News for 4/18/2005
Weekend Boxoffice
'Amityville' Tops 'Sahara' at Box Office
By DAVID GERMAIN
AP Movie Writer
LOS ANGELES (AP) - "The Amityville Horror" returned from the dead with a vengeance, with the gory update of the 1970s fright flick taking in $23.3 million to top the weekend box office.
The previous weekend's No. 1 movie, the African desert adventure "Sahara," slipped to second place with $13.1 million, lifting its 10-day total to $36.4 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.
"The Amityville Horror" stars Ryan Reynolds and Melissa George as a couple tormented by visions and voices in their new home, the scene of a grisly mass murder a year earlier.
The movie is the latest in a parade of successful horror remakes. With a built-in audience looking for scares and a string of hits such as "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre," "The Grudge" and "Dawn of the Dead," horror movies have become almost a sure-thing in Hollywood.
Horror movies also typically cost far less than other big studio films, whose average budgets top $60 million. "The Amityville Horror" grossed more than its $19 million budget in just the first weekend.
"The Amityville Horror" received mostly bad reviews, yet the under-25 crowd that makes up the genre's core audience rarely heeds the critics.
"The only reviews that count are the public's reviews," said Erik Lomis, head of distribution for MGM, which released "The Amityville Horror."
In limited release, David Duchovny's directing debut, "House of D," opened strongly with $30,000 in two theaters. The coming-of-age tale features Duchovny, wife Tea Leoni, Robin Williams and Erykah Badu.
Todd Solondz's "Palindromes," featuring Jennifer Jason Leigh and seven others playing the same character in a series of vignettes, debuted well with $61,434 in seven theaters.
With overall revenues down for the eighth-straight weekend, Hollywood is limping into its busy summer season. The top 12 movies took in $73.9 million, off 13 percent from the same weekend last year.
"This is a major slump," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations. "I think the industry is holding its collective breath for the turnaround. What is going to be the movie that reverses this down trend? Thankfully, summer looks really good."
Sydney Pollack's United Nations thriller "The Interpreter," starring Nicole Kidman and Sean Penn, and the Ashton Kutcher-Amanda Peet romantic comedy "A Lot Like Love," open Friday as summer lead-ins.
Next week brings the action follow-up "XXX: State of the Union," starring Ice Cube, and the science-fiction romp "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy."
May could get Hollywood back on track, with "Star Wars: Episode III _ Revenge of the Sith" as the industry's centerpiece for early summer.
Other big May releases include Adam Sandler's football tale "The Longest Yard," Will Ferrell's soccer comedy "Kicking & Screaming," Ridley Scott's Crusades epic "Kingdom of Heaven," the animated adventure "Madagascar," the horror remake "House of Wax" and Jennifer Lopez and Jane Fonda's comedy "Monster-in-Law."
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at North American theaters, according to Exhibitor Relations Co. Inc. Final figures will be released Monday.
1. "The Amityville Horror," $23.3 million.
2. "Sahara," $13.1 million.
3. "Fever Pitch," $8.8 million.
4. "Sin City," $6.7 million.
5. "Guess Who," $4.9 million.
6. "Beauty Shop," $3.8 million.
7. "Robots," $3.55 million.
8. "Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous," $2.9 million.
9. "The Pacifier," $2.4 million.
10. "The Upside of Anger," $1.9 million.
News for 4/12/2005
Cheadle Narrates Congo Exploitation Doc
LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) - "Hotel Rwanda" star Don Cheadle will shift his attention slightly west for his next project.
The 40-year-old actor will narrate "King Leopold's Ghost," a documentary set in late 19th-century Congo.
Based on Adam Hochschild's book, "King Leopold's Ghost: A Story of Greed, Terror and Heroism in Colonial Africa," the film chronicles King Leopold II of Belgium's rule of terror in the region now known as Congo. His dominion culminated in the deaths of millions of indigenous people and forced the survivors to labor in mines to increase his wealth.
"Babe" actor James Cromwell will voice Leopold, while Alfre Woodard will provide the voice from Ilanga, an eyewitness survivor of the atrocities.
Pippa Scott, who adapted the book, co-directed with Oreet Rees.
"The majority of the world is unaware that in the last four years alone, the Congo has decimated as many people as make up the entire population of Ireland -- the continuing legacy of greed and exploitation that dates back to King Leopold," says Scott in a statement. "It is my hope that this film will open people's eyes to the tragedies occurring in Africa."
Final production will be completed in time for the Cannes Film Festival.
Cheadle was nominated for his leading role in "Rwanda." His previous film credits include "Rosewood," "Boogie Nights," "Bulworth," "Out of Sight," "Traffic," the "Ocean's 11" remake and its sequel, and "After the Sunset."
'Mad Black Woman's' Perry to Write Book
LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) - "Diary of a Mad Black Woman" creator Tyler Perry will bring Madea's dubious wisdom to readers.
Perry, 35, will pen his first book, "Don't Make A Black Woman Take Off Her Earrings: Madea's Uninhibited Commentaries on Love and Life," to be published by Riverhead Books in 2006.
The book will provide humorous insight and advice given from the point of view of the irreverent, gun-toting grandmother Mabel "Madea" Simmons, a character who Perry also performs in his plays, which include "Madea's Class Reunion," "I Can Do Bad All by Myself," "Madea's Family Reunion," "Meet the Browns" and "Madea Goes to Jail."
"For anyone who's witnessed any of Tyler's performances, on stage or screen, it's obvious how dynamically talented he is as a writer and as a performer," says Riverhead Books Senior Editor Sean McDonald. "He's funny, sharp, and irreverent, but also inspiring, and he manages to instantly craft fully human drama, dialogue, and characters-most especially Madea, who is truly one of the great dramatic creations of our time."
Adds Perry, "I hope that my book will continue the same spirit of my other works; to make people laugh and give them something to think about to help their lives. As usual, Madea is insisting on having the first word."
Perry's theatrical release of "Diary of a Mad Black Woman" debuted at the No.1 spot at the box office in February. Shortly afterward, he made a deal with Lions Gate to make his directorial debut for the upcoming "Madea's Family Reunion" and to distribute seven of his plays to video. He is currently touring "Madea Goes to Jail."
Nicholson, Quaid & Freeman Eye Detail
Source: Variety
Variety reports that The Last Detail stars Jack Nicholson and Randy Quaid are eyeing a sequel to dramedy with Morgan Freeman taking on the role created by Otis Young.
Darryl Ponicsan, whose hilarious yet touching novel became Robert Towne's equally-sensaysh script under Hal Ashby's direction in 1973, has written the sequel, Last Flag Flying reports Quaid.
"It's a moving revisitation of our characters re-captured by our relationships," Quaid says. In the new setting Nicholson runs a bar.
All three are anxiously awaiting a final script before committing.
News for 4/11/2005
Weekend Boxoffice
'Sahara' Tops 'Fever Pitch' at Box Office
By DAVID GERMAIN
AP Movie Writer
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Matthew McConaughey's "Sahara" heated up the weekend box office, with the action flick set in the African desert debuting at the top with $18.5 million. Audiences gave a cooler reception to "Fever Pitch," the weekend's other new wide release. The Drew Barrymore and Jimmy Fallon baseball romance opened in third place with a so-so $13 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.
The previous weekend's No. 1 movie, "Sin City," slipped to second place with $14.1 million, lifting its 10-day total to $50.7 million.
In limited release, Stephen Chow's raucous action comedy "Kung Fu Hustle" had a big opening with $293,025 in seven theaters, averaging a whopping $41,861 per cinema. "Sahara" averaged $5,866 in 3,154 theaters, and "Fever Pitch" reaped $3,979 in 3,267 locations.
Already a hit in Asia, "Kung Fu Hustle" features writer-director Chow as a two-bit crook in pre-revolution China whose antics land him in the middle of a showdown between mobsters and martial-arts heroes. "Kung Fu Hustle" expands to nationwide release April 22.
Hollywood's box-office slump continued as overall revenues remained down for the seventh-straight weekend. The top 12 movies took in $80.3 million, off 18 percent from the same weekend last year.
Revenues for the year have fallen slightly behind those of 2004, when Hollywood rang up record domestic grosses of $9.4 billion.
"Sahara," adapted from Clive Cussler's adventure novel, stars McConaughey, Penelope Cruz and Steve Zahn as adventurers who turn up a long-lost Civil War vessel in the desert and try to stop a plague spreading through Africa.
Distributor Paramount had expected the movie to debut in the $15 million range, said Wayne Lewellen, head of distribution.
"This is a good, solid opening I think for this film," Lewellen said. "It played well particularly in the middle of the country, which always bodes well for it holding up."
"Fever Pitch," directed by the Farrelly brothers from Nick Hornby's memoir about his sports obsession, stars Barrymore as a career woman who stumbles into a relationship with a man whose world revolves around the Boston Red Sox.
"It may have alienated guys with too much romance, and it may have alienated women with too much baseball," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations.
But women made up 58 percent of the audience for "Fever Pitch." That may bode well for the movie's long-term prospects, since films appealing to women often have a longer shelf life than movies aimed at men.
"These romantic comedies tend to leg out. They play on and on," said Bruce Snyder, head of distribution for 20th Century Fox, which released "Fever Pitch." Barrymore's "Never Been Kissed" had an $11.4 million opening weekend and held on to do a solid $52.4 million when its domestic run ended, he said.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at North American theaters, according to Exhibitor Relations Co. Inc. Final figures will be released Monday.
1. "Sahara," $18.5 million.
2. "Sin City," $14.1 million.
3. "Fever Pitch," $13 million.
4 (tie). "Beauty Shop," $7.1 million.
4 (tie). "Guess Who," $7.1 million.
6. "Robots," $4.65 million.
7. "Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous," $4.1 million.
8. "The Pacifier," $3 million.
9. "The Ring 2," $2.9 million.
10. "The Upside of Anger," $2.6 million.
News for 4/7/2005
Denzel Joins Spike for 'Inside' Job
LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) - Denzel Washington is reuniting with director Spike Lee for the fourth time.
The Oscar-winning actor has signed on to star in the Universal Pictures drama "Inside Man," according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The project centers on a cop who is trying to outwit a bank robber in a tense hostage situation. "Sin City's" Clive Owen is also in talks to join the cast.
Lee will direct from a screenplay by Russell Gewirtz and Menno Meyjes. The filmmaker has worked with Washington previously on "Mo' Better Blues" (1990), "Malcolm X" (1992) and "He Got Game" (1998).
Washington has two Academy Awards, one for his supporting role in "Glory" and another for his leading role in "Training Day." He recently starred in "Man on Fire" and "The Manchurian Candidate." He currently plays Brutus in Daniel Sullivan's updated version of "Julius Caesar," which opened Sunday, April 3 in New York.
News for 4/5/2005
Cannon Dons 'Protection'
LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) - "Drumline" star Nick Cannon is entering the buddy action-comedy genre.
The 24-year-old actor will star in "Extra Protection," based on his own script, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The project centers on a couple of FBI trainees -- one male, one female -- assigned to deliver a key witness to a court hearing.
James Lassiter and Will Smith's Overbrook Entertainment, which recently produced Smith's romantic comedy hit "Hitch," may produce the film for Universal.
Cannon's film credits include "Love Don't Cost a Thing," "Garfield" and "Shall We Dance?" His upcoming projects include "The Beltway" and "The Underclassman," both of which he is also executive producing, "Jump Shot" opposite Kim Basinger and "Roll Bounce," which will be released in September.
Weekend Boxoffice
'Sin City' Tops Box Office at $29.1M
LOS ANGELES (AP) - "Sin City" was the place to be over the weekend, with the brazen and bloody comic-book adaptation debuting as the top movie with $29.1 million.
Opening in second place was Queen Latifah's comedy "Beauty Shop," which took in $12.8 million.
The top 20 movies at North American theaters Friday through Sunday, followed by distribution studio, gross, number of theater locations, average receipts per location, total gross and number of weeks in release, as compiled Monday by Exhibitor Relations Co. Inc. and Nielsen EDI Inc., are:
1. "Sin City," Dimension, $29,120,273, 3,230 locations, $9,016 average, $29,120,273, one week.
2. "Beauty Shop," MGM, $12,801,465, 2,659 locations, $4,814 average, $16,647,604, one week.
3. "Guess Who," Sony, $12,716,557, 3,147 locations, $4,041 average, $41,040,531, two weeks.
4. "Robots," Fox, $9,825,372, 3,026 locations, $3,247 average, $104,420,872, four weeks.
5. "Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous," Warner Bros., $8,134,453, 3,233 locations, $2,516 average, $31,127,190, two weeks.
6. "The Pacifier," Disney, $5,800,206, 2,851 locations, $2,034 average, $96,117,665, five weeks.
7. "The Ring 2," DreamWorks, $5,689,130, 3,179 locations, $1,790 average, $68,046,127, three weeks.
8. "The Upside of Anger," New Line, $4,025,000, 1,111 locations, $3,623 average, $8,603,771, four weeks.
9. "Hitch," Sony, $2,906,879, 1,859 locations, $1,564 average, $171,266,743, eight weeks.
10. "Ice Princess," Disney, $2,749,671, 1,802 locations, $1,526 average, $18,753,334, three weeks.
11. "Hostage," Miramax, $2,335,451, 1,728 locations, $1,352 average, $30,288,870, four weeks.
12. "Million Dollar Baby," Warner Bros., $1,466,429, 1,405 locations, $1,044 average, $96,662,363, 16 weeks.
13. "Be Cool," MGM, $1,049,063, 1,202 locations, $873 average, $54,501,938, five weeks.
14. "Melinda and Melinda," Fox Searchlight, $558,707, 197 locations, $2,836 average, $1,767,602, three weeks.
15. "Downfall," Newmarket, $531,980, 168 locations, $3,167 average, $3,051,911, seven weeks.
16. "Constantine," Warner Bros., $491,498, 610 locations, $806 average, $73,687,891, seven weeks.
17. "Millions," Fox Searchlight, $483,815, 128 locations, $3,780 average, $1,578,559, four weeks.
18. "Are We There Yet?" Sony, $338,863, 312 locations, $1,086 average, $80,754,856, 11 weeks.
19. "Sideways," Fox Searchlight, $321,271, 304 locations, $1,057 average, $70,991,037, 24 weeks.
20. "Meet the Fockers," Universal, $276,990, 313 locations, $885 average, $278,115,340, 15 weeks.
News for 3/31/2005
Viewers Are Suckers for 'Kojak'
LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) Who loves ya, baby? Apparently, several million people do.
The premiere of USA Network's "Kojak" update drew 4.5 million viewers last week, making it the most-watched premiere of a new series on ad-supported cable so far this year.
The two-hour premiere, starring Ving Rhames as lollipop-loving New York detective Theo Kojak, also scored well among USA's core audiences of adults 18-49 and 25-54, increasing ratings in both demographics over its Friday-night time period's average for the year (which includes original episodes of "Monk"). It also beat broadcast networks FOX, UPN and The WB head-to-head.
An additional 3 million people watched a Sunday-night replay of the premiere.
"Kojak's" audience is second only to the returning "Monk" (5.5 million viewers) for a cable series premiere in 2005. It also adds to a string of successful debuts on USA, which can now claim five of the top six basic-cable premieres of all time. "The 4400," "The Dead Zone," "Peacemakers" and "Monk" are the others.
USA execs are doubtless hoping that it goes the way of "The Dead Zone" and "Monk," which have retained healthy audiences throughout their runs, rather than "Peacemakers," which faded badly after a strong debut.
A Big First Quarter for Films With African-American Casts
By CATHERINE BILLEY
LOS ANGELES, March 27 - Sony's "Guess Who," a comic remake of the 1967 classic "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" with reversed racial roles, opened at No. 1 at the box office on Friday, part of an unusually strong showing this quarter by films starring African-Americans.
"Guess Who," which pairs Bernie Mac and Ashton Kutcher, brought in $21 million in ticket sales. It joins two other Sony films featuring black actors that opened at No. 1: "Hitch" starring Will Smith, with cumulative sales nationally of $166.5 million (and almost $300 million worldwide), is the top grossing film of the year; "Are We There Yet?" with Ice Cube is the second highest with domestic sales exceeding $80 million.
Sony isn't the only studio with films featuring black actors that opened at No. 1 and performed well: Paramount's "Coach Carter," starring Samuel L. Jackson, has taken in $66.8 million at the box office, and Lions Gate's "Diary of a Mad Black Woman" counts $49.4 million in receipts.
Paul Dergarabedian, president of Exhibitor Relations Company, which tracks box-office numbers, said in a telephone interview Friday that "2005 has been an absolute banner year for films starring African-Americans."
"There seems to be a preponderance of movies doing well that have African-American casts," he added.
One of these is MGM's "Be Cool," starring John Travolta, Uma Thurman and Danny DeVito, directed by F. Gary Gray, who is black, and featuring a strong African-American cast that includes Cedric the Entertainer.
MGM executives say they have made special efforts to cultivate talent in the black film community over the past few years, lining up African-American writers, directors and producers as well as actors for their enormously successful "Barbershop" franchise. The next installment, "Beauty Shop," starring Queen Latifah, opens on Wednesday.
Chris McGurk, vice chairman of MGM, said, "When you add up 'Barbershop,' 'Barbershop 2' and 'Beauty Shop' and the upcoming Showtime TV series, it's the gold standard for the urban entertainment franchises."
Although films featuring black actors have demonstrated unusual strength this quarter, first-quarter box office receipts overall are only 1 percent ahead of last year.
"It would be a fairly solid first quarter," Mr. Dergarabedian said, "if it were compared to anything other than last year," when "The Passion of the Christ" dominated the box office, opening at No. 1 with $83.9 million in sales. "We've been in a slump for the past few weeks compared to last year," he said.
Another film that opened last week, "Miss Congeniality 2," starring Sandra Bullock and Regina King, landed in the No. 2 spot at the box office with $14.5 million in estimated receipts. Rounding out the Top 5 were holdovers: "The Ring 2," which took in an estimated $13.8 million; "Robots" with $13 million; and at No. 5, "The Pacifier" with $8.5 million in sales.
News for 3/29/2005
Biopic on Jackie Robinson in the Works
By DAVID GERMAIN
AP Movie Writer
LOS ANGELES - The makers of the Ray Charles film "Ray" are taking on another story about breaking racial barriers. Baldwin Entertainment Group is producing a film biography of baseball pioneer Jackie Robinson, with an assist from Robert Redford, whose Wildwood Enterprises will co-produce.
Redford, who starred in the 1984 baseball flick "The Natural," also will play Brooklyn Dodgers general manager Branch Rickey, who signed Robinson as the first black player in Major League Baseball.
"This will be our next `Ray,'" said producer Howard Baldwin, whose film on Charles earned the best-actor Academy Award.
"This is one of the most important stories not just in sports, but in our history," Baldwin told The Associated Press on Monday.
Robinson himself starred in 1950's "The Jackie Robinson Story," a dramatization of his entry into baseball.
A fresh big-screen take on Robinson's triumphant career would be good public relations for baseball, now mired in a steroids scandal, Baldwin said.
Robinson's tenacity in the face of bigotry and scorn from fans after he was signed in 1947 also would serve as a lesson to today's petulant athletes, said Baldwin.
"See what Jackie Robinson went through," Baldwin said. "You just have to say, how did this man have enough poise and sophistication and the courage to realize that for the good of mankind, for the good of his race, he had to succeed. And he didn't just succeed. He was a great, great baseball player."
The filmmakers said they will be working closely with executives in Major League Baseball and that the project has the blessing of Jackie Robinson's widow, Rachel, and Branch Rickey III, grandson of the Dodgers general manager.
Baldwin said he hoped production would begin early next year, with the film coming out in late 2006 or early 2007. Kirk Ellis, whose credits include scripts for the TV movies "Anne Frank" and "The Beach Boys: An American Family," is writing the screenplay.
Other than Redford, no actors have been cast. Once a script is in hand, Baldwin said he would hope to gauge "Ray" star Foxx's interest.
"At the appropriate time, we'd be nuts not to want to talk to Jamie," Baldwin said.
Soap Vet Reynolds Makes 'Days' Count
By John Crook
Any actor in daytime drama expects to have his character put through an emotional wringer. In fact, most of them pray for it.
So, when James Reynolds -- who has played police official Abe Carver on "Days of our Lives" on and off since 1981 -- found out in 2002 his TV wife was a scheming sexpot who was also involved in a baby-switching ring, his character reacted with a rage one critic described as "Shakespearean."
With his role being gradually expanded, Reynolds was understandably stunned when the show's writers dropped a shocker on him: Abe was going to become the first of 10 victims claimed by the "Salem Stalker," in a new serial killer story line.
"I thought it was over," says the 54-year-old actor, who subsequently saw his character "fatally" shot. "That's what was interesting, because I actually was in the process of moving on when I got word saying, 'Wait, we actually want you to come back.' In both cases, it took something of an adjustment."
Reynolds is referring, of course, to the highly publicized outcry from "Days" fans that greeted the snuffing of beloved senior characters including matriarch Alice Horton, played by original cast member Frances Reid. In another far-fetched plot twist, the victims were revealed to be not dead, but captives on a mysterious island, from which they eventually escaped. (Read More...)
Williams Sisters Serve Up ABC Family Series
LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) Ever wonder what it might be like to date Brett Ratner, make regular television guest appearances and occasionally win tennis matches on the side? Ever wonder what it might be like to be the best tennis player in the world and then get usurped by your younger sister? ABC Family may provide answers in an untitled reality series starring Venus and Serena Williams.
The six-episode unscripted series, which concentrates on the off-the-court lives of the Williams sisters, is set to premiere in July.
"We are thrilled to be working with these dynamic, internationally renowned, talented stars," says ABC Family President Paul Lee. "This series will give viewers a window into their very exciting off-court lives."
After 18 months without a Grand Slam title, Serena Williams defeated Lindsay Davenport in January to win the Australian Open. The seven-time Grand Slam winner flexed her acting muscles with appearances on "Street Time," "My Wife & Kids" and "The Division."
"We're very excited to branch out into a new medium," Serena says "The series will provide our fans with an up-close, inside look at our lives away from the tennis courts."
Venus Williams, who has won multiple Wimbledon and US Open titles adds, "And since we are sisters, ABC Family is the perfect home for our new series."
Fernando Hernandez ("'Til Death Do Us Part: Carmen + Dave," "Becoming") and Robert Pura ("D Tour," "Hotel MTV") are executive producing.
News for 3/27/2005
Weekend Boxoffice
'Guess Who' Debuts As Top Movie With $21M
By DAVID GERMAIN
AP Movie Writer
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Two guesses on who topped the weekend box office. The Bernie Mac and Ashton Kutcher comedy "Guess Who," an update to the 1967 classic "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner," debuted at No. 1 with $21 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.
Sandra Bullock's sequel, "Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous," opened in second place with $14.5 million for Friday to Sunday. That brought the movie's total to $17.6 million since it opened Thursday to get a head start on Easter weekend.
The previous weekend's top flick, "The Ring 2," slipped to third with $13.8 million, lifting its 10-day total to $58 million.
It was a solid but unremarkable Easter weekend, generally a slow time at theaters because families are preoccupied with holiday gatherings. The top 12 movies took in $90.1 million, off 7 percent from Easter weekend last year, when "The Passion of the Christ" was No. 1.
"Guess Who" stars Mac as a black father who learns his daughter's boyfriend, Kutcher, is white. It is a reversal of the scenario of "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner," which starred Spencer Tracy, Katharine Hepburn and Sidney Poitier in the story about a white woman engaged to a black man.
While the original was heavy on social commentary amid the civil-rights movement, "Guess Who" plays the interracial romance angle for slapstick laughs.
"'Guess Who's Coming to Dinner' is the inspiration, but this is very broad comedy that plays really well in kind of the buddy mode as well as the romantic comedy mode," said Rory Bruer, head of distribution for Sony, which released "Guess Who."
In "Miss Congeniality 2," Bullock returns to her role as a tomboy FBI agent who gets a fashion makeover. This time, she is teamed with a surly partner, Regina King, to track down a kidnapped beauty queen.
The sequel had a better opening weekend than the original, which debuted with just over $10 million on Christmas weekend 2000, then hung on through word of mouth to become a $100 million hit.
Woody Allen's comedy-drama hybrid "Melinda and Melinda" had a strong expansion from its debut at one New York City theater the previous weekend. The film, which stars Radha Mitchell in dual roles, widened to 95 theaters in 12 cities and took in $790,000.
"The Ballad of Jack and Rose," starring Daniel Day-Lewis, debuted well in limited release, taking in $60,461 in four theaters. Written and directed by Rebecca Miller, Day-Lewis' wife and the daughter of playwright Arthur Miller, the film centers on the relationship between a dying environmental idealist and his troubled teenage daughter.
The blood-soaked South Korean vengeance thriller "Oldboy," runner-up to "Fahrenheit 9/11" for the top prize at last spring's Cannes Film Festival, debuted solidly in limited release with $75,000 in five theaters.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at North American theaters, according to Exhibitor Relations Co. Inc. Final figures will be released Monday.
1. "Guess Who," $21 million.
2. "Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous," $14.5 million.
3. "The Ring 2," $13.8 million.
4. "Robots," $13 million.
5. "The Pacifier," $8.5 million.
6. "Hitch," $4.3 million.
7. "Hostage," $4.1 million.
8. "Ice Princess," $3.7 million.
9. "Be Cool," $2.85 million.
10. "Million Dollar Baby," $2.6 million.
Alicia Keys Making Compositions
Source: Variety
Sony Pictures Entertainment has set The Motorcycle Diaries screenwriter Jose Rivera to adapt Compositions in Black and White, the Kathryn Talalay book that's being developed as a star vehicle for singer Alicia Keys.
Keys would play Philippa Schuyler, a woman who grew up a child prodigy, the first child of color to become a nationally prominent musician. Schuyler was composing music by the age of 5, but racial and gender bias prevalent in the 1930s proved a crushing burden for her.
Variety says Marc Platt (Legally Blonde) is producing with Halle Berry and Vincent Cirrincione. Berry is not slated to act in the film.
NBC Moves 'Third Watch' to the Graveyard
LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) Who will keep New York's streets safe during the graveyard shift if "Third Watch" is gone? NBC, for one, doesn't care. As expected, NBC won't bring the drama back for a seventh season.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, NBC has informed Warner Bros. TV and John Wells Prods. that "Third Watch" will eventually return from its current hiatus to complete its sixth season, but that it won't be on the schedule for next fall.
Since it premiered back in 1999, "Third Watch" has been a solid, but never remarkable performer for NBC, bouncing around the network's schedule from Sundays to Mondays and finally to Fridays, where it was recently shelved to make room for "Law & Order: Trial by Jury."
This season, through its first 18 airings, "Third Watch" is pulling in 9.36 million viewers per week. Those numbers are roughly in line with the 9.4 million viewers it averaged last season, but well below the 11.6 million the show hooked on Mondays during the 2002-03 season.
A large ensemble about cops, paramedics and firefighters, "Third Watch" has, at various times, starred the likes of Nia Long, Michael Beach, Eddie Cibrian, Bobby Cannivale, Kim Raver, Chris Bauer, Molly Price and Coby Bell.
In 2000, the series won a sound editing Emmy.
Glover Scrubs In for 'ER' Run
LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) Emmy nominee Danny Glover has signed on for multiple episodes of NBC's long-running drama "ER." Glover's run will begin at the end of this season and will continue into next fall.
Glover will play Charlie Pratt, estranged father of Mekhi Phifer's Dr. Gregory Pratt. Glover will first appear in the show's Thursday, May 19 episode.
Although Glover is a TV movie staple, the actor very rarely makes guest appearances. Glover did episodes of "The Greatest American Hero," "Hill Street Blues" and "Gimme a Break!," but those roles all came before his 1985 breakout performances in "Witness," "The Color Purple" and "Silverado."
Best known as Roger Murtaugh in the "Lethal Weapon" films, Glover has received four Emmy nominations including nods for 1987's "Mandela" and 1989's "Lonesome Dove."
News for 3/21/2005
Murphy Investigates 'Johnny Blaze'
LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) - Actor Eddie Murphy, who made a modest musical foray in 1985 with the song "Party All the Time," is once again entering the music scene.
The 43-year-old performer has signed on to star as an ex-rapper in "Johnny Blaze," report news sources.
The project centers on the titular old-school rapper who leaves behind his musical career to become a private investigator to solve cases in the hip-hop world.
"Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle" scribes Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg will write the screenplay.
Murphy has been on a family film roll lately, with "Daddy Day Care," "The Haunted Mansion" and "Shrek 2" on his resume. His upcoming projects include sequels "Daddy Day Camp" and "Shrek 3" and the in-development "The Incredible Shrinking Man."
'Ray' Garners 4 NAACP Image Nods
By Tatiana Siegel
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - "Ray" hit all the right notes at the 36th NAACP Image Awards on Saturday (March 19), as the Ray Charles biopic nabbed four awards, including outstanding motion picture and yet another best actor nod for Jamie Foxx.
"This has been an absolute wonderful ride," said Foxx, who seemed genuinely humbled in the presence of presenters Sidney Poitier and Diahann Carroll. "Thank you, Taylor Hackford, for having the vision on this beautiful movie of Ray Charles. You took a chance in Hollywood. They said this was a black film ... but he stuck to his guns for 15 years."
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, which is the nation's oldest and largest civil rights organization, fetes the best in movies, television, music and books that are by and about people of color. Hosted by Chris Tucker, this year's ceremony, which will air at 8 p.m. Friday (March 25) on Fox, took place at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion for the first time.
Foxx was joined in the winners' circle by his "Ray" co-stars Kerry Washington (actress) and Regina King (supporting actress).
"I am so proud to be a part of this film, and I want to thank the NAACP," said Washington, who urged her colleagues to get more involved with the organization. "In these times, we need the NAACP more than ever, because we are in a time when so many of our rights as people of color, as women and as poor people are in danger of being stripped from us."
Morgan Freeman, who was not at the ceremony, won the award for outstanding supporting actor for his performance in "Million Dollar Baby."
INAUGURAL HONOR
For the first time, the NAACP bestowed an award to an outstanding independent or foreign film. "Woman Thou Art Loosed" producer Reuben Cannon accepted the honor on behalf of the Magnolia Pictures' film based on the novel by Bishop T.D. Jakes.
Touting the theme "Created Equal," the show featured inspirational musical performances by Stevie Wonder, Tye Tribbett, Yolanda Adams and Fantasia. Shortly after her performance, Fantasia was named outstanding female artist, and Usher was named best male artist. Kanye West took the prize for best new artist. Prince, who had the black-tie crowd grooving during a spirited set with Sheila E and Morris Day, landed the nod for outstanding album for "Musicology" and also received the prestigious Vanguard Award.
In addition to Prince, special honorees included Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., who received the Chairman's Award, and Oprah Winfrey, who was inducted into the NAACP Hall of Fame.
In television, "Kevin Hill's" Taye Diggs won the outstanding actor in a drama series award, while "Third Watch's" Nia Long was named best drama actress. On the comedy side, Bernie Mac was named best actor in a comedy series for his self-titled show, and "The Parkers"' Mo'Nique took home the female comedy actress honors.
NAACP Image Awards Website
Weekend Boxoffice
'Ring' Earns $36 Million to Win Box Office
By DAVID GERMAIN
The Associated Press
LOS ANGELES - Naomi Watts ran rings around the competition as her horror sequel "The Ring 2" took in $36 million to debut as the top weekend movie.
The movie's take was more than double the $15 million that the original surprise horror hit grossed at its 2002 opening.
"Robots," the previous weekend's No. 1 movie, slipped to second place with $21.8 million, lifting its 10-day total to $66.9 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.
Disney's family hit "The Pacifier" held up well in third place with $12.5 million, pushing its three-week total to $72.3 million.
But with those two child-friendly flicks remaining strong draws, Disney's new family movie "Ice Princess" had a tough time finding a toehold. "Ice Princess," starring Michelle Trachtenberg as a science geek who abandons the physics classroom to pursue a new dream as a figure skater, premiered at No. 4 with $7 million.
Trailers for "Ice Princess" ran before "The Pacifier," so audiences who caught that movie may be encouraged to see "Ice Princess" during spring break or over the Easter holiday, said Chuck Viane, Disney head of distribution.
"It's a double-edged sword. It helps you and it hurts you a little," Viane said.
For thrill seekers, "The Ring 2," offers Watts returning to her role as a journalist and single mom trying to save herself and her son from the curse of a killer videotape, whose viewers die horrible deaths within a week.
The original, based on a Japanese hit, became a word-of-mouth surprise success, holding strong as it steadily climbed to a $129 million total domestic gross. The sequel is expected to mirror the pattern of other horror hits, which open big, but take steep drops.
"Sequels just don't play the same way. You have to expect a good drop," said Jim Tharp, head of distribution for DreamWorks, which released both "Ring" flicks. "Obviously, we would hope to get that $100 million club, but we don't do any of those projections this early in the game."
Woody Allen's "Melinda and Melinda" - which stars Radha Mitchell in dual roles in a comic and tragic retelling of the same story - opened strongly with $74,048 on three screens at one New York City theater.
The film, which co-stars Will Ferrell, Chloe Sevigny and Amanda Peet, gradually expands into nationwide release through April 8.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at North American theaters, according to Exhibitor Relations Co. Inc. Final figures will be released Monday.
1. "The Ring 2," $36 million.
2. "Robots," $21.8 million.
3. "The Pacifier," $12.5 million.
4. "Ice Princess," $7 million.
5. "Hitch," $6.6 million.
6. "Be Cool," $5.8 million.
7. "Hostage," $5.797 million.
8. "Million Dollar Baby," $4.1 million.
9. "Diary of a Mad Black Woman," $3.5 million.
10. "Constantine," $2.3 million.
News for 3/18/2005
HBO's 'The Wire' Back on the Beat
By Andrew Wallenstein
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - HBO has renewed the drama series "The Wire" for a fourth season.
The premium channel ordered 12 more episodes after months of indecision following the finale of "Wire's" third season in December; previous seasons were greenlighted immediately.
Production will resume in Baltimore -- on the inner-city streets where the story is set -- in late 2005, with plans to return the show to the schedule next year.
Although the death of a pivotal character in the penultimate episode of the third season could have brought "Wire" to a close, executive producer David Simon sent HBO executives a story bible last week for a fourth season that gave the series a fresh angle, according to HBO president of entertainment Carolyn Strauss.
"We spent the weekend perusing, and as always with David, his story wins the day," Strauss said. "His writing is so amazing that it was impossible to say no."
Strauss would not specify what the new story lines were, but she alluded to the fictional mayor and educational system of Baltimore coming to the fore.
HBO still has deals with all key cast members to return for the fourth season but made no specific announcements. Sources say one of "Wire's" lead actors, Dominic West, was reluctant to return to the series.
"Wire" is coming back despite taking a tumble in the ratings during its third season, its first in the fall -- opposite the likes of ABC's "Desperate Housewives" -- as opposed to the less competitive summer. Strauss said no decisions have been made as to what time slot "Wire" will get.
The future of "Wire" looked shaky before the third season even aired because of the death last year of one of its executive producers, Robert Colesberry. Although his passing shocked Simon, Strauss believes the producers rallied in his absence. "Everyone else really stepped up and filled in," she said. "Bob was irreplaceable, but he trained a great team."
'Third Watch' Waits in Limbo
By Kate O'Hare
LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) While some TV shows are announced with trumpets, promoted like the Second Coming, given the best spots on the schedule but can't make it through one season, other shows, despite being booted around and ignored, just keep on chugging.
Such is the case with NBC's Friday drama "Third Watch," created by John Wells ("ER," "The West Wing") and Air Force veteran and former Chicago cop Edward Allen Bernero.
NBC has just announced new seasons for several current shows. "Third Watch" -- which has been pulled from the schedule until Friday, April 8 -- is not among them, but that's nothing new.
"We've never ended a year knowing we were back," Bernero says. "They usually let us know the day before the upfront announcements [to the advertisers] in May. Last year, they picked up every single drama except us. They went through their pilots. We're always the show that they say, 'Let's see if we get anything better.'
"It's insulting. Sometimes it hurts. It's a weird thing."
This means that Bernero doesn't have warning to write a proper series finale. "That will be a disappointment [if the show is canceled]," he says. "But I always end the season with a cliffhanger, because I like to think, at the end of that last script, it says 'To be continued,' and the executives go, 'Damn! Now we have to bring it back.'"
Since premiering in 1999, "Third Watch" has focused on a group of New York police, paramedics and firefighters. While it's seldom mentioned in the same breath as NBC's "Law & Order" franchise, it shares those shows' distinction of being filmed entirely in the Big Apple.
"I know," Bernero says, "but they mostly shoot inside. Six out of eight days, we're in New York on location, shooting all the boroughs. We shoot everywhere.
"Today, we're shooting outside in the snow. We don't pay attention to the weather, because we don't care. Most people are pretty sure that it's make-believe anyway. I also like to think that if people are looking at the weather in the background, we're screwed anyway. They're not following the story."
Over almost six seasons, the show has followed the characters through changes in their lives, and has managed to introduce new people along the way. Among those actors who have left are Eddie Cibrian (firefighter Jimmy Doherty), Michael Beach (paramedic "Doc" Parker), Bobby Cannavale (paramedic Bobby Caffey), and Kim Raver (paramedic Kim Zambrano), who can now be seen on Fox's "24."
The newest addition is West Virginian Josh Stewart as Officer Brendan Finney. Bernero thinks he's a find.
"He's such a good guy. He's one of those guys that you'll say, someday, 'He started out on "Third Watch." ' He's going to be something special."
Stewart, who's been compared in looks to Sean Penn, probably has a lot more in common personality wise with Dale Earnhardt Jr. This worries original cast member Coby Bell, who plays his partner, Officer Ty Davis Jr.
"I do all my own driving," Stewart says. "Coby's like, 'Dude, you need to slow down. You're not in West Virginia driving the General Lee right now.' My grandfather was a stock-car racer, so what do you expect? I grew up in muscle cars. I'm in acting so I can afford to buy my own race car."
Stewart represents just one of the changes that has taken place during the run of "Third Watch," but if you're in Hollywood, Bernero isn't sure you've noticed. "I honestly believe that the show right now is vastly different than it was when it started," Bernero says. "It started as a show where you couldn't keep up with everything that was happening. It was a lot of action and explosions. Now it's a show very much about the characters.
"In our industry, there's a real reticence to look at something again. Everybody thinks they know what 'Third Watch' is. Sometimes people will see clips of the show and go, 'That was "Third Watch"?' The industry really doesn't give you another chance."
"Third Watch" recently did a crossover episode with its time-slot neighbor "Medical Investigation." Molly Price, who plays Detective Faith Yokas (who began on the show as a patrol officer), was one of the actors flown from New York to Los Angeles to participate.
"They're the new kids on the block," Price says, "and this is our sixth season. So it's nice to be able to help a new NBC show. Our audience has been so incredibly loyal and dedicated."
Given that dedication, she doesn't understand why the show is overlooked. "It's a mystery wrapped in an enigma, but that's what we are. The fans are really loyal. We've been through so many time changes, and we always have the same exact core audience that follows our show."
"We started Sunday at 8 p.m.," Bernero says. "Then we were Sunday at 10, Monday at 10, Monday at 9, Friday at 10 and Friday at 9. I'm trying to find a way to work the word 'Medium' or the word 'Vegas' into our title. Maybe 'Third Medium Watch.'"
As of February, "Third Watch" was averaging a 2.9 rating, 9 share among the coveted 18-49 demographic and 9.3 million viewers overall. According to NBC, the show led its Friday time slot for the season in 18-49 and has been building on its lead-in from "Dateline NBC" in 18-49 by double-digit percentages.
All this, though, just isn't good enough, says Bernero. "They want higher numbers. I counter that by saying, 'I would like to get some promotion. I'd like to get a time slot two years in a row so people could find us.'"
News for 3/17/2005
McBride Monitors 'Deviant Behavior' for FOX
LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) "Boston Public" star Chi McBride, who began a recurring part on "House" this week, is continuing his relationship with FOX in a pilot for next season.
The actor has joined Johnny Messner and Marguerite Moreau in "Deviant Behavior," a crime procedural about a squad that chases serial killers. McBride will play the team's lieutenant, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
"Deviant Behavior" comes from writer-producer Josh Berman, who knows from both procedurals and creepy killers. He's written a number of episodes of "CSI" and serves as a co-executive producer of the top-rated series.
McBride played Principal Steven Harper on "Boston Public," which ran on FOX from 2000-04. He reprised the role on ABC's "Boston Legal" last week and appeared in the first of five episodes of "House" on Tuesday (March 15). His other TV credits include "The John Larroquette Show" and "The Secret Diary of Desmond Pfeiffer."
"I, Robot," "Undercover Brother" and "The Terminal" are among the feature films on his resume.
