Liam Neeson’s character in The Grey has done the impossible: He has survived a plane crash in the Alaskan wilderness. The only problem is he landed in the middle of a vicious pack of wolves who would rather he not survive their wrath. Open Road Films has released a new 90-second spot for Leeson’s latest actioner that also stars Dermot Mulroney and Frank Grillo.
The Grey opens January 27.
After much teasing and a countdown, the trailer for Prometheus has arrived. Ridley Scott and his return to space look as sharp as ever. The director of Alien and Blade Runner is back in space and exploring sci-fi as only he can.
Prometheus looks a bit like Alien and certainly shares its feel of desperation against rising odds. Many think that the film is a prequel to Alien, a theory Scott flatly denies. But, we have to wonder… this could be a companion piece to Alien, a film that exists in a parallel world.
Scott’s latest sci-fi epic stars Charlize Theron, Idris Elba, Michael Fassbender and Noomi Rapace and arrives in theaters summer 2012.
Jeremy Irvine is visiting with Movie Fanatic for an exclusive interview taking us further into the world of Steven Spielberg and War Horse, opening in theaters Christmas Day. “I’m here for less time than I was on the plane,” he said and laughed. Irvine was beyond thrilled to be in his first feature, War Horse, and the sight of himself on billboards and movie ads is still something he’s getting used to.
We’re in the lobby of the Four Seasons Beverly Hills and Irvine strolls in for our interview. You can understand if the UK actor’s a little worn, he flew in from London for this chat and will be flying back in the morning to report back to the set of Great Expectations that he’s making opposite Ralph Fiennes.
Movie Fanatic: Spielberg makes movies that millions and millions of people see, how did you find him personally as a filmmaker working with actors… one on one?
Jeremy Irvine: He’s the master craftsman. It’s funny, I turned up on set the first day and I remember looking at hundreds of trailers, all this machinery around. But, when you’re in front of the camera, it’s you and Steven Spielberg and the other actor… or horse [laughs]. It’s quite a friendly environment. He’s incredibly kind and generous. With me, he wasn’t just my director, he was my film teacher and he had a real paternal instinct. On the back of his chair it doesn’t say Steven Spielberg, or director, it says “dad.” His greatest skill as a director is making you comfortable. When you’re that comfortable, you do your best work. You don’t worry about making mistakes. You’re just doing your job the best you can.
Movie Fanatic: I was curious, there’s the appeal of working with Steven, and there’s the history of the play and the book. What was it for you that was the biggest appeal of the War Horse story?
Jeremy Irvine: I remember getting the script and it didn’t have a name yet. I also remember going to audition and it had a code name. I didn’t know what I was auditioning for. I had read the book at the age of nine, which I think a lot in Britain do. It had a big impact on me then and it’s something we can all relate to and the relationship between Albert and this horse. We’ve all had that special childhood friend, whether it an animal, a cuddly toy, best friend, brother or sister, we’ve all had that. We can all imagine what that’s like to have taken away. Also, the First World War is something that back home, we learn about in school before we even approach the Second World War. It’s such a huge bruise on our national pride and history. Everybody’s got a relative who was in the First World War. Every village we filmed in had a memorial to those who had fallen during the First World War. It’s about losing an entire generation of young men. That’s an enormous voice to lose. The last British soldier from World War I died last year. I think it’s very important that even though we no longer have a living memory, that films like this can keep that memory alive.
Movie Fanatic: War Horse is your first film. Is this entire thing surreal at all? I mean, you’re on the poster on the bus stop on the corner here!
Jeremy Irvine: [Laughing] Really? I’m on a poster around the corner? That’s incredible. To be honest, the whole thing is so surreal and weird. I feel like I’m about to wake up at any point [laughs]. All that kind of stuff. I never really thought about it while making the movie. I certainly never thought about people knowing who I was and stuff. [Pauses] It’s not something that I think about. I just read the scripts and do the job. What I really enjoy was waking up today and getting to do my hobby as a job. As for the poster on the corner, I don’t really know what to make of that stuff yet.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo opened early with 7 p.m. showings on December 20 and has made $5.1 million since then, but it still can’t catch Tom Cruise and Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol. It was impressive when Ghost Protocol opened on only IMAX screens last Friday and wound up in second place at the weekend box office. Look for that momentum to continue through the weekend as a few new films opened yesterday and two big ones on Friday.
The David Fincher-directed Dragon Tattoo is still doing impressive box office (and check out our exclusive interview with Tattoo star Christopher Plummer). The film that is extremely dark, violent and has a hard “R” rating isn’t the most attractive film to pull in holiday audiences. But, then there are those 60-plus million books that have sold. That’s a very huge built-in audience as they say here in Hollywood.
Ghost Protocol is now on 3,500 screens nationwide and joining it in the wide release department besides Dragon Tattoo is the Peter Jackson-produced and Steven Spielberg-directed The Adventures of Tintin.
Since Tintin’s opening, it has disappointed. Tintin has been drawing little attention in this crowded Christmas movie season. In its first days of opening, Adventures of Tintin has banked $2.3 million. Don’t cry for Spielberg, Tintin has banked over $200 million internationally already. It doesn’t have to make a profit in the U.S.
Friday sees two films opening that could make their marks, particularly with families. We Bought a Zoo, the charming Matt Damon-starring, Cameron Crowe-directed true story is a delight (check out our review December 23) and its word of mouth has been incredible with a month of advanced screenings feeding its buzz. The second is another Spielberg-directed film, War Horse. The jury is out on that one. Will audiences turn up for a second Spielberg movie in as many weeks?
Check out our War Horse review later today and see if it’s worth your time. While you're at it, read our The Adventures of Tintin review, Ghost Protocol review and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo review.
Earlier this year when Movie Fanatic was at the Disney fan fest D23, we reported on some news about a few films that Pixar was working on for its upcoming slate. Now we know what to call one of those upcoming instant classics.
Pixar films always enthrall, maybe not so much Cars 2, but we digress, so we are thrilled with the summer 2012 film Brave (check out the Brave trailer). And now the next film, due November 2013, is called Frozen. No details, as Pixar does so well to keep that anticipation high, are available on the film. But, we will let you know anything about Frozen as it is released.
Breaking news, Avengers fans! Marvel announced today that its 2012 most anticipated flick, The Avengers, will be hitting screens in 3D.
The Avengers lands in theaters May 2012 and also will be available in 2D for those who don’t care for the heavy glasses.
Stars Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Samuel L. Jackson and Mark Ruffalo will be coming at you saving the world in three dimensions.
This is the first time a major film has had an all-star dugout full of superheroes. To say that it will be a success is probably a mild understatement. Toss in those 3D dollars, and The Avengers may not only be the fan favorite of 2012, but the box office champ as well. Don't miss The Avengers trailer!
We want to know: Will you see The Avengers in 3D?
To paraphrase a certain famous author, when it comes to horror films in 2011, it wasn’t the best of times, but it wasn’t the worst of times. It was a decent year for films that strike fear, and it was actually quite challenging to narrow the list down to ten. But, we firmly believe that the following are the clear Top 10 Horror Films of 2011.
10. The Thing
Fans of the John Carpenter The Thing were divided when the topic of a prequel to The Thing arose. But once the film arrived, it stood well on its own and tapped into our deepest fears that when we’re isolated and alone, we are at our most vulnerable. Casting a female lead in Mary Elizabeth Winstead was a stroke of brilliance. The actress perfectly captured our fear as an audience with each step she took on that frozen tundra of terror.
9. The Rite
Anthony Hopkins is a Vatican priest whose specialty is exorcisms. The scope and feel of The Rite is pure horror film and Hopkins was the perfect vehicle to transfer the fear on screen to the audience. We have to say, the early trailer for The Devil Inside has us a little more fearful of the devil than The Rite, but all the same, Hopkins and company delivered a film firmly in the classic exorcism genre.
8. The Innkeepers
Movie Fanatic was treated to an early screening of The Innkeepers. The film arrives in limited markets before the end of the year and therefore, lands firmly in our Top 10 Horror Movies of 2011. The story follows a pair of hotel workers spending one last weekend at the New England Inn before it goes out of business. The establishment is supposedly haunted, but nothing has ever been confirmed. Since it’s their last hurrah, our two hotel workers will stir the pot in hopes of a supernatural visit. Guess what happens?
7. Red State
Kevin Smith directing a horror movie? Yes, and he does it with panache. Smith of Clerks fame delves into a new genre for the filmmaker and comes up roses. We can see why he was upset with the Independent Spirit Awards nominations and how his film was left off the list of those honored. It is an independent movie, through and through, told by an independent filmmaker. Honestly, the fact that it is a great horror film is probably what did it in.
6. Troll Hunter
One of the biggest surprises of the year in the horror genre, Troll Hunter took the most average of concepts and crafted a horrific thriller. A man who hates trolls goes after the vertically challenged demons and audiences earn an unexpected treat.
5. Fright Night
The debate maybe was not as fierce as it was on The Thing, but when word arose that Paramount was remaking Fright Night, people did wonder why. But, after witnessing the film starring Colin Farrell, we can say that the Irish actor made one of the best vampires on film this year. Fright Night is funny, full of fear and all horror. It never takes itself too seriously, which is another plus in the Fright Night column for top horror movie of 2011.
4. Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark
Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark is from producer Guillermo del Toro and the man’s stamp is all over it. The film stars Katie Holmes and Guy Pearce as a couple living in a mansion while it is renovated. Things go bump in the night and Pearce’s daughter routinely sees the vicious beasts that inhabit the house. No one believes her, and that is only the beginning of the horror. Expertly told, visually stunning and riveting through and through, Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark is a 2011 don’t-miss.
3. Final Destination 5
Like Fast Five was the best of its series of action films, Final Destination 5 was the best of the five Final Destination movies. First, it utilized 3D for the horror amplification factor to terrific results. Secondly, the means of death for its cast was brilliantly original. Third, several of the previous Final Destination films suffered from inconsistent pacing. A good horror movie should grab you from the opening moments and only find that grip getting stronger as the picture progresses. Final Destination 5 achieved that fact in droves.
2. Paranormal Activity 3
Simply terrifying, Paranormal Activity 3 exceeded expectations and was so astoundingly amazing, that we couldn’t be more excited that the fourth film is already in pre-production. By going back in time, Paranormal filmmakers were able to create a backstory to the horror of films one and two that allowed them to be extremely creative. The result was another Paranormal cinematic experience that literally produced physical reactions of pure terror from its audience.
1. Insidious
As Movie Fanatic sat to watch Insidious, if you had told us that we would be watching the most gut-wrenching horror film of the year, you would have gotten a blank stare. But what Insidious did was deliver chills, thrills and jump-in-your-seat horror that is not easily forgotten. In fact, it is one of the few horror films of the year that is equally as terrifying the second time you see it.
Robert Pattinson has a lot of good will from his fans as his Breaking Dawn is still in theaters (check out our Pattinson interview), breaking box office records while teasing the Twilight Saga’s final chapter due in 2012. In the meantime, Pattinson has been busy making other movies. The trailer for his latest, Bel Ami, has arrived and all we can say Pattinson fans is, “Prepare to swoon.”
Bel Ami stars Pattinson as a young writer who pulled himself out of poverty and has become one of the most influential men in all of Paris. Pattinson’s character did not get there by being nice, he is also known as being ruthlessly devious as he breaks hearts on the way to the top.
Movie Fanatic does not have a U.S. release date for Bel Ami, but if you’re going to be in the U.K., look for it on March 2.
Steven Spielberg had a momentous task with War Horse -- adapting an adored play based on a beloved book. The play is a multimedia emotional powerhouse. But this is Steven Spielberg.
The War Horse movie experience must be seen on the big screen. Spielberg, as is often the case, paints with a broad canvas.
War Horse begins innocently. Jeremy Irvine is Albert, a young man whose father (Peter Mullan) is scarred by the Boer Wars. Albert's dad rents a small farm in a picturesque village in northern England. At a horse auction, Mullan spends his month's rent on a horse that is not the type of beast he needs to plow his farm's rocky terrain. Something speaks to him about the animal. He has to have him. Upon arriving home, his wife (Emily Watson) will have none of it. Albert steps in and commits to train the horse he now calls Joey.
Thus begins the heartwarming connection between man and horse theme that rides like a stallion through War Horse.
The war part of War Horse also arrives around this time. Albert is too young to serve in the battle against Germany. But Joey isn't. Before we know it, Albert is separated from Joey and vowing to keep their time apart short. "I will find you," he tearfully says.
War Horse then becomes a war movie in many ways. Spielberg swears he doesn't see his film as that type of flick. But the audience does get a front-row seat into World War I from all sides: German, French, English and horse. We see what Spielberg is saying. Even during the war-set action, the stories circulate around the horse and the lives he touches. The film is less about the bullets and the bombs as much as the unique brotherhood between human and horse. And in that vein it succeeds beyond compare.
The film is a different beast than the stage show. Anyone that has been blown away by the astounding theatrical experience will find a couple of changes in the Spielberg movie. Of course, instead of puppets audiences witness a real horse (technically 14!). There are also plot changes that were made for the film that don’t necessarily work better, but they still work.
Something Spielberg does so well is wrap history in entertainment. As the last of the World War I veterans succumb to old age, films such as this one are increasingly important. Although the audience never learns the cause of the First World War, the experience is seen through the eyes of those who fought it. As such, Spielberg effortlessly shows that although battle tactics and methods may have changed with time, the horror and valiancy experienced by the soldiers has remained the same.
War Horse is one powerful piece of filmmaking. It is all Spielberg, from its sweeping atmosphere to the emotional connections he has classically crafted for decades between the audience and his characters.
The last several posters from the Daniel Radcliffe-starring The Woman in Black (check out two new stills) have featured mysterious children with their eyes taken out or the haunted house at the center of the story. Now we finally have a poster where the star is front and center.
The Woman in Black's new one sheet features Radcliffe front and center gazing into the camera with one searing blue eye where the rest of the poster is in black and white. It also contains the film’s tagline which has been in all of the posters thus far: What did they see?
The they in the tagline is the children who once lived in the house that Radcliffe’s young lawyer is staying at while he finishes his late client’s business.
Note that a photo with the eyes taken out still is present. It’s in the bottom left hand corner. “If I wasn’t in it myself, I’d probably be too scared to see it,” Radcliffe recently said. Spooky!
The Woman in Black arrives in theaters February 2012.
The Hunger Games recently debuted a new poster and now Taylor Swift has gotten The Hunger Games fever and released a sample of her song from the film. Click on the photo below to listen to a preview of Safe and Sound, which may or may not be the theme to The Hunger Games. Inside sources have told Movie Fanatic that Arcade Fire has been approached as well about doing several songs for the soundtrack, including the theme song.
For now, we have Swift’s Safe and Sound. From the sounds of it, it is lyrically at least, a perfect companion to the film version of the Suzanne Collins bestselling series.
Is it us, or can The Hunger Games’ release date of March 23, 2012 not get here soon enough?
Underworld Awakening, fresh off of a new Awakening TV spot, has premiered a video vignette starring Kate Beckinsale. Beckinsale is back as Selene after missing the last Underworld film. The actress takes audiences back to the beginning in the clip to talk about the Underworld Legacy. Beckinsale narrates the spot that gives us all a little history lesson for the world of Underworld.
Awakening opens January 20 and has fans abuzz about the return of Selene. As you can tell from the title, our heroine awakes from her slumber to find an entirely different world than when she closed her eyes.
Lycans and the vampires battle is now completely known about by the human race and their take on it does not bode well for either side of the war.
Cameron Crowe has returned to form with We Bought a Zoo. After the misstep of 2005’s Elizabethtown, in 2011 he came back strong with the Pearl Jam documentary, Pearl Jam 20, and now he has We Bought a Zoo -- a stellar true story brought to life with love and a caring touch.
Matt Damon stars as a recently widowed father of a young girl and teenage boy. Each is struggling with the loss in their own way. They live in a quaint Southern California town where every corner brings a new memory of the love that they each lost. Damon’s brother, played with class by Thomas Hayden Church, implores his younger bro to embrace change and shake things up. He never could have expected that his pep talk would produce… a zoo.
The family decides to move out of their house that is filled with too many great, but now painful, memories. While looking for a new abode, Damon stumbles upon a gem. It’s far outside the city, is quiet and has everything he wants in a new home for his family. The only catch is, by contract, the new owner must maintain the 70-plus species on the property including lions, tigers and bears. Oh my... it’s a zoo!
Once on the land, Damon meets the staff of the zoo who is hanging on paycheck to paycheck hoping that the right person will come along and save the zoo and bring it back to its former glory. Scarlett Johansson is the lead keeper, Almost Famous alum Patrick Fugit is the animal expert who is never seen without a monkey on his shoulder (the same primate from The Hangover Part II, this animal has a great agent!), plus there's a crew of misfits in search of a leader.
The problems are many, the hills steep and the costs are sky high. But, Damon sees what this zoo is doing to his kids and is determined to make it work.
Damon has never been better. We don’t think we’ve seen him play a part with such sensitivity, compassion, parental power and overall presence. The acting superstar, in many ways, goes back to his roots for a role that calls for something simpler than he puts forth in the Bourne series, The Adjustment Bureau or the Oceans films. Damon has a firm grasp on this character and his solid anchor elevates the film to greatness.
Crowe expertly wields his camera and lets his actors do the work. Much as he did with Jerry Maguire (one of our Top 10 Tom Cruise Movies), Crowe allows his characters to move the story instead of directing with a heavy hand -- rightfully so, as it is a powerful true tale that possesses a lesson for all.
We Bought a Zoo is about family, community, getting over grief and the hope that despite all the mountains that life throws at us, in the end we can all summon the courage to climb any hill and cull the triumph of the human spirit. The film has chosen the perfect time to be released -- two days before Christmas. It serves as an impeccable choice for any moviegoer, family or otherwise. We Bought a Zoo echoes the theme of the season -- goodwill towards man (and animal!), bringing families together and the hope that when we all come together, nothing but greatness can be achieved.
You can imagine the thrill for Movie Fanatic. David Fincher is one of our favorite directors and now we’re sitting across from him in New York City’s Crosby Hotel talking about The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.
The helmer of Social Network, Panic Room, Seven, Zodiac, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Fight Club is a visionary and if there ever was a story that called for his fantastic eye, it is Stieg Larsson’s Dragon Tattoo. As Dragon Tattoo star Christopher Plummer told us exclusively about Fincher, “He’s a chameleon. He becomes the story that he is shooting. None of them look alike. Panic Room was miles away from Social Network -- you wouldn’t have known it was the same guy directing it.”
The casting process, Fincher felt, was the most important. Regardless of what had been done with the Swedish version of the Larsson novels, he knew his movie would succeed or fail based solely on who played Lisbeth and Mikael. He scored with Rooney Mara and Daniel Craig (don't miss our Mara and Craig interview).
“It began with Daniel. It is like building a basketball team. You start with kind of the anchor and we started with Daniel. I knew him to be self effacing and to be playful and witty. I knew that I needed that for Mikael as well that I wanted a very masculine kind of center to the film. Then I started looking at the things about Lisbeth that I wanted to see and I didn’t see them initially in anyone that we were looking at and Rooney was right under our noses. I had already spent four or five days with her on The Social Network,” Fincher said.
What drew him to Mara was that she possessed versatility. He wanted the girl from Social Network to turn that performance on its head. “The problems she was solving for me at the beginning of The Social Network were that she was intensely feminine, very mature, warm, verbal, and she was trying to build a bridge desperately to Jesse [Eisenberg] in those five-and-a-half minutes that she is on screen, and none of those qualities applied to Lisbeth. In fact, they were the antithesis,” Fincher said.
“Every time she would come in and we would work together I would say, ‘Okay. Now here is a new hurdle and you have to jump this.’ Finally, after two-and-a-half months, the quality was undeniable, and the thing that seemed to be the most Lisbethian, was that she was just not giving up. She was indomitable.”
The most compelling aspect of the Dragon Tattoo story for Fincher isn’t the mystery that lies at its heart. “You know, Nazis, serial killers, and the evil that people do in their basements with power tools wasn’t the thing that was first and foremost in this. I hadn’t seen this partnership before,” he said of the Lisbeth and Mikael tandem.
“I hadn’t seen these two people working before to do anything. So I liked the thriller and I liked the vessel of that, but I was really more interested in the people front and center.”
When he went back to the source material of Larsson’s book, it confirmed what he felt was so strong about the script -- the relationship between Lisbeth and Mikael. “I was very taken with the way that Larsson sort of built these two stories in parallel and then brought them together and then eventually they crossed over. That is nothing new. That happens in Colombo,” Fincher said and laughed.
One of the most striking aspects of Dragon Tattoo is its opening sequence. It features Karen O, score writer Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’ version of Led Zeppelin’s Immigrant Song. The band is notoriously shy about licensing their songs for commercial use, but saw something in Fincher’s film.
“Led Zeppelin is very protective, as they should be. They have an amazing catalog. I think they wanted to make sure that we respected it. It was our intention to communicate the idea that we didn’t want to run it into the ground. We wanted to pick specific places like the teaser and the title sequence to do it. It was actually pretty easy,” Fincher said.
The director would not go forward unless he felt the band was comfortable with what he wanted to do with their song. “We needed to make sure that they understood that it was going to be a cover. We weren’t going to be licensing the actual performance. We wanted to do it with a woman’s voice. It kind of went down like clockwork.”
Working with The Social Network Oscar winner for Best Score, Trent Reznor, was a new experience for Fincher. Normally score is added later, but with Reznor so inspired by the book, Fincher had something to hear almost every day. “He is industrious. I would be in a van on the way to the location and I would get these MP3s from Trent in my email. I did have a lot of music,” Fincher said. He did not, however, dictate his shooting style to the potential score he was hearing from Reznor. “The music was added in the way you normally would, although I did have access to many minutes of music before we started scoring the film, which was different because I had never done that before.”
Lastly, and Movie Fanatic is hoping for a yes, but, we wondered if Fincher will be back for the next two adaptations of Larsson’s second and third book. “Classically movie studios don’t make deals with directors even if there is a hope that there are going to be three movies because they want to make sure that you behave,” Fincher said and chuckled.
It is about as packed at the movies this weekend as can be this Christmas. One stellar new film debuts today, We Bought a Zoo. War Horse and The Darkest Hour arrive on Christmas Day. Meanwhile, potential blockbuster flicks The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol and The Adventures of Tintin arrived on Wednesday. So… which one(s) should you see?
War Horse: Steven Spielberg heads into war’s trenches again for War Horse. Only, this film is quite different than his other war opuses. War Horse is about a young man and his horse and the challenges they go through to stay together. Albert (Jeremy Irvine) is put in charge of training a wild horse to plow his family’s land. World War I arrives and the horse is sent to the front lines with a soldier who promises to look after him. As soon as he’s old enough, Albert joins the military on a quest to defeat Germany, but also to find his beloved horse. Spielberg expertly directs this compelling film based on the play and it's just one of many must-sees this weekend. Check out our War Horse review for more.
We Bought a Zoo: Cameron Crowe returns to storytelling after directing the Pearl Jam doc Pearl Jam 20. Matt Damon stars as a father trying to put his family back together after the loss of his wife and his two kids’ mother. To get out of their house with too many painful memories, they relocate to a dream house with a surprise in the backyard… a zoo! As we explain in our We Bought a Zoo review, Crowe and Damon have both never been better and Scarlett Johansson charms in a smaller role.
The Darkest Hour: An alien invasion movie is nothing new to the silver screen. But what sets The Darkest Hour apart is its setting. A group of American friends are visiting Moscow when aliens invade. Not knowing the language is simply one spoke in the wheel of trouble they are now soundly in as they try to survive. These aliens feed on human energy and vaporize everything in their path. Emile Hirsch anchors the cast that shows that alien invaders can attack something other than Los Angeles, New York or Washington, D.C.
Released Wednesday:
Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol: Tom Cruise soars in the fourth installment of the Mission Impossible series. After being released on IMAX screens only December 16, Ghost Protocol landed on over 3,000 screens across the country. Not only is the film one of Tom Cruise’s best, it is one of the best of the year. Pumped with action, thrills and suspense that will make you shake in your seat, Ghost Protocol is the movie to see for action fans this weekend. Don't miss our Ghost Protocol review.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo: David Fincher directs Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara in the American film adaptation of Stieg Larsson’s blockbuster book. The film is dark and delicious in its sinister overtones that explode onscreen. Fans of the books will adore Dragon Tattoo. Moviegoers of all walks of life will appreciate the film’s laser sharp storytelling, searing drama and a murder mystery for the ages. Don’t miss our Girl with the Dragon Tattoo review for more on this perfect picture. It too is one of the best of 2011.
The Adventures of Tintin: Steven Spielberg has not one, but two films opening this Christmas weekend. The second is The Adventures of Tintin and the motion capture animated film is a treat for the family. Lord of the Rings helmer Peter Jackson served as producer and he and Spielberg have collaborated on an adventure that feels like Raiders of the Lost Ark meets Master and Commander. As we state in our Adventures of Tintin review, Spielberg has done it again. Surprised? Hardly!
Tim Burton has been hard at work on his passion project Frankenweenie for some time. The stop motion animation film utilizes a painstaking method for creating a film. Centimeter by centimeter, filmmakers move the “actors” that create a visual marvel. Burton has released a still from Frankenweenie to tide us over until we get ourselves a new trailer!
The still shows Victor and his adoring dog Sparky. Like Frankenstein before him, when his dog passes away, he brings him back to life to create… Frankenweenie!
Just days after we celebrated the release of The Hobbit trailer, Peter Jackson has posted a behind-the-scenes video on his Facebook page. The clip shows Jackson hard at work on one of 2012’s most anticipated films. The prequel to The Lord of the Rings series, thankfully, has Jackson back at the helm. Among the video highlights from The Hobbit set is witnessing Elijah Wood’s return and Andy Serkis, otherwise known as Gollum, helming the second unit. Merry Christmas indeed!
Merely hours ago, Movie Fanatic ran a video where Underworld star Kate Beckinsale took us back to the beginning and explored the history of Underworld in Legacy. Now, we’ve got the third trailer from Underworld Awakening to get you ready for the film that arrives January 20, 2012.
That’s a lot of Underworld Awakening in one week. But as fans of the series can attest to, excitement is at a fever pitch with star Beckinsale returning to the franchise after sitting the third film out.
The Dark Knight Rises trailer is officially a sensation. Hardly a surprise, since the last installment of Christopher Nolan’s trilogy took in over a billion dollars upon its release in 2008. Now, news has arisen from iTunes that the Rises trailer has broken a record for movie teasers on the site. The spot has been downloaded over 12.5 million times since it debuted.
The record that was broken was that of The Avengers, which was set merely months ago when that Joss Whedon film’s trailer debuted in October. When The Avengers trailer premiered, it was downloaded just over 10 million times.
The Dark Knight Rises trailer record is especially astounding considering it did it in less time. Check back with Movie Fanatic after the weekend, and let’s see how high this number goes!
Tom Cruise and Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol may have won the weekend box office, but Hollywood was not celebrating a season filled with box office tidings.
The slow box office trend continued. What is normally a boom for Hollywood, Thanksgiving through Christmas, has been an almost bust. Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol earned $26.5 million over the weekend to win the box office battle. Since the film opened, Cruise’s latest film has totaled $59 million and Paramount estimates by Monday morning, the fourth Mission movie will clock in at $72.7 million.
Hardly the totals that one would think would be achieved by the number one film over the holiday weekend.
Last week’s box office champ, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows came in second. Yes, there were a slew of new movies opening this past weekend, and none of them, other than Ghost Protocol, could top last week’s number one movie. Sherlock added another $17.8 million to its total.
Alvin and the Chipmunks’ third film, Chipwrecked, scored third place with $13.3 million and the highly anticipated Girl with the Dragon Tattoo came in fourth with $13 million. Steven Spielberg’s latest directorial effort, The Adventures of Tintin arrived in fifth place with $9.1 million.
Cameron Crowe’s return to narrative storytelling, We Bought a Zoo, mustered only $7.8 in its first weekend of release.
Spielberg’s other film, War Horse, debuted Christmas Day and will see its numbers come more into focus with next week’s box office report.
Normally Hollywood expects to finish the year with a bang. But forecasters are saying that movie going attendance will close the year down 5.3 percent off the same period last year. Even Ghost Protocol, although number one, was off from previous Missions. Impossible films one through three earned $45 to $58 million for its opening weekends as opposed to Ghost Protocol’s $26.5. That is a perfect indication of the problem that Hollywood is having getting people into the seats in 2011.
1. Mission: Impossible: Ghost Protocol, $26.5 million
2. Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, $17.8 million
3. Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked, $13.3 million
4. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, $13 million
5. The Adventures of Tintin, $9.1 million
6. We Bought a Zoo, $7.8 million
7. New Year's Eve, $3 million
8. Arthur Christmas, $2.7 million
9. Hugo, $2.03 million
10. The Muppets, $2 million
