America and took in $242.6 million worldwide earlier this year.

Rum Diary is Depp’s worst stumble at the box office since the arty fantasy movie The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, which grossed just $7.7 million in the U.S. in 2009, although unlike Rum Diary, it never played in more than 607 theaters.

The movie has been a passion project for Depp, who struck up a deep friendship with the author, who he portrayed in the 1998 film Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, but like many other passion projects that Hollywood has witnessed, it bombed with audiences.

Based on a novel that Thompson wrote in the early ‘60s but didn’t published until 1998, the movie follows a journalist, played by Depp, who heads to Puerto Rico in the 1950s.

While there were several earlier and unsuccessful attempts to mount a film version, it wasn’t until Depp and his production company Infinitum Nihil joined forces with Graham King’s GK Films that the movie went into production, filming in Puerto Rico in 2009 with Bruce Robinson, whose 1997 film Withnail & I was a favorite of both Thompson and Depp’s, directing.

FilmDistrict, co-founded by King, took on distribution of Rum Diary, but held off its release until it could find a release date when Depp was free from commitments to his most recent Pirates movie as well as filming of the upcoming Dark Shadows, so he could go on the road to promote the movie.

In addition to a Vanity Fair cover, Depp went out on the road on behalf of the film, doing a college tour that saw him visit UC Berkeley, the University of Texas at Austin and Columbia University.

Depp's visit to Austin did hit one roadblock when a reporter for local ABC affiliate KVUE news claimed "no ABC affiliates were allowed to get an interview or video of Depp at the event because of a Disney contract revolving around his newest Pirates of the Caribbean film." Disney did not respond to THR's request for comment.

Despite his support, though, the movie attracted few buyers once it hit theaters.

Said FilmDistrict president of theatrical distribution president Bob Berney, "Probably at the end of the day the whole Hunter thing attracts more of a cult audience. While he and Johnny were best friends and the movie is a tribute to Hunter, Hunter is stilll a little too extreme for the mainstream." While the film played well in Manhattan and Los Angeles, the futher it went into the suburbs, the more it dropped off, Berney noted.

Moviegoers who did turn up turned thumbs down. Overall, CinemaScore polling gave Rum Diary a grade of C. Forty-four percent of the audience was over age 50 and they gave it a C-. Those under 18 were more enthusiastic, giving it a B, but the problem was they made up only two percent of the audience.

Reviews were mixed as well. Just 51 percent were rated positive on the Rotten Tomatoes web site. But the New York Times' A.O. Scott described that movie as "a mild lark disguised as a wild bender," called it "a touching tribute to Thompson."

Still, Berney predicted, Rum Diary could ultimately find an audience on home video, since that was the case with Fear and Loathing, which only grossed $10.7 million domestically in theaters but went on to attract fans on DVD.

Box Office Report: 'Puss in Boots' on Track for Halloween Record $36-$38 Mil

2011-10-30T05:07:00.000-07:00

hollywoodreporter.com
The 3D toon will post one of the lower openings for a DreamWorks Animation pic, but is banking on strong legs; Justin Timberlake-Amanda Seyfried's "In Time" doing so-so, while Johnny Depp's "The Rum Diary" all-out slumps.
DreamWorks Animation's Puss in Boots is dominating the Halloween box office with a Friday gross of $9 million to $9.5 million, putting the 3D toon on course for a record $36 million to $38 million weekend.
The current crownholder for best Halloween weekend opening is Lionsgate's Saw III, which grossed just north of $33 million in 2006.
It's almost unheard of for a family film to open over Halloween, but Paramount and DreamWorks Animation wanted to give Puss in Boots more breathing room before a deluge of Thanksgiving family titles open later in November. The downside, according to Paramount: Puss in Boots could forfeit business in its first weekend since kids could be otherwise occupied.
That puts pressure on Puss in Boots to have a strong hold next weekend, when it was originally supposed to open, the same frame that DreamWorks Animation's Megamind opened last year to $46 million. Going in Puss in Boots' favor is strong reviews.
Paramount also took the No. 2 spot on Friday with horror pic Paranormal Activity 3, which fell more than 70% on its second Friday to an estimated $7.9 million. The film, already earning nearly $70 million domestically, is on course for a $20 million weekend, and should enjoy a strong Monday because of Halloween.
Paranormal Activity 3 is besting Justin Timberlake-Amanday Seyfried's new sci-fi thriller In Time, which grossed a soft $4.9 million on Friday for a $12 million to $13 million weekend. Fox is distributing the $35 million pic, directed by Andrew Niccol, for partner New Regency, which fully financed the film.
The news was all-out glum for Johnny Depp starrer The Rum Diary, which took in less than $2 million on Friday for a projected weekend debut of $6 million or less. FilmDistrict is distributing the movie, which is based on Hunter S. Thompson's semi-autobiographical novel.