News for 5/25/2004


Weekend Boxoffice

'Shrek 2' Rakes in $104.3M at Box Office

By ANTHONY BREZNICAN
The Associated Press


LOS ANGELES - It's a humongous "happily ever after" for "Shrek 2." The computer-animated fairy tale satire collected an estimated $104.3 million at the weekend box office, the second-biggest three-day tally in movie history behind 2002's "Spider-Man," which took in $114.8 million.

"Shrek 2" also scored the biggest opening ever for an animated film, easily topping "Finding Nemo's" $70.2 million. "Shrek," which opened in 2001, earned $42.3 million in its first weekend - but went on to collect $267.6 million and win the first Oscar for an animated feature film.

For the sequel, the grumpy green ogre collected $28.4 million on Friday, and then jumped a remarkable 58 percent Saturday to earn $44.8 million, according to Jim Tharp, head of distribution for DreamWorks.

Saturday's earnings broke Hollywood's overall record for highest one-day earnings, also held by "Spider-Man" with $43.6 million.

DreamWorks estimated the movie would earn an additional $31 million on Sunday - but even rival studios suggested the take would be higher than that. Final figures will be released Monday.

Last week's No. 1 film, the Brad Pitt epic "Troy," fell to second place in its second weekend, earning $23.8 million for a total of $85.8 million. The movie cost a reported $200 million to make.

Meanwhile, third-place "Van Helsing" crossed the $100 million mark with weekend earnings of $10.1 million, and "Mean Girls" ranked fourth with $6.9 million.

"'Shrek 2' was cutting into everybody else's audience," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations Co.

In the sequel, the title ogre (voiced by Mike Myers), his bride, Fiona (Cameron Diaz), and their pal Donkey (Eddie Murphy) visit Fiona's royal parents in the kingdom of Far, Far Away.

Critics loved the movie, which appealed to young kids with colorful characters, teenagers with comedy, couples with romance, and older audiences with a subplot about parents accepting the decisions of their grown-up children.

"Shrek 2," which opened Wednesday, screened in the largest number of opening theaters ever - 4,163 locations. It also brought in $125.3 million over its first five days, breaking the record set by "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King," which grossed $124.1 million.

The sequel is a great victory for DreamWorks, which has occasionally struggled to find its footing in the animated movie market. The first "Shrek" was a success and the studio had a modest hit with 1998's computer-animated "Antz," but traditionally animated fare like "Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron," "The Road to El Dorado" and "Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas" were all money-losers.

"For us, this is really more about proving that we have a creative rhythm as a company," said Ann Daly, head of animation for DreamWorks. "We found our tone and style."

About 60 percent of the audience was comprised of parents and their children, Tharp said. Studio exit polling found that 70 percent of respondents wanted to see the movie again, which bodes well for the movie's future in the competitive summer blockbuster season.

The weekend's total box-office earnings were up about 2 percent from last year, when "The Matrix Reloaded" and "Daddy Day Care" topped the list.

1. "Shrek 2," $104.3 million.
2. "Troy," $23.8 million.
3. "Van Helsing," $10.1 million.
4. "Mean Girls," $6.9 million.
5. "Man on Fire," $3.5 million.
6. "Breakin' All the Rules," $2.8 million.
7. "13 Going on 30," $2.5 million.
8. "New York Minute," $1.1 million.
9. "Kill Bill - Vol. 2," $1 million.
10. "Super Size Me," $953,455.



News for 5/15/2004


Fivesome Aboard Andrew Niccol's Lord of War

Source: Variety


Ethan Hawke, Jared Leto, Bridget Moynahan, Jeffrey Wright and Donald Sutherland will star opposite Nicolas Cage in writer/director Andrew Niccol's $42 million Lord of War, says Variety.

Niccol, who scripted The Truman Show and wrote and directed Gattaca and Simone, has penned a drama that casts Cage as a ruthless global arms dealer who is trying to stay a step ahead of a relentless Interpol agent. Monica Bellucci will play the weapon dealer's conflicted wife.

The film starts shooting July 19 in New York, Romania and South Africa.



Usher to Step in the Name of Love for MGM

Source: Variety


MGM has bought the spec script Step in the Name of Love as a vehicle for R&B singer Usher to star in and executive produce, reports Variety. Carl Seaton and Kenny Young wrote the script.

The film is described as an urban Saturday Night Fever, set in the world of steppin', a Chicago-bred derivative of swing dancing.

Usher, who has the top album in the country in "Confessions," is stepping up to carry a movie after cutting his teeth on such films as Light It Up and She's All That. He plays singer Jackie Wilson in the upcoming Unchain My Heart: The Ray Charles Story, starring Jamie Foxx and directed by Taylor Hackford.



Alicia Keys to Make Movie Debut

Associated Press


NEW YORK -- Alicia Keys will make her film debut in a Halle Berry-produced biopic about piano prodigy Philippa Schuyler, her publicist told The Associated Press on Thursday.

The yet untitled film details the life of Schuyler, the only child of George Schuyler, a renowned black journalist and author, and Josephine Cogdell, a white artist and writer.

Born in 1939, Schuyler was a child prodigy who played at Carnegie Hall and around the world. But she encountered racism as she grew older, and had trouble finding acceptance. She later became a journalist and was killed in 1967 in a plane crash in Vietnam.

The rights to the film are owned by Berry, and the Academy Award-winning actress will produce the film along with Marc Platt, who produced the Tony-nominated Broadway show "Wicked" and the Reese Witherspoon "Legally Blonde" movies, according to Keys' publicist Samantha Tillman.

Like Schuyler, Keys' mother is white and her father is black, and she is a classically trained pianist.

Keys' 2001 debut album, "Songs In A Minor," sold more than 5 million copies and won the R&B singer five Grammys. Her follow-up, "The Diary of Alicia Keys," is nearing 3 million copies sold.



News for 5/12/2004


Laurence Fishburne in Akeelah and the Bee

Source: Production Weekly


Laurence Fishburne, who is currently filming the remake of John Carpenter's Assault on Precinct 13, will star in Nicholl Fellowship-winning script Akeelah and the Bee.

Written by Doug Atchison, the film centers on an 11-year-old girl from South Central Los Angeles who overcomes the pressures of her environment to compete in the National Spelling Bee. Her journey unites the community in the process.

Atchison will also direct the film, which starts shooting in August.



Virginia Capers, 78, Actress Who Won a Tony for 'Raisin', Dies

By BEN SISARIO


Virginia Capers, an actress and singer who won a Tony Award in 1974 for her role in "Raisin," the musical version of "A Raisin in the Sun," died on Thursday in Los Angeles, where she lived. She was 78.

She died after a bout of pneumonia, said her son, Glenn Capers.

Ms. Capers was an experienced but little-known character actress when she was cast as Lena Younger, the matriarch of the struggling working-class black family in "Raisin," a musical that opened in the fall of 1973, based on Lorraine Hansberry's play. But Ms. Capers's intense stage presence captivated critics. In his review for The New York Times, Clive Barnes called her "a vast and loving Gibraltar of a woman" and said she was "tremendous in just about every sense you can use the word."

Ms. Capers won the Tony for best actress in a musical. The show, which also starred Deborah Allen, Ernestine Jackson and Joe Morton, was nominated for nine Tonys, and also won for best musical. It ran on Broadway for more than two years and had a long life as a touring show.

Eliza Virginia Capers was born in Sumter, S.C., and attended Howard University and the Juilliard School. She began performing in Yiddish theater and by the late 1950's made her way to Broadway. She was an understudy for Adelaide Hall in "Jamaica," which opened in 1957, and in 1959 she was in the cast of "Saratoga," the Harold Arlen-Johnny Mercer musical.

Before "Raisin" Ms. Capers worked extensively in television and in the movies, appearing on the shows "The Untouchables," "Have Gun, Will Travel," "Mannix" and "Dragnet," among many others. In the 1972 film "Lady Sings the Blues" she played the mother to Diana Ross's Billie Holiday, and she was also in "Trouble Man" and "The Lost Man."

After "Raisin" she appeared in the films "The Toy" with Richard Pryor, "Pacific Palisades" and "What's Love Got to Do With It," and on the television shows "Frank's Place," "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" and "The Hughleys."

Besides her son, of Los Angeles, she is survived by a brother, James H. Capers, of New York.



'Wicked' dominates 2004 Tonys

Hugh Jackman, Kevin Kline among contenders


NEW YORK (AP) -- "Wicked," a quirky and fantasy-filled musical about those folks who live along the Yellow Brick Road, picked up 10 Tony Award nominations Monday.

"Assassins," the controversial Stephen Sondheim musical, followed with seven and four shows tied with six nominations apiece: "Caroline, or Change," "Fiddler on the Roof," "Avenue Q" and the Lincoln Center revival of "Henry IV."

"Van Helsing" star Hugh Jackman, who will host the Tony ceremony on June 6, was among the nominees for outstanding actor in a musical for his portrayal of flamboyant entertainer Peter Allen in "The Boy From Oz." Kevin Kline and Christopher Plummer picked up nominations for best actor in a play.

"Anna in the Tropics," last year's Pulitzer winner; "Frozen," the chilling tale of a young girl's disappearance; "I Am My Own Wife," winner of the 2004 Pulitzer Prize for drama; and "The Retreat From Moscow," got nods for best play.

Besides "Wicked," "Avenue Q" and "Caroline, or Change," the other best musical nominee was "The Boy From Oz."

Jackman will compete with Hunter Foster, "Little Shop of Horrors"; Alfred Molina, "Fiddler on the Roof," Euan Morton, "Taboo" and John Tartaglia, "Avenue Q."

Competing for best actress in a musical were Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel for "Wicked," Donna Murphy for "Wonderful Town," Tonya Pinkins for "Caroline, or Change" and Stephanie D'Abruzzo, who sings the part of a puppet in "Avenue Q."

Kline and Plummer were nominated for their roles in two Shakespeare productions, "Henry IV" and "King Lear," respectively. They face Simon Russell Beale, "Jumpers"; Frank Langella, "Match"; and Jefferson Mays, "I Am My Own Wife."

Nominated for best performance by an actresses in a play were: Eileen Atkins, "The Retreat From Moscow"; Tovah Feldshuh, "Golda's Balcony"; Anne Heche, "Twentieth Century"; Swoosie Kurtz, "Frozen" and Phylicia Rashad, "A Raisin in the Sun."

"Wicked," which tells the story of the witches in "The Wizard of Oz" before Dorothy arrived, was one of the season's most expensive musicals, costing $14 million. Despite some mixed reviews, it has been a consistent sellout, grossing more than $1 million each week.

Besides best musical and leading actresses in a musical, it garnered nominations for book, score, choreography, orchestrations, sets, costumes and lighting.


Combs, Mantello snubbed


Joe Mantello, snubbed for his direction of "Wicked," still received a best director nomination -- for his other Broadway musical, "Assassins." The Sondheim-John Weidman musical, which deals with presidential assassins from John Wilkes Booth to Lee Harvey Oswald, was nominated for best musical revival along with "Wonderful Town," "Fiddler on the Roof" and "Big River."

"Assassins," panned by many critics during its original off-Broadway run in 1991, was much more favorably reviewed in its latest incarnation by the Roundabout Theatre Company. The show also picked up nominations for two of its featured actors (Michael Cerveris and Denis O-Hare), sets, lighting and orchestrations.

Sean Combs may have been passed over for an acting nomination for his work in the revival of "A Raisin in the Sun," but the landmark Lorraine Hansberry drama was nominated for its three actresses (Rashad, Sanaa Lathan and Audra McDonald) and revival of a play, along with two Shakespeare epics -- Henry IV" and "King Lear" -- and Tom Stoppard's "Jumpers."

List of Tony Award nominees



Weekend Boxoffice

'Van Helsing' Wins Box Office Over Olsens

By ANTHONY BREZNICAN
AP Entertainment Writer


LOS ANGELES (AP) - Dracula, the Wolf Man and Frankenstein stomped the Olsen twins in the first major box-office contest of the summer blockbuster season. The monster-hunting adventure "Van Helsing," starring Hugh Jackman as a creature slayer, opened at No. 1 with $54.2 million.

Mary-Kate and Ashley's comedy "New York Minute," a major test of the direct-to-video starlets' theatrical prowess as they near age 18, debuted in fourth place with $6.2 million _ a weak showing compared to the popularity of other recent teen comedies like "13 Going on 30" and "Mean Girls."

"Mean Girls" fell to second place in its second week with $14 million, while Denzel Washington's "Man on Fire" continued its robust run with $7.9 million in its third week, raising its total to $56 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.

"Van Helsing" also earned $53 million internationally after opening simultaneously in 41 countries, according to Universal Pictures, which released the movie.

The first-weekend ticket sales landed between director Stephen Sommers' two previous monster smashes _ "The Mummy," which had $43.3 million in 1999, and "The Mummy Returns," which had $68.1 million in 2001.

The movie received a huge franchise push from Universal, accompanied by a "Van Helsing" video game, an animated DVD prequel "Van Helsing: The London Assignment" and a "Van Helsing"-themed haunted house attraction at Universal Studios theme park.

"It's celebration time," said Nikki Rocco, head of distribution for Universal.

"New York Minute" failed to build an older teen following on top of the Olsens' core fan base of very young children. About 80 percent of the tickets went to girls under the age of 11, said Dan Fellman, head of distribution for Warner Bros., which released the comedy.

With more big-budget movies on the way, there's a tense road ahead for most studios as costs have risen dramatically over the previously alarming $100-million budgets of yore.

"Van Helsing" cost about $160 million to produce and is the first of many movies this summer that approach or cross that budget threshold, from "Spider-Man 2" and the ancient epic "Troy" to "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" and the weather run-amok disaster film "The Day After Tomorrow."

The rising costs are risk for studios, since most summer films have only one shot at recouping a portion of their investment before fading away amid the competition. Most of the movies will have to wait until their home video releases to begin showing a profit.

"This is the opening salvo in the summer movie sweepstakes," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations Co. "The summer season is the season of the opening weekend. You have to make your mark right then at the beginning, because the next weekend audiences are going to be looking for the next big thing."

1. "Van Helsing," $54.2 million.
2. "Mean Girls," $14 million.
3. "Man on Fire," $7.9 million.
4. "New York Minute," $6.2 million.
5. "13 Going on 30," $5.5 million.
6. "Laws of Attraction," $3.5 million.
7. "Kill Bill _ Vol. 2," $3 million.
8. "Godsend," $2.7 million.
9. "Envy," $2.6 million.
10. "The Punisher," $1.2 million.



News for 5/3/2004


Deborah Cox Extends Aida Stay Through September

By Andrew Gans
Playbill


R&B singer Deborah Cox, who joined the Broadway production of Aida in February, has extended her contract with the Disney musical. According to a production spokesperson, Cox — originally scheduled to play the title role of the Nubian princess through June 13 — will now stay with the Elton John-Tim Rice show through Sept. 5. Cox's co-stars currently include Will Chase as Radames, Lisa Brescia as Amneris and Micky Dolenz as Zoser.

Born in 1973, Cox began her professional career at the age of 12, playing small Toronto clubs before attending a performing arts school. She later signed with Arista Records, and her first single, "Sentimental," was released in 1995. Her second single, "Who Do U Love?," sold over 500,000 copies. Cox's recording of "Nobody's Supposed to Be Here" from her album "One Wish" topped the R&B charts for 14 weeks. She also had another Top 10 hit with "We Can't Be Friends." She currently holds the No. 1 Billboard Dance position with her remake of Phil Collins' "Something Happened on the Way to Heaven." Aida marks Cox's Broadway debut.

Aida features a book by Linda Woolverton, Robert Falls and David Henry Hwang, sets and costumes by Bob Crowley, lighting by Natasha Katz, choreography by Wayne Cilento and direction by Robert Falls. The musical plays the Palace Theatre — Broadway and 47th Street — and tickets are available by calling the Disney hotline, (212) 307-4747. For more information about Aida, go to Disney On Broadway.com.



Weekend Boxoffice


'Mean Girls' Tops Box Office With $25M

By ANTHONY BREZNICAN
The Associated Press


LOS ANGELES - Maybe nice guys finish last, but "Mean Girls" came in first at the weekend box office. The comedy starring Lindsay Lohan as a student who gets swept up in the backstabbing politics of fashion, love and popularity among high school cliques earned $25 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.

Although it starred 17-year-old Lohan, the presence of "Saturday Night Live" star Tina Fey, who also wrote the screenplay, appealed to grown-up moviegoers. Overall, "Mean Girls" got its strength from girl power.

About 75 percent of the audience was female and about half the audience was under 18, said Wayne Lewellen, head of distribution for Paramount, which released the movie.

"The teenage girl audience has a lot of clout and a lot of discretionary income from somewhere. They've got a lot of fun money and go to see movies in groups," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations.

Two of last week's top movies continued to perform strongly. The Denzel Washington thriller "Man on Fire" fell to No. 2 in its second week with $15.2 million, and "13 Going on 30," which starred "Alias" TV actress Jennifer Garner as a child in an adult body, ranked third with $10 million.

"We've got a new breed of female stars," according to Dergarabedian, who said the success of "13 Going on 30" and "Mean Girls" establishes Garner and Lohan as major audience draws. "These movies work because they don't talk down to teen girls," he said.

Three new films debuted with modest results. "Laws of Attraction," a romantic comedy with Pierce Brosnan and Julianne Moore as feuding lawyers who fall in love, earned $7 million to come in fourth.

"Godsend," a horror-thriller starring Robert De Niro as a scientist who clones a dead boy, collected $6.9 million, while "Envy," with Ben Stiller as a suburbanite who covets the success of neighbor Jack Black, had $6.1 million. Both films overcame critical pummelings to rank fifth and sixth, respectively.

After the runaway success of "The Passion of the Christ," actor Jim Caviezel followed up his role as Jesus playing a real-life 1930's golfer in "Bobby Jones: Stroke of Genius." That film failed to rank in the top 10 in its debut, earning $1.3 million.

The overall box office returns were $90.5 million, down about 36 percent compared to the same weekend last year. But this weekend's films were smaller in scale compared to last year, when "X-2: X-Men United" was the top movie with $85.5 million.

1. "Mean Girls," $25 million.
2. "Man on Fire," $15.2 million.
3. "13 Going on 30," $10 million.
4. "Laws of Attraction," $7 million.
5. "Godsend," $6.9 million.
6. "Envy," $6.1 million.
7. "Kill Bill - Vol. 2," $5.8 million.
8. "The Punisher," $3.4 million.
9. "Home on the Range," $2.2 million.
10. "Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed," $2.1 million.



News for 4/27/2004


Wanda Sykes to Tangle with 'Monster'

By Borys Kit


LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Wanda Sykes has nabbed a role in "Monster-in-Law," a comedy starring Jennifer Lopez as a woman who is set to marry the perfect guy -- until she meets his mother, the world's worst mother-in-law.

Michael Vartan is set as the guy, with Jane Fonda playing the mother-in-law. Sykes will appear as Ruby, the mother-in-law's straight-talking assistant. Robert Luketic ("Legally Blonde") directs the New Line project.

Sykes, well known on the stand-up comic circuit, headlined her own sitcom, "Wanda at Large," which was short-lived. She also has appeared on "The Chris Rock Show" and lent her voice to "Crank Yankers." Her feature film appearances include "Nutty Professor II: The Klumps" and "Pootie Tang." Her book "Yeah, I Said That" is scheduled to be published in the fall.



Weekend Boxoffice

'Man on Fire' Burns Box Office Rivals

By ANTHONY BREZNICAN
The Associated Press


LOS ANGELES - Denzel Washington, who sets out to rescue a little girl in "Man on Fire," pushed aside another little girl in the comedy "13 Going on 30" to claim the top spot at the weekend box office.

The violent revenge thriller "Man on Fire" debuted with $23 million, while Jennifer Garner's lighthearted child-in-an-adult-body movie "13 Going on 30" came in at No. 2 with $22 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.

The difference is close enough that the films could switch places when final figures are released Monday.

This marks Washington's strongest opening since his Oscar-winning role in "Training Day," which opened in October 2001 with $22.5 million. He has lately had a lukewarm spell with the drama "Antwone Fisher" and the thriller "Out of Time."

"This is a harder-edged Denzel. People seem to like that and he can pull it off," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations.

In "Man on Fire," Washington stars as a security guard who goes on a vicious spree to save 10-year-old Dakota Fanning from kidnappers. It's the latest in a line of successful vengeance films to score well with moviegoers, following last week's No. 1 debut for "Kill Bill - Vol. 2" and successful runs for "The Punisher" and "Walking Tall."

The audience for "Man on Fire" was about 55 percent female, said Bruce Snyder, the head of distribution for 20th Century Fox, which is unusual for an action-adventure movie.

Garner, despite her fame from the "Alias" TV spy show, remains a relatively untested commodity among movie audiences, but her film's close second-place finish points to a star on the rise.

"This is a stepping stone to stardom," said Tom Sherak, a partner in Revolution Studios, which produced the movie for distributor Sony. "The camera loves her, you can see it, you can feel it."

The key to her success, Dergarabedian said, is that the super-fit actress appeals to both genders. The tough-as-nails star is not an overt sexpot, nor a willowy sweetheart.

"What she brings to the table is a sexiness to her, but a down-to-earth likeability," Dergarabedian said. "The premise of '13 going on 30' has been used numerous times, but the marketing campaign has been very effective."

Quentin Tarantino's "Kill Bill - Vol. 2" ranked third in its second week with $10.4 million. Rick Sands, chief operating officer of Miramax, said the simultaneous DVD debut of the first "Kill Bill" installment helped feed interest in the followup.

After an Easter surge to No. 1, "The Passion of the Christ" fell out of the top 10 this weekend to No. 11 with $2.1 million. Since opening on Ash Wednesday, the movie has taken in a spectacular $364.3 million domestically.

1. "Man on Fire," $23 million.
2. "13 Going on 30," $22 million.
3. "Kill Bill - Vol. 2," $10.4 million.
4. "The Punisher," $6.1 million,
5. "Home on the Range," $3.4 million.
6. "Johnson Family Vacation," $3.15 million.
7. "Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed," $3.13 million.
8. "Hellboy," $3 million.
9. "Ella Enchanted," $2.7 million.
10. "Walking Tall," $2.6 million.



News for 4/19/2004


Weekend Boxoffice

'Kill Bill' Slays Box-Office Competition

By DAVID GERMAIN
AP Movie Writer


LOS ANGELES (AP) - Quentin Tarantino's "Kill Bill" saga slayed its movie rivals once again, with part two of the vengeance tale following its predecessor as the country's No. 1 weekend draw.

"Kill Bill _ Vol. 2," with Uma Thurman as an ex-assassin continuing her bloody quest for revenge against former colleagues, debuted with $25.6 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.

That was up 16 percent from the $22.1 million opening weekend that "Kill Bill _ Vol. 1" delivered last October. Part two is expected to match or exceed the $69.9 million domestic total of "Kill Bill _ Vol. 1," said Rick Sands, chief operating officer of Miramax, which released the movies.

Another tale of retribution, the comic-book adaptation "The Punisher," opened in second place with $14 million. The movie stars Thomas Jane as an ex-FBI agent targeting the crime boss (John Travolta) who wiped out his family.

"A very big weekend for revenge," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations. "Revenge in movies is very cinematic. Everyone lives vicariously through characters in movies, and they can safely get their revenge fix without actually doing it themselves."

Nia Vardalos _ writer and star of the weekend's other big new release, "Connie and Carla" _ was unable to recapture the box-office magic that made "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" a blockbuster.

"Connie and Carla," about two musical-theater singers posing as men in a drag-queen revue while hiding from mobsters, finished well out of the top 10 with $3.26 million. The movie co-stars Toni Collette and David Duchovny.

Vardalos' "Greek Wedding" debuted in 108 theaters two years ago with little fanfare, grossing $597,362 and averaging a solid $5,531 per cinema over opening weekend. Audience word of mouth gradually built the romantic comedy into a $241 million sensation.

In contrast, "Connie and Carla" debuted in 1,014 theaters and averaged a weak $3,210.

Studio polls found audience reaction was good for "Connie and Carla," "so I hope there's a little bit of life left in it," said Nikki Rocco, head of distribution for Universal, which released the movie.

The overall box office dipped slightly after seven straight weekends of rising revenue. The top 12 movies grossed $86.6 million, down 2 percent from the same weekend a year ago.

By splitting "Kill Bill" into two parts, Tarantino and Miramax gambled that audiences would be willing to pay twice the ticket price to catch both chapters.

The risk paid off nicely. The two movies cost a total of $60 million to produce, and "Kill Bill _ Vol. 1" alone has grossed $180 million worldwide, with the movie's video release last week selling 2 million copies in its first day, padding revenues by about $40 million more.

"It was a terrific decision financially," Sands said.

After an Easter surge that lifted it back to the No. 1 spot the previous weekend, "The Passion of the Christ" fell to ninth place with $4.2 million. Since opening on Ash Wednesday, the movie has taken in $360.9 million domestically.

Disney's expensive flop "The Alamo" came in at No. 10 with $4.05 million in its second weekend. "The Alamo" cost about $140 million to make and market but has grossed just $16.3 million.

1. "Kill Bill _ Vol. 2," $25.6 million.
2. "The Punisher," $14 million.
3. "Johnson Family Vacation," $6.4 million.
4. "Hellboy," $5.7 million.
5. "Home on the Range," $5.4 million.
6. "Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed," $5.1 million.
7. "Walking Tall," $4.6 million.
8. "Ella Enchanted," $4.4 million.
9. "The Passion of the Christ," $4.2 million.
10. "The Alamo," $4.05 million.



Will Smith to Play Dr. S. Allen Counter

Source: The Hollywood Reporter


Will Smith and Columbia Pictures are teaming to bring to the screen the story of Dr. S. Allen Counter, a Harvard professor and professional explorer, says The Hollywood Reporter.

The studio has purchased a screenplay from screenwriter Sid Quashie centering on Counter for Smith and James Lassiter's Overbrook Entertainment to produce.

The project is described as an adventure romance based on Counter's explorations. It's not clear which expedition it will center on, but Counter has done research on indigenous people of the rain forest in Suriname as well as on Eskimo tribes in Greenland.



Ernest Dickerson to Direct Blacktime, Whitenoise

Source: Moviehole


Moviehole reports that Ernest Dickerson (Bulletproof) has been hired to direct Blacktime, Whitenoise, with Dennis Quaid and Kevin Bacon in talks to star. Bill Duke had originally been set to direct the film.

The film tells the story of four boys (19-22) - two black, one white, one Latin - who for their own reasons break into a rich white family's house to rob them. While there they see an old black man and accidentally shoot him. Upon running away, they realize they are lost. In fact, they find themselves in 1968 Memphis two days before Martin Luther King is killed.

The $15-20 million dollar project is currently in the re-write stage.



News for 4/12/2004


Harper Bites at 'CSI' Big Apple

By Nellie Andreeva


LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Hill Harper has joined the cast of CBS' new drama series "CSI: New York."

A spinoff of "CSI: Miami," with a cast headed by Gary Sinise and Melina Kanakaredes, the series revolves around a team of crime scene investigators in New York. Harper, whose big-screen credits include Spike Lee's "Get on the Bus" and "He Got Game," will play the coroner working with the team.

He most recently co-starred on CBS' drama "The Handler" and guest starred on HBO's "The Sopranos." He will next be seen in the feature "America Brown," premiering at the Tribeca Film Festival.



Weekend Boxoffice


'Passion' Reclaims Top Box-Office Spot

By DAVID GERMAIN
The Associated Press


LOS ANGELES - Many Christians made "The Passion of the Christ" a part of their Easter weekend, lifting the crucifixion saga back to the top box-office spot with $17.1 million.

Mel Gibson's bloody retelling of Christ's final hours raised its domestic total since opening on Ash Wednesday to $354.8 million, passing "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" for the No. 8 spot on the all-time domestic charts, just behind "Jurassic Park."

"The Passion" had been No. 1 its first three weekends, then fell back in the pack for the next three before claiming the top spot again.

"That's unprecedented. I've never seen that before. 'The Passion' is just rewriting box-office history," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations. "This is a holy day, and this movie is tailor-made for a weekend like this. It's not just a movie. It's a religious experience for many people."

"The Passion" easily fended off a rush of new movies. Disney's costly historical epic "The Alamo" opened weakly with $9.2 million, tying for No. 3 with Cedric the Entertainer's comedy "Johnson Family Vacation," according to studio estimates Sunday.

Other studios actually were tracking "Johnson Family Vacation" slightly ahead of "The Alamo," which could finish in fourth place when final numbers come out Monday. Making comparisons worse, "Johnson Family Vacation" put up the same numbers while playing in only half as many theaters as "The Alamo."

Disney faces a big loss on "The Alamo," a chronicle of the 1830s last stand whose budget swelled to about $100 million.

Starring Billy Bob Thornton as Davy Crockett and Dennis Quaid as Sam Houston, "The Alamo" had been scheduled for release last December and caught bad headlines after Disney delayed it for four months to give director John Lee Hancock more time in the editing room. Hancock took over as director after Ron Howard backed out.

"The Alamo" drew mixed reviews, with some critics calling it a historical bore and others praising its authenticity and rousing battle sequences.

"We're disappointed, mostly because we think we made a really good film," said Chuck Viane, Disney's head of distribution. "I'm shocked, quite honestly, at the number. If I could only figure out what went wrong, you'd never let it happen again. The movie deserved better than it did."

Finishing ahead of "The Alamo" was the previous weekend's top movie, "Hellboy," which came in at No. 2 with $11.1 million.

Three other new movies finished at the bottom of the top 10. "The Whole Ten Yards," Bruce Willis and Matthew Perry's sequel to their hit-man comedy "The Whole Nine Yards," premiered at No. 8 with $6.7 million, less than half the $13.7 million the first movie did over opening weekend in February 2000.

Anne Hathaway's fairy-tale comedy "Ella Enchanted" opened ninth with $6.1 million. "The Girl Next Door," with Emile Hirsch as a youth who falls for an ex-porn star (Elisha Cuthbert), debuted in 10th place with $6 million.

Despite so-so showings for new movies, the overall box office rose for the seventh-straight weekend. The top 12 movies took in just under $100 million, up 13 percent from the same weekend a year ago.

Newmarket Films, which distributed Gibson's "The Passion," had expected Easter weekend to provide a solid bump for the film. Rob Schwartz, Newmarket head of distribution, said "The Passion" is expected to finish with at least $380 million and could top $400 million.

1. "The Passion of the Christ," $17.1 million.
2. "Hellboy," $11.1 million.
3 (tie). "The Alamo," $9.2 million.
3 (tie). "Johnson Family Vacation," $9.2 million.
5. "Walking Tall," $8.3 million.
6. "Home on the Range," $8.2 million.
7. "Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed," $8 million.
8. "The Whole Ten Yards," $6.7 million.
9. "Ella Enchanted," $6.1 million.
10. "The Girl Next Door," $6 million.



News for 4/6/2004


Weekend Boxoffice

'Hellboy' Topples the Rock at Box Office

By DAVID GERMAIN
The Associated Press


LOS ANGELES - A wisecracking demon from hell took down The Rock for the weekend's box-office title. "Hellboy," starring Ron Perlman as the comic-book superhero with red skin, horns and a tail, debuted as the top flick with $23.5 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.

The Rock's "Walking Tall," a remake of the 1973 vigilante-justice tale, opened in second place with $15.3 million.

The previous weekend's top movie, "Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed," fell to No. 3 with $15.1 million, lifting its 10-day total to $50 million.

The weekend's other new wide releases followed: Disney's animated cow tale "Home on the Range" at No. 4 with $14 million and Julia Stiles' love story "The Prince and Me" at No. 5 with $10 million.

Having five movies pull in $10 million or more is a rarity for early April, typically a slower time at theaters. The range of movies left something for all audiences, from G-rated family adventures to teen romance to violent shoot-'em-ups.

"This weekend was like the classic movie-goers' weekend. You had all these different genres represented," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations. "If you wanted lots of choices, they certainly were there for you."

The overall box office rose for the sixth-straight weekend. The top 12 movies took in $114.5 million, up 40 percent from the same weekend last year.

That string of up weekends began with the blockbuster debut of Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ, which continued to hold strongly. "The Passion" came in sixth with $9.9 million, raising its total to $330.1 million.

Distributor Newmarket Films expanded "The Passion" to 3,408 theaters, up about 200, in anticipation of a solid run through Easter next Sunday.

Hollywood's domestic revenues for 2004 are just over $2 billion, about 6 percent ahead of last year's.

That's a solid springboard for the busy summer season, whose May releases include the animated sequel "Shrek 2," Brad Pitt's epic "Troy," the vampire yarn "Van Helsing" and the end-of-the-world tale "The Day After Tomorrow." Following in June are "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" and "Spider-Man 2."

A cult attraction compared to better-known comic books such as "Spider-Man" and "X-Men," "Hellboy" managed to draw a broad audience with its mix of dark humor and nonstop action.

Perlman plays a demon raised by a loving adopted father (John Hurt), who grooms the hero to work for a government paranormal bureau disguised as a waste-management operation.

The movie presents a working-class hero fighting for good despite his demonic pedigree and wistful longing for the affection of a beautiful colleague (Selma Blair).

"He's a plumber. He rides around in a garbage truck. How's he supposed to get the girl?" said Tom Sherak, a partner in Revolution Studios, which produced the movie for distributor Sony. "You think of the title `Hellboy,' you think of the end of the world, but it turns out to be a fun movie."

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at North American theaters, according to Exhibitor Relations Co. Inc.

1. "Hellboy," $23.5 million.
2. "Walking Tall," $15.3 million.
3. "Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed," $15.1 million.
4. "Home on the Range," $14 million.
5. "The Prince and Me," $10 million.
6. "The Passion of the Christ," $9.9 million.
7. "The Ladykillers," $7 million.
8. "Jersey Girl," $5.1 million.
9. "Dawn of the Dead," $4.4 million.
10. "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," $3.6 million.



News for 4/2/2004


Weekend Boxoffice


"Scooby-Doo 2": Big Scoop

By Bridget Byrne


Zoinks! The talking pooch is top dog.

Scoopy-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed slurped up $30.7 million this weekend as the new number one movie. Stealing into second was the crime farce re-do The Ladykillers, starring Tom Hanks, with $13 million. Meanwhile, Ben Affleck's effort to touch hearts in the romantic dramedy Jersey Girl only plucked $8.3 million in fifth place.

The Scooby-Doo sequel, although zoinking in as the fifth best March opening ever, didn't come close to matching Scooby-Doo's $54.2 million opening in summer 2002, the first big-screen movie about the youthful mystery busters and their giant Great Dane.

The PG-rated Warner release--again teaming up Freddie Prinze, Jr. as Freddie, Sarah Michelle Gellar as Daphne, Linda Cardellini as Velma and Matthew Lillard as Shaggy, alongside a somewhat more convincingly computer generated dog--was unleashed at 3,312 sites where it averaged $9,283.

The Ladykillers is the Coen brothers re-make of a now classic 1955 British comedy, directed by Alexander Mackendrick and starring Alec Guinness, as the mastermind of an eccentric but inept bunch of thieves and potential murderers. This R-rated Disney version, transposed to southern Mississippi with Hanks in the lead and Irma P. Hall as the ol' lady from whom the would-be robbers rent a room, was slipped into less than half as many sites, just 1,583, where it averaged a cheery $8,212. It was the best-ever opening for a movie by the non-mainstream Coens.

Jersey Girl, with just a snippet of J. Lo on screen before Affleck ventures into an earnest endeavor to play a widowed dad wending his way to responsible fatherhood and new romance with Liv Tyle, opened in 1,520 sites, but the PG-13 Miramax release could only average $5,462. That matched industry insider estimates and did well enough to beat that real dud Gigli, released back when Bennifer ruled the tabloids.

Never Die Alone, a gloomy look at a life of drugs and crime, starring David Arquette, rapper DMX (Earl Simmons) and DMX's sound track, couldn't bust into the top ten. The R-rated Fox Searchlight release boomed into 1,160 sites, where it averaged $2,651 for just $3 million in 11th place.

In really limited release, the top screen average was $10,000 earned by Danish director Lars von Trier's experimental drama of suspicion and revenge, Dogville, starring Nicole Kidman, Paul Bettany and a host of major league actors in supporting roles. At just nine sites, the R-rated Lions Gate release earned $90,000.

At 22 sites, Focus Features' Ned Kelly, a retelling of the bandit saga, failed to capture interest despite showcasing handsome hunk Heath Ledger as the Aussie version of Robin Hood, and even more glamorous Orlando Bloom as his side-kick--not to mention supporting roles for such major Down Under actors as Geoffrey Rush, Naomi Watts and Rachel Griffiths. It averaged only $1,941 for just $42,700.

The Passion of the Christ is now in third place, having dropped just one slot and 36 percent. Earning $12.4 million, Mel Gibson's religious tract averaged a still vital $3,877 at 3,214 sites, 36 less than last weekend. The controversial R-rated Newmarket release has now earned a miraculous $315 million domestically in five weeks.

Dying off fast was Dawn of the Dead, down from last weekend's top slot to fourth place. The zombie rampage remake dropped a frightening 61 percent averaging $3,765 at 2,746 sites, three more than it opened in. Earning $10.3 million, its total gross is now $43.8 million.

Overall the combined gross of the top 12 movies was $109.4 million, still up 26.1 percent from this time last year when Head of State was the lead movie, but only one percent from last weekend.

Here are the top 10 weekend films, as compiled by Exhibitor Relations:

1. Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed, $30.7 million
2. The Ladykillers, $13 million
3. The Passion of the Christ, $12.4 million
4. Dawn of the Dead, $10.3 million
5. Jersey Girl, $8.3 million
6. Taking Lives, $6.5 million
7. Starksy & Hutch, $6.2 million
8. Hidalgo, $5.43 million
9. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, $5.42 million
10. Secret Window, $5.4 million



News for 3/28/2004


Will Smith & Nick Move Forward on The Mark

Source: Variety


Nickelodeon Movies and Will Smith's Overbrook Entertainment are moving forward on sci-fi actioner The Mark a long-in-development project, with Smith starring. Mark will launch first as a feature and then as an animated TV series on Spike TV.

Variety says the project was first set up in 1998 by Overbrook and Centropolis at Universal with a script from Rob Lifield. The producers have tapped the writing team of Gregg Chabot and Kevin Peterka (Reign of Fire) to adapt "The Mark."

Smith will star as an everyman who discovers a strange mark has transferred to his body from the corpse of a Confederate soldier. Although the mark grants him special powers, he also struggles with the impulse to use it for evil purposes.



Teen Star Pratt Weighs in on 'Fat Albert'

By Liza Foreman


LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - The "Fat Albert" movie has found its female lead.

Kyla Pratt has been cast in Fox's big-screen adaptation of the children's cartoon series as the teenage girl whose favorite 'toon characters fall out of her TV set and into her life.

Pratt's big-screen credits include Mike Figgis' "One Night Stand," "Love & Basketball" as well as the "Dr. Doolittle" films. She also appears on UPN's "One on One" and Disney Channel's "Proud Family."

Joel Zwick ("My Big Fat Greek Wedding") is directing "Fat Albert." Bill Cosby also is involved in writing and producing the movie, which is based on his 1970s series "Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids."



Eddie Griffin Turns on an Irish Jam

Source: Production Weekly


Eddie Griffin is set to star in the independent film, Irish Jam, for director John Eyres. Production Weekly says the project is schedule to begin filming in mid-May on the coast of Ireland.

The story is set in the small community of Belmullet, Ireland which is up to its ears in debt and soon to be sold off to an investor unless the locals can come up with enough money to pay off the creditors. In an effort to raise the funds, they hold a poem-writing contest, offering the local pub as the winning prize.

The sleepy town is in for a real surprise when the winner turns out to be Jimmy McDevitt (Griffin), an urban con-artist whose homeboy antics are met with more than a few raised eyebrows.