Two weak new entries shook up the charts in a lackluster weekend at the box office. Neither Hall Pass nor Drive Angry 3D could liven up the charts in February. Instead, Gnomeo and Juliet, an animated kid film in its third week, overtook first place by default with $14 million. Hall Pass settled for $13 million and runner up. Nicolas Cage’s latest action effort barely made the lineup with a ninth place debut; a paltry $5 million.
Well, the entertainment industry’s biggest night just came to a close. The King’s Speech predictably won Best Picture. Oddly enough, the Tom Hooper-helmed costume drama only managed to win big in three other categories: Director (Tom Hooper), Actor (Colin Firth), and Original Screenplay (David Seidler). Period pieces tend to do well in the technical races – especially ones that win Best Picture – but prevailing there were films such as Alice in Wonderland (God help us), Inception, and The Social Network.
The recent debut of I am Number Four must have been a letdown for several at DreamWorks, including director D.J. Caruso (Disturbia, Eagle Eye). Still, the man continues to get gigs! Caruso recently tweeted that he has been tapped to take over the long in-production comic adaptation of Preacher, based on the series by Garth Ennis.
This week’s releases sees an invasion of European films, with entries from Britain, France, Sweden and Italy. Other major releases include three animated adventures (two with superheroes), some comedies and a classic psychological thriller. Enjoy.
Romeo + Juliet and Moulin Rouge! Director Baz Luhrmann has been mulling over whether to pursue his already-cast adaptation of The Great Gatsby, but after some bouts of uncertainty, he confirmed that he would in fact direct the film, which will be shot in 3D.
What’s in a name? Not much, apparently. Unknown dominated the weekend box office sliding just ahead of I Am Number Four which had to settle for number two. Big Mammas: Like Father, Like Son earned $17 million, about half the opening of the previous two entries. Both Gnomeo and Juliet and The King’s Speech had staying power. All that, and the holiday weekend is not even over.
Disney’s upcoming Oz, The Great and Powerful doesn’t exactly boast the most solid production history, but things are certainly looking up for theWizard of Oz prequel, as Mila Kunis is now expected to play the iconic Wicked Witch of the West. According to Vulture, the That 70’s Show alum recently met with director Sam Raimi and James Franco, who’s been circling Oz’s titular role.
When Jon Favreau left the helm of Iron Man 3 – primarily to direct Disney’s Magic Kingdom – many were confused about who would hop on board, but as previously reported, we now know that Shane Black will be directing Iron Man 3.
Alice Eve’s star has been on the rise since her starring
role in She’s Out of My League. She’s been in the running for roles in both Captain
America: The First Avenger and X-Men:
First Class. Now, she’s finally nabbed a tentpole role, albeit a small one, in Men in Black III, which reboots production next month. According to Deadline
Hollywood, she’ll be playing the younger Olivia (Emma Thompson plays her in
present-day) in the storyline centered on time travel. The MIB Agency
hires this character in 1969 as a secretary. Though she’s drop-dead gorgeous
(hence the casting of Eve), she’s actually quite intelligent.
We can now stop referring to them as “Sherlock Holmes 2” and Marc Webb’s untitled “Spider-Man” reboot. The December 2011 and July 2012 tentpoles, respectively, will be called Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows and The Amazing Spider-Man. Inspired? Bothered? What’s in a name anyway?
