Month: April 2009

Variety’s Mark Graser reported today that Sony will be adding a host of new titles to its free online movie site Crackle.com as it looks to lure both viewers and advertisers. Among the titles slated are Spider-Man 2, Groundhog Day and Stripes Sony is also adding more original programming by launching Crackle Cinemactive, a video clip-based game about pop culture. The game is being added to a list of original series that included Ed Brubacker’s thriller Angel of Death, starring Zoe Bell and Lucy Lawless, and Starv-ing, with David Faustino.

In addition to Spider-Man 2, new titles added to Crackle’s free service include A Few Good Men, 1941, El Mariachi, Big Fish, The Fan, LaBamba, The People vs. Larry Flynt, Johnny Mnemonic, as well as several titles from the Godzilla franchise bringing the total number of films offered to nearly 100, all absolutely free.

Crackle also recently brokered a content deal with YouTube that it hopes will drive more traffic to its own site.

The site has seen streams increase roughly 84% since the begining of the year, and ranked as the seventh most trafficked entertainment video site in March, according to comScore.

Source:
Variety

#1 Obsessed from Screen Gems debuts at #1 this weekend earning $28.5 million in 2514 theaters. Budget for Obsessed was $20 million.

#2 17 Again from Warner Bros takes the #2 spot this weekend earning $11.6 million in 3255 theaters. Budget for 17 is unknown.

#3 Fighting from Rogue debuts at #3 this weekend earning $11.4 million in 2309 theaters. Budget for Fighting is unknown.

#4 The Soloist from Paramount debuts at #4 earning $9.7 million in 2024 theaters. Budget for The Soloist is unknown.

#5 Earth from Buena Vista debuts at #5 this weekend earning $8.5 million in 1804 theaters. Budget for Earth is unknown.

Rounding out the top 10 are:

#6 Monsters Vs Aliens Weekend Gross: $8,524,000 down 35% / Theaters: 3358, down 304 / Gross $174,817,000 / Budget: $175 million

#7 State of Play Weekend Gross: $6,891,000, down 51% / Theaters: 2807, up 4 / Gross $25,124,000 / Budget: unknown

#8 Hannah Montana The Movie Weekend Gross: $6,372,000, down 52% / Theaters: 3231, up 113 / Gross $65,590,000 / Budget: unknown

#9 Fast and Furious Weekend Gross: $6,062,000 down 48% / Theaters: 3566, down 108 / Gross $145,224,000 / Budget: $85 million

#10 Crank: High Voltage Weekend Gross: $2,400,000, down 65% / Theaters: 2223 / Gross $11,518,000 / Budget: unknown

A note on “Gross”: On average, studios will earn approximately 55 percent of the final gross.

Sources:

Box Office Mojo

According to CNN’s AM Fix Disney is about to break a trend.

Disney is about to unveil its first African American Princess, Tiana. Tiana, played by Anika Noni Rose, will make her debut in Disney’s The Princess and the Frog this coming December.

While Disney has been trending toward a more ethnically diverse line up Tiana will be the first African American character to where the crown. The Princess and the Frog will be an American style fairy tale in the Disney tradition, A New Orleans based musical in which Tiana is a waitress who dreams of being a great chef. She kisses a frog who turns out to be a prince named Naveen from another land who has been cursed by the evil Dr Facilier. But the kiss turns out to be a curse as Tiana ia also changed into a frog and the two must then seek the help of a voodoo priestess in the Bayou, making friends and enemies along the way.

While the buzz around the character has been overwhelmingly positive so far there were some growing pains in the early stages of conception. Tiana started out as Maddy, a maid to an affluent white family. There were complaints and concerns regarding the stereotypes that were at work or could be implied here so the story was reworked to reflect a more realistic image of a young African American girl.

The Princess and the Frog stars Terrence Howard, John Goodman, Anika Noni Rose and Oprah Winfrey and is set to be released December 11, 2009.

Sources:
CNN.com
IMDB

#1 17 Again from Warner Bros takes the #1 spot this weekend earning $23.7 million in 3255 theaters. Budget for 17 is unknown.

#2 State of Play from Universal takes the #s spot earning $14 million in 2803 theaters. Budget for Play is unknown.

#3 Hannah Montana The Movie from Buena Vista drops to #3 this weekend earning $13.4 million in 3118 theaters. Budget for Hannah is unknown.

#4 Monsters Vs. Aliens from drops to #4 earning $13.2 million in 3662 theaters. Budget for Monsters was $175 million.

#5 Fast and Furious from Universal drops to #5 this weekend earning $11.7 million in 3674 theaters. Budget for Furious was $85 million.

Rounding out the top 10 are:

#6 Crank: High Voltage Weekend Gross: $6,963,565 / Theaters: 2223 / Gross $6,963,565 / Budget: unknown

#7 Observe and Report Weekend Gross: $4,174,939, down 62% / Theaters: 2727 / Gross $18,812,239 / Budget: $18 million

#8 Knowing Weekend Gross: $3,574,727, down 44% / Theaters: 2405, down 520 / Gross $73,795,283 / Budget: unknown

#9 I Love You, Man Weekend Gross: $3,327,668 down 47% / Theaters: 2202, down 441 / Gross $64,614,979 / Budget: unknown

#10 The Haunting in Connecticut Weekend Gross: $3,114,892 down 47% / Theaters: 2255 / Gross $51,883,389 / Budget: unknown

A note on “Gross”: On average, studios will earn approximately 55 percent of the final gross.

Sources:

Box Office Mojo

Is 20th getting ready to close Fox Atomic? According to Variety the rumor this weekend is that they may be doing just that.

Per Variety, according to sources Debbie Liebling has been offered a spot at 20th from which she could continue to develop the kinds of properties she has shown a distinct knack for. No word on what might happen for the rest of the staff.

Fox Atomic was started by Peter Rice and grew up around Liebling in 07 and made its name on genre pieces like 28 Weeks Later and comedies like Miss March. Unfortunately Atomic’s comedies have been inconsistent to the point that in ’08 20th and Searchlight took over sales efforts for Atomic.

Atomic hoped to hit it big this year with its two best commercial efforts with the Chris Columbus piece I Love You Beth Cooper and the Megan Fox shocker Jennifer’s Body. Presumably Liebling’s projects will follow her to 20th including 28 Months Later and the new Sacha Baron Cohen vehicle Accidents.

Sources:
Variety

Variety—Richard Jenkins has signed to star opposite Julia Roberts in “Eat, Pray, Love” for Columbia Pictures.
The film, based on the international bestseller by Elizabeth Gilbert, centers around a married woman who embarks on a journey of self-discovery after trying to get pregnant and realizing that she’s not living the life she wants. Jenkins will play a Texan whom Roberts’ character befriends at an Indian ashram. Jenkins currently has two films waiting for release: the Screen Gems property “Dear John” and the indie “Waiting for Forever.”
To be directed by Ryan Murphy, “Eat, Pray, Love” had originally been set up at Paramount Pictures but was put in turnaround earlier this year. Brad Pitt and Dede Gardner are producing through Plan B. Shooting begins in July and will travel from New York to Rome, India and Bali.

Sources:
Variety
IMDB

#1 Hannah Montana The Movie from Buena Vista takes the #1 spot this weekend earning $32.3 million in 3118 theaters. Budget for Hannah is unknown.

#2 Fast and Furious from Universal drops to the #2 spot this weekend earning $27.2 million in 3472 theaters. Budget for Furious was $85 million.

#3 Monsters Vs. Aliens from DreamWorks drops to #3 this weekend earning $21.8 million in 4136 theaters. Budget for Monsters was $175 million.

#4 Observe and Report from Warner Bros. debuts at #4 this weekend earning $11 million in 2727 theaters. Budget for Report was $18 million.

#5 Knowing from Summit drops to #5 this weekend earning $6.4 million in 2925 theaters. Budget for Knowing is unknown.

Rounding out the top 10 are:

#6 I Love You, Man Weekend Gross: $6,280,790 down 18% / Theaters: 2643, down 186 / Gross $58,865,219 / Budget: $60 million

#7 The Haunting in Connecticut Weekend Gross: $5,901,215 down 37% / Theaters: 2721, down 11 / Gross $46,488,580 / Budget: unknown

#8 Dragonball Evolution Weekend Gross: $4,756,488 / Theaters: 2181 / Gross $4,756,488 / Budget: unknown

#9 Adventureland Weekend Gross: $3,353,618, down 41% / Theaters: 1,876, up 14 / Gross $11,370,909 / Budget: unknown

#10 Duplicity Weekend Gross: $2,995,850
down 28% / Theaters: 1995, down 557 / Gross $36,847,445 / Budget: $60 million

A note on “Gross”: On average, studios will earn approximately 55 percent of the final gross.

Sources:

Box Office Mojo