No retreat: Couples wins the box office – TFC Morning Report
Top Story: Rule No. 37 for surviving the box office: Don’t go up against Vince Vaughn. The comedy actor’s Couples Retreat took the top spot at the weekend box office away from Zombieland, scoring $35 million. (erc BoxOffice) In Other News: Overseas Up continued to fly high, taking in $21 million for a new international total of $257.1 million. (THR) Take him back! Bryan Singer said again that he’s interested in returning to the X-Men franchise. (THR) Angelina Jolie has been mentioned as a possible replacement for Charlize Theron in The Tourist, a film Theron has long been attached to but no longer. Jolie will star opposite Sam Worthington, who replaced Tom Cruise in the film in August. (THR)...
Read MoreRoman Polanski arrested in Zurich – TFC Morning Report
Top Story: Roman Polanski arrived in at the Zurich Airport planning to attend the Zurich Film Festival where he was to receive a lifetime achievement award. Instead, he was greeted at the airport by Swiss authorities who arrested the director. The Swiss Justice Ministry cooperated with Los Angeles County’s request for extradition so that Polanski, who fled the US for France after pleading guilty to unlawful sex with a minor in 1978, can face sentencing in the States. Polanski had avoided visiting countries that would likely extradite him to the US and visited Switzerland numerous times in the past three decades. No word yet on when Polanski what prompted the arrest on this occasion or when he will actually delivered into US custody. (Variety) In Other News: Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs topped the domestic box office for...
Read MoreDisney buys Marvel
In the age of the Internet, how this remained a secret, I will never know. But it was announced this morning that Marvel Entertainment would become part of the Walt Disney Co., giving Disney the outlet it needed to appeal to males ages 13-30. It’ll still be a few years before we hear the Touchstone and Disney fanfares in front of Marvel Studios releases, so I’ll drink the Kool-Aid for now. Both Marvel and Disney this morning made an effort to compare the deal with the one the Mouse House struck with Pixar Animation Studios, which only happened three years ago. Truth be told, we haven’t really seen what the Disney-Pixar deal means for Pixar motion pictures… or for Disney for that matter. Up was already well into production at the time of the merger. Bolt is only half-Pixar....
Read MoreWall Street should leave the filmmaking to Pixar
I don’t know much about Wall Street, but it’s good to know Wall Street knows even less about Hollywood. Richard Greenfield of Pali Research says he was “dead wrong” when it came to predicting the box office prospects of Disney-Pixar’s hugely successfully Up. Greenfield’s comments from the NY Times: The recent success of Pixar’s ‘Up’ (well ahead of our forecasts) has renewed investor confidence in Disney’s creative capabilities. The comment about “Disney’s creative capabilities” proves he still doesn’t get it. But in this brave new world of movie making, who really knows the whole equation anyway. Well, other than Pixar. You think people would have stopped second-guessing Pixar when their team turned a story about a rat into the studio’s third highest-grossing film worldwide. I’m more concerned about Toy Story 3 than I ever was about Up. It’s a...
Read More10 Nominees to Compete for Best Picture!
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced that there will be 10 nominees vying for Best Picture at the 82nd Annual Academy Awards ceremony. Not since 1944, when Casablanca was named the Best Picture of 1943, has the Academy nominated 10 films for its top prize. From the release: “After more than six decades, the Academy is returning to some of its earlier roots, when a wider field competed for the top award of the year,” said (AMPAS President Sid) Ganis. “The final outcome, of course, will be the same – one Best Picture winner – but the race to the finish line will feature 10, not just five, great movies from 2009.” I just feel bad for the guys who have to build the stage for the press conference. Ten TV screens instead of five...
Read More‘The Queen’ meets the spy. Morgan on for Bond 23 – TFC Morning Report
Top Story: The Queen scribe Peter Morgan will join Quantum of Solace amd Casino Royale writing duo Neal Purvis and Robert Wade to script the 23rd installment of the Bond franchise. Daniel Craig is signed on to reprise his role as a brooding Bond, while no director has been announced. Bond 23 is scheduled to theaters in 2011. (Variety) In Other News: The Hangover remained atop the domestic box office this weekend bringing in $33 million and dropping only 26 percent from last weekend. The Taking of Pelham 123 debuted in third behind Up with $25 million. (erc BoxOffice) Overseas, Terminator Salvation remained strong with a weekend take of $46.1 million from 80 territories. The fourth film in the Terminator franchise has grossed $165.5 million overseas for a new worldwide cume of $279.3 million. (THR) Sunshine Cleaning director Christine...
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