Pirates of the Caribbean Movie News from RopeofSilicon.com

2012 Oscar Predictions: Sound Mixing Contenders as the Cinema Audio Society Announces their Nominees

Two categories I have yet to predict in my Oscar predictions are Best Sound Editing and Sound Mixing, primarily because I've been waiting for the Cinema Audio Society (CAS) and Motion Picture Sound Editors (MPSE) to weigh in with their nominees. Today, the CAS delivered and I'm expecting the results from the MPSE today or tomorrow as we are now only a few days away from the Oscar nominations. As for the CAS noms, over the last five years there has been a pretty good track record of the nominees matching Oscar's nominees. From 2006-2009 the nominees matched four out of the five Oscar nominees. Last year, however, was a bit different as only two of the five nominees matched. This year, I'm aiming for four of the five nominees to match once again as my only difference is I have Transformers: Dark of the Moon in my top five over Moneyball. Just on the outskirts I have War Horse, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and The Artist. My pick to win at this point is Hugo, but I have Super 8 in a very close second. You can check out all of my predictions for Best Sound Mixing right here and check out the CAS motion picture nominees directly below and if you're interested in their television and other nominees you can visit their website right here.

Hanna
Production Mixer: Roland Winke
Re-recording Mixers: Christopher Scarabosio
Craig Berkey, CAS
Scoring Mixer: Andrew Dudman
Hugo
Production Mixer: John Midgley
Re-recording Mixer: Tom Fleischman, CAS
Scoring Mixer: Simon Rhodes
Moneyball
Production Mixer: Ed Novick
Re-recording Mixers: Deb Adair, CAS
Ron Bochar, CAS
David Giammarco
Scoring Mixer: Brad Haenel
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
Production Mixer: Lee Orloff, CAS
Re-recording Mixers: Paul Massey, CAS
Chris Boyes
Scoring Mixer: Alan Meyerson
Super 8
Production Mixer: Mark Ulano, CAS
Re-recording Mixers: Andy Nelson
Anna Behlmer
Scoring Mixer: Dan Wallin

This Week On DVD and Blu-ray: October 18, 2011

The Crow

I didn't know where to begin this week so I went with the one movie on the board I know I love, though I have not seen this Blu-ray presentation so I can't say first hand how good it is. The folks at Blu-ray.com seem to endorse it but, in all honesty, they seem to endorse almost anything.

I should mention, however, that most of the Miramax titles Lionsgate has released so far that I have seen have been excellent presentations so I have no reason to believe this one would be any different.

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

You may have already read Kevin's review where he wasn't too enamored with this flick, let alone interested in recommending the Blu-ray. As for me, I didn't even want to review it and had it sent to him. That should say enough about what I think, but if you need my thoughts on the film you can read my review from Cannes right here.

Kuroneko (The Criterion Collection)

I'm working on a full review for this one, but it's coming slowly. This was the first film from Kaneto Shindo that I'd seen (I've had Onibaba in my Netflix Instant queue forever) and while I enjoyed the atmospheric tension I'm having a hard time putting my complete feelings for the film into words. Until I publish the review I can say fans of the film, looking for a pristine release, look no further, Criterion has done their typical stellar job. Drenched in fog amidst the bamboo forest, this is a great looking presentation and the film benefits wholly. However, this isn't one I'd recommend on a blind buy, but more on that soon enough...

Red State

I have this Blu-ray here, but haven't found time to watch it yet. That said, I did notice it's on Netflix Instant so if you were debating whether you should buy it or not, if you're a Netflix subscriber you can try it before you buy it. Personally, I'm just waiting to be in the right mood to give it a spin.

A Better Life

I wrote up my thoughts on this one at the end of last month as Summit used the release of this film on DVD and Blu-ray as an opportunity to make it the first Oscar screener sent out to Academy members and critics orgs. It's a pretty good film, and as what is essentially a remake of Vittorio de Sica's 1948 Oscar-winning film Bicycle Thieves it works well, but I'm not sure it's a movie I will be rushing to return to.

Bad Teacher

I wasn't a fan of this flick. I hardly laughed and I don't find Cameron Diaz to be particularly funny.

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'Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides' Blu-ray Review

To call Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides more of the same might be underselling it, but it would still be mostly accurate. The plot features both new and returning characters searching for the Fountain of Youth and conveniently converging on one another, but if you're a fan of the franchise you know why you're watching this film and it's damn sure not for the plot. Pirates 4 does, however, feel like a decidedly smaller film than its predecessors. That's not entirely because it's the shortest film in the franchise either. And when I say this I mean it as a positive as I found myself overwhelmed by the sheer spectacle of the prior two films. To be honest, I don't see where the $250 million production budgets for those features was spent, unless Johnny Depp and Geoffrey Rush substantially upped their asking price. Rob Marshall replaces Gore Verbinski in the director's chair for this fourth offering and gives the film more of an old-school globetrotting adventure vibe, replacing the blue Jell-O, CG tidal waves and giant squids that dominated the previous sequels with some nicely choreographed fight sequences, not entirely unlike some of his musical numbers in Chicago and/or Nine. This is one instance where a directorial change injects some life into a tired franchise. Some of Marshall's new wrinkles include a gang of vampire mermaids who attack a raft like those pesky fish from Piranha while letting out piercing screams that conjure up memories of the Predator. Other welcome additions include Ian McShane as Blackbeard and Penelope Cruz as his daughter Angelica, whose mysterious history with Jack Sparrow throws a little romantic tension into the fire, filling that "love-story" void left open by Keira Knightley and Orlando Bloom's departure. The look of the film, on a whole, is very dark, especially for such a light-hearted adventure flick. This Blu-ray disc, however, is finally given an opportunity to show off its stuff when Jack and company leave the cellars of their ship and trudge through island greenery as they approach the Fountain. Speaking of the Fountain, it got to the point where I didn't care who got there first. Maybe it's because Captain Jack has grown a bit stale to me over the years, or maybe it's because I enjoyed what McShane brought to the evil Blackbeard character. I did, however, like how the film works as a stand-alone feature. You know, just in case you've forgotten the trilogy's plot details over the past four years, or, as was my case, immediately after you left the theater in the summer of 2007. When it comes to the home theater offerings, the film is available in about five different versions. I received the [amazon asin="B004A8ZWUQ" text="two-disc Blu-ray/DVD combo pack"], which has just a fraction of the extras you'd find on the [amazon asin="B0053Y7T1G" text="five-disc set"]. That said, I can't recommend any of them for purchase. While I enjoyed On Stranger Tides more than any Pirates film since the original, it still feels rather slight and something I can't imagine returning to. Rent it, and if you ever want to see it again I'm sure it will show up on cable hundreds of times before Captain Jack's next adventure hits the big screen.

Weekend Box-Office: 'Transformers 3' Scores $97.4 Million, Setting July 4th Weekend Record

We still don't have our first $100 million opening weekend earner, something I am sure Warner Bros. is happy about as Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 is virtually assured to become the first once it hits theaters in a couple weeks. But let's not look too far forward. Let's break this weekend down so we can get on with our extended July 4th weekend.

Laremy predicted the #1 movie correctly 9 Weeks In A Row

Transformers: Dark of the Moon

Well, Transformers: Dark of the Moon fell short of that $100 million mark in three days, a number it would have obviously hit had it not started screening Tuesday night, but that's the route Paramount chose. One thing they have going for them, though, is Dark of the Moon set the record for the largest three-day opening on July 4th weekend, besting Spider-Man 2's $88.1 million by a large margin.

The film now sits at $162.1 million domestically and $372 million worldwide. It is expected to end this long six-and-a-half day run around $181 million. For those wondering how this compares to Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, that film ended its first five days with $200 million and $215 million in its first six days. What will be interesting is to see how it holds over next weekend. Personally, I think it's a wildly entertaining film and one I actually hope to catch in IMAX 3D while I can since there is no way the experience of seeing it in the theater can be duplicated at home.

As far as predictions go, Laremy was a little high and hopeful, but a lot of the readers went considerably low, some around $75 million. Ron was the closest of the bunch with a $94.6 million prediction.

Result: $97.4 million
Laremy's rank: Laremy picked it to finish #1 and his prediction of $108.297 million was $10.897m off for a percentage error of 11.19%.

2. Cars 2

I know everyone is going to slam Pixar for making Cars 2 and with it they will point fingers at what is a massive second weekend drop (62%), but I still say it is a perfectly enjoyable film and somehow that's been lost in all the criticism that was generated before the film was ever released. Yes, it is now likely to be the first Pixar release since A Bug's Life in 1998 to not cross the $200 million mark, but that doesn't mean it's a bad film, just disappointing business wise. Am I making excuses? Yes, but only to the extent I felt is needed to combat the negativity... much of it by people I assume never even went to see it.

Result: $25.1 million
Laremy's rank: Laremy picked it to finish #2 with $37.036 million, which is $11.936m off for a 47.55% error.

3. Bad Teacher

A 55% drop for the comedy, which is a bit larger than I suspected when looking at Friday's numbers, but more along the lines of what I would have expected going into the weekend considering this wasn't a film I imagined would enjoy very good word of mouth. Yet, with a reported $20 million budget, the film has now grossed almost $60 million. I'm sure the Sony brass is happy with that and I have to wonder, will we get Bad Guidance Counselor in a year or so?

Result: $14.1 million
Laremy's rank: Laremy picked it to finish #3 with $14.537 million, which is $0.437m off for a 3.1% error.

4. Larry Crowne

The last time Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts teamed up was Charlie Wilson's War, a film that is easily much better than Larry Crowne, and yet, the $13 million earned this weekend from Crowne is $3.4 million than Charlie Wilson opened with back in 2007. However, I think both films didn't connect for different reasons, Crowne, I think, buried itself all on its own with trailers that just couldn't dupe audiences into theaters. This just isn't a good movie and sometimes a studio can't hide that as much as they wish they could.

As far as predictions go, Laremy undershot it a bit, but commenter Ron was on the money again, this time with a solid $12.9 million prediction.

Result: $13 million
Laremy's rank: Laremy picked it to finish #4 with $11 million, which is $2m off for a 15.38% error.

5. Monte Carlo

I have nothing really to say about this film. I know nothing about it so how can I comment? It did take a look at Selena Gomez's last film, Ramona and Beezus, which opened at $7.8 million, which tells me the exact same people went to see this one.

Result: $7.6 million
Laremy's rank: Laremy picked it to finish #8 with $6 million, which is $1.6m off for a 21.05% error.

6. Super 8

We mentioned this in the podcast on Friday (listen to that here) along with other box-office chatter, but Super 8 is now one of 15 of 2011's releases to cross the $100 million mark on a reported $50 million budget. Bridesmaids is the only film with a lower budget ($32.5 million) to cross the century mark.

Result: $7.5 million
Laremy's rank: Laremy picked it to finish #5 with $8.419 million, which is $0.919m off for a 12.25% error.

7. Green Lantern

Dropping 65% for the second weekend in a row, I still don't see how Warner Bros. can justify a sequel to this film at this point. Sure, it crossed the $100 million mark, but considering it cost $200 to make and another $100 million to market worldwide this is a rather large loss for the WB.

Result: $6.2 million
Laremy's rank: Laremy picked it to finish #6 with $7.571 million, which is $1.371m off for a 22.11% error.

8. Mr. Popper's Penguins

The fact this is still in the top ten just baffles me... I guess Americans like penguin poop, and lots of it, more than I will ever know.

Result: $5.1 million
Laremy's rank: Laremy picked it to finish #7 with $6.392 million, which is $1.292m off for a 25.33% error.

9. Bridesmaids

We mentioned this one in the podcast as well as Bridesmaids is now the highest grossing Judd Apatow produced or directed film ever. It is now over the $152 million mark and prior to that Knocked Up and Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby were both just over $148 million domestic releases.

Result: $3.5 million
Laremy's rank: Laremy picked it to finish #10 with $2.929 million, which is $0.571m off for a 16.31% error.

10. Midnight in Paris

I saw at least one person giving Laremy a hard time for including Woody Allen's latest in the top ten after it was edged out by Kung Fu Panda 2 last weekend, but it proved to a be a smart move as Midnight in Paris dipped only 17.6% from last weekend bringing the film's domestic total to $33.6 million. It managed to do this while losing 93 theaters from last weekend. Not too bad I'd say.

Result: $3.4 million
Laremy's rank: Laremy picked it to finish #9 with $3.336 million, which is $0.064m off for a 1.88% error.

In other box-office news, Pirates of the Caribben: On Stranger Tides is now the fourth film from Disney (third in the last 18 months) to cross the $1 billion mark globally alongside Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, Toy Story 3 and Alice in Wonderland. It is the eighth film ever to accomplish this feat, it crossed the $500 million mark in a record-setting 14 days and is Disney's biggest international release ever. Sounds to me like Captain Jack Sparrow will be sailing again, and soon if the Mouse House has anything to say about it.

Now we can look forward to next weekend... How much will Transformers 3 drop? How will it compare to next weekend's comedy releases Zookeeper and Horrible Bosses?

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No Name Podcast #6: Stupid is as Stupid Does... 'Larry Crowne,' 'Transformers 3' and then Some

It's Friday, which means it's time for our latest podcast, which still has no official name, but at this point I am beginning to not even care. As long as we're consistently making them I'm not sure it really matters, though by next week I guarantee we will have one.

As for this episode's topics of conversation, Laremy and I start with the news that Thor 2 has a screenwriter in place, which then somehow transitions into a conversation of how TV and movies should start working closer together such as the proposed TV series tie in with Ron Howard's potential adaptation of Stephen King's The Dark Tower. That takes us up to the 12:30 mark, which is when we talk about our negative feelings toward Tom Hanks' Larry Crowne (read my review here).

The Larry Crowne conversation lasts up until the 18:40 mark, which is when we begin our discussion on Transformers: Dark of the Moon (read my review here) and director Michael Bay. Now for this conversation you may want to also read what I consider to be one of the best movie-related articles I have ever read, GQ's "Blow-Up: An Oral History of Michael Bay, the Most Explosive Director of All Time". We bring up that piece in the conversation and it is an absolute must read. I have already bought the actual GQ issue just to make sure I always have a physical copy of that piece.

Finally, at the 31:54 mark we talk a little box-office pertaining to Transformers 3 as well as the fact Super 8 just crossed the $100 million mark and any potential it may have for an Oscar nomination, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides is about to cross the $1 billion mark worldwide and Bridesmaids just became Judd Apatow's highest grossing film as a producer or director.

This episode runs a tight 42 minutes so it may be one you actually want to download. I am putting together everything to get it added to iTunes, so that should be available very soon. Hope you enjoy this latest episode, and as always, let us know what you think in the comments and if you have any topics you'd like us to discuss next week let us know.

You can listen below or download the audio by right-clicking here and saving it to your computer.

You can find Laremy's writing here on RopeofSilicon.com and also at Film.com and on Twitter at @Laremy.

Friday Box Office: 'Hangover 2' Opens Huge as Does Malick's 'Tree of Life' in Limited Release

The Hangover Part II already ranks third among Thursday openers all-time. Only Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith ($50 million) and The Matrix Reloaded ($37.5 million) rank ahead of the $31.6 million the WB comedy pulled down two days ago. That number includes the $10.4 million the film made at midnight that day, which was the biggest of the year by more than double.

The film then continued its winning streak on Friday, dipping only 5%, bringing in an estimated $30 million, giving it over $61 million in just two days. Early predictions said it would make over $100 million for the five-day weekend, predictions then moved to $125 million, then $135 million and now $139 million. The Hangover Part II is certainly trending big, but it won't be big enough to break any Memorial Day weekend records which currently has Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End at the top with $139.8 million for the four-day weekend.

In all likelihood, The Hangover 2 will end up fourth on the Memorial Day weekend list, just ahead of The Lost World: Jurassic Park. And if you're wondering about the best three-day opening for an R-rated film it will be competing with The Matrix Reloaded's $91.7 million of which it has almost bitten off one-third, but is unlikely to catch.

As far as The Hangover 2's three-day prospects, that looks like we're talking around $85 million, which is almost $20 million more than Laremy predicted and will certainly be enough to take the weekend as well as best the record for an R-rated comedy, which is currently held by Sex and the City with $57 million.

In second place on Friday was the 3D animated sequel Kung Fu Panda 2 with $13.1 million and what will likely increase to $45 million as families take to the theaters. If audiences really fall for the Panda it might be able to become the Memorial Day record holder for an animated film, a record currently held by Madagascar at $61 million, but it is going to need some help and there is always that 3D asterisk helping it along the way.

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides is looking at a $37 million three-day after an estimated $10.8 on Friday, which would signal a 58.9% drop. However, Nikkie Finke at Deadline predicts it will perform some serious magic over the three-day and end at $42 million... and I thought I was being generous with $37m.

Bridesmaids continues to hold on strong with an estimated $4.6 million on Friday and will likely end the weekend with about $15 million for a 39% dip after last week's incredibly strong hold. The Hangover obviously takes a bit of its business, but the film should hit around $83 million by the end of the day on Sunday, and with a reported $32.5 million budget that is great news as you can still tack on international dollars to that number.

Woody Allen's Midnight in Paris added 52 theaters this weekend and has found its way into the top ten after a stellar showing in only six theaters last weekend. The film took in an estimated $476,000 on Friday and will likely take $1.5 million for the three-day giving it a $25,862 per theater average. Not too shabby eh? And with a lot of room to expand.

Lastly, Terrence Malick's The Tree of Life, which won the Palme d'Or last weekend at the Cannes Film Festival, is finally in theaters and it took an estimated $115,000 from only four theaters in New York and Los Angeles, a $28,750 per theater average for one day. It will likely end the three-day weekend around $400,000 for a massive $100,000 per theater average for the weekend giving Fox Searchlight good reason why it opened it where it knew people would line up to see it. You can click here to see when the film will be heading your way.

I have included the Friday top ten directly below and will be back tomorrow morning with a complete wrap up.

The Hangover Part II - $30 million
Kung Fu Panda 2 - $13.1 million
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides - $10.8 million
Bridesmaids - $4.6 million
Thor - $2.4 million
Fast Five - $1.7 million
Something Borrowed - $545,000
Priest - $500,000
Midnight in Paris - $476,000
Jumping the Broom - $475,000

Box-Office Oracle: 'Hangover 2' Over 'Kung Fu Panda 2'? R Rated Over Animated? Yessir!

NOTE: These predictions are for Friday through Sunday and not the long weekend.

You pick against animation at your peril, but the momentum for the new releases this weekend seems to be headed in the opposite direction. Tracking has The Hangover Part II winning, plus Kung Fu Panda 2 might be penalized for 3D. Let's break it down!

Laremy predicted the #1 movie correctly 3 Weeks In A Row

The Hangover Part II

Back in 2009 the opening weekends for The Hangover were $44m / $32m. I'm just predicting a much higher frontload now that The Wolfpack has entered the public consciousness. Popular sequels can expect a 20 to 30 percent rise on opening weekend, almost irregardless of the quality. Speaking of, did you catch the 46 percent disparity on the RottenTomatoes score between the original and this one? Yikes.

I'm seeing it in an hour, so I'll reserve judgment, but a terrible Hangover sequel will still bank because people like the characters. And it's the summer, where quality is job #12. So the success of this project will come down to the multiplier. They had to have at least doubled the original's $35m production budget ($80 million according to Wikipedia), so a 10x multiplier is likely off the table, but I'm sure Warner Bros. would be thrilled with even a 5x.

Prediction: $63.262 million

2. Kung Fu Panda 2

The original opened at $60m, so why will this one miss out on its sequel bump? 3-D. People don't want to pay extra for an effect no one particularly cares about. And think if you've got more than one child! You're just setting money on fire at some point.

Prediction: $56.912 million

3. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

You've got to project at least a 60 percent dip based on precedent and competition. But my oh my, $300m in international dollars means you can expect more Pirates movies, even if you don't want 'em, but would they dare doing it if Johnny Depp decided not to return?

Prediction: $34.06 million

4. Bridesmaids

The weekday holds have been very solid, and it stands at $64m overall, so that $32m production budget won't be a problem. Though, truly, this film shouldn't have cost as much as the original Hangover, the benefit of making a comedy is saving on production costs.

Prediction: $14.845 million

5. Thor

$400m means I can't really poke fun at this title. Though that 56 percent dip last weekend means that people chose Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides and Bridesmaids in a big way over Thor.

Prediction: $7.14 million

6. Fast Five

$516m on a $125m production budget! They'll be able to afford anyone they want for this franchise, get ready for some spectacular cameos.

Prediction: $5.08 million

7. Rio

And then the bottom four films came up on my spreadsheet, almost like an error in the formula.

Prediction: $1.952 million

8. Priest

Last Memorial Day had the same thing. The two wide releases, some solid holdovers, and then dreg city.

Prediction: $1.9 million

9. Something Borrowed

I've started a Something Borrowed support group. We talk about when we saw it, and how our life has been a little worse since. If you decide to join, you've got to bring the drinks for your first meeting. All are welcome.

Prediction: $1.56 million

10. Jumping the Broom

Take the bottom four titles, add them together, multiply by nine, and you've just about got Hangover II numbers. No soup for them!

Prediction: $1.459 million

How say you? You like Panda 2 at the top, you know, for the kids? Am I too high or low on Hangover II? Want to throw out a per theater average for The Tree of Life and its four theaters? Predictions away!

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Box-Office Wrap-Up: Global Domination for 'Pirates of the Caribbean' While Woody's 'Midnight' Satisfies in Limited Release

Well, summer is certainly underway now as Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides opens with the fourth biggest global debut of all-time. It didn't crack the $100 million mark domestically, which is continued proof 3D isn't a draw as much as it is a way to hit consumer pockets harder, but its overseas take was massive.

Laremy predicted the #1 movie correctly 4 Weeks In A Row

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

No surprise here as Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides takes the weekend box-office with $90.1 million ($21,685 per theater average), falling shy of the $100 million mark I'm sure Disney was hoping for, but it could have been worse as it held over nicely on Saturday. The film's worldwide total sits at $346.4 million with an estimated $256.3 million from more than 70 markets making this the franchise's best overseas opening. The question is whether or not we're looking at a one weekend and done scenario or if it will continue to perform.

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End dropped 61.5% in its second weekend in 2007 after opening with $114.7 million. Will this one follow suit and result in a $34.6 second weekend take? Next weekend it faces off against The Hangover Part II and Kung Fu Panda 2, which tells me that number looks very likely.

As far as predictions go, Laremy didn't some nice work though he undershot it a smidge. On a reader-level new predictor "one for the money, two for the show" (maybe next time use a shorter name?) was almost spot on with a $90 million prediction. Nice work!

Result: $90.1 million
Laremy's rank: Laremy picked it to finish #1 and his prediction of $84.42 million was $5.68m off for a percentage error of 6.3%.

2. Bridesmaids

Bridesmaids held on nicely after last weekend's higher than expected opening only dropping 19.4% with a cumulative total now at $59.5 million. I think people are liking this one? Will it be able to hold up against The Hangover Part II next weekend and perhaps take a chunk out of that film's opening expectations?

Result: $21 million
Laremy's rank: Laremy picked it to finish #3 with $18.62 million, which is $2.38m off for a 11.33% error.

3. Thor

Thor crosses the $145 million mark, dropping 55.3% this weekend. The budget is a reported $150 million and it is now around $390 million worldwide. It seems the Avengers franchise is alive and kicking as the global box-office has grown to massive importance.

Result: $15.5 million
Laremy's rank: Laremy picked it to finish #2 with $22.56 million, which is $7.06m off for a 45.55% error.

4. Fast Five

Fast Five is probably the story of 2011 so far on a blockbuster level (Insidious on a small scale) as it has now crossed $506 million worldwide with a domestic total approaching $200 million. I bet Universal can't wait to get Fast Six into production.

Result: $10.6 million
Laremy's rank: Laremy picked it to finish #4 with $12.27 million, which is $1.67m off for a 15.75% error.

5. Rio

On an animated scale Rio is the current talk of the year as it has now crossed the $131 million mark, but will Kung Fu Panda 2 quickly dethrone it? The original grossed $215 back in 2008, but I will say this one tiny thing... the sequel is good, but nowhere near as good as the original. I doubt you're surprised to hear that.

Result: $4.65 million
Laremy's rank: Laremy picked it to finish #6 with $5.44 million, which is $0.79m off for a 16.99% error.

6. Priest

Yikes, I guess a 69.2% dip for a film of this sort is to be expected as they're made for opening weekends and DVD/Blu-ray releases.

Result: $4.6 million
Laremy's rank: Laremy picked it to finish #5 with $5.83 million, which is $1.23m off for a 26.74% error.

7. Jumping the Broom

This and Something Borrowed are in a tug-of-war match as Something Borrowed continues to win the week while Jumping the Broom keeps winning the weekend. This one currently sits at $31.3 cume while Something Borrowed is at $31.4. Which one will win overall?

Result: $3.7 million
Laremy's rank: Laremy picked it to finish #8 with $3.5 million, which is $0.2m off for a 5.41% error.

8. Something Borrowed

I already mention the title to this film three times above, I don't need to talk about it any further.

Result: $3.4 million
Laremy's rank: Laremy picked it to finish #7 with $3.78 million, which is $0.38m off for a 11.18% error.

9. Water for Elephants

$52.4 million cume domestically and a total of $88 million worldwide on a $38 million budget. A below-the-radar success that will probably do well on home video.

Result: $2.1 million
Laremy's rank: Laremy picked it to finish #9 with $2.43 million, which is $0.33m off for a 15.71% error.

10. Tyler Perry's Madea's Big Happy Family

The tenth slot couldn't even manage $1 million. I weep.

Result: $0.99 million
Laremy's rank: Not Ranked

In other news, Woody Allen's Midnight in Paris opened in only six theaters, but managed a whopping $578,808 from those six for a $96,468 per theater, and I'll tell you now, if you haven't read my review, this is a good film and one I bet is going to have legs.

Other than that, it's time for you to talk about this weekend as well as next.

What are your thoughts for next weekend as The Hangover Part II and Kung Fu Panda 2 come to town? For reference, The Hangover opened to $44.9 million in 2009 from 3,269 theaters and the original Kung Fu Panda opened to $60.2 million in 2008 from 4,114 theaters. Next weekend Kung Fu Panda 2 will apparently be getting approximately 3,800 theaters and The Hangover Part II will get 3,500+ theaters.

There's a lot to consider next weekend, both are the first sequels in the respective franchises so the expectation would be to outperform the original film. Kung Fu Panda 2 is in 3D, which helps. The Hangover Part II has the current success of Bridesmaids to consider. Then there is Pirates of the Caribbean. Who you taking?

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Friday Box-Office: Pirates Hopes for $90 Million While Woody's 'Midnight' Scores in Limited Release

Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides was expected to, and obviously will, win the weekend box-office, the big question, at least around these parts, was whether or not it would be able to once again open to over $100 million as did the previous two sequels. After opening with $4.7 million in midnight screenings the film amassed an estimated total of $35 million for Friday, which means it is now seeking approximately $88 million for the weekend, with fingers crossed for $90m. Basically, Laremy's $84.4 million prediction is looking awfully solid at this point.

It will be interesting to see how it holds over Saturday and Sunday as THR reports it's received a B+ CinemaScore from audiences. The challenge will be to beat the current 2011 bar set by Fast Five, which is the current opening weekend record for the year at $86.2 million. On Stranger Tides has already opened to $92.1 million overseas. I am now beginning to wonder, would more people go see it if it wasn't in 3D? I know there are 2D screenings available, but are people perhaps too lazy to even care and see 3D and just bail altogether? Just a thought.

Elsewhere, in its second weekend Bridesmaids managed $6.3 million and will probably end the weekend around $20 million, a mere 23% drop from its opening weekend. Looks like Universal has its second hit in a row.

Paramount's Thor turned in an estimated $4.3 million in its third Friday and should hit around $15 million for the weekend, a 56% drop from last weekend.

In terms of other new releases, Woody Allen's excellent Midnight in Paris opened in only six theaters following its opening day debut in Cannes where it received welcoming reviews (you can read mine here). The film brought in a hefty $170,928 from those six theaters and will likely end the weekend upwards of $600,000. Sony Pictures Classics has to be happy about that per theater average.

The rest of the Friday estimates are listed below and I will be back Sunday morning with a complete box-office wrap up.

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides - $35 million
Bridesmaids - $6.3 million
Thor - $4.3 million
Fast Five - $3.1 million
Priest - $1.4 million
Something Borrowed - $1.2 million
Rio - $1.1 million
Jumping the Broom - $1 million
Water for Elephants - $660,000
Tyler Perry's Madea's Big Happy Family - $280,000

Box-Office Oracle: 'Pirates of the Caribbean' at the Top, but It Won't Hit $100 Million

While we were in Cannes Brad asked me to throw out a number for Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. I went with $106m, a number that now looks around 25 percent heavy. Whoops. That's what I get for not factoring in the overall decline of the franchise. Let's break it down!

Laremy predicted the #1 movie correctly 3 Weeks In A Row

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

There are two factors that could still push it toward a $100m opening. The first is the 3-D toll. Will you pay extra for it? There are at least two scenes it is used for, so enjoy! The second is the length, theaters should be able to get in at least an additional screening time per day given the 126 minute running time. I'd also be remiss if I didn't mention there is an end credits scene. It's no Fast Five end credits scene, but I feel like you should head in equipped if you're taking the plunge.

With all that in mind, the smart money is still in the $80 - $90m range. The second version made $32k per screen, while At World's End managed only $26k. So if we take another $6k per screen away, and then add in another thousand per screen to cover 3-D and extra times you get $84m. But as the max here is something around $120m and the minimum $72m, I'm definitely more bearish here. I should also note that it's going to crush internationally.

Prediction: $84.42 million

2. Thor

$357m worldwide on a budget of $150m means this little gamble paid off, especially given the main goal had to be getting Avengers near $750m worldwide. Paramount is playing the long game.

Prediction: $22.56 million

3. Bridesmaids

The great untold story of last weekend was that Bridesmaids was the champion of the weekend ... per theater. Shoulda put that bad boy in 3-D, eh?

Prediction: $18.62 million

4. Fast Five

$458m on $125m means that they'll throw money at whomever they need to to ensure F6st and Fa7t. They are playing with house money.

Prediction: $12.27 million

5. Priest

Still, it had to have been better than The Tourist, right? They played Salt and The Tourist back to back on my flight back from France. I tried to walk out.

Prediction: $5.83 million

6. Rio

Another hit, $433m on a $90m production budget. Looks like Eisenberg can demand a voiceover raise.

Prediction: $5.44 million

7. Something Borrowed

The budget was just too high for this sort of project.

Prediction: $3.78 million

8. Jumping the Broom

This, on the other hand, was made for a fiscally responsible $6.6m. Which means it is all profit from here on out.

Prediction: $3.5 million

9. Water for Elephants

It's not going to hit $70m domestically, but it's got a great shot at $100m worldwide.

Prediction: $2.43 million

10. Soul Surfer

A million bucks and you too can make the top ten!

Prediction: $1.06 million

How say you? Wanna go higher or lower on Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides? Have a different idea on Thor or Bridesmaids? Predictions away!

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'Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides' and the Cannes Red Carpet Crowd

Palais des Festival during the 64th Cannes Film Festival / Click the image for a larger look
Photo: Brad Brevet // RopeofSilicon.com

I made a bit of a mistake this afternoon, following a flash rainstorm cleared out I set out to get a few pics to share with you. What I didn't realize was that I was heading down to the Palais des Festival at the exact same time as the red carpet for tonight's black tie screening of Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. As I arrived it was an absolute madhouse of people screaming as Hans Zimmer's Pirates score blared in the background. So instead of just go around, I figured I'd bust out the Flip cam and give you a little taste of what madness looks like.

On hand for the red carpet festivities were Johnny Depp, Penelope Cruz, Geoffrey Rush, Ian McShane, Sam Claflin, Astrid Berges-Frisbey, director Rob Marshall and producer Jerry Bruckheimer. Now, you can get the tiniest glimpse of the group at the top of the red steps because my camera couldn't zoom in any further, but the reason I took the video at all was to show you the number of people that turn out just to get a glimpse at a celeb.

Check out my short 65-second video of me getting jostled around as people strain to get a glimpse at the Pirates celebs and then after that I've added eleven images from the red carpet in case you wanted to actually see what the people were trying so hard to get a look at.

Actors Sam Claflin,Astrid Berges-Frisbey,Geoffrey Rush,Penelope Cruz,Johnny Depp, director Rob Marshall, producer Jerry Bruckheimer and actor Ian McShane attend the Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides official screening at the Palais des Festivals during the 64th Cannes Film Festival
Photo: Getty Images

Photo: Getty Images

Cannes Movie Review: Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011)

Johnny Depp and Penelope Cruz in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
Photo: Walt Disney Pictures

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides is not essential viewing. The plot has a few twists and turns, but the scripts have always been rather imaginative, it's the films that got too big for their own good. In that sense, this fourth installment is more in line with the first film in the franchise in that it isn't as over-the-top when it comes to CG effects and open sea whirlpools. However, it's right in line with the previous two sequels in that it is more about a treasure hunt amidst massive sets and the introduction of characters you aren't given a chance to care one lick about considering you never get to know anything about them outside of the path that led them to becoming part of this particular story.

All of this is to say On Stranger Tides is a tolerable, ho-hum adventure film with very little character chemistry, but enough going on that you're never so bored you want to walk out. Though, speaking of walking, this film has a lot of it. And while we walk, we talk. We talk about where we are going and why we are going there. When we stop, we try and decide which way we are going to walk and then we walk some more. Throw in a few sword fights, a cove of vampire mermaids, a couple of Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) witticisms and you have your movie. Really, all I am saying is On Stranger Tides is the movie you are probably expecting.

As the end of Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End alluded to, this time we're on the hunt for the Fountain of Youth and there's a race to be the first to get there. The Spanish have been tipped off to its whereabouts, the British have heard the same rumors and have, for some reason, sought Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) to get it for them and the infamous Blackbeard (the perfectly cast Ian McShane) and his hard-to-figure daughter Angelica (Penelope Cruz) are also joining the hunt and have captured Jack Sparrow to help them.

Of course, there are backstabs, double crosses and ulterior motives for just about everyone involved. Even those whom you think you know why they're searching for the Fountain prove to have a surprise in store. Unfortunately, these surprises aren't "exciting" as much as they are plot twists meant to hide the fact there isn't much to this film outside of the treasure hunt at its core.

Returning screenwriters Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio do their best to make up for the absence of a love story (nope, no Keira Knightley or Orlando Bloom) by adding a throwaway back-story to Jack and Angelica and then wedge in a romantic aside between a Bible thumper named Philip (Sam Claflin) and a lovely mermaid named Syrena (Astrid Berges-Frisbey). None of this moved me in any way. None of these characters are fleshed out to the point you even care. Philip is a non-entity in the grand scheme of things and the mermaid is just there because she's needed for the ritual that must be performed at the Fountain. To make her a love interest is just an added plot point that's not needed.

As for Angelica, I mean absolutely no offense to Penelope Cruz, but nearly every time she's cast in an English speaking role everything that's great about her work in all of Pedro Almodovar's films and Woody Allen's Vicky Cristina Barcelona goes away. She turns into just another pretty face. Cruz is a massive talent in her native language, but when it comes to English she's wooden and still searching for inflection.

Then there's Depp as Jack Sparrow, a role I feel he can roll out of bed, apply massive amounts of black mascara and perform without a second thought at this point. I say this because that's pretty much how it seems here, but none of this is Depp's fault. The screenplay does him no favors advancing the mystique of Jack Sparrow. When he's not reciting standard lines to forward the narrative, he's uttering tired one-liners that only serve to remind you how interesting and fun he was when you first met him in 2003.

This all sounds quite negative when in fact On Stranger Tides isn't entirely lost at sea. It's a franchise that seems to have simply found a steady course and even a change in director can't faze the franchise as Rob Marshall (Chicago, Nine) brings nothing in the way of a personal stamp that would make you think this wasn't just a dialed-back and bored Gore Verbinski effort. Outside of what sounded like a few key changes from Hans Zimmer's score, this film fits right in with the rest of them. If this were a primetime TV show this would simply be episode four, though the first film remains the only one worth playing during Sweeps Week.

Yet, since this is a feature film and not a TV show we rightly hold it to a higher standard, which is where it begins to grow tiresome with feelings of "been there, done that." Sparrow hadn't even sought the Fountain of Youth in previous installments, but somehow it seems as if he had already found it and we are now watching a repeat.

When it comes down to it all, you're either going to see this film or you're not. At this point I don't think there is any convincing you one way or another. Whether you're a Pirates fan or not, this film will not change your mind. But if you're looking for an installment to dial things back a bit from the overweight monster the franchise had become, this is it. Perhaps had the two previous sequels not been made this one would play a little better, but it is now quite clear the screenwriters have run out of ideas to make Sparrow any more interesting and his adventures are now just as ho-hum.

GRADE: C

Touring the Croisette: 'Cowboys and Aliens,' 'Transformers 3,' 'Pirates,' 'Tintin' and More Market Their Goods