Avatar

Weekend Box Office – THE AVENGERS Break Second Weekend Record with $103.1 Million; DARK SHADOWS in Second with $28.8 Million

by Nicole Pedersen    Posted: May 13th, 2012 at 9:20 am

It’s another one for the record books. Along with the prize for highest first weekend in domestic history, The Avengers has now earned the highest second weekend with an estimated $103.1 million from 4,349 locations. That crushes Avatar’s former sophomore record of $75.6 million and represents a decline of just 50% – a better hold than The Dark Knight managed in its second frame. Even more exciting for Disney and Marvel, the worldwide estimate for The Avengers has now topped One Billion. Unfortunately, good news for The Avengers means not-so-good news for Dark Shadows. The latest collaboration of Tim Burton and Johnny Depp earned an estimated $28.8 million from 3,755 locations, or a bit less than The Avengers made on Friday alone.

	Title	Weekend	Total
1	The Avengers	$103,160,000	$373.1
2	Dark Shadows	$28,800,000	$28.8
3	Think Like A Man	$6,300,000	$81.9
4	The Hunger Games	$4,300,000	$387
5	The Lucky One	$4,055,000	$53.7
6	Pirates! Band of Misfits	$3,200,000	$21.1
7	The Five-Year Engagement	$3,095,000	$24.4
8	Best Exotic Marigold Hotel	$2,650,000	$3.7
9	Chimpanzee	$1,624,000	$25.5
10	Girl in Progress	$1,350,000	$1.35

TOP 5: James Cameron Only Making AVATAR Movies, GANGSTER SQUAD Trailer, PROMETHEUS Is Rated R, Joss Whedon Editorial, DARK SHADOWS

by Jason Barr    Posted: May 12th, 2012 at 2:29 pm

In last week’s opening paragraph I welcomed the summer movie season into the fold by way of The Avengers. Earlier this week it dawned on me that another season is upon us as well. One that is nearly as costly as a summer blockbuster, albeit far less anticipated by yours truly: wedding season. Over the course of the next few months, I’ll attend no fewer than four ceremonies/receptions (not including my own) and, while I’ll be honored to have been invited to share a special moment with friends new and old, I’ll likely fall behind on my summer movie checklist. So, if you start noticing Top 5 opening paragraphs having less to do with film than what type of dessert was served at the reception, you have my most sincere advance apology.

Wedding disclaimers aside, awaiting you on the other side of this week’s Top 5 is James Cameron saying he only wants to make Avatar movies from now on, the first trailer for director Ruben Fleischer‘s Gangster Squad, Prometheus‘ R-rating, Matt’s letter of recommendation for Joss Whedon, and Dark Shadows coverage including interviews with Johnny Depp, Tim Burton, and Seth Grahame-Smith. A brief recap and link to each ensues after the jump.

Friday Box Office – No Light for DARK SHADOWS as THE AVENGERS Target Highest Second Weekend Record

by Nicole Pedersen    Posted: May 12th, 2012 at 8:51 am

For the second week in a row, we have just one movie to talk about. Too bad for Warner Brothers’ that it isn’t Dark Shadows. The eighth collaboration of Johnny Depp and Tim Burton opened to an estimated $9.7 million on Friday at 3,755 locations. That suggests a three-day total of around $28 million – well below the $35 million projected and not even close to good enough while The Avengers are around. After shattering the domestic record with its $207.4 million debut last weekend, the Disney/Marvel super-movie saw its domestic estimate climb to nearly $300 million in an unprecedented eight days. The Avengers’ sophomore frame is now expected to hit $100 million, a number that would demolish the previous record of $75.6 million set by Avatar. Worldwide, The Avengers has already earned over $850 million and is currently on pace to hit One Billion by Sunday.  Full details and analysis tomorrow.

	Title	Friday	Total
1	The Avengers	$29,120,000	$299.1
2	Dark Shadows	$9,700,000	$9.7
3	Think Like A Man	$1,575,000	$77.1
4	The Lucky One	$1,300,000	$50.9
5	The Hunger Games	$1,200,000	$383.7

James Cameron Talks AVATAR 2, 3, Even AVATAR 4; Says He Now Only Wants to Make AVATAR Movies

by Brendan Bettinger    Posted: May 5th, 2012 at 7:37 pm

After the absurd success of Titanic in 1997 and 1998, it took director James Cameron more than a decade to get around to his next feature film, Avatar, which debuted to more absurd success in 2009 and 2010.  We must always admire Cameron’s ability to deliver original properties that are both commercial hits and critical favorites.  But according to the director, he’s done with the worldbuilding aspect of filmmaking:

“Last year I basically completely disbanded my production company’s development arm. So I’m not interested in developing anything. I’m in the Avatar business. Period. That’s it. I’m making Avatar, Avatar 2, Avatar 3, maybe Avatar 4.”

Hit the jump for Cameron’s full explanation.

Weekend Box Office – THINK LIKE A MAN On Top with $33 Million; THE LUCKY ONE Second with $22.8

by Nicole Pedersen    Posted: April 22nd, 2012 at 9:18 am

After surprising us on Friday with its first-place debut, Think Like A Man has surprised again with its estimated $33 million haul from 2,015 locations.  That is the best per-screen average of the week (wide releases) and it nearly doubles expectations for the comedy. In second place, The Lucky One earned a solid $22.8 million and then there’s The Hunger Games… not sick of hearing about that one yet, are you?

	Title	Weekend	Total
1	Walk Like a Man	$33,000,000	$33
2	The Lucky One	$22,805,000	$22.8
3	The Hunger Games	$14,500,000	$356.9
4	Chimpanzee	$10,205,000	$10.2
5	The Three Stooges	$9,200,000	$29.3
6	Cabin in the Woods	$7,750,000	$26.9
7	American Reunion	$5,232,000	$48.2
8	Titanic 3D	$5,000,000	$52.8
9	21 Jump Street	$4,600,000	$127
10	Mirror, Mirror	$4,114,000	$55.2

AVATAR 2 Unlikely to Make Its 2014 Release Date

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: April 4th, 2012 at 7:54 am

In October 2010, we reported that Avatar 2 and Avatar 3 would be shot back-to-back, and Fox had scheduled the movies for December 2014 and December 2015, respectively.  In June 2011, writer-director James Cameron commented that the movies will be from one script, which would make the franchise “not really a trilogy, but just an overall character arc.”  But during the recent press rounds for Titanic 3D, producer Jon Landau said it was unlikely that they’ll be able to make the 2014 release date for Avatar 2.  He notes that they’re “taking the time to get it right”, and while that sounds like standard producer-speak, he does reminds us that Titanic was originally scheduled for a summer 1997 release, but was pushed back to December so Cameron would have more time to work on the effects.

Hit the jump for more.  Titanic 3D opens on Friday.

TOP 5: UNDERWORLD: AWAKENING Interviews, HAYWIRE Interviews, Recent Films/Retro Posters, Live-Action RUGRATS Trailer, Sundance 2012 Coverage

by Jason Barr    Posted: January 21st, 2012 at 1:17 pm

In last week’s “Top 5″ I spent the opening paragraph musing about my anticipation for Steven Soderbergh‘s Haywire. I also promised the readers a quick “Before & After” discussion this week which would address whether or not the pic lived up to my expectations. Well, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but said discussion will have to be postponed. I know, I know, I’m disappointed too. Fear not, though, I’m slated to check out the film tonight which means that I’ll be able to deliver on my promise, albeit a week late. In the meantime…

…This week’s “Top 5″ installment brings you interviews with the cast of Underworld: Awakening and the aforementioned Haywire, a gallery of recent films in retro poster form, an ultra-disturbing Rugrats live-action trailer, and all of our Sundance 2012 coverage to date. Hit the jump for a brief recap and link to each.

“Movies from an Alternate Universe”: What If Recent Films Had Been Made Decades Earlier?

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: January 17th, 2012 at 8:07 am

Classic films are getting remade left and right, but what if it went the other way?  What if our original films of recent years were thrown back to an earlier era?  Who would star?  Who would direct?  What would the poster look like?  Artist Peter Stults ran with that idea and came up with some wonderfully creative and thoughtful posters based on recent movies.  I’m not sure if I see Leonard Nimoy as John McClane, but I can absolutely see James Dean starring in a 1950s version of Drive.

Hit the jump to check out some of the posters.

Weekend Box Office – SHERLOCK HOLMES: A GAME OF SHADOWS Leads with $40 Million; ALVIN 3 Gets CHIPWRECKED; MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 4 Starts Strong

by Nicole Pedersen    Posted: December 18th, 2011 at 9:06 am

Looks like holiday cheer was not enough to pull the box office out of its recent slump.  Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows came out on top with $40 million from 3,703 locations while Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked claimed second with $23.5 million from 3,723.  Needless to say, neither sequel was able to meet the expectations their predecessors set on Christmas weekend back in 2009.  Meanwhile, Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, took in $13 million from just 425 locations – making Tom Cruise the big winner of this weekend’s box office derby.  It’s like a little Christmas miracle.

	Title	Weekend	Total
1	Sherlock Holmes 2	$40,020,000	$40
2	Alvin & the Chipmunks 3	$23,500,000	$23.5
3	Mission: Impossible 4	$13,000,000	$13
4	New Year’s Eve	$7,420,000	$24.8
5	The Sitter	$4,400,000	$17.7
6	Breaking Dawn Part 1	$4,300,000	$266.4
7	Young Adult	$3,650,000	$4
8	Hugo	$3,625,000	$39
9	Arthur Christmas	$3,600,000	$38.5
10	The Muppets	$3,454,000	$70.9

CALL OF DUTY: MODERN WARFARE 3 Made $1 Billion in 16 Days

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: December 12th, 2011 at 8:52 am

It’s no secret that people like video games, but boy do we love a good shooter. Activision has announced that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 has crossed the $1 billion mark in a mere 16 days. Yes, $1 billion. This beats the previous record set in 2009 by Avatar, which hit the $1 billion mark in 17 days, solidifying MW3 as the game that everybody is playing. For comparison in the gaming world, it took Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 over two months to hit the $1 billion mark.

It’s important to note that MW3 is available on all platforms and each copy costs $60, with the “Hardened” edition retailing for $100, so that’s considerably more than the average movie ticket price (ie. less people bought MW3 than saw Avatar). However, $1 billion is still an incredibly impressive number and signifies the growing nature of the gamer market. Aiding in MW3’s success is the fact that it appeals to a wide range of gamers and features an extensive multiplayer experience that extends the game’s “I’m not bored with this yet”-ness (though I’ve recently fallen down the rabbit hole that is Skyrim). Hit the jump to read the full press release.

Disney to Add AVATAR Attractions to Theme Parks

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: September 20th, 2011 at 12:16 pm

Did you ever wonder what it would be like form a lifelong telepathic bond with a flying creature only to ditch it for a bigger and more powerful flying creature?  Now you can!  Variety reports that Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Worldwide will create themed lands based on James Cameron’s Avatar.  The first theme land will be built at Walt Disney World’s Animal Kingdom park in Orlando, Florida.  Cameron, Jon Landau and their Lightstorm Entertainment group will serve as creative consultants on the projects and will work with Disney’s “Imagineers” to oversee the design and development of the different theme lands.  I look forward to “Cramped Trailer with Giant Tanning Beds”-Land.

Construction on the theme lands is scheduled to begin in 2013.  As Cameron preps for two Avatar sequels (set for Christmas 2014 and 2015), Imagineers will use the entire trilogy to create the various theme lands.  No word yet if one of the parks will offer full-body painting or if the gift shops will sell sex ponytails.

Sigourney Weaver Talks AVATAR Sequels and GHOSTBUSTERS 3

by Christina Radish    Posted: September 17th, 2011 at 10:12 am

At this weekend’s press day for Abduction, Collider was able to speak with Sigourney Weaver, who plays Dr. Geri Bennett in the film. Bennett is a 30-year CIA operative and therapist to Nathan Harper (Taylor Lautner), a teenager who realizes that his entire life is a lie after a team of trained killers tracks him down, leaving him with no one to trust.

But, since that film doesn’t open until September 23^rd, we’ll hold what she had to say about it until closer to the release date. In the meantime, we did get a chance to have her update the status of the Avatar sequels, which she will return for, and Ghostbusters 3, which hinges on Bill Murray’s involvement. Weaver did say that, although she hasn’t read a Ghostbusters script, she did ask Ivan Reitman to have her character’s son grow up to be a Ghostbuster and he agreed. Check out what she had to say after the jump.

Sam Worthington Talks THE DEBT, CLASH OF THE TITANS 2, AVATAR Sequels and More

by Christina Radish    Posted: August 29th, 2011 at 8:32 pm

In the dramatic thriller The Debt, based on the Israeli film Ha-Hov, actor Sam Worthington plays David, a Mossad secret agent in the 1960′s who set out on a mission, with fellow agents Stephan (Marton Csokas) and Rachel (Jessica Chastain), to track down a Nazi war criminal. But, not everything goes as planned and, 30 years later, they all must face the truth.

At the film’s press day, Sam Worthington talked about how the director’s take on the material is what drew him to the project, how he enjoyed the Krav Maga training for the role, and how he balanced his performance with his co-stars. He also talked about how he’s not surprised that there’s a sequel for Clash of the Titans since it made a lot of money, how this one is a very different film, how he’s playing a surf photographer in Drift, and that he’d love to do multiple sequels for Avatar to keep working with Jim Cameron. Check out what he had to say after the jump:

Sam Worthington Talks AVATAR Sequels, WRATH OF THE TITANS and DRIFT

by Christina Radish    Posted: August 13th, 2011 at 10:09 am

At the press day for the espionage thriller The Debt – about three Mossad secret agents who track down a Nazi war criminal in East Berlin in 1966, only to have the mission not turn out as planned – actor Sam Worthington gave brief updates on Clash of the Titans 2 and the development of the Avatar sequels. He also talked about his next role, as a surf photographer in Drift, which will film in Australia.

While we’ll run the portion of the interview about The Debt closer to that film’s August 31^st release date, hit the jump for what he had to say about his other projects:

Weekend Box Office – RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES Rises Above Expectations with $54 Million

by Nicole Pedersen    Posted: August 7th, 2011 at 9:48 am

Looks like summer 2011 had one more blockbuster left after all.  Cowboys and Aliens may have been a late-July disappointment but, so far, Fox’s Rise of the Planet of the Apes is performing more like a June release than your typical August afterthought.  Surpassing all early projections, the sci-fi vehicle took in an estimated $54 million from 3,648 locations for an easy number one at the US box office.

	Title	Weekend	Total
1	Rise of the Planet of the Apes	$54,000,000	$54
2	The Smurfs	$21,000,000	$76.2
3	Cowboys and Aliens	$15,748,000	$67.3
4	The Change-Up	$13,500,000	$13.5
5	Captain America	$13,000,000	$143.1
6	Harry Potter 7b	$12,160,000	$342.8
7	Crazy, Stupid, Love	$12,100,000	$42.1
8	Friends with Benefits	$4,700,000	$48.5
9	Horrible Bosses	$4,620,000	$105.1
10	Transformers 3	$3,015,000	$344.1

Copyright ©2005 - 2012. All Rights Reserved. California web design