LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - 'The Avengers' flexed its muscles overseas, opening at No. 1 in all 39 markets and rolling up $178 million a week ahead of its U.S. debut.
Joss Whedon's superhero spectacular earned a whopping $24.7 million in the U.K., Disney's best three-day weekend ever there.
It also took in $19.7 million from Australia, a record $15.9 million from Mexico and another $12.9 million from Korea. In addition to Mexico, 'The Avengers' opening was the biggest ever in Brazil, Argentina, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia, New Zealand and the Philippines.
The numbers are even more impressive for the Marvel-Disney collaboration, considering the film won't open in China and Russia until next week, when it opens in the U.S. It will play in Japan in August.
Another movie that is banking on a major foreign boost before launching in the U.S., Universal's 'Battleship,' continues to steam along. It took $22.5 million from 50 locales over the weekend, raising its overseas gross to $170 million, according to Rentrak. It opens on May 18 in the U.S.
'Titanic,' meanwhile, rang up another $20.4 million from 71 territories, raising its foreign overall gross to $317 million.
Elsewhere, Sony's 'Pirates! The Band of Misfits' opened to $1.1 million in Russia. It has grossed $63.6 million so far in 49 markets.
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Monday, April 30, 2012
'The Avengers' smashes overseas box office records
LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - 'The Avengers' flexed its muscles overseas, opening at No. 1 in all 39 markets and rolling up $178 million a week ahead of its U.S. debut.
Joss Whedon's superhero spectacular earned a whopping $24.7 million in the U.K., Disney's best three-day weekend ever there.
It also took in $19.7 million from Australia, a record $15.9 million from Mexico and another $12.9 million from Korea. In addition to Mexico, 'The Avengers' opening was the biggest ever in Brazil, Argentina, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia, New Zealand and the Philippines.
The numbers are even more impressive for the Marvel-Disney collaboration, considering the film won't open in China and Russia until next week, when it opens in the U.S. It will play in Japan in August.
Another movie that is banking on a major foreign boost before launching in the U.S., Universal's 'Battleship,' continues to steam along. It took $22.5 million from 50 locales over the weekend, raising its overseas gross to $170 million, according to Rentrak. It opens on May 18 in the U.S.
'Titanic,' meanwhile, rang up another $20.4 million from 71 territories, raising its foreign overall gross to $317 million.
Elsewhere, Sony's 'Pirates! The Band of Misfits' opened to $1.1 million in Russia. It has grossed $63.6 million so far in 49 markets.
This article is brought to you by FREE DATING SITE.
Joss Whedon's superhero spectacular earned a whopping $24.7 million in the U.K., Disney's best three-day weekend ever there.
It also took in $19.7 million from Australia, a record $15.9 million from Mexico and another $12.9 million from Korea. In addition to Mexico, 'The Avengers' opening was the biggest ever in Brazil, Argentina, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia, New Zealand and the Philippines.
The numbers are even more impressive for the Marvel-Disney collaboration, considering the film won't open in China and Russia until next week, when it opens in the U.S. It will play in Japan in August.
Another movie that is banking on a major foreign boost before launching in the U.S., Universal's 'Battleship,' continues to steam along. It took $22.5 million from 50 locales over the weekend, raising its overseas gross to $170 million, according to Rentrak. It opens on May 18 in the U.S.
'Titanic,' meanwhile, rang up another $20.4 million from 71 territories, raising its foreign overall gross to $317 million.
Elsewhere, Sony's 'Pirates! The Band of Misfits' opened to $1.1 million in Russia. It has grossed $63.6 million so far in 49 markets.
This article is brought to you by FREE DATING SITE.
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Peter Jackson responds to "Hobbit" preview fallout
LOS ANGELES,(TheWrap.com) - Peter Jackson responded to criticism of his preview of 'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey' at CinemaCon this week, saying that audiences will eventually 'settle into' the hyper-realistic look of the film shot at a higher frame rate.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, the director acknowledged that some did not care for the look of the film at the rate of 48 frames per second, rather than the standard 24.
'I can't say anything, just like I can't say anything to someone who doesn't like fish,' he said. 'You can't explain why fish tastes great and why they should enjoy it.'
'A couple of the more negative commenters from CinemaCon said that in the Gollum and Bilbo scene they didn't mind it and got used to that,' Jackson said. 'That was the same 48 frames the rest of the reel was. I just wonder if it they were getting into the dialogue, the characters and the story. That's what happens in the movie. You settle into it.'
A New Line executive told TheWrap that there had been debate at the studio about whether or not to screen the high frame rate footage in its unfinished form, but Jackson had pushed for the preview and prevailed. The individual said that any problems will likely be fixed once the color is corrected and the special effects are finalized.
Jackson opted to shoot the prequel to his 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy at 48 frames per second rather than the standard 24 frames, because he claims it will improve the film's 3D imagery and better immerse audiences in the action.
But the 10-minute extended look at the fantasy was easily the most divisive event at the exhibitor trade show, with many theater owners and members of the media complaining that the effect was similar to a telenovela or a filmed stage play.
An individual close to Jackson told TheWrap that the director has taken note of the criticism and acknowledges that the technology needs work.
This individual noted that the landscapes were effective, particularly an opening aerial shot of a mountain range, but agreed that the problems seemed to arise whenever an actor appeared.
The higher definition may reduce the blurriness associated with 3D imagery, but it has the added effect of heightening actors' facial blemishes and robbing the film of its painterly quality.
Both individuals were confident that the technical problems will be smoothed out before 'The Hobbit' premieres on December 14. The film will also be available at the standard rate of 24 frames per second.
Though the reaction to the technology was mixed, the film itself got strong buzz. As TheWrap noted, the scenes that screened at CinemaCon showed Jackson firmly in command of his storytelling powers.
An encounter between Bilbo Baggins and Gollum, in which the hobbit has to answer riddles in exchange for his life, was both chilling and absorbing.
Jackson told the magazine that the blowback was not going to prevent filmmakers from experimenting with higher frame rates.
'Nobody is going to stop,' he said. 'This technology is going to keep evolving.'
If his intention was to get theater owners on his side, that might be more problematic. Though most of the major chains will likely update their projectors so they can screen the film at 48 frames, smaller exhibitors may balk at the added expense.
One theater owner told TheWrap that he was unimpressed by the high frame rate footage and unsure if it was worth the investment.
He noted that he had already made a substantial investment to convert his theaters from film to digital in recent years, spending roughly $150,000 per screen. He said that he estimated updating his projectors would cost $8,000 apiece.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, the director acknowledged that some did not care for the look of the film at the rate of 48 frames per second, rather than the standard 24.
'I can't say anything, just like I can't say anything to someone who doesn't like fish,' he said. 'You can't explain why fish tastes great and why they should enjoy it.'
'A couple of the more negative commenters from CinemaCon said that in the Gollum and Bilbo scene they didn't mind it and got used to that,' Jackson said. 'That was the same 48 frames the rest of the reel was. I just wonder if it they were getting into the dialogue, the characters and the story. That's what happens in the movie. You settle into it.'
A New Line executive told TheWrap that there had been debate at the studio about whether or not to screen the high frame rate footage in its unfinished form, but Jackson had pushed for the preview and prevailed. The individual said that any problems will likely be fixed once the color is corrected and the special effects are finalized.
Jackson opted to shoot the prequel to his 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy at 48 frames per second rather than the standard 24 frames, because he claims it will improve the film's 3D imagery and better immerse audiences in the action.
But the 10-minute extended look at the fantasy was easily the most divisive event at the exhibitor trade show, with many theater owners and members of the media complaining that the effect was similar to a telenovela or a filmed stage play.
An individual close to Jackson told TheWrap that the director has taken note of the criticism and acknowledges that the technology needs work.
This individual noted that the landscapes were effective, particularly an opening aerial shot of a mountain range, but agreed that the problems seemed to arise whenever an actor appeared.
The higher definition may reduce the blurriness associated with 3D imagery, but it has the added effect of heightening actors' facial blemishes and robbing the film of its painterly quality.
Both individuals were confident that the technical problems will be smoothed out before 'The Hobbit' premieres on December 14. The film will also be available at the standard rate of 24 frames per second.
Though the reaction to the technology was mixed, the film itself got strong buzz. As TheWrap noted, the scenes that screened at CinemaCon showed Jackson firmly in command of his storytelling powers.
An encounter between Bilbo Baggins and Gollum, in which the hobbit has to answer riddles in exchange for his life, was both chilling and absorbing.
Jackson told the magazine that the blowback was not going to prevent filmmakers from experimenting with higher frame rates.
'Nobody is going to stop,' he said. 'This technology is going to keep evolving.'
If his intention was to get theater owners on his side, that might be more problematic. Though most of the major chains will likely update their projectors so they can screen the film at 48 frames, smaller exhibitors may balk at the added expense.
One theater owner told TheWrap that he was unimpressed by the high frame rate footage and unsure if it was worth the investment.
He noted that he had already made a substantial investment to convert his theaters from film to digital in recent years, spending roughly $150,000 per screen. He said that he estimated updating his projectors would cost $8,000 apiece.
"Man" leads domestic movies, "Avengers" big abroad
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Romantic comedy 'Think Like a Man' easily beat four new films to win the U.S. and Canadian box office race for a second time while superhero movie 'The Avengers' stormed into overseas theaters with record-breaking sales.
'Think Like a Man' led domestic charts with an $18.0 million total from Friday through Sunday, according to studio estimates compiled by Reuters on Sunday. New movies including adult comedy 'The Five-Year Engagement' didn't come close, each grabbing about $11 million or less.
Big-budget, effects-filled 'Avengers' hauled in a massive $178.4 million since Wednesday from theaters in 39 international markets, Walt Disney Co said. The 3D film from Disney's Marvel studio set opening-weekend records in 12 territories including Mexico and Brazil and opening-day records in four countries.
'Avengers' reaches North American (U.S. and Canadian) theaters on Friday to kick off the summer movie season. Box office forecasters predict super-sized sales that will rival this year's record set by teen death match drama 'The Hunger Games,' a blockbuster that debuted in March with $152.5 million domestically.
Anticipation for 'Avengers' likely kept many filmgoers home from multiplexes this weekend, said Paul Dergarabedian, president of the box office division of Hollywood.com. Overall ticket sales slumped 30 percent from the same weekend last year.
'It just seemed like audiences are saving their time and money for next weekend' and the 'Avengers' debut, he said.
'Think Like a Man' brought its 10-day sales to $60.9 million. The movie features an ensemble cast and is based on a best-selling relationship guide by comedian Steve Harvey.
Among the newcomers, animated family film 'The Pirates! Band of Misfits' performed best with $11.4 million and second place. The film cost about $55 million to make. Total sales overseas, where the movie has been playing since late March, rang up at $75.1 million through Sunday.
Close behind in third place, love story 'The Lucky One' took in $11.32 million domestically during its second weekend in theaters.
Action movie 'The Hunger Games' slipped to fourth with $11.25 million. Worldwide sales to date reached $601 million, distributor Lions Gate Entertainment Corp said.
'Five-Year Engagement' opened at a disappointing No. 5 with $11.2 million, slightly below projections by Universal Pictures for the low-teens. The movie stars Jason Segel and Emily Blunt as a couple whose walk down the aisle runs into repeated interruptions. Audiences had a lukewarm reception, grading the movie a 'B-minus' in polling by survey firm CinemaScore.
Universal and privately held Relativity Media produced 'Five-Year Engagement' for about $30 million. 'A reasonably priced film that slightly underperforms is not the worst thing in world,' said Nikki Rocco, Universal's president of distribution.
New thriller 'Safe' secured $7.7 million and the No. 6 slot. The movie stars Jason Statham as a former elite agent who takes on a mission to rescue a kidnapped girl. Another new thriller, 'The Raven' starring John Cusack as Edgar Allen Poe, landed in seventh place with $7.3 million.
Sony Corp's film studio distributed 'Think Like a Man' and 'Pirates! Band of Misfits.' Time Warner Inc's Warner Bros. studio released 'The Lucky One.' 'The Five-Year Engagement' was distributed by Universal Pictures, a unit of Comcast Corp.
Lions Gate Entertainment Corp released 'Hunger Games' and 'Safe.' Privately held Relativity Media released 'The Raven' in the United States, and Alliance Films distributed the movie in Canada.
(Reporting by Lisa Richwine; Editing by Bill Trott and Eric Walsh)
'Think Like a Man' led domestic charts with an $18.0 million total from Friday through Sunday, according to studio estimates compiled by Reuters on Sunday. New movies including adult comedy 'The Five-Year Engagement' didn't come close, each grabbing about $11 million or less.
Big-budget, effects-filled 'Avengers' hauled in a massive $178.4 million since Wednesday from theaters in 39 international markets, Walt Disney Co said. The 3D film from Disney's Marvel studio set opening-weekend records in 12 territories including Mexico and Brazil and opening-day records in four countries.
'Avengers' reaches North American (U.S. and Canadian) theaters on Friday to kick off the summer movie season. Box office forecasters predict super-sized sales that will rival this year's record set by teen death match drama 'The Hunger Games,' a blockbuster that debuted in March with $152.5 million domestically.
Anticipation for 'Avengers' likely kept many filmgoers home from multiplexes this weekend, said Paul Dergarabedian, president of the box office division of Hollywood.com. Overall ticket sales slumped 30 percent from the same weekend last year.
'It just seemed like audiences are saving their time and money for next weekend' and the 'Avengers' debut, he said.
'Think Like a Man' brought its 10-day sales to $60.9 million. The movie features an ensemble cast and is based on a best-selling relationship guide by comedian Steve Harvey.
Among the newcomers, animated family film 'The Pirates! Band of Misfits' performed best with $11.4 million and second place. The film cost about $55 million to make. Total sales overseas, where the movie has been playing since late March, rang up at $75.1 million through Sunday.
Close behind in third place, love story 'The Lucky One' took in $11.32 million domestically during its second weekend in theaters.
Action movie 'The Hunger Games' slipped to fourth with $11.25 million. Worldwide sales to date reached $601 million, distributor Lions Gate Entertainment Corp said.
'Five-Year Engagement' opened at a disappointing No. 5 with $11.2 million, slightly below projections by Universal Pictures for the low-teens. The movie stars Jason Segel and Emily Blunt as a couple whose walk down the aisle runs into repeated interruptions. Audiences had a lukewarm reception, grading the movie a 'B-minus' in polling by survey firm CinemaScore.
Universal and privately held Relativity Media produced 'Five-Year Engagement' for about $30 million. 'A reasonably priced film that slightly underperforms is not the worst thing in world,' said Nikki Rocco, Universal's president of distribution.
New thriller 'Safe' secured $7.7 million and the No. 6 slot. The movie stars Jason Statham as a former elite agent who takes on a mission to rescue a kidnapped girl. Another new thriller, 'The Raven' starring John Cusack as Edgar Allen Poe, landed in seventh place with $7.3 million.
Sony Corp's film studio distributed 'Think Like a Man' and 'Pirates! Band of Misfits.' Time Warner Inc's Warner Bros. studio released 'The Lucky One.' 'The Five-Year Engagement' was distributed by Universal Pictures, a unit of Comcast Corp.
Lions Gate Entertainment Corp released 'Hunger Games' and 'Safe.' Privately held Relativity Media released 'The Raven' in the United States, and Alliance Films distributed the movie in Canada.
(Reporting by Lisa Richwine; Editing by Bill Trott and Eric Walsh)
Friday, April 27, 2012
Pot-smoking teddy bear a hit at CinemaCon
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Universal brought Snow White, Bourne and a battleship to CinemaCon on Thursday in the hopes of astonishing theater owners, but all it really needed to pack was a pot-smoking teddy bear.
With a reported budget of $65 million, Seth MacFarlane's 'Ted' was made for a fraction of what it cost to blow up half the Navy in 'Battleship,' but the resounding laughter that greeted the extended footage indicates the studio might have a huge R-rated hit on its hands.
The film centers on a boy whose Christmas wish comes true after his teddy bear comes to life. But that dream turns more nightmarish when the pair grows up.
Universal highlighted the stuffed bear, played by McFarlane in a motion-capture suit, hanging out with prostitutes, taking hits from a bong and humping a cash register - all activities that would be pretty foreign to, say, Winnie the Pooh.
Mark Wahlberg and Mila Kunis star along with MacFarlane. The reaction was so enthusiastic that Adam Fogelson, Universal Pictures chairman who was emceeing the event, probably did not mind when he found himself the target of MacFarlane's raunchy zingers.
'You have the boyish charm of Rick Santorum,' MacFarlane told Fogelson.
Later, MacFarlane dared the studio chief to expose himself. Fogelson opted to keep his appendage in trou.
Universal also screened footage of 'Snow White and the Huntsman,' bringing out stars Kristen Stewart and Charlize Theron to preview an extended trailer that has the title character leading a band of knights and dwarves to battle against the wicked queen.
The film is a spectacular epic, directed by a first-time talent, Rupert Sanders, who spun a world of mythical creatures, an imperiously evil Theron and a dark look that is miles removed from the rococo Snow White picture from Relativity, 'Mirror, Mirror.'
The studio also gave exhibitors a look at 'Battleship,' which hits these shores on May 18, but has already debuted in many foreign territories. It has grossed north of $150 million, so something must work, but it just seemed to pummel convention-goers into submission with its pyrotechnics and jingoism.
More interesting were 'The Savages,' a dark thriller that Fogelson said would return director Oliver Stone to the ultra-violent territory he covered in his script for 'Scarface' and 'Natural Born Killers.' The movie, which centers on two pot dealers whose mutual girlfriend (Blake Lively) is kidnapped by a Mexican drug cartel, looks to ride the knife's edge. Salma Hayek plays a drug lord, while John Travolta plays a crooked D.E.A. agent.
Travolta came on stage and said he had never worked with '...such decent people doing such awful things.' As for the Bourne franchise, Fogelson said that after Matt Damon passed on a fourth installment, the studio wanted to open up the paranoid world of the thrillers without recasting the lead.
He said that Universal had decided to let Bourne swim off into the Hudson, his memory restored, 'for now,' holding out the possibility that Damon could be in for a big payday down the road.
'The Bourne Legacy' sees Jeremy Renner taking over as another super-assassin on the run from the government. Based on the early footage, he is equally adept at turning from prey to predator and single-handedly tearing through an intelligence agency.
Looking farther ahead, Universal also previewed glimpses of its winter and spring slate, including footage from the 'This is 40,' which centers on the 'Knocked Up' characters played by Leslie Mann and Paul Rudd; 'Les Misérables' with Russell Crowe and Hugh Jackman flexing their singing voices; and the 3D martial arts adventure '47 Ronin.'
With a reported budget of $65 million, Seth MacFarlane's 'Ted' was made for a fraction of what it cost to blow up half the Navy in 'Battleship,' but the resounding laughter that greeted the extended footage indicates the studio might have a huge R-rated hit on its hands.
The film centers on a boy whose Christmas wish comes true after his teddy bear comes to life. But that dream turns more nightmarish when the pair grows up.
Universal highlighted the stuffed bear, played by McFarlane in a motion-capture suit, hanging out with prostitutes, taking hits from a bong and humping a cash register - all activities that would be pretty foreign to, say, Winnie the Pooh.
Mark Wahlberg and Mila Kunis star along with MacFarlane. The reaction was so enthusiastic that Adam Fogelson, Universal Pictures chairman who was emceeing the event, probably did not mind when he found himself the target of MacFarlane's raunchy zingers.
'You have the boyish charm of Rick Santorum,' MacFarlane told Fogelson.
Later, MacFarlane dared the studio chief to expose himself. Fogelson opted to keep his appendage in trou.
Universal also screened footage of 'Snow White and the Huntsman,' bringing out stars Kristen Stewart and Charlize Theron to preview an extended trailer that has the title character leading a band of knights and dwarves to battle against the wicked queen.
The film is a spectacular epic, directed by a first-time talent, Rupert Sanders, who spun a world of mythical creatures, an imperiously evil Theron and a dark look that is miles removed from the rococo Snow White picture from Relativity, 'Mirror, Mirror.'
The studio also gave exhibitors a look at 'Battleship,' which hits these shores on May 18, but has already debuted in many foreign territories. It has grossed north of $150 million, so something must work, but it just seemed to pummel convention-goers into submission with its pyrotechnics and jingoism.
More interesting were 'The Savages,' a dark thriller that Fogelson said would return director Oliver Stone to the ultra-violent territory he covered in his script for 'Scarface' and 'Natural Born Killers.' The movie, which centers on two pot dealers whose mutual girlfriend (Blake Lively) is kidnapped by a Mexican drug cartel, looks to ride the knife's edge. Salma Hayek plays a drug lord, while John Travolta plays a crooked D.E.A. agent.
Travolta came on stage and said he had never worked with '...such decent people doing such awful things.' As for the Bourne franchise, Fogelson said that after Matt Damon passed on a fourth installment, the studio wanted to open up the paranoid world of the thrillers without recasting the lead.
He said that Universal had decided to let Bourne swim off into the Hudson, his memory restored, 'for now,' holding out the possibility that Damon could be in for a big payday down the road.
'The Bourne Legacy' sees Jeremy Renner taking over as another super-assassin on the run from the government. Based on the early footage, he is equally adept at turning from prey to predator and single-handedly tearing through an intelligence agency.
Looking farther ahead, Universal also previewed glimpses of its winter and spring slate, including footage from the 'This is 40,' which centers on the 'Knocked Up' characters played by Leslie Mann and Paul Rudd; 'Les Misérables' with Russell Crowe and Hugh Jackman flexing their singing voices; and the 3D martial arts adventure '47 Ronin.'
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Missing Cuban actor, "War Witch" win Tribeca awards
NEW YORK (Reuters) - 'War Witch,' a sensitive drama about a 12-year-old girl abducted by vicious armed rebels in sub-Saharan Africa, and a nonfiction film that examines the plight of women in modern India, won the top awards at the Tribeca Film Festival on Thursday.
'War Witch' picked up the jury prize for best narrative feature and best actress for Rachel Mwanza who plays the girl forced to become a child soldier, while 'The World Before Her' that parallels women in the Miss India beauty pageant and a fundamentalist Hindu girls camp won best documentary.
But in a continuing strange saga of life imitating art at Tribeca, a Cuban actor starring in a film about defecting to the United States, who went missing in real life while en route to the festival, shared the top acting award.
Actor Javier Nunez Florian, who was last seen at Miami's airport during a stopover to the festival and disappeared along with his female costar Anailin de la Rua de la Torre from the film 'Una Noche', did not show up to split his $2,500 award.
He shared the top acting honor with his male costar Dariel Arrechada, who turned up toward the end of the awards and was the only actor present at the film's premiere a week ago. Representatives for the film said this week no one from the film has had any contact with the missing Cubans.
'Una Noche,' (One Night), which follows the journey of three Cuban teenagers trying to escape the poverty of their homeland to start a new life in Miami, also picked up the best cinematography award and best new narrative director for New York University film school graduate Lucy Mulloy.
'I'm sad for them because they are my friends,' Arrechada told Reuters in broken English and Spanish after his win, referring to his missing fellow actors.
'I wish they were here, but . . . you could be happy for them, for Javier and for Anailin and for everyone. It's weird. I miss him.'
Mulloy, a London-born 32-year-old who shot the low-budget film in Havana and was inspired by a tale she heard on a trip to the island nation 10 years ago, told Reuters she wished the missing actors could have been there.
'It would have been a great experience for them,' she said. 'I haven't heard from them. I just hope they are well and they are healthy.'
Argentinian film 'All In', a romantic comedy written and directed by Daniel Burman about a professional poker player, won best narrative screenplay, while best editing went to unusual Holocaust documentary 'The Flat' from Israel.
The award for best new documentary director went to Dutch filmmaker Jeroen van Velzen for 'Wavumba,' a film set in Kenya that explores fishermen lore, while 'The Revisionaries,' which spotlights the politicizing of children's textbooks in Texas won a special mention from the Tribeca jury.
The majority of winning films reflected Tribeca's greater emphasis this year on showing films set in foreign lands. More than half of the films in the narrative feature category were international productions.
But the strange tale of 'Una Noche' provided the biggest drama of the festival that began as a way to revive downtown Manhattan after the September 11 attacks.
Havana-based producer Sandy Perez Aguila told the Los Angeles Times earlier this week that upon reaching New York he opened the pair's suitcases and they were empty.
Arrechada said he hoped one day he would see his fellow actors again. And asked whether the winning prize money might lure her missing actors to New York after all, Mulloy said, 'possibly, we'll see, I hope so'.
She added: 'Honestly, it's all happened so quickly ... it's a shock.'
(Additional reporting by Tara Cleary, editing by Bob Tourtellotte and Elaine Lies)
'War Witch' picked up the jury prize for best narrative feature and best actress for Rachel Mwanza who plays the girl forced to become a child soldier, while 'The World Before Her' that parallels women in the Miss India beauty pageant and a fundamentalist Hindu girls camp won best documentary.
But in a continuing strange saga of life imitating art at Tribeca, a Cuban actor starring in a film about defecting to the United States, who went missing in real life while en route to the festival, shared the top acting award.
Actor Javier Nunez Florian, who was last seen at Miami's airport during a stopover to the festival and disappeared along with his female costar Anailin de la Rua de la Torre from the film 'Una Noche', did not show up to split his $2,500 award.
He shared the top acting honor with his male costar Dariel Arrechada, who turned up toward the end of the awards and was the only actor present at the film's premiere a week ago. Representatives for the film said this week no one from the film has had any contact with the missing Cubans.
'Una Noche,' (One Night), which follows the journey of three Cuban teenagers trying to escape the poverty of their homeland to start a new life in Miami, also picked up the best cinematography award and best new narrative director for New York University film school graduate Lucy Mulloy.
'I'm sad for them because they are my friends,' Arrechada told Reuters in broken English and Spanish after his win, referring to his missing fellow actors.
'I wish they were here, but . . . you could be happy for them, for Javier and for Anailin and for everyone. It's weird. I miss him.'
Mulloy, a London-born 32-year-old who shot the low-budget film in Havana and was inspired by a tale she heard on a trip to the island nation 10 years ago, told Reuters she wished the missing actors could have been there.
'It would have been a great experience for them,' she said. 'I haven't heard from them. I just hope they are well and they are healthy.'
Argentinian film 'All In', a romantic comedy written and directed by Daniel Burman about a professional poker player, won best narrative screenplay, while best editing went to unusual Holocaust documentary 'The Flat' from Israel.
The award for best new documentary director went to Dutch filmmaker Jeroen van Velzen for 'Wavumba,' a film set in Kenya that explores fishermen lore, while 'The Revisionaries,' which spotlights the politicizing of children's textbooks in Texas won a special mention from the Tribeca jury.
The majority of winning films reflected Tribeca's greater emphasis this year on showing films set in foreign lands. More than half of the films in the narrative feature category were international productions.
But the strange tale of 'Una Noche' provided the biggest drama of the festival that began as a way to revive downtown Manhattan after the September 11 attacks.
Havana-based producer Sandy Perez Aguila told the Los Angeles Times earlier this week that upon reaching New York he opened the pair's suitcases and they were empty.
Arrechada said he hoped one day he would see his fellow actors again. And asked whether the winning prize money might lure her missing actors to New York after all, Mulloy said, 'possibly, we'll see, I hope so'.
She added: 'Honestly, it's all happened so quickly ... it's a shock.'
(Additional reporting by Tara Cleary, editing by Bob Tourtellotte and Elaine Lies)
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Pitt, Kidman films to premiere at Cannes in 2012
PARIS (Reuters) - Movies starring Brad Pitt and Nicole Kidman will premiere in Cannes this year, as the world's biggest film festival held on the glamorous French Riviera promises a strong North American accent in 2012.
Films from U.S. director Wes Anderson and Canada's David Cronenberg will be among 22 films vying for the coveted 'Palme d'Or', the top prize at the glitzy cinema showcase which can significantly boost a picture's box office and awards potential.
Officials will be hoping that the blend of Hollywood star power and auteurs from around the globe will help the festival recover from last year's controversy when Danish director Lars Von Trier was expelled for making Nazi jokes during a press conference.
'Killing Me Softly,' from New Zealand-born director Andrew Dominik, and co-starring 'The Sopranos' James Gandolfini, sees Pitt investigating a heist during a mob-protected poker game.
Anderson's 1960s drama 'Moonrise Kingdom,' starring Ed Norton and Bill Murray, is set to kick off the May 16-27 festival, while Cronenberg's 'Cosmopolis,' starring 'Twilight' hearthrob Robert Pattison, is also in the main running.
Conenberg's son Brandon is in the smaller 'Un Certain Regard' selection with his debut, 'Antiviral.'
And Twilight fans will also be keen to get their teeth into 'On the Road,' the adaptation of Jack Kerouac's classic novel from Brazilian director Walter Salles. Its cast includes Twilight co-star Kristen Stewart as well as Viggo Mortensen and Kirsten Dunst.
Contenders from host country France include 'Vous N'Avez Encore Rien Vu,' from veteran European festival favorite Alain Resnais, 89, and Jacques Audiard's 'De Rouille et D'Os' ('Rust and Bone') starring Oscar-winner Marion Cotillard.
Austrian filmmaker Michael Haneke, a former Palme d'Or winner, is also competing with his French film 'Amour' starring Isabelle Huppert.
GREAT AUTEURS
At a press conference held in the grand salon of a Paris hotel flanked by this year's festival poster of Marilyn Monroe, organizers saluted great filmmakers from around the world.
'In a world that sacrifices everything to what's superficial, to the new-best-thing, to the lowest common denominator ... what counts, what makes us strong, is our passion for cinema and for those who make it: the great auteur filmmakers,' said Cannes President Gilles Jacob.
Berenice Bejo, star of 'The Artist' and winner of a French Cesar award, will host the festival's official ceremonies.
The silent movie, winner of the 2012 best picture Oscar, debuted at Cannes last year and thrust Bejo and co-star Jean Dujardin - winner of a best actor Academy Award - into the international spotlight.
Other previous Palme d'Or winners up again for the main prize include Britain's Ken Loach ('The Angel's Share') and Romania's Cristian Mungiu ('Beyond the Hills').
Italy's Matteo Garrone, director of 2008's 'Gomorrah,' the gritty portrait of the Camorra crime syndicate in Naples, will be competing with the film 'Reality.'
The growing influence of Middle Eastern cinema is represented by Egyptian director Yousry Nasrallah's 'Baad el Mawkeaa' and Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami's Japanese film, 'Like Someone in Love.'
Competing from Asia are South Korea's Hong Sangsoo with 'In Another Country' and Im Sang-soo with 'The Taste of Money.'
Films outside of the main competition include the third installment of the hit animated 'Madagascar' film series, the 3D 'Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted,' as well as a new Ken Burns documentary 'The Central Park Five' about the 1989 Central Park jogger case in which five minors were convicted of assault and rape but their convictions later thrown out.
Nicole Kidman could appear on the Cannes red carpet to promote U.S. director Philip Kaufman's 'Hemingway & Gellhorn', which is also being shown out of competition.
The closing film in 2012 will be Claude Miller's 'Therese Desqueyroux', in honor of the French director who died shortly after completing the picture.
This year's jury deciding the awards in the main competition will be led by Italian actor/director Nanni Moretti, who won the Golden Palm in 2001 with 'The Son's Room'. Presiding over the 'Un Certain Regard' jury will be English actor Tim Roth.
(Reporting by Alexandria Sage; writing by Mike Collett-White and Alexandria Sage, editing by Paul Casciato)
Films from U.S. director Wes Anderson and Canada's David Cronenberg will be among 22 films vying for the coveted 'Palme d'Or', the top prize at the glitzy cinema showcase which can significantly boost a picture's box office and awards potential.
Officials will be hoping that the blend of Hollywood star power and auteurs from around the globe will help the festival recover from last year's controversy when Danish director Lars Von Trier was expelled for making Nazi jokes during a press conference.
'Killing Me Softly,' from New Zealand-born director Andrew Dominik, and co-starring 'The Sopranos' James Gandolfini, sees Pitt investigating a heist during a mob-protected poker game.
Anderson's 1960s drama 'Moonrise Kingdom,' starring Ed Norton and Bill Murray, is set to kick off the May 16-27 festival, while Cronenberg's 'Cosmopolis,' starring 'Twilight' hearthrob Robert Pattison, is also in the main running.
Conenberg's son Brandon is in the smaller 'Un Certain Regard' selection with his debut, 'Antiviral.'
And Twilight fans will also be keen to get their teeth into 'On the Road,' the adaptation of Jack Kerouac's classic novel from Brazilian director Walter Salles. Its cast includes Twilight co-star Kristen Stewart as well as Viggo Mortensen and Kirsten Dunst.
Contenders from host country France include 'Vous N'Avez Encore Rien Vu,' from veteran European festival favorite Alain Resnais, 89, and Jacques Audiard's 'De Rouille et D'Os' ('Rust and Bone') starring Oscar-winner Marion Cotillard.
Austrian filmmaker Michael Haneke, a former Palme d'Or winner, is also competing with his French film 'Amour' starring Isabelle Huppert.
GREAT AUTEURS
At a press conference held in the grand salon of a Paris hotel flanked by this year's festival poster of Marilyn Monroe, organizers saluted great filmmakers from around the world.
'In a world that sacrifices everything to what's superficial, to the new-best-thing, to the lowest common denominator ... what counts, what makes us strong, is our passion for cinema and for those who make it: the great auteur filmmakers,' said Cannes President Gilles Jacob.
Berenice Bejo, star of 'The Artist' and winner of a French Cesar award, will host the festival's official ceremonies.
The silent movie, winner of the 2012 best picture Oscar, debuted at Cannes last year and thrust Bejo and co-star Jean Dujardin - winner of a best actor Academy Award - into the international spotlight.
Other previous Palme d'Or winners up again for the main prize include Britain's Ken Loach ('The Angel's Share') and Romania's Cristian Mungiu ('Beyond the Hills').
Italy's Matteo Garrone, director of 2008's 'Gomorrah,' the gritty portrait of the Camorra crime syndicate in Naples, will be competing with the film 'Reality.'
The growing influence of Middle Eastern cinema is represented by Egyptian director Yousry Nasrallah's 'Baad el Mawkeaa' and Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami's Japanese film, 'Like Someone in Love.'
Competing from Asia are South Korea's Hong Sangsoo with 'In Another Country' and Im Sang-soo with 'The Taste of Money.'
Films outside of the main competition include the third installment of the hit animated 'Madagascar' film series, the 3D 'Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted,' as well as a new Ken Burns documentary 'The Central Park Five' about the 1989 Central Park jogger case in which five minors were convicted of assault and rape but their convictions later thrown out.
Nicole Kidman could appear on the Cannes red carpet to promote U.S. director Philip Kaufman's 'Hemingway & Gellhorn', which is also being shown out of competition.
The closing film in 2012 will be Claude Miller's 'Therese Desqueyroux', in honor of the French director who died shortly after completing the picture.
This year's jury deciding the awards in the main competition will be led by Italian actor/director Nanni Moretti, who won the Golden Palm in 2001 with 'The Son's Room'. Presiding over the 'Un Certain Regard' jury will be English actor Tim Roth.
(Reporting by Alexandria Sage; writing by Mike Collett-White and Alexandria Sage, editing by Paul Casciato)
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Tribeca opens with comedy "The Five-Year Engagement"
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Hollywood comedy 'The Five-Year Engagement' opened New York's Tribeca Film Festival on Wednesday bringing some crowd-pleasing laughs and red carpet glamour to the event before audiences settle into 12 days of mostly independent cinema.
The romance starring Jason Segel and Emily Blunt, made by the same team behind hit 'Forgetting Sarah Marshall,' kicked off the festival which is entering its second decade with organizers promising a broad group of films from all regions of the world.
Segel and Blunt hit the red carpet for the movie in which they portray a couple discovering each other during a never-ending engagement. The film is directed by Nicholas Stoller, who co-wrote the script with Segel. The pair first teamed up with on the 2008 blockbuster 'Marshall.'
'This is how inertia can destroy a relationship,' Stoller told Reuters. 'They realize that they didn't know each other quite as well as they thought. It's about how an engagement can get in the way of a relationship.'
Compared to 'Marshall,' the characters are slightly older and the male and female perspectives on love and relationships were equally represented, said Stoller. But his new film offers the same honesty as 'Marshall' and 'Get Him to the Greek,' which he also co-wrote with Segel.
'We like things to be awkward and real like they are in real life. People don't often come out with the perfect phrase to explain a moment,' he said. 'That kind of awkwardness and reality makes for the best comedy because people can see themselves in the characters.'
On the red carpet, Segel described the movie as 'a lean mean comedy machine,' and joked that, like his previous comedies, there were again plenty of scenes of himself nude in strange situations. 'Sadly, sadly there is, yes,' he said.
Blunt said another film in which she stars here at Tribeca, 'Your Sister's Sister,' is far different from the comedy opposite Segel, whom she described as a 'good pal.'
'This is a big raucous comedy and the other one is a tiny movie all improvised, made for no money. We shot it in 12 days - there are very diverse, which at least is a good thing,' she said.
The film's producer Judd Apatow, actress Olivia Wilde, comic actresses Amy Poehler and Julia Louis-Dreyfus, documentary maker Michael Moore, as well as the festival's co-founder Robert De Niro also attended the opening, held not far from Central Park.
De Niro helped set up the festival as a way to revive downtown Manhattan after the September 11 attacks, and many of the screenings are still held in downtown Manhattan.
This year, Tribeca will screen 89 feature films split between 57 fiction and 32 documentaries, including 50 world premieres.
It is the first year Tribeca organizers selected debut night films for the narrative and documentary competitions, and organizers said the overall program reflects a range of films from around the world. Half of the festival's lineup of 12 fiction films in competition are international productions.
The festival will return to more bigger-budget Hollywood fare for its closing night film, the anticipated superhero blockbuster 'The Avengers,' to be screened on April 28.
(Additional reporting by Alicia Powell, Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)
The romance starring Jason Segel and Emily Blunt, made by the same team behind hit 'Forgetting Sarah Marshall,' kicked off the festival which is entering its second decade with organizers promising a broad group of films from all regions of the world.
Segel and Blunt hit the red carpet for the movie in which they portray a couple discovering each other during a never-ending engagement. The film is directed by Nicholas Stoller, who co-wrote the script with Segel. The pair first teamed up with on the 2008 blockbuster 'Marshall.'
'This is how inertia can destroy a relationship,' Stoller told Reuters. 'They realize that they didn't know each other quite as well as they thought. It's about how an engagement can get in the way of a relationship.'
Compared to 'Marshall,' the characters are slightly older and the male and female perspectives on love and relationships were equally represented, said Stoller. But his new film offers the same honesty as 'Marshall' and 'Get Him to the Greek,' which he also co-wrote with Segel.
'We like things to be awkward and real like they are in real life. People don't often come out with the perfect phrase to explain a moment,' he said. 'That kind of awkwardness and reality makes for the best comedy because people can see themselves in the characters.'
On the red carpet, Segel described the movie as 'a lean mean comedy machine,' and joked that, like his previous comedies, there were again plenty of scenes of himself nude in strange situations. 'Sadly, sadly there is, yes,' he said.
Blunt said another film in which she stars here at Tribeca, 'Your Sister's Sister,' is far different from the comedy opposite Segel, whom she described as a 'good pal.'
'This is a big raucous comedy and the other one is a tiny movie all improvised, made for no money. We shot it in 12 days - there are very diverse, which at least is a good thing,' she said.
The film's producer Judd Apatow, actress Olivia Wilde, comic actresses Amy Poehler and Julia Louis-Dreyfus, documentary maker Michael Moore, as well as the festival's co-founder Robert De Niro also attended the opening, held not far from Central Park.
De Niro helped set up the festival as a way to revive downtown Manhattan after the September 11 attacks, and many of the screenings are still held in downtown Manhattan.
This year, Tribeca will screen 89 feature films split between 57 fiction and 32 documentaries, including 50 world premieres.
It is the first year Tribeca organizers selected debut night films for the narrative and documentary competitions, and organizers said the overall program reflects a range of films from around the world. Half of the festival's lineup of 12 fiction films in competition are international productions.
The festival will return to more bigger-budget Hollywood fare for its closing night film, the anticipated superhero blockbuster 'The Avengers,' to be screened on April 28.
(Additional reporting by Alicia Powell, Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)
Monday, April 16, 2012
Court upholds convictions in Stamos extortion plot
(Reuters) - An appeals court on Monday upheld the convictions and sentences of a Michigan couple charged with trying to extort $680,000 from actor John Stamos.
Allison Coss and Scott Sippola were convicted in 2010 of concocting an elaborate plot to extort money from Stamos by threatening to release pictures of him at a party where there were strippers and cocaine the table than knowing her way around. The defendants were each sentenced to four years in prison.
Coss and Sippola, who were in a relationship at the time, challenged their convictions, claiming the extortion law was vague and therefore unconstitutionalssive mother (Barbara Jef. They argued that the statute should only criminalize threats to commit unlawful acts, not just wrongful acts.
Selling the pictures to tabloids may have been wrong, but it was not illegal, they argued, and the law infringed on their commercial speech protected by the First Amendmentr II and the years immediately. But the Cincinnati-based U.Ssics like "Brief Encoun. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit rejected their appeal.
'The crime of extortion has never been defined strictly in terms of the lawfulness or unlawfulness of .. Add "span class='yshortcuts' id='l. the underlying actions,' Judge Karen Moore wrote for a unanimous three-judge panelSo it's easy to see why Hester would lo. The threat to sell the photos was wrongful because Coss and Sippola had no right to $680,000 from Stamos, the court concluded.
The appeals court quoted the trial judge, who said that presenting the plot as a legitimate business deal was 'to put it mildly, somewhat ludicrous.'
Sarah Henderson, a lawyer for the defendants, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The U.Sugh of a charmer and a rotter t. Attorney's Office in Grand Rapids, Michigan, did not immediately provide comment.
Coss, who worked at a northern Michigan night club, met Stamos in Florida in 2004 when she was 17 and on a trip to Disney Worldit's not a spoiler . The two continued to correspond via email for several years.
Stamos contacted the FBI in Nashville, Tennessee in November 2009 after receiving emails from someone claiming to have found incriminating pictures from 2004 grim place, with rationed food and a gray . Prosecutors said Coss and Sippola had sent the emails and that the damaging pictures did not existt;), and his aesthetic meshes per. The two also sent emails to Stamos posing as a woman who claimed to have been impregnated by him, prosecutors said.
Stamos is best known for his role as Jesse in the 1990s sitcom 'Full House,' where he played opposite then-child stars Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen.
(Reporting By Terry Baynes; Editing by Steve Orlofsky)
Allison Coss and Scott Sippola were convicted in 2010 of concocting an elaborate plot to extort money from Stamos by threatening to release pictures of him at a party where there were strippers and cocaine the table than knowing her way around. The defendants were each sentenced to four years in prison.
Coss and Sippola, who were in a relationship at the time, challenged their convictions, claiming the extortion law was vague and therefore unconstitutionalssive mother (Barbara Jef. They argued that the statute should only criminalize threats to commit unlawful acts, not just wrongful acts.
Selling the pictures to tabloids may have been wrong, but it was not illegal, they argued, and the law infringed on their commercial speech protected by the First Amendmentr II and the years immediately. But the Cincinnati-based U.Ssics like "Brief Encoun. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit rejected their appeal.
'The crime of extortion has never been defined strictly in terms of the lawfulness or unlawfulness of .. Add "span class='yshortcuts' id='l. the underlying actions,' Judge Karen Moore wrote for a unanimous three-judge panelSo it's easy to see why Hester would lo. The threat to sell the photos was wrongful because Coss and Sippola had no right to $680,000 from Stamos, the court concluded.
The appeals court quoted the trial judge, who said that presenting the plot as a legitimate business deal was 'to put it mildly, somewhat ludicrous.'
Sarah Henderson, a lawyer for the defendants, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The U.Sugh of a charmer and a rotter t. Attorney's Office in Grand Rapids, Michigan, did not immediately provide comment.
Coss, who worked at a northern Michigan night club, met Stamos in Florida in 2004 when she was 17 and on a trip to Disney Worldit's not a spoiler . The two continued to correspond via email for several years.
Stamos contacted the FBI in Nashville, Tennessee in November 2009 after receiving emails from someone claiming to have found incriminating pictures from 2004 grim place, with rationed food and a gray . Prosecutors said Coss and Sippola had sent the emails and that the damaging pictures did not existt;), and his aesthetic meshes per. The two also sent emails to Stamos posing as a woman who claimed to have been impregnated by him, prosecutors said.
Stamos is best known for his role as Jesse in the 1990s sitcom 'Full House,' where he played opposite then-child stars Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen.
(Reporting By Terry Baynes; Editing by Steve Orlofsky)
Iron Man 3 to be co-produced in China
HONG KONG (Reuters) - The next 'Iron Man' film will be co-produced in China under a joint agreement between Walt Disney Co, Marvel Studios and DMG Entertainment, the latest in a series of tie-ups between Hollywood and China where movie-going is growing fast.
DMG - a Chinese entertainment and marketing group - will invest in Iron Man 3, manage the Chinese co-production process and jointly produce the film in Chinaages/transparent-95031,png' style='b. Along with Disney's China unit, it will also distribute the film in China, the companies said on Monday.
Iron Man 3 will star Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow and Don Cheadle 'Through this film I confronted my own b. It will be released in the United States on May 3, 2013.
Monday's announcement comes after China in February agreed to allow in more foreign films and reflects the fast-growing Chinese middle class spending more money in theaters and less on pirated movies.
Last week Disney said it would work with China's Ministry of Culture and Tencent Holdings to promote the animation industry in China, while Dreamworks Animation SKG Inc in February said it would build a studio in Shanghai as part of a joint venture with some of China's biggest media companies.
Comcast Corp's NBC Universal Studio is also said to be in preliminary talks with Tianjin about a joint venture to build a theme park in the port city.
(Reporting by Clare Baldwin; Editing by David Holmes)
DMG - a Chinese entertainment and marketing group - will invest in Iron Man 3, manage the Chinese co-production process and jointly produce the film in Chinaages/transparent-95031,png' style='b. Along with Disney's China unit, it will also distribute the film in China, the companies said on Monday.
Iron Man 3 will star Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow and Don Cheadle 'Through this film I confronted my own b. It will be released in the United States on May 3, 2013.
Monday's announcement comes after China in February agreed to allow in more foreign films and reflects the fast-growing Chinese middle class spending more money in theaters and less on pirated movies.
Last week Disney said it would work with China's Ministry of Culture and Tencent Holdings to promote the animation industry in China, while Dreamworks Animation SKG Inc in February said it would build a studio in Shanghai as part of a joint venture with some of China's biggest media companies.
Comcast Corp's NBC Universal Studio is also said to be in preliminary talks with Tianjin about a joint venture to build a theme park in the port city.
(Reporting by Clare Baldwin; Editing by David Holmes)
Google co-founder rips Hollywood on anti-piracy efforts
LOS ANGELES,(TheWrap) - Hollywood and the entertainment industry are 'shooting themselves in the foot, or maybe worse than the foot' by pushing the current anti-piracy legislation, according to Google co-founder Sergey Brin.
He said the Stop Online Piracy Act and the Protect IP Act that Hollywood has been lobbying for would have led to the U.Sto $28,6 million in December 1997, held the N. using the same technology and approach it has criticized China and Iran for using.
Brin made the comments in an exclusive interview with the U.K.'s Guardian newspaper.
The entertainment industry, he said, is failing to understand that users will continue to download pirated content as long as it is easier to acquire and use than legitimately obtained material.
'I haven't tried it for many years but when you go on a pirate website, you choose what you like, it downloads to the device of your choice and it will just work - and then when you have to jump through all these hoops (to buy legitimate content), the walls created are disincentives for people to buy.'
Brin's criticism of Hollywood was part of an alarming portrait he painted of the current Internet landscape_1333647189_2'Paramount. He said that the principles of openness and universal access that fostered the creation of the Internet three decades ago are under greater threat than ever.
There are 'very powerful forces that have lined up against the open internet on all sides and around the worldf the real Titanic, Do. I am more worried than I have been in the past...it's scary,' Brin said.
He said the threat came from a combination of governments increasingly trying to control access by their citizens, the entertainment industry attempting to crack down on piracy and the rise of Facebook and Apple, which he said tightly control software on their platforms.
He said five years ago he did not believe China or any country could effectively restrict the Internet for long but he had been proven wrong.
'I thought there was no way to put the genie back in the bottle, but now it seems in certain areas the genie has been put back in the bottle,' Brin saidary/span approaches of the s. He cited China, Saudi Arabia and Iran as the greatest threats.
He said that Facebook and Apple can stifle innovation and 'Balkanize' the web with their proprietary platforms and controlled user access.
'There's a lot to be lost,' he said' id='lw_1333647189_2'Paramount/span is projecting. 'For example all the information in apps - that data is not 'crawlable' by web crawlers That would be impressiv. You can't search it.'
Some will take Brin's comments on its rival Facebook, which has seen huge growth and now has more than 800 million members globally, with a grain of salt for a record 15 weeks and w. The social network has announced plans for a $100 billion IPO.
Had Facebook existed, he and Google co-founder Larry Page could not have created Google, Brin said.
'You have to play by their rules, which are really restrictiveg toward a possible $6 m. The kind of environment that we developed Google in, the reason that we were able to develop a search engine, is the web was so opensive, given that the film'. Once you get too many rules that will stifle innovation.'
He said the Stop Online Piracy Act and the Protect IP Act that Hollywood has been lobbying for would have led to the U.Sto $28,6 million in December 1997, held the N. using the same technology and approach it has criticized China and Iran for using.
Brin made the comments in an exclusive interview with the U.K.'s Guardian newspaper.
The entertainment industry, he said, is failing to understand that users will continue to download pirated content as long as it is easier to acquire and use than legitimately obtained material.
'I haven't tried it for many years but when you go on a pirate website, you choose what you like, it downloads to the device of your choice and it will just work - and then when you have to jump through all these hoops (to buy legitimate content), the walls created are disincentives for people to buy.'
Brin's criticism of Hollywood was part of an alarming portrait he painted of the current Internet landscape_1333647189_2'Paramount. He said that the principles of openness and universal access that fostered the creation of the Internet three decades ago are under greater threat than ever.
There are 'very powerful forces that have lined up against the open internet on all sides and around the worldf the real Titanic, Do. I am more worried than I have been in the past...it's scary,' Brin said.
He said the threat came from a combination of governments increasingly trying to control access by their citizens, the entertainment industry attempting to crack down on piracy and the rise of Facebook and Apple, which he said tightly control software on their platforms.
He said five years ago he did not believe China or any country could effectively restrict the Internet for long but he had been proven wrong.
'I thought there was no way to put the genie back in the bottle, but now it seems in certain areas the genie has been put back in the bottle,' Brin saidary/span approaches of the s. He cited China, Saudi Arabia and Iran as the greatest threats.
He said that Facebook and Apple can stifle innovation and 'Balkanize' the web with their proprietary platforms and controlled user access.
'There's a lot to be lost,' he said' id='lw_1333647189_2'Paramount/span is projecting. 'For example all the information in apps - that data is not 'crawlable' by web crawlers That would be impressiv. You can't search it.'
Some will take Brin's comments on its rival Facebook, which has seen huge growth and now has more than 800 million members globally, with a grain of salt for a record 15 weeks and w. The social network has announced plans for a $100 billion IPO.
Had Facebook existed, he and Google co-founder Larry Page could not have created Google, Brin said.
'You have to play by their rules, which are really restrictiveg toward a possible $6 m. The kind of environment that we developed Google in, the reason that we were able to develop a search engine, is the web was so opensive, given that the film'. Once you get too many rules that will stifle innovation.'
Sunday, April 15, 2012
"Hunger Games" rings up 4th box office win
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The blockbuster movie 'The Hunger Games' dominated box office charts for the fourth weekend in a row, outselling three new releases at U.S "The couple, who&. and Canadian theaters.
The Lions Gate Entertainment Corp drama about a televised teen death match brought in $21.5 million at domestic theaters from Friday through Sunday, according to studio estimates compiled by Reuters.
The ongoing appetite for 'Hunger Games' left three newcomers trailingst member of their family, Both mother and b. 'The Three Stooges,' featuring an updated cast of finger-poking stars, beat industry expectations to land in second place2," The actor . The horror film 'The Cabin in the Woods' finished third.
The last movie to win four straight weekends was 'Avatar,' the highest-grossing film of all time, according to Hollywood.commember of their family, Both . That film, released by Fox, went on to generate $760 million in domestic sales.
Since 'Hunger Games' hit theaters March 23, the movie has racked up $337 million in North American (U.Sfor the highly-anticipated sequel &q. and Canadian) ticket salesctor has three grown daughters from his 13-year ma. That places it 22nd all-time in ticket sales, just behind Walt Disney Co.'s 'Finding Nemo,' according to the site Box Office Mojo.
The film has also added $194 million from international markets, according to Lions Gate, for a global total of $531 million.
'There's nothing old about finishing Noluding sequels "G,I, Joe: Retalia. 1,' said Richie Fay, Lions Gate president of distributionuple divorced in 2000, . 'We're just happy to be able to look over our shoulders and see how well we've done.'
Horror movie 'The Cabin in the Woods,' also from Lions Gate, rung up $14.8 million in domestic theaters, The actor has three grown daughte. Industry forecasters had projected 'Cabin' would debut with at least $13 million domestically.
The movie picked up steam over the weekend, adding 3 percent from Friday to Monday, said Fay, unusual for a horror flick and points to good word of mouthhe weekend, said his spokeswoman, . The film generated surprisingly good reviews from critics, which helped sell the film to an over 25-year-old audience that doesn't generally go for creepy movies.
'The Three Stooges,' an effort to bring the goofy comic trio to a new generation, pulled in $17.1 million for second placere overjoyed about the newest m. The eye-poking act started as vaudeville comedy in 1930 and enjoyed its greatest popularity in through 1946, according to the online site Wikipedia.
In the current movie, this slapstick trio Larry, Curly and Moe stumble into a murder plot and star in a reality television show.
Fox spent about $35 million to produce the film and had projected opening weekend sales of around $10 million- Rumer, 23, Scout, 20 and Tallulah, 18, The cou. Box office prognosticator had projected it would do $15 million.
'The Three Stooges' drew more than 52 percent of its audience from movie under the age of 25, said Chris Aronson, Fox's executive vice president for domestic distributione newest member of t. That could point to a lengthy run in theaters, he said.
The comedy sequel 'American Reunion' grossed $10.6 million, giving Comcast Universal Pictures a second film in the top ten" due for release in 2013, . Its animated film 'Druple, who've been married for . Deuss' The Loral,' was tenth for the weekend with $3 million, adding to a total of $204 million so far this year.
'People said you could get more if we released them in the Summer, said Universal president of distribution Nikki Roccocop John McClane for the . 'but look at the summer lineup.'
The summer will be filled with blockbusters in waiting, including sequels to 'Men in Black' and 'Spider-Man,' and another installment of the Batman 'Dark Knight' series.
The other new nationwide release, sci-fi thriller 'Lockout,' landed in tenth place with nearly $6.3 million at domestic theaters his first with span class='yshortcuts' id='lw_133. The film tells the story of a man who tries to rescue the president's daughter from an outer space prison The actor also i. The movie played in about 2,300 U.Sed about the newest mem. and Canadian theaters, compared with more than 3,900 for 'Hunger Games.'
Also this weekend, big-budget action movie 'Battleship' opened in 26 overseas markets starting Wednesdayl span class='yshortcut. The film pulled in $58 million in offshore markets, according to distributor Universal Pictures.
News Corp's 20th Century Fox studio distributed 'Three Stooges.' 'American Reunion' and 'Battleship' were released by Comcast Corp's Universal Picturesr family, Both mother a. Paramount Pictures, a unit of Viacom Inc, distributed 'Titanic 3D' in domestic theaters.
Open Road Films, a joint venture between theater owners Regal Entertainment Group and AMC Entertainment Inc, distributed 'Lockout.' The movie was produced by independent studio Film District.
(Reporting By Lisa Richwine; Editing by Jackie Frank)
The Lions Gate Entertainment Corp drama about a televised teen death match brought in $21.5 million at domestic theaters from Friday through Sunday, according to studio estimates compiled by Reuters.
The ongoing appetite for 'Hunger Games' left three newcomers trailingst member of their family, Both mother and b. 'The Three Stooges,' featuring an updated cast of finger-poking stars, beat industry expectations to land in second place2," The actor . The horror film 'The Cabin in the Woods' finished third.
The last movie to win four straight weekends was 'Avatar,' the highest-grossing film of all time, according to Hollywood.commember of their family, Both . That film, released by Fox, went on to generate $760 million in domestic sales.
Since 'Hunger Games' hit theaters March 23, the movie has racked up $337 million in North American (U.Sfor the highly-anticipated sequel &q. and Canadian) ticket salesctor has three grown daughters from his 13-year ma. That places it 22nd all-time in ticket sales, just behind Walt Disney Co.'s 'Finding Nemo,' according to the site Box Office Mojo.
The film has also added $194 million from international markets, according to Lions Gate, for a global total of $531 million.
'There's nothing old about finishing Noluding sequels "G,I, Joe: Retalia. 1,' said Richie Fay, Lions Gate president of distributionuple divorced in 2000, . 'We're just happy to be able to look over our shoulders and see how well we've done.'
Horror movie 'The Cabin in the Woods,' also from Lions Gate, rung up $14.8 million in domestic theaters, The actor has three grown daughte. Industry forecasters had projected 'Cabin' would debut with at least $13 million domestically.
The movie picked up steam over the weekend, adding 3 percent from Friday to Monday, said Fay, unusual for a horror flick and points to good word of mouthhe weekend, said his spokeswoman, . The film generated surprisingly good reviews from critics, which helped sell the film to an over 25-year-old audience that doesn't generally go for creepy movies.
'The Three Stooges,' an effort to bring the goofy comic trio to a new generation, pulled in $17.1 million for second placere overjoyed about the newest m. The eye-poking act started as vaudeville comedy in 1930 and enjoyed its greatest popularity in through 1946, according to the online site Wikipedia.
In the current movie, this slapstick trio Larry, Curly and Moe stumble into a murder plot and star in a reality television show.
Fox spent about $35 million to produce the film and had projected opening weekend sales of around $10 million- Rumer, 23, Scout, 20 and Tallulah, 18, The cou. Box office prognosticator had projected it would do $15 million.
'The Three Stooges' drew more than 52 percent of its audience from movie under the age of 25, said Chris Aronson, Fox's executive vice president for domestic distributione newest member of t. That could point to a lengthy run in theaters, he said.
The comedy sequel 'American Reunion' grossed $10.6 million, giving Comcast Universal Pictures a second film in the top ten" due for release in 2013, . Its animated film 'Druple, who've been married for . Deuss' The Loral,' was tenth for the weekend with $3 million, adding to a total of $204 million so far this year.
'People said you could get more if we released them in the Summer, said Universal president of distribution Nikki Roccocop John McClane for the . 'but look at the summer lineup.'
The summer will be filled with blockbusters in waiting, including sequels to 'Men in Black' and 'Spider-Man,' and another installment of the Batman 'Dark Knight' series.
The other new nationwide release, sci-fi thriller 'Lockout,' landed in tenth place with nearly $6.3 million at domestic theaters his first with span class='yshortcuts' id='lw_133. The film tells the story of a man who tries to rescue the president's daughter from an outer space prison The actor also i. The movie played in about 2,300 U.Sed about the newest mem. and Canadian theaters, compared with more than 3,900 for 'Hunger Games.'
Also this weekend, big-budget action movie 'Battleship' opened in 26 overseas markets starting Wednesdayl span class='yshortcut. The film pulled in $58 million in offshore markets, according to distributor Universal Pictures.
News Corp's 20th Century Fox studio distributed 'Three Stooges.' 'American Reunion' and 'Battleship' were released by Comcast Corp's Universal Picturesr family, Both mother a. Paramount Pictures, a unit of Viacom Inc, distributed 'Titanic 3D' in domestic theaters.
Open Road Films, a joint venture between theater owners Regal Entertainment Group and AMC Entertainment Inc, distributed 'Lockout.' The movie was produced by independent studio Film District.
(Reporting By Lisa Richwine; Editing by Jackie Frank)
Saturday, April 14, 2012
Woody Allen's "To Rome, With Love" opens in Eternal City
ROME (Reuters) - Woody Allen says his new movie 'To Rome, With Love,' is a tribute to all the old Italian films that influenced him as a young artist but he has one wish: that more Italians could hear his voice in the original rather than the dubbed versions.
The film, which stars Allen, Alec Baldwin, Roberto Benigni, Penelope Cruz, Judy Davis, Jesse Eisenberg, Greta Gerwig and Ellen Page, had its world premiere in the Eternal City on Friday.
Made up of four separate stories, it is his first set in Rome, which Allen called 'a feast for a filmmaker'Reporter/span first reported the news, . It is also his latest set in a European capital, following London, Barcelona and Paris.
'I grew up on Italian cinema,com) - 'Project X,' the low-b. I have always been an enormous admirer of Italian cinemaan class='yshortcuts' id='lw_133108776. Anything that appears in the movie that is redolent of Italian cinema is strictly something that I have absorbed through osmosis over the years and it comes out,' he said at a news conference.
'It would have been impossible in the years that I grew up to not have been influenced by the Italian movies that came to New Yorkrty to improve their image -- and find the fiest. These are the films that I saw, my fiends saw, they were very impressive,' he said.
Allen, 76, grew up in Brooklyn and, after writing for television, started his career as a stand-up comic in Manhattan's Greenwich Village, where he saw many of the great Italian films of the 1950s and 1960s by directors such as Vittorio De Sica, Roberto Rossellini, Michelangelo Antonioni and Federico Fellini.
'Naturally, when you make films you tend to make the kind of films that you have absorbed and have enjoyed as you developed and you grew upand find the fiesta spinning out . It's an unconscious influence but a very substantial one,' he said.
'To Rome, With Love' is made up of four episodes of adventures and misadventures.
In the first a famous architect played by Alec Baldwin is in Rome on vacation and is reminded of his youth in the city when he meets Jack, played by Jesse Eisenberg.
In the second, Allen plays a retired director who visits Rome and tries to promote the career of a man who sings professional quality opera but only when he is under a shower.
The third stars Oscar-winner Roberto Benigni as a man who wakes up one morning to discover that he has suddenly and inexplicably become famous and is stalked by paparazzi.
'Apart from Penelope Cruze and Ellen Page, I am sure Mr Allen chose me because of my beauty,' Benigni joked at the news conferencebefore the movie opened, T. 'I am without a doubt the most handsome of the men in the filmr Warners, produced the R-rated 'P. My apologies to Mr Baldwin and Mr Eisenberg.'
In the last episode, Penelope Cruz plays a high-class call girl who accidentally finds herself in the wrong hotel room, setting off a chain of comic events involving several couples.
DUBBING 'A MIXED BLESSING'
While Allen is a comic superstar in Italy, most Italians have never heard his voiceilm that grossed $21 million over the weekend, be. As in many European countries, Italians' ingrained dislike of subtitles has fed a powerful dubbing industry.
'It's a mixed blessing,' Allen said in answer to a question at the news conference attended by all of the movie's stars.
'I don't like dubbing at alluel, 'Project Y' . Americans are not used to dubbinguel well before the movie opene. We grew up without dubbing and so it's always very, very strange to us and I am very much against it,' he said.
'Whenever I send my films out to European countries I always try to get the prints subtitled if I can but I'm met with resistance because the countries are just not used to subtitles,' he said.
But Allen said he has often wondered if he would have been as successful without a dubber.
'Now, having said this I would say that the man who dubbed me for years in Italy, now deceased, made me into a hero ..n, who wrote the $12 mi. it was his voice and everybody liked medget comedy that opened as the No,. I don't know for sure if they had heard my own voice they would have been that responsive to me,' he said.
Allen was referring to Oreste Lionello, an Italian comic who died in 2009 and was Allen's voice for decades.
In the newest film, he is dubbed by Leo Gullotta, a famous Italian comedian who has also done serious roles, such as playing the simple small town theatre usher in 'Cinema Paradiso', which won the Oscar for the best foreign film in 1989.
'I might have been good anyway, but there is no guarantee of it, so, you know, that's how I feel2 movie in America, may have spawned . I consider myself lucky that I was dubbed even though I don't like the process,' he said.
(Reporting By Philip Pullella, editing by Paul Casciato)
The film, which stars Allen, Alec Baldwin, Roberto Benigni, Penelope Cruz, Judy Davis, Jesse Eisenberg, Greta Gerwig and Ellen Page, had its world premiere in the Eternal City on Friday.
Made up of four separate stories, it is his first set in Rome, which Allen called 'a feast for a filmmaker'Reporter/span first reported the news, . It is also his latest set in a European capital, following London, Barcelona and Paris.
'I grew up on Italian cinema,com) - 'Project X,' the low-b. I have always been an enormous admirer of Italian cinemaan class='yshortcuts' id='lw_133108776. Anything that appears in the movie that is redolent of Italian cinema is strictly something that I have absorbed through osmosis over the years and it comes out,' he said at a news conference.
'It would have been impossible in the years that I grew up to not have been influenced by the Italian movies that came to New Yorkrty to improve their image -- and find the fiest. These are the films that I saw, my fiends saw, they were very impressive,' he said.
Allen, 76, grew up in Brooklyn and, after writing for television, started his career as a stand-up comic in Manhattan's Greenwich Village, where he saw many of the great Italian films of the 1950s and 1960s by directors such as Vittorio De Sica, Roberto Rossellini, Michelangelo Antonioni and Federico Fellini.
'Naturally, when you make films you tend to make the kind of films that you have absorbed and have enjoyed as you developed and you grew upand find the fiesta spinning out . It's an unconscious influence but a very substantial one,' he said.
'To Rome, With Love' is made up of four episodes of adventures and misadventures.
In the first a famous architect played by Alec Baldwin is in Rome on vacation and is reminded of his youth in the city when he meets Jack, played by Jesse Eisenberg.
In the second, Allen plays a retired director who visits Rome and tries to promote the career of a man who sings professional quality opera but only when he is under a shower.
The third stars Oscar-winner Roberto Benigni as a man who wakes up one morning to discover that he has suddenly and inexplicably become famous and is stalked by paparazzi.
'Apart from Penelope Cruze and Ellen Page, I am sure Mr Allen chose me because of my beauty,' Benigni joked at the news conferencebefore the movie opened, T. 'I am without a doubt the most handsome of the men in the filmr Warners, produced the R-rated 'P. My apologies to Mr Baldwin and Mr Eisenberg.'
In the last episode, Penelope Cruz plays a high-class call girl who accidentally finds herself in the wrong hotel room, setting off a chain of comic events involving several couples.
DUBBING 'A MIXED BLESSING'
While Allen is a comic superstar in Italy, most Italians have never heard his voiceilm that grossed $21 million over the weekend, be. As in many European countries, Italians' ingrained dislike of subtitles has fed a powerful dubbing industry.
'It's a mixed blessing,' Allen said in answer to a question at the news conference attended by all of the movie's stars.
'I don't like dubbing at alluel, 'Project Y' . Americans are not used to dubbinguel well before the movie opene. We grew up without dubbing and so it's always very, very strange to us and I am very much against it,' he said.
'Whenever I send my films out to European countries I always try to get the prints subtitled if I can but I'm met with resistance because the countries are just not used to subtitles,' he said.
But Allen said he has often wondered if he would have been as successful without a dubber.
'Now, having said this I would say that the man who dubbed me for years in Italy, now deceased, made me into a hero ..n, who wrote the $12 mi. it was his voice and everybody liked medget comedy that opened as the No,. I don't know for sure if they had heard my own voice they would have been that responsive to me,' he said.
Allen was referring to Oreste Lionello, an Italian comic who died in 2009 and was Allen's voice for decades.
In the newest film, he is dubbed by Leo Gullotta, a famous Italian comedian who has also done serious roles, such as playing the simple small town theatre usher in 'Cinema Paradiso', which won the Oscar for the best foreign film in 1989.
'I might have been good anyway, but there is no guarantee of it, so, you know, that's how I feel2 movie in America, may have spawned . I consider myself lucky that I was dubbed even though I don't like the process,' he said.
(Reporting By Philip Pullella, editing by Paul Casciato)
Friday, April 13, 2012
Allen's 'To Rome With Love' to open L.A. film fest
LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Woody Allen's 'To Rome With Love' will serve as the opening night film at the 2012 Los Angeles Film Festival, LAFF organizers announced on Thursday.
The Sony Pictures Classics comedy, which features an ensemble cast that includes Alec Baldwin, Roberto Benigni, Penelope Cruz, Judy Davis, Jesse Eisenberg, Greta Gerwig, Ellen Page and Allen, will have its North American premiere at the festival.
Its world premiere takes place this month in Italy.
Allen's last film, 'Midnight in Paris,' was launched at last year's Cannes Film Festival Los Angeles, and weighed 9. The film received a Best Picture nomination, won Allen an Oscar for his screenplay and became the top-grossing film of the writer-director's career, with more than $56 million at the U.Sbest known roles as toug. box office and nearly $150 million worldwide.
'I can't think of a better way to kick off this year's festival than with the original independent filmmaker himself, Woody Allen,' said festival director Stephanie Allain in a press release announcing the selection.
The release did not say whether the famously reticent Allen would make the trip to Los Angeles for the premiere.
Last year, the festival kicked off with Richard Linklater's 'Bernie,' which will finally receive a limited release later this monthclass='yshortcuts' id='lw_1333392912_0'Bruce Wi. Two years ago, LAFF's opening-night film was Lisa Cholodenko's 'The Kids Are All Right,' which went on to receive a Best Picture nomination.
'To Rome With Love' was formerly titled 'The Bop Decameron' and then 'Nero Fiddled,' before switching to a title more in the vein of 'Midnight in Paris.'
The film will launch LAFF on June 14' spokeswoman said in a statement, . The festival, which is produced by Film Independent, will continue through June 24 in downtown Los Angeles, with most screenings taking place in the L.As) - Actor span class='yshortcut. LIVE complex.
The Sony Pictures Classics comedy, which features an ensemble cast that includes Alec Baldwin, Roberto Benigni, Penelope Cruz, Judy Davis, Jesse Eisenberg, Greta Gerwig, Ellen Page and Allen, will have its North American premiere at the festival.
Its world premiere takes place this month in Italy.
Allen's last film, 'Midnight in Paris,' was launched at last year's Cannes Film Festival Los Angeles, and weighed 9. The film received a Best Picture nomination, won Allen an Oscar for his screenplay and became the top-grossing film of the writer-director's career, with more than $56 million at the U.Sbest known roles as toug. box office and nearly $150 million worldwide.
'I can't think of a better way to kick off this year's festival than with the original independent filmmaker himself, Woody Allen,' said festival director Stephanie Allain in a press release announcing the selection.
The release did not say whether the famously reticent Allen would make the trip to Los Angeles for the premiere.
Last year, the festival kicked off with Richard Linklater's 'Bernie,' which will finally receive a limited release later this monthclass='yshortcuts' id='lw_1333392912_0'Bruce Wi. Two years ago, LAFF's opening-night film was Lisa Cholodenko's 'The Kids Are All Right,' which went on to receive a Best Picture nomination.
'To Rome With Love' was formerly titled 'The Bop Decameron' and then 'Nero Fiddled,' before switching to a title more in the vein of 'Midnight in Paris.'
The film will launch LAFF on June 14' spokeswoman said in a statement, . The festival, which is produced by Film Independent, will continue through June 24 in downtown Los Angeles, with most screenings taking place in the L.As) - Actor span class='yshortcut. LIVE complex.
Mel Gibson fires back at anti-Semitism claim
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Mel Gibson fired back Thursday at screenwriter Joe Eszterhas for accusing the 'Braveheart' star of anti-Semitism, calling the writer's comments 'utter fabrications' and saying he was angry over a rejected film script.
Gibson, who has been dogged by similar criticism since making an anti-Semitic statement in 2006 to police in a drunken rant, had been working with the 'Basic Instinct' screenwriter on a movie about the ancient Jewish hero Judah Maccabee.
On Wednesday, Hollywood show business publication TheWrap.com reported that the first draft of Eszterhas' script was rejected by Warner Bros award for worst screen ensemble,. Upon hearing of it, Eszterhas sent a nine-page letter to Gibson accusing him of not really intending to make the movie, called 'The Maccabees.'
Eszterhas wrote that Gibson announced the project purely 'in an attempt to deflect continuing charges of anti-Semitism,' according to a copy posted on TheWrap.com.
He also accused Gibson of calling Jews 'oven-dodgers' and 'Jewboys' when they met, and even wrote that Gibson admitted vowing to kill his ex-girlfriend Oksana Gregorieva, following a bitter public feud with her over custody of the pair's child.
Gibson, the Oscar winner whose movies include 'Mad Max' and 'Lethal Weapon,' did not directly address charges of anti-Semitism, but said Eszterhas' description of his 'statements and actions' are 'utter fabrications.'
'Contrary to your assertion that I was only developing Maccabees to burnish my tarnished reputation, I have been working on this project for over 10 years and it was publicly announced eight years ago,' Gibson wrote in the letter, released by a spokesman.
'I absolutely want to make this movie; it's just that neither Warner Brothers nor I want to make this movie based on your script,' he said.
Gibson, 56, went on to call the draft that Eszterhas submitted the most 'substandard' he had seen in 25 years of overseeing script development and a 'waste of time.'
Jewish leaders criticized Gibson's Maccabee project when it was revealed last fall as offensive given the star's history.
In the past, Jewish groups accused Gibson of evoking age-old stereotypes about Jews in 2004's 'Passion of the Christ,' which made over $600 million at worldwide box offices.
Two years later, Gibson was arrested for drunken driving in Malibu, California, and he ranted at the officer: 'The Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world.' His arrest and tirade made headlines around the worldsaw the Razzies announced on the eve of t. He later publicly apologized and attended self-help meetings.
Judah Maccabee was the son of a Jewish priest who in the 2nd century B.Cept the annual span class='yshortcut. led a guerrilla revolt in Judea against armies of the Seleucid Empire4352_2'Razzies/span on Sunday, wi. The historical figure, whose last name in Hebrew translates as 'The Hammer,' is revered by many Jewsived a mention in the worst screen couple cat. The holiday of Hanukkah commemorates his triumphs.
(Editing by Doina Chiacu)
Gibson, who has been dogged by similar criticism since making an anti-Semitic statement in 2006 to police in a drunken rant, had been working with the 'Basic Instinct' screenwriter on a movie about the ancient Jewish hero Judah Maccabee.
On Wednesday, Hollywood show business publication TheWrap.com reported that the first draft of Eszterhas' script was rejected by Warner Bros award for worst screen ensemble,. Upon hearing of it, Eszterhas sent a nine-page letter to Gibson accusing him of not really intending to make the movie, called 'The Maccabees.'
Eszterhas wrote that Gibson announced the project purely 'in an attempt to deflect continuing charges of anti-Semitism,' according to a copy posted on TheWrap.com.
He also accused Gibson of calling Jews 'oven-dodgers' and 'Jewboys' when they met, and even wrote that Gibson admitted vowing to kill his ex-girlfriend Oksana Gregorieva, following a bitter public feud with her over custody of the pair's child.
Gibson, the Oscar winner whose movies include 'Mad Max' and 'Lethal Weapon,' did not directly address charges of anti-Semitism, but said Eszterhas' description of his 'statements and actions' are 'utter fabrications.'
'Contrary to your assertion that I was only developing Maccabees to burnish my tarnished reputation, I have been working on this project for over 10 years and it was publicly announced eight years ago,' Gibson wrote in the letter, released by a spokesman.
'I absolutely want to make this movie; it's just that neither Warner Brothers nor I want to make this movie based on your script,' he said.
Gibson, 56, went on to call the draft that Eszterhas submitted the most 'substandard' he had seen in 25 years of overseeing script development and a 'waste of time.'
Jewish leaders criticized Gibson's Maccabee project when it was revealed last fall as offensive given the star's history.
In the past, Jewish groups accused Gibson of evoking age-old stereotypes about Jews in 2004's 'Passion of the Christ,' which made over $600 million at worldwide box offices.
Two years later, Gibson was arrested for drunken driving in Malibu, California, and he ranted at the officer: 'The Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world.' His arrest and tirade made headlines around the worldsaw the Razzies announced on the eve of t. He later publicly apologized and attended self-help meetings.
Judah Maccabee was the son of a Jewish priest who in the 2nd century B.Cept the annual span class='yshortcut. led a guerrilla revolt in Judea against armies of the Seleucid Empire4352_2'Razzies/span on Sunday, wi. The historical figure, whose last name in Hebrew translates as 'The Hammer,' is revered by many Jewsived a mention in the worst screen couple cat. The holiday of Hanukkah commemorates his triumphs.
(Editing by Doina Chiacu)
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Allen's "To Rome With Love" to open L.A. film fest
LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Woody Allen's 'To Rome With Love' will serve as the opening night film at the 2012 Los Angeles Film Festival, LAFF organizers announced on Thursday.
The Sony Pictures Classics comedy, which features an ensemble cast that includes Alec Baldwin, Roberto Benigni, Penelope Cruz, Judy Davis, Jesse Eisenberg, Greta Gerwig, Ellen Page and Allen, will have its North American premiere at the festival.
Its world premiere takes place this month in Italy.
Allen's last film, 'Midnight in Paris,' was launched at last year's Cannes Film Festivale the highest grossing spa. The film received a Best Picture nomination, won Allen an Oscar for his screenplay and became the top-grossing film of the writer-director's career, with more than $56 million at the U.S author span class='yshortcuts' id='l. box office and nearly $150 million worldwide.
'I can't think of a better way to kick off this year's festival than with the original independent filmmaker himself, Woody Allen,' said festival director Stephanie Allain in a press release announcing the selection.
The release did not say whether the famously reticent Allen would make the trip to Los Angeles for the premiere.
Last year, the festival kicked off with Richard Linklater's 'Bernie,' which will finally receive a limited release later this monthcompleted by author . Two years ago, LAFF's opening-night film was Lisa Cholodenko's 'The Kids Are All Right,' which went on to receive a Best Picture nomination.
'To Rome With Love' was formerly titled 'The Bop Decameron' and then 'Nero Fiddled,' before switching to a title more in the vein of 'Midnight in Paris.'
The film will launch LAFF on June 14- Horror film "span. The festival, which is produced by Film Independent, will continue through June 24 in downtown Los Angeles, with most screenings taking place in the L.Afilm "span class='yshortcuts' i. LIVE complex.
The Sony Pictures Classics comedy, which features an ensemble cast that includes Alec Baldwin, Roberto Benigni, Penelope Cruz, Judy Davis, Jesse Eisenberg, Greta Gerwig, Ellen Page and Allen, will have its North American premiere at the festival.
Its world premiere takes place this month in Italy.
Allen's last film, 'Midnight in Paris,' was launched at last year's Cannes Film Festivale the highest grossing spa. The film received a Best Picture nomination, won Allen an Oscar for his screenplay and became the top-grossing film of the writer-director's career, with more than $56 million at the U.S author span class='yshortcuts' id='l. box office and nearly $150 million worldwide.
'I can't think of a better way to kick off this year's festival than with the original independent filmmaker himself, Woody Allen,' said festival director Stephanie Allain in a press release announcing the selection.
The release did not say whether the famously reticent Allen would make the trip to Los Angeles for the premiere.
Last year, the festival kicked off with Richard Linklater's 'Bernie,' which will finally receive a limited release later this monthcompleted by author . Two years ago, LAFF's opening-night film was Lisa Cholodenko's 'The Kids Are All Right,' which went on to receive a Best Picture nomination.
'To Rome With Love' was formerly titled 'The Bop Decameron' and then 'Nero Fiddled,' before switching to a title more in the vein of 'Midnight in Paris.'
The film will launch LAFF on June 14- Horror film "span. The festival, which is produced by Film Independent, will continue through June 24 in downtown Los Angeles, with most screenings taking place in the L.Afilm "span class='yshortcuts' i. LIVE complex.
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
"Kony 2012" group tipped off Uganda to wanted ex-rebel: Wikileaks
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The group behind the viral 'Kony 2012' video that drew world attention to Ugandan warlord Joseph Kony tipped off Ugandan forces in 2009 to the whereabouts of a former child soldier wanted by the Kampala government, according to a classified U.Srefer to a character in Dickens. cable published by Wikileaks.
Invisible Children, which shot to prominence last month when its video on Kony and his brutal Lord's Resistance Army drew more than 100 million hits on social media, told Ugandan officials that a man wanted by security forces was staying with the group in the northern Ugandan city of Gulu, the cable showed.
Patrick Komakech, the former child soldier who was featured in Invisible Children documentaries and said to have been abducted by Kony's rebels at age 9, was immediately arrested, according to U.Sr Joe/span', which she. document, posted in a database of classified cables published by Wikileaks.
'Komakech had confessed to being part of a new anti-government movement in the north,' the 2009 State Department cable saide entry - most movies t. 'Komakech reportedly gave the locations of several arms caches.. A watchman comes along and catc. with a total of 600 weapons.'
The 'Kony 2012' video, the latest in a series of documentaries by the group, has been hailed for inspiring young people to activism.
But the video has also been criticized for what some have called a misleading and oversimplified portrayal of events in Uganda, and for neglecting African initiatives to solve the crisis as well as opening up old wounds.
Invisible Children took another hit when the maker of the Kony 2012 film, Jason Russell, suffered a public meltdown last month that doctors described as a brief psychotic breakdown.
The group released a follow-up video last week pushing back against the criticism that has been leveled at itg about the warmth she needs, . The new video includes more African voices and context on the long-running conflict involving Kony in several African countries, Not exp. It was released before April 20, which has been planned as a day of action.
WORKED WITH ANOTHER REBEL GROUP
The cable about Komakech, transmitted in 2009 from the U.S Bryony Dixon was researching ear. Embassy in Kampala, said he had been working with the People's Patriotic Front, a resistance group whose objective was the overthrow of the Ugandan government.
Before his arrest, Komakech had also been engaged in child soldier rehabilitation efforts with non-governmental organizations including Invisible Children.
'In 2009, Invisible Children was contacted by a member at the U.Sts' id='lw_1331252167_1'BFI/span's colle. Embassy in Kampala regarding Patrick Komakech, a former LRA combatant who Invisible Children had been supporting in attempts to assist with his personal recovery and academic development,' a spokeswoman for Invisible Children said in an e-mailed statement.
The group said it had been brought to its attention that Komakech and a group of others were 'allegedly involved in activities that could be jeopardizing the lives of civilians and putting the organization and its staff at risk.'
'Invisible Children was deeply saddened to learn of these allegations; the organization was cooperative in providing information to the U.S the catalogue) is played by a wom. Embassy regarding the nature of our relationship with and academic support to Mrcter from the works of span class='yshortcut. Komakeches, According . In light of the severity of these allegations, the organization severed all ties immediately with Mriscovered such a rare and unique film so clo. Komakech,' the statement said.
The diplomatic cable indicates Komakech was likely released by Ugandan security forces after interrogation because he was a 'low-level operative.'
Komakech visited the United States in 2007, when he was 25, for a bike ride across Iowa to bring attention to the plight of child soldiers who had been abducted and forced to fight for the LRA, according to an interview he gave in July 2007 to the Des Moines Register.
Kony's guerrilla band captured him when he was 9, and by age 16 he was a battalion commander with the LRA, according to the Des Moines Registere most revered novelists in Engli. He eventually escaped.
'They have never been to school, and Jo puts his hands together in pray. But they know how to shoot; they know how to kill,' Komakech told The Des Moines Registerrl' in which a child dies in the . 'If they don't have enough to eat, what do you expect they will do?'
(Editing by Cynthia Johnston and Christopher Wilson)
Invisible Children, which shot to prominence last month when its video on Kony and his brutal Lord's Resistance Army drew more than 100 million hits on social media, told Ugandan officials that a man wanted by security forces was staying with the group in the northern Ugandan city of Gulu, the cable showed.
Patrick Komakech, the former child soldier who was featured in Invisible Children documentaries and said to have been abducted by Kony's rebels at age 9, was immediately arrested, according to U.Sr Joe/span', which she. document, posted in a database of classified cables published by Wikileaks.
'Komakech had confessed to being part of a new anti-government movement in the north,' the 2009 State Department cable saide entry - most movies t. 'Komakech reportedly gave the locations of several arms caches.. A watchman comes along and catc. with a total of 600 weapons.'
The 'Kony 2012' video, the latest in a series of documentaries by the group, has been hailed for inspiring young people to activism.
But the video has also been criticized for what some have called a misleading and oversimplified portrayal of events in Uganda, and for neglecting African initiatives to solve the crisis as well as opening up old wounds.
Invisible Children took another hit when the maker of the Kony 2012 film, Jason Russell, suffered a public meltdown last month that doctors described as a brief psychotic breakdown.
The group released a follow-up video last week pushing back against the criticism that has been leveled at itg about the warmth she needs, . The new video includes more African voices and context on the long-running conflict involving Kony in several African countries, Not exp. It was released before April 20, which has been planned as a day of action.
WORKED WITH ANOTHER REBEL GROUP
The cable about Komakech, transmitted in 2009 from the U.S Bryony Dixon was researching ear. Embassy in Kampala, said he had been working with the People's Patriotic Front, a resistance group whose objective was the overthrow of the Ugandan government.
Before his arrest, Komakech had also been engaged in child soldier rehabilitation efforts with non-governmental organizations including Invisible Children.
'In 2009, Invisible Children was contacted by a member at the U.Sts' id='lw_1331252167_1'BFI/span's colle. Embassy in Kampala regarding Patrick Komakech, a former LRA combatant who Invisible Children had been supporting in attempts to assist with his personal recovery and academic development,' a spokeswoman for Invisible Children said in an e-mailed statement.
The group said it had been brought to its attention that Komakech and a group of others were 'allegedly involved in activities that could be jeopardizing the lives of civilians and putting the organization and its staff at risk.'
'Invisible Children was deeply saddened to learn of these allegations; the organization was cooperative in providing information to the U.S the catalogue) is played by a wom. Embassy regarding the nature of our relationship with and academic support to Mrcter from the works of span class='yshortcut. Komakeches, According . In light of the severity of these allegations, the organization severed all ties immediately with Mriscovered such a rare and unique film so clo. Komakech,' the statement said.
The diplomatic cable indicates Komakech was likely released by Ugandan security forces after interrogation because he was a 'low-level operative.'
Komakech visited the United States in 2007, when he was 25, for a bike ride across Iowa to bring attention to the plight of child soldiers who had been abducted and forced to fight for the LRA, according to an interview he gave in July 2007 to the Des Moines Register.
Kony's guerrilla band captured him when he was 9, and by age 16 he was a battalion commander with the LRA, according to the Des Moines Registere most revered novelists in Engli. He eventually escaped.
'They have never been to school, and Jo puts his hands together in pray. But they know how to shoot; they know how to kill,' Komakech told The Des Moines Registerrl' in which a child dies in the . 'If they don't have enough to eat, what do you expect they will do?'
(Editing by Cynthia Johnston and Christopher Wilson)
Gary Ross bows out of "Hunger Games" sequel
LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Gary Ross has bowed out of 'The Hunger Games' sequel, citing time constraints for his exit.
His role in 'Catching Fire' has been subject to much speculation in recent days, and late Tuesday, he and Lionsgate issued statements announcing his exit from the adaptation of Suzanne Collins' book.
'As a writer and a director, I simply don't have the time I need to write and prep the movie I would have wanted to make because of the fixed and tight production schedule,' Ross said, calling the decision a difficult one.
Lionsgate, for its part, said that it was sorry that he was not returning for the second installment.
'We were really looking forward to making the movie with him,' the studio said in a statementfrom everybody,' the exec said, 'Aft. 'He did an incredible job on the first film and we are grateful for his work.'
The movie, which opened March 23, has already grossed more than $300 million in the U.Sy a couple of weeks,. alone, I'm not a policeman and I'. It stars Jennifer Lawrence, Liam Hemsworth and Josh Hutcherson and is set in the dystopian future; youth must compete in the titular Hunger Games, wherein they are forced to eliminate their competitors.
Ross co-wrote the script with Collins; their collaboration replaced the version written by Billy Raybeing inundated with offers of screenings, score. He previously wrote and directed 'Pleasantville' and 'Seabiscuit.'
Ross is not the first director to bow out of directing the follow-up to a hugely popular teen franchise on a tight schedule; Catherine Hardwicke walked away from the 'Twilight' sequel for creative reasons.
That Summit franchise is now under Lionsgate's roof due to the merger earlier this year.
The question now is: Who will take the reins of Lionsgate's lucrative franchise? There are three books in the trilogy, which the studio hopes to turn into four hit movies, much the way Summit has with 'Twilight.' The first 'Hunger Games' installment has exceeded expectations.
Its release has further stoked book sales; the trilogy has sold more than 30 million copies.
In exiting the project, Ross called 'The Hunger Games' the happiest experience of his professional life and disputed claims that sequel negotiations with Lionsgate were rocky.
'Lionsgate was supportive of me in a manner that few directors ever experience in a franchise,' Ross said do one in London and we'. 'And contrary to what has been reported, negotiations with Lionsgate have not been problematic Twelve endless days, . They have also been very understanding of me through this difficult decision.'
He also praised producer Nina Jacobson, the 'brilliant Suzanne Collins,' 'the gifted and remarkable Jennifer Lawrence' and the rest of 'the incredible cast.'
Lionsgate said the parting 'will not be the end of our relationship' and that it looks forward to working with Ross in the future.
His role in 'Catching Fire' has been subject to much speculation in recent days, and late Tuesday, he and Lionsgate issued statements announcing his exit from the adaptation of Suzanne Collins' book.
'As a writer and a director, I simply don't have the time I need to write and prep the movie I would have wanted to make because of the fixed and tight production schedule,' Ross said, calling the decision a difficult one.
Lionsgate, for its part, said that it was sorry that he was not returning for the second installment.
'We were really looking forward to making the movie with him,' the studio said in a statementfrom everybody,' the exec said, 'Aft. 'He did an incredible job on the first film and we are grateful for his work.'
The movie, which opened March 23, has already grossed more than $300 million in the U.Sy a couple of weeks,. alone, I'm not a policeman and I'. It stars Jennifer Lawrence, Liam Hemsworth and Josh Hutcherson and is set in the dystopian future; youth must compete in the titular Hunger Games, wherein they are forced to eliminate their competitors.
Ross co-wrote the script with Collins; their collaboration replaced the version written by Billy Raybeing inundated with offers of screenings, score. He previously wrote and directed 'Pleasantville' and 'Seabiscuit.'
Ross is not the first director to bow out of directing the follow-up to a hugely popular teen franchise on a tight schedule; Catherine Hardwicke walked away from the 'Twilight' sequel for creative reasons.
That Summit franchise is now under Lionsgate's roof due to the merger earlier this year.
The question now is: Who will take the reins of Lionsgate's lucrative franchise? There are three books in the trilogy, which the studio hopes to turn into four hit movies, much the way Summit has with 'Twilight.' The first 'Hunger Games' installment has exceeded expectations.
Its release has further stoked book sales; the trilogy has sold more than 30 million copies.
In exiting the project, Ross called 'The Hunger Games' the happiest experience of his professional life and disputed claims that sequel negotiations with Lionsgate were rocky.
'Lionsgate was supportive of me in a manner that few directors ever experience in a franchise,' Ross said do one in London and we'. 'And contrary to what has been reported, negotiations with Lionsgate have not been problematic Twelve endless days, . They have also been very understanding of me through this difficult decision.'
He also praised producer Nina Jacobson, the 'brilliant Suzanne Collins,' 'the gifted and remarkable Jennifer Lawrence' and the rest of 'the incredible cast.'
Lionsgate said the parting 'will not be the end of our relationship' and that it looks forward to working with Ross in the future.
DreamWorks Studios gets more financing-source
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - DreamWorks Studios, the film company headed by director Steven Spielberg, will get around $200 million from its partner Reliance Entertainment to continue making films, according to a person with knowledge of the transaction.
The financing is the second part of a 2009 agreement to finance the studio;re just going to enjoy the ride," . In that agreement, Reliance Entertainment, a unit of Reliance ADA Group, provided the partnership with $325 million of capital for an undisclosed stake.
The studio, which made Spielberg's 'War Horse' and 'The Help' last year, will produce between three and five films a year, a reduction from the four to six that it initially announced, said the person.
Reliance's 2009 investment came after months of negotiation with DreamWorks that reduced the Indian company's investment from a planned $650 million, as large-scale financing from banks became more difficult to secureay, Au. At the time, the two companies said in a press release that the investment was the first stage.
The Walt Disney Co distributes and markets DreamWorks films under a five-year distribution agreement for 'approximately' six films a year.
Reliance will retain its rights to distribute DreamWorks-produced films in India, the person familiar with the new transaction said.
DreamWorks is producing Spielberg's 'Lincoln,' scheduled to be released in December, with News Corp's Fox studio, according to the movie information website, IMDB.comot; horror series and comedian Tyler Perry'. The film will be released by Disney in the U.Ser buying Summit Entertainment in January, . and by Fox in Japan.
The financing deal was first reported by The New York Times on its website, but no details on financial terms were included to bed thinking the film would finish t. DreamWorks had no comment9;re just going to enjoy the r. Reliance representatives could not be reached for comment.
Reliance has been active in financing films in recent years, and said at the time of the 2009 announcement that it had invested more than $1 billion to produce films in English, Hindi and other Indian languages.
It also had development deals with several producers, including George Clooney's Smokehouse Productions and Tom Hanks' Playtone Productions and last year released the Indian film 'Bodyguard' in the U.S.
The bankers for the joint venture, led by J.Pd third with $13,1 mil. Morgan, did not change, the person saidreenings just after midnight, . The group provided senior debt of $325 million at the time.
(Reporting By Ronald Grover; Editing by Carol Bishopric)
The financing is the second part of a 2009 agreement to finance the studio;re just going to enjoy the ride," . In that agreement, Reliance Entertainment, a unit of Reliance ADA Group, provided the partnership with $325 million of capital for an undisclosed stake.
The studio, which made Spielberg's 'War Horse' and 'The Help' last year, will produce between three and five films a year, a reduction from the four to six that it initially announced, said the person.
Reliance's 2009 investment came after months of negotiation with DreamWorks that reduced the Indian company's investment from a planned $650 million, as large-scale financing from banks became more difficult to secureay, Au. At the time, the two companies said in a press release that the investment was the first stage.
The Walt Disney Co distributes and markets DreamWorks films under a five-year distribution agreement for 'approximately' six films a year.
Reliance will retain its rights to distribute DreamWorks-produced films in India, the person familiar with the new transaction said.
DreamWorks is producing Spielberg's 'Lincoln,' scheduled to be released in December, with News Corp's Fox studio, according to the movie information website, IMDB.comot; horror series and comedian Tyler Perry'. The film will be released by Disney in the U.Ser buying Summit Entertainment in January, . and by Fox in Japan.
The financing deal was first reported by The New York Times on its website, but no details on financial terms were included to bed thinking the film would finish t. DreamWorks had no comment9;re just going to enjoy the r. Reliance representatives could not be reached for comment.
Reliance has been active in financing films in recent years, and said at the time of the 2009 announcement that it had invested more than $1 billion to produce films in English, Hindi and other Indian languages.
It also had development deals with several producers, including George Clooney's Smokehouse Productions and Tom Hanks' Playtone Productions and last year released the Indian film 'Bodyguard' in the U.S.
The bankers for the joint venture, led by J.Pd third with $13,1 mil. Morgan, did not change, the person saidreenings just after midnight, . The group provided senior debt of $325 million at the time.
(Reporting By Ronald Grover; Editing by Carol Bishopric)
Sunday, April 8, 2012
Three in a row: "Hunger Games" leads box office
(Reuters) - Movie sensation 'The Hunger Games' survived fresh competition from the 'Titanic' and the gross-out 'American Pie' gang to notch its third domestic box office win over the weekend.
'Hunger Games' took in $33.5 million at U.S people that lost their lives, I was genuinely to. and Canadian theaters from Friday through Sunday and lifted its domestic sales through three weekends to $302.8 million, according to studio estimates released on Sunday.
The Easter weekend receipts for 'Hunger Games' topped 'American Reunion,' a sequel to one of film's biggest comedy franchises, and a 3D remake of 'Titanic' timed for the anniversary of the ship's sinking remembering the wreck and i. It was the third straight box office win for 'Hunger Games.'
The Lions Gate Entertainment Corp movie about teens forced to fight to the death stormed into theaters on March 23 with a staggering domestic take of $152.5 million, the third-biggest weekend debut and the highest for a non-sequel.
Fan fever, plus a lack of big competitors at multiplexes, has kept 'Hunger Games' hot, said Paul Dergarabedian, president of the box office division of Hollywood.com.
'Great word of mouth, coupled with a release date that has given it a pretty open playing field, has allowed the film to effectively dominate the marketplace,' he said.
The movie stars Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen, the skilled archer and heroine of the post-apocalyptic story based on Suzanne Collins' best-selling young adult novel.
In second place for the weekend, 'American Reunion' met studio forecasts by ringing up $21.5 million in North America (the United States and Canada) than $1,8 billion at the g. International sales added $19.3 million, for a global total of $40.8 million.
Universal Pictures, a unit of Comcast Corp, and privately held Relativity Media co-financed 'American Reunion' for about $50 million.
'Reunion' is the fourth movie in the 'American Pie' franchise that kicked off 13 years ago with a pack of high-schoolers out to lose their virginity before graduation.
The original film, famous for a scene in which a pie is used to simulate sex, spawned two big-screen sequels and helped lead the way for future raunchy adult comedieshortcuts' id='lw_1332936. The first three 'Pie' films grossed more than $750 million around the world.
In the new movie, the friends played by actors including Jason Biggs, Seann William Scott and Alyson Hannigan come together for a wild high-school reunion.
Exit polls showed 61 percent of 'Reunion' filmgoers were older than 25, suggesting that it drew heavily from fans of the previous movies493_6'the Titanic tragedy/span and . Audiences gave the movie a 'B+' grade in polling by survey firm CinemaScore.
TITANIC LAUNCHES AGAIN
'Titanic' sailed back into theaters on Wednesday with a 3D makeover and grossed an estimated $61.2 million around the world through Sunday DiCaprio did not attend th. Of that total, $17.4 million came from domestic Friday-through-Sunday sales, placing the movie in third place on North American charts and meeting studio forecasts.
The original 1997 'Titanic,' starring Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio as young lovers on the doomed ship, was a movie phenomenon that led domestic box office charts for 15 weeksafter appearing in the original, the span class='. It earned more than $1.8 billion at theaters, the second-highest total for any film.
Partners 20th Century Fox and Paramount spent $18 million on the 3D conversion, which was released to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the Titanic's sinking on April 15, 1912.
Rounding out the top five, 3D action sequel 'Wrath of the Titans' rung up $15.0 million domesticallycision to re-release Titanic in 3D fo. The movie had bigger sales overseas, where it pulled in $43.0 million and helped lift the global total after two weekends to $211.4 million.
Snow White story 'Mirror Mirror' took in $11.0 million, landing in fifth placeat the wreck, &quo. The family film has grossed $36.5 million domestically since opening last weekend.
Paramount Corp, a division of Viacom Inc, distributed 'Titanic 3D' in the United States, and News Corp, a unit of 20th Century Fox, released the film in international markets.
'Wrath of the Titans' was released by Time Warner Inc's Warner Brosy I made it, you know, &q. Privately held Relativity Media distributed 'Mirror Mirror' in the United States, and Alliance Films released the movie in Canada.
(Reporting By Lisa Richwine; Editing by Bill Trott and Christopher Wilson)
'Hunger Games' took in $33.5 million at U.S people that lost their lives, I was genuinely to. and Canadian theaters from Friday through Sunday and lifted its domestic sales through three weekends to $302.8 million, according to studio estimates released on Sunday.
The Easter weekend receipts for 'Hunger Games' topped 'American Reunion,' a sequel to one of film's biggest comedy franchises, and a 3D remake of 'Titanic' timed for the anniversary of the ship's sinking remembering the wreck and i. It was the third straight box office win for 'Hunger Games.'
The Lions Gate Entertainment Corp movie about teens forced to fight to the death stormed into theaters on March 23 with a staggering domestic take of $152.5 million, the third-biggest weekend debut and the highest for a non-sequel.
Fan fever, plus a lack of big competitors at multiplexes, has kept 'Hunger Games' hot, said Paul Dergarabedian, president of the box office division of Hollywood.com.
'Great word of mouth, coupled with a release date that has given it a pretty open playing field, has allowed the film to effectively dominate the marketplace,' he said.
The movie stars Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen, the skilled archer and heroine of the post-apocalyptic story based on Suzanne Collins' best-selling young adult novel.
In second place for the weekend, 'American Reunion' met studio forecasts by ringing up $21.5 million in North America (the United States and Canada) than $1,8 billion at the g. International sales added $19.3 million, for a global total of $40.8 million.
Universal Pictures, a unit of Comcast Corp, and privately held Relativity Media co-financed 'American Reunion' for about $50 million.
'Reunion' is the fourth movie in the 'American Pie' franchise that kicked off 13 years ago with a pack of high-schoolers out to lose their virginity before graduation.
The original film, famous for a scene in which a pie is used to simulate sex, spawned two big-screen sequels and helped lead the way for future raunchy adult comedieshortcuts' id='lw_1332936. The first three 'Pie' films grossed more than $750 million around the world.
In the new movie, the friends played by actors including Jason Biggs, Seann William Scott and Alyson Hannigan come together for a wild high-school reunion.
Exit polls showed 61 percent of 'Reunion' filmgoers were older than 25, suggesting that it drew heavily from fans of the previous movies493_6'the Titanic tragedy/span and . Audiences gave the movie a 'B+' grade in polling by survey firm CinemaScore.
TITANIC LAUNCHES AGAIN
'Titanic' sailed back into theaters on Wednesday with a 3D makeover and grossed an estimated $61.2 million around the world through Sunday DiCaprio did not attend th. Of that total, $17.4 million came from domestic Friday-through-Sunday sales, placing the movie in third place on North American charts and meeting studio forecasts.
The original 1997 'Titanic,' starring Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio as young lovers on the doomed ship, was a movie phenomenon that led domestic box office charts for 15 weeksafter appearing in the original, the span class='. It earned more than $1.8 billion at theaters, the second-highest total for any film.
Partners 20th Century Fox and Paramount spent $18 million on the 3D conversion, which was released to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the Titanic's sinking on April 15, 1912.
Rounding out the top five, 3D action sequel 'Wrath of the Titans' rung up $15.0 million domesticallycision to re-release Titanic in 3D fo. The movie had bigger sales overseas, where it pulled in $43.0 million and helped lift the global total after two weekends to $211.4 million.
Snow White story 'Mirror Mirror' took in $11.0 million, landing in fifth placeat the wreck, &quo. The family film has grossed $36.5 million domestically since opening last weekend.
Paramount Corp, a division of Viacom Inc, distributed 'Titanic 3D' in the United States, and News Corp, a unit of 20th Century Fox, released the film in international markets.
'Wrath of the Titans' was released by Time Warner Inc's Warner Brosy I made it, you know, &q. Privately held Relativity Media distributed 'Mirror Mirror' in the United States, and Alliance Films released the movie in Canada.
(Reporting By Lisa Richwine; Editing by Bill Trott and Christopher Wilson)
'Hunger Games' fever leads box office
(Reuters) - Movie blockbuster 'The Hunger Games' topped U.S lineup at the upcoming span class='. and Canadian box office charts for a third straight weekend, holding off fresh competition from a 3D remake of 'Titanic' and comedy sequel 'American Reunion.'
'Hunger Games' pulled in an estimated $33.5 million from Friday through Sunday, distributor Lions Gate Entertainment Corp said.
Studio estimates showed 'American Reunion' rung up $21.5 million and finished secondrting By Christine K. 'Titanic 3D' sailed into third place with $17.4 million.
'American Reunion' was released by Comcast Corp's Universal Pictures Among high-profile director. Paramount Corp, a division of Viacom Inc, distributed 'Titanic 3D.'
(Reporting By Lisa Richwine; Editing by Bill Trott)
'Hunger Games' pulled in an estimated $33.5 million from Friday through Sunday, distributor Lions Gate Entertainment Corp said.
Studio estimates showed 'American Reunion' rung up $21.5 million and finished secondrting By Christine K. 'Titanic 3D' sailed into third place with $17.4 million.
'American Reunion' was released by Comcast Corp's Universal Pictures Among high-profile director. Paramount Corp, a division of Viacom Inc, distributed 'Titanic 3D.'
(Reporting By Lisa Richwine; Editing by Bill Trott)
Friday, April 6, 2012
Amanda Bynes arrested in LA for drunk driving
(Reuters) - Actress Amanda Bynes was arrested early Friday morning in the Los Angeles-area community of West Hollywood on suspicion of drunk driving after her car struck a sheriff's vehicle, a police spokesman said.
Bynes, 26, was taken into custody around 3 a.mations, It too should find itself north o. after her black BMW apparently struck a Los Angeles County sheriff's patrol car that was stopped at an intersection, according to Ltconsidered the weakest. William Nash of the West Hollywood police station.
'There was minor paint transfer damage to both vehiclesth span class='yshortcuts'. An investigation was conducted at the scene, and ..se' debuted at midnight to a solid $54. Bynes was subsequently arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol,' Nash said.
No one was injured.
A representative for the actress was not immediately available for comment.
Bynes began her acting career as a child on the Nickelodeon TV's variety show 'All That,' where her success led to another series named for her, 'The Amanda Show.'
After starring in the TV show 'What I Like About You' and winning a Kids' Choice Award at age 15, Bynes segued into film with titles such as 'What a Girl Wants,' 'She's the Man,' and 'Easy A.' She has worked with the likes of Emma Stone, Colin Firth and Harry Connick, Jr.
Bynes also made a foray into singing, contributing two songs to the soundtrack of the 2007 movie 'Hairspray,' in which she also starred.
In 2010, Bynes announced her decision to retire from acting at age 24, tweeting that she no longer loved acting.
(Reporting By Andrea Burzynski; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)
Bynes, 26, was taken into custody around 3 a.mations, It too should find itself north o. after her black BMW apparently struck a Los Angeles County sheriff's patrol car that was stopped at an intersection, according to Ltconsidered the weakest. William Nash of the West Hollywood police station.
'There was minor paint transfer damage to both vehiclesth span class='yshortcuts'. An investigation was conducted at the scene, and ..se' debuted at midnight to a solid $54. Bynes was subsequently arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol,' Nash said.
No one was injured.
A representative for the actress was not immediately available for comment.
Bynes began her acting career as a child on the Nickelodeon TV's variety show 'All That,' where her success led to another series named for her, 'The Amanda Show.'
After starring in the TV show 'What I Like About You' and winning a Kids' Choice Award at age 15, Bynes segued into film with titles such as 'What a Girl Wants,' 'She's the Man,' and 'Easy A.' She has worked with the likes of Emma Stone, Colin Firth and Harry Connick, Jr.
Bynes also made a foray into singing, contributing two songs to the soundtrack of the 2007 movie 'Hairspray,' in which she also starred.
In 2010, Bynes announced her decision to retire from acting at age 24, tweeting that she no longer loved acting.
(Reporting By Andrea Burzynski; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)
Thursday, April 5, 2012
$5-6 million expected on first day for "Titanic" 3D
LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - The 3D re-release of James Cameron's 'Titanic' was steaming toward a possible $6 million haul at the box office in its debut Wednesday, as the 100th anniversary approaches of the sinking of the real Titanic.
Domestic distributor Paramount is projecting that the film, converted into 3D for a hefty $18 million, will take in around $20 million-$25 million over the five-day holiday weekend.
Box-office observers outside the studio say it could do up to $30 million'lw_1331739731_3'actress/span, who is on pro. That would be impressive, given that the film's lengthy running time - 3 hours, 23 minutes - limits the number of daily showings. It's playing in 2,600 locations in the U.Sshe has learned from her mis. and Canada, including 79 Imax theaters.
Fox is handling international distribution for the film, which is opening in virtually all major territories this weekend as well.
The original 'Titanic' opened to $28.6 million in December 1997, held the Nos, She recently received a po. 1 spot for a record 15 weeks and went on to gross more than $600 million domestically.
Worldwide, the original 'Titanic' took in $1.8 billion, a record that stood for more than a decadeThe 'Mean Girls' span class='yshortcut. It was topped by Cameron's 'Avatar,' which took in $2.7 billion in 2009.
Domestic distributor Paramount is projecting that the film, converted into 3D for a hefty $18 million, will take in around $20 million-$25 million over the five-day holiday weekend.
Box-office observers outside the studio say it could do up to $30 million'lw_1331739731_3'actress/span, who is on pro. That would be impressive, given that the film's lengthy running time - 3 hours, 23 minutes - limits the number of daily showings. It's playing in 2,600 locations in the U.Sshe has learned from her mis. and Canada, including 79 Imax theaters.
Fox is handling international distribution for the film, which is opening in virtually all major territories this weekend as well.
The original 'Titanic' opened to $28.6 million in December 1997, held the Nos, She recently received a po. 1 spot for a record 15 weeks and went on to gross more than $600 million domestically.
Worldwide, the original 'Titanic' took in $1.8 billion, a record that stood for more than a decadeThe 'Mean Girls' span class='yshortcut. It was topped by Cameron's 'Avatar,' which took in $2.7 billion in 2009.
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Katy Perry 3-D concert movie to be released in July
NEW YORK (Reuters) - The makers of Justin Bieber's top-grossing concert film have moved on to another global pop star -- Katy Perry.
A 3-D documentary concert feature film billed as an on-and- off stage close up look at Perry and her 2011 California Dreams Tour began production more than year ago, Paramount Pictures said in a statement on Wednesday.
The movie, called "Katy Perry: Part of Me," is named after her new single "Part of Me," which was released in February and debuted at Noation and popular reception, . 1 on Billboard's Hot 100.
The film, which will be released in cinemas in the United States on July 5, is being produced by Perry and directed by Jane Lipsitz and Dan Cutforth.
Perry, 27, said in the statement she was excited to "reveal the highs and lows and nuts of bolts of this extraordinary ride name, which traced the film's d. I promise you, after seeing this film, you will truly know me."
Paramount and Perry, whose last album "Teenage Dream," produced such hits as "Firework", "California Gurls" and "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F)," teamed up for what is being promoted as the first big screen look at Perry's life and 124 performances on her tour.
Paramount and Lipsitz and Cutforth co-produced and distributed Bieber's concert film, "Justin Bieber: Never Say Never," which grossed nearly $100 million worldwide on a budget of $13 million.
A trailer for Perry's movie promised details on her religious upbringing, her struggles and pressures becoming a pop star, her marriage breakup with actor Russell Brand, as well as tour footage, including her telling the audience, "Thank you so much for believing in my weirdness."
(Reporting By Christine Kearney, Editing by Patricia Reaney)
A 3-D documentary concert feature film billed as an on-and- off stage close up look at Perry and her 2011 California Dreams Tour began production more than year ago, Paramount Pictures said in a statement on Wednesday.
The movie, called "Katy Perry: Part of Me," is named after her new single "Part of Me," which was released in February and debuted at Noation and popular reception, . 1 on Billboard's Hot 100.
The film, which will be released in cinemas in the United States on July 5, is being produced by Perry and directed by Jane Lipsitz and Dan Cutforth.
Perry, 27, said in the statement she was excited to "reveal the highs and lows and nuts of bolts of this extraordinary ride name, which traced the film's d. I promise you, after seeing this film, you will truly know me."
Paramount and Perry, whose last album "Teenage Dream," produced such hits as "Firework", "California Gurls" and "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F)," teamed up for what is being promoted as the first big screen look at Perry's life and 124 performances on her tour.
Paramount and Lipsitz and Cutforth co-produced and distributed Bieber's concert film, "Justin Bieber: Never Say Never," which grossed nearly $100 million worldwide on a budget of $13 million.
A trailer for Perry's movie promised details on her religious upbringing, her struggles and pressures becoming a pop star, her marriage breakup with actor Russell Brand, as well as tour footage, including her telling the audience, "Thank you so much for believing in my weirdness."
(Reporting By Christine Kearney, Editing by Patricia Reaney)
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Daniel Craig shoots Bond Olympics video
LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Daniel Craig filmed scenes this week in Buckingham Palace for an Olympic Games promotional video starring his big screen alter ego, James Bond, according to a report in The Sun.
The final product will be used to kick-off the Summer Games in Londondid with Martin Scorsese's fil. Filming was reportedly undertaken at the request of Queen Elizabeth II.
Danny Boyle ('Slumdog Millionaire') directed the mini-movie, which will see 007 receiving his assignment in the queen's private rooms (Prince Philip must be so jealous!).
The video will also reportedly feature Bond parachuting into the Olympic stadium in Stratford, East London.
Julia McKenzie, who plays Miss Marple in popular British TV show 'Agatha Christie's Marple,' will also appear in the film, but there's no word yet on whether Judi Dench's acidic M will make a cameo.
A spokeswoman for MGM, the studio behind the Bond films, did not immediately respond to request for commentas it did with Martin Scorsese's film &q. A spokeswoman for the queen told TheWrap that she could not comment on any filming that takes place at the palace.
Craig will return to his role as the martini-swilling super-spy in November in 'Skyfall.'
The final product will be used to kick-off the Summer Games in Londondid with Martin Scorsese's fil. Filming was reportedly undertaken at the request of Queen Elizabeth II.
Danny Boyle ('Slumdog Millionaire') directed the mini-movie, which will see 007 receiving his assignment in the queen's private rooms (Prince Philip must be so jealous!).
The video will also reportedly feature Bond parachuting into the Olympic stadium in Stratford, East London.
Julia McKenzie, who plays Miss Marple in popular British TV show 'Agatha Christie's Marple,' will also appear in the film, but there's no word yet on whether Judi Dench's acidic M will make a cameo.
A spokeswoman for MGM, the studio behind the Bond films, did not immediately respond to request for commentas it did with Martin Scorsese's film &q. A spokeswoman for the queen told TheWrap that she could not comment on any filming that takes place at the palace.
Craig will return to his role as the martini-swilling super-spy in November in 'Skyfall.'
Woman in Black horror film to return in follow-up
LONDON (Reuters) - Horror film "The Woman in Black", which starred Harry Potter actor Daniel Radcliffe and topped the British box office earlier this year, is being revived with a follow-up set some 40 years after the events of the original.
"The Woman in Black: Angels of Death" is based on a story recently completed by author Susan Hill and follows a couple who encounter the haunted Eel Marsh House, the setting for much of the action in the original.
The first film, which has earned an impressive $120 million in global ticket sales, was adapted from a novel by Hill of the same name and became the highest grossing British horror film of the last 20 years.
Hammer Films said it was developing the new picture, and screenwriter Jon Croker would adapt the script from Hill's story.
(Mike Collett-White; Editing by Steve Addison)
"The Woman in Black: Angels of Death" is based on a story recently completed by author Susan Hill and follows a couple who encounter the haunted Eel Marsh House, the setting for much of the action in the original.
The first film, which has earned an impressive $120 million in global ticket sales, was adapted from a novel by Hill of the same name and became the highest grossing British horror film of the last 20 years.
Hammer Films said it was developing the new picture, and screenwriter Jon Croker would adapt the script from Hill's story.
(Mike Collett-White; Editing by Steve Addison)
Monday, April 2, 2012
Bruce Willis and second wife welcome baby girl
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Actor Bruce Willis welcomed a new child to his growing brood when wife Emma Heming-Willis gave birth to a baby girl over the weekend, said his spokeswoman.
Mabel Ray Willis was born on Sunday in Los Angeles, and weighed 9 lbs, 1 ozujardin (The Artist), Brad Pitt . This is the actor's fourth child, and his first with Heming, his wife of three years.
"The couple, who've been married for three years, are overjoyed about the newest member of their family the BAFTA for his role as a man steeri. Both mother and baby are healthy and doing beautifully," Willis' spokeswoman said in a statement.
"Die Hard" star Willis, 57, married model Heming, 33, in 2009e-era romance 'The Artist' a hot favorite for bes. The actor has three grown daughters from his 13-year marriage to first wife Demi Moore -- Rumer, 23, Scout, 20 and Tallulah, 18/http://media,zenfs,com/en. The couple divorced in 2000.
Willis has a busy year ahead of him with five films being released this summer including sequels "G.I With a Gol. Joe: Retaliation" and "The Expendables 2."
The actor also is reprising one of his best known roles as tough cop John McClane for the highly-anticipated sequel "A Good Day to Die Hard," due for release in 2013.
(Reporting By Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)
Mabel Ray Willis was born on Sunday in Los Angeles, and weighed 9 lbs, 1 ozujardin (The Artist), Brad Pitt . This is the actor's fourth child, and his first with Heming, his wife of three years.
"The couple, who've been married for three years, are overjoyed about the newest member of their family the BAFTA for his role as a man steeri. Both mother and baby are healthy and doing beautifully," Willis' spokeswoman said in a statement.
"Die Hard" star Willis, 57, married model Heming, 33, in 2009e-era romance 'The Artist' a hot favorite for bes. The actor has three grown daughters from his 13-year marriage to first wife Demi Moore -- Rumer, 23, Scout, 20 and Tallulah, 18/http://media,zenfs,com/en. The couple divorced in 2000.
Willis has a busy year ahead of him with five films being released this summer including sequels "G.I With a Gol. Joe: Retaliation" and "The Expendables 2."
The actor also is reprising one of his best known roles as tough cop John McClane for the highly-anticipated sequel "A Good Day to Die Hard," due for release in 2013.
(Reporting By Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)
Sandler's "Jack and Jill" goes downhill at Razzies
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Comic actor Adam Sandler and his movie "Jack and Jill" swept the annual Razzies on Sunday, winning a record-breaking 10 awards for the worst film and performances of 2011.
The Golden Raspberry Foundation said the cross-dressing comedy, in which Sandler played both the male and female lead parts, was the first film in the 32-year history of the Razzies to sweep all 10 dishonorable categories.
Oscar-winning actor Al Pacino also was declared a winner in the contest that was created as an antidote to the love-fest that engulfs Hollywood around awards season that ends with the Oscars in late February.
This year, the awards were handed out on April Fool's Day in a change of tradition that for years saw the Razzies announced on the eve of the Oscars.
Pacino, who played himself in a cameo appearance in "Jack and Jill", was named worst supporting actor, and he also received a mention in the worst screen couple category along with co-star Katie Holmes.
Sandler, 45, was voted worst actor and worst actress, and shared the award for worst screen ensembleid the cast of "Jack and. "Jack and Jill", which he also helped to write, was voted worst picture, worst re-make, worst director and worst screenplay.
The winners were determined by some 650 members of the Golden Raspberry Foundation, and more than 35,000 ballots on movie review website Rotten Tomatoes.
Organizers said the cast of "Jack and Jill" was only just ahead of box-office hit "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1" in the voting.
(Reporting By Jill Serjeant; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)
The Golden Raspberry Foundation said the cross-dressing comedy, in which Sandler played both the male and female lead parts, was the first film in the 32-year history of the Razzies to sweep all 10 dishonorable categories.
Oscar-winning actor Al Pacino also was declared a winner in the contest that was created as an antidote to the love-fest that engulfs Hollywood around awards season that ends with the Oscars in late February.
This year, the awards were handed out on April Fool's Day in a change of tradition that for years saw the Razzies announced on the eve of the Oscars.
Pacino, who played himself in a cameo appearance in "Jack and Jill", was named worst supporting actor, and he also received a mention in the worst screen couple category along with co-star Katie Holmes.
Sandler, 45, was voted worst actor and worst actress, and shared the award for worst screen ensembleid the cast of "Jack and. "Jack and Jill", which he also helped to write, was voted worst picture, worst re-make, worst director and worst screenplay.
The winners were determined by some 650 members of the Golden Raspberry Foundation, and more than 35,000 ballots on movie review website Rotten Tomatoes.
Organizers said the cast of "Jack and Jill" was only just ahead of box-office hit "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1" in the voting.
(Reporting By Jill Serjeant; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)
Sunday, April 1, 2012
James Cameron, Hollywood's 3-D entrepreneur
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - As Hollywood directors increasingly make their films in 3-D, the biggest financial winner is turning out to be one of their own: director James Cameron.
Cameron has emerged as one of Hollywood's hottest entrepreneurs by cashing in on the 3-D technology he created for "Avatar", which ranks as the highest-grossing film with a worldwide box office take of $2.8 billion.
Cameron also directed the second-highest grossing film of all time, the nautical disaster-romance starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, "Titanic", which is set to return to theaters in 3-D on Wednesday.
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Graphic on Cameron's hits http://link.reuters.com/xen47s
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As George Lucas set the standard for special effects with "Star Wars", Cameron, 57, is setting the bar for 3-D technology with cameras he created and making millions for himself in the process by renting them to other film and TV directors.
The Cameron Pace Group, which the director formed 12 years ago with camera guru Vince Pace, last year generated revenue "in the ballpark of" $58 million, said its Chief Operating Officer O.Ding the final ballot stage, . Welch.
That is a fraction of what Lucas' ILM special-effects house generates, but as 3-D productions grow Cameron Pace is expected to as welleat time doing it," Ric. So far, it has rented cameras and other gear to more than two dozen movies, nine concert films and 140 sports broadcasts.
Hollywood's 3-D conversion movement may help Cameron erase his past failed efforts at being an inventor-entrepreneurbefore inflation is taken into account, It was als. The eccentric and sometimes combative director, along with late special-effects maven Stan Winston, started Digital Domain in 1993 to compete with Lucas' ILM special-effects house.
Cameron left the company in 1998 after clashing with investors that included IBM and Cox Communications over the strategic direction, according to Rebecca Keegan's Cameron biography "The Futurist."
As a result, Digital Domain never held its planned initial public offering.
"I had begun to dislike the dynamic," Cameron told Keegan't anything like as s. "When it was clear that the very controls I needed fell mostly in the conflict-of-interest category, it obviated the upside for me."
Cameron was not available for a comment Each time it went away empty-handed, to the . On March 25, he journeyed to the bottom of the ocean, taking 3-D cameras with him seven miles beneath the Pacific.
The failure of Digital Domain has not dimmed Cameron's star among Hollywood moguls, said Dreamworks Animation SKG Inc CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg.
"Entrepreneurs are judged by their successes not their failures," Katzenberg said Deathly Hallows. "What he's done is build an incredible business out of the 3-D technology he developed."
Housed in three non-descript buildings near the Burbank airport, Cameron Pace collects money every step in the 3-D movie-making processeup, cinematography,. It rents its Fusion 3-D rig and other equipment to film producers such as Michael Bay, who used it for "Transformers: Dark of the Moon", for up to $3 million a film.
TV productions, such as CBS's coverage of the U.Sn class='yshortcuts' id='lw_1333150085_7'. Open tennis championship, pay less than $100,000 apiece for the seven or eight cameras it typically can use to shoot an event, said CBS head of operations Ken Aagaard.
Cameron is so serious about the production quality of his 3-D cameras that his company bestows a seal of approval, as it did with Martin Scorsese's film "Hugo".
That certification allows a studio to promote the quality of its films to investors and potential distributors, said Lyndsay Harding, chief financial officer of Evergreen Films, the first studio to be CPG certified.
Evergreen will negotiate with Cameron Pace on how it will be paid, she said was also a critical hit, . Evergreen used Cameron Pace equipment to produce "Walking with Dinosaurs" that News Corp's Fox is distributing next year.
Another as yet untapped revenue stream could be harvested by certifying 3-D TV sets and other electronic products, said Welchnk a lot of us look fairl. Cameron Pace may also consider licensing its eight patents, or the dozen more that are pending.
In addition to his 3-D camera business, Cameron is helping design a new Avatar-themed area of Walt Disney Co's Animal Kingdom park in Orlando the last Deathly Hallows f. For his work with Disney's Imagineering unit and consulting on its construction, Cameron will share in the royalties from the merchandise, rides or anything else they create.
The majority of the royalties will go to Fox, which distributed the filmquot;, "I think a lot o. Disney hopes the area proves to be successful enough to expand to its other parks.
What draws a customer to Cameron's company continues to be his uncontrollable lust for all things 3-D Each time it went away emp. Michael Lewis, chief executive of RealD, a company that licenses 3-D projectors and glasses to theaters, was stunned when Cameron, a RealD board member, nearly became a production assistant during filming of the movie "Cirque du Soleil Worlds Away".
"I look up," Lewis recalled, "and there's James Cameron hanging 80 feet above the ground."
(Reporting by Ronald Grover; Editing by Peter Lauria and Maureen Bavdek)
Cameron has emerged as one of Hollywood's hottest entrepreneurs by cashing in on the 3-D technology he created for "Avatar", which ranks as the highest-grossing film with a worldwide box office take of $2.8 billion.
Cameron also directed the second-highest grossing film of all time, the nautical disaster-romance starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, "Titanic", which is set to return to theaters in 3-D on Wednesday.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Graphic on Cameron's hits http://link.reuters.com/xen47s
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
As George Lucas set the standard for special effects with "Star Wars", Cameron, 57, is setting the bar for 3-D technology with cameras he created and making millions for himself in the process by renting them to other film and TV directors.
The Cameron Pace Group, which the director formed 12 years ago with camera guru Vince Pace, last year generated revenue "in the ballpark of" $58 million, said its Chief Operating Officer O.Ding the final ballot stage, . Welch.
That is a fraction of what Lucas' ILM special-effects house generates, but as 3-D productions grow Cameron Pace is expected to as welleat time doing it," Ric. So far, it has rented cameras and other gear to more than two dozen movies, nine concert films and 140 sports broadcasts.
Hollywood's 3-D conversion movement may help Cameron erase his past failed efforts at being an inventor-entrepreneurbefore inflation is taken into account, It was als. The eccentric and sometimes combative director, along with late special-effects maven Stan Winston, started Digital Domain in 1993 to compete with Lucas' ILM special-effects house.
Cameron left the company in 1998 after clashing with investors that included IBM and Cox Communications over the strategic direction, according to Rebecca Keegan's Cameron biography "The Futurist."
As a result, Digital Domain never held its planned initial public offering.
"I had begun to dislike the dynamic," Cameron told Keegan't anything like as s. "When it was clear that the very controls I needed fell mostly in the conflict-of-interest category, it obviated the upside for me."
Cameron was not available for a comment Each time it went away empty-handed, to the . On March 25, he journeyed to the bottom of the ocean, taking 3-D cameras with him seven miles beneath the Pacific.
The failure of Digital Domain has not dimmed Cameron's star among Hollywood moguls, said Dreamworks Animation SKG Inc CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg.
"Entrepreneurs are judged by their successes not their failures," Katzenberg said Deathly Hallows. "What he's done is build an incredible business out of the 3-D technology he developed."
Housed in three non-descript buildings near the Burbank airport, Cameron Pace collects money every step in the 3-D movie-making processeup, cinematography,. It rents its Fusion 3-D rig and other equipment to film producers such as Michael Bay, who used it for "Transformers: Dark of the Moon", for up to $3 million a film.
TV productions, such as CBS's coverage of the U.Sn class='yshortcuts' id='lw_1333150085_7'. Open tennis championship, pay less than $100,000 apiece for the seven or eight cameras it typically can use to shoot an event, said CBS head of operations Ken Aagaard.
Cameron is so serious about the production quality of his 3-D cameras that his company bestows a seal of approval, as it did with Martin Scorsese's film "Hugo".
That certification allows a studio to promote the quality of its films to investors and potential distributors, said Lyndsay Harding, chief financial officer of Evergreen Films, the first studio to be CPG certified.
Evergreen will negotiate with Cameron Pace on how it will be paid, she said was also a critical hit, . Evergreen used Cameron Pace equipment to produce "Walking with Dinosaurs" that News Corp's Fox is distributing next year.
Another as yet untapped revenue stream could be harvested by certifying 3-D TV sets and other electronic products, said Welchnk a lot of us look fairl. Cameron Pace may also consider licensing its eight patents, or the dozen more that are pending.
In addition to his 3-D camera business, Cameron is helping design a new Avatar-themed area of Walt Disney Co's Animal Kingdom park in Orlando the last Deathly Hallows f. For his work with Disney's Imagineering unit and consulting on its construction, Cameron will share in the royalties from the merchandise, rides or anything else they create.
The majority of the royalties will go to Fox, which distributed the filmquot;, "I think a lot o. Disney hopes the area proves to be successful enough to expand to its other parks.
What draws a customer to Cameron's company continues to be his uncontrollable lust for all things 3-D Each time it went away emp. Michael Lewis, chief executive of RealD, a company that licenses 3-D projectors and glasses to theaters, was stunned when Cameron, a RealD board member, nearly became a production assistant during filming of the movie "Cirque du Soleil Worlds Away".
"I look up," Lewis recalled, "and there's James Cameron hanging 80 feet above the ground."
(Reporting by Ronald Grover; Editing by Peter Lauria and Maureen Bavdek)
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