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17 articles
IMAX In Your Home
12 hours ago
At the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas Wednesday, Panasonic unveiled a new plasma-screen TV model that could justifiably be called a 3D IMAX for the home. Measuring 152 inches wide with nearly four times the definition of standard high-definition screens, the unnamed model "faithfully reproduc[es] 3D content such as Hollywood movie titles," Panasonic said in a statement. Panasonic also disclosed that the panel incorporates a technology that displays a frame-at-a-time method rather than the current line-at-a-time method, thereby delivering a "true 3D movie-theater experience." The company did not indicate when the new display will be marketed or how much it will cost. Meanwhile, several reports indicated that the CES exhibition hall appeared to be flooded with 3D prototypes and new models from top Asian manufacturers. Commented Daily Variety: "These products make clear that 3D is about to make a big leap to smaller screens." (Or, in Panasonic's case, bigger screens as well.) »
Marvel Superheroes Playing Musical Chairs
12 hours ago
Wasting no time following Nikki Finke's DeadlineHollywood.com report that production delays would make Sony's scheduled premiere of Spider-Man 4 unlikely on May 6, 2011, Paramount jumped on the date to release its own Marvel superhero movie, Thor, Daily Variety reported today (Thursday). The film had been scheduled to debut on May 20. On the heels of Paramount's move, Disney nabbed the May 20 date for the premiere of its Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. All of which could result in a musical-chairs-like scramble, since Sony has still not officially given up the May 6 release date for Spider-Man 4. Meanwhile, Movieline.com has published what it says are "leaked" script notes between Amy Pascal, co-chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment, and Spider-Man director Sam Raimi in which Pascal describes the screenplay as an "utter mess" and goes on to add, "Looks like we might have to junk the whole thing." (It's not clear whether she's referring to the script or the movie.) Many of the notes seem so over-the-top absurd that the entire "leak" might well be considered a hoax. For example: "PG-13! PG-13! No nudity! Where is this coming from? And full-frontal? Maguire has total nevernude rider, he's not even working out this time (he's really porked up since starving himself for Brothers). ... Definitely definitely no d*ck. CAA [Maguire's talent agency] will f****** kill me if they even ever see this page. Tear Out And Burn." »
“The Hangover” Now Setting Records On DVD
12 hours ago
The Hangover has enhanced its reputation as the sleeper hit of 2009 with the release of the DVD version of the movie. The relatively low-budget comedy that starred virtually unknown actors -- and received mediocre reviews when it debuted in theaters -- has in three weeks become the top-selling comedy DVD in history, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment said on Wednesday. Released on December 15, with just 16 days left in the year, the film wound up as the year's No. 2 best seller, behind the original Twilight. The Hangover had already taken the title as the highest-grossing R-rated comedy in theatrical history when it earned $467 million at the worldwide box office last year. In a related development, Video Business magazine, which focuses on the home video market, said Wednesday that it is closing down after 29 years effective at once. On its website, the publication describes itself as a "A Variety Group News Weekly." »
Netflix Agrees To Delay Mailing Warner’S DVD’S
12 hours ago
Netflix subscribers will now have to wait four weeks after a Warner Bros. movie is released on DVD to add it to their rental queue. That was the outcome of negotiations between the online "rentailer" and the movie studio. In return for the concession, however, Warner Bros. will allow Netflix to make its movies available instantaneously to its nearly 12 million customers via online streaming. Netflix will also reportedly receive a deep discount on Warner's new discs. Netflix chief content officer Ted Sarandos told today's (Thursday) Los Angeles Times, "We've come up with a creative solution that is a 'win-win' all around." »
Who Owns Sherlock Holmes?
6 January 2010 10:48 AM, PST
Claims by Andrea Plunket, the ex-wife of the late Sheldon Reynolds, who produced a Sherlock Holmes TV series in the 1950s, that she controls the Holmes copyrights and can withhold her approval of a sequel if she regards the content to be unacceptable were denounced Tuesday by Chicago attorney Jon Lellenberg, the administrator of the Estate of Dame Jean Conan Doyle. In an email statement, Lellenberg said that the estate signed three contracts with Warner Bros.: one for character rights in the Sherlock Holmes movie, another for merchandising rights, and the third for a related Tom & Jerry cartoon. He noted that the estate has won numerous federal court cases filed by Plunket and is currently trying to collect on several judgments against her for attorneys fees and costs in those cases. Asked whether it is possible that Plunket also signed a contract with Warner Bros., Lellenberg replied that if the studio "paid her something re nuisance value ... we will go after it to discharge the judgments against her." Attempts to reach a spokesman for Warner Bros. to comment on the matter were unsuccessful. »
Spider-man 4 Stuck In Production Web
6 January 2010 10:47 AM, PST
Sony executives are awaiting a new version of the script for Spider-Man 4 before committing to a new date for the start of production, Nikki Finke reported on her DeadlineHollywood.com website on Tuesday. She quoted a source as saying that it was unlikely that the film will be ready for release on May 11, 2011 as previously scheduled. Meanwhile, today's (Wednesday) Hollywood Reporter reported that studio execs and director Sam Raimi are at loggerheads over the villain in the movie, with a succession of writers trying to "marry" the viewpoints of the two sides. The trade publication, which did not cite sources, said that production could still begin by this summer and, if so, could make its planned release date by the following May. »
Disney Unveils New Plan To Distribute Movies Online
6 January 2010 10:46 AM, PST
The Walt Disney Co. has unveiled a new technology that will allow consumers to buy a movie online, store it remotely, then be able to watch it on a personal computer, a television set, or a cellphone on demand. Reuters reported on Tuesday that Disney plans to announce partners for the technology, dubbed KeyChest, at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week and hopes that all of Hollywood's studios will participate. "The idea is to have all the movies consumers want to buy available in this way," Kelly Summers, vice president of digital distribution at Disney, told Reuters. "If it's Disney only, there really isn't much value here," she said. She emphasized that KeyChest will not be accessible directly. A consumer would be able to buy a movie from a local online or brick-and-mortar store, which would then send the information to KeyChest, which would in turn release the movie to the consumer. »
“Avatar” Fastest Pirated Movie
6 January 2010 10:45 AM, PST
Avatar has set yet another record -- the fastest pirated movie yet, according to TorrentFreak.com. The website, which tracks BitTorrent usage, said that the movie was downloaded 500,000 times in its first two days in theaters and 900,000 times during the first week. The figure compares with the previous record of 610,000 downloads for The Twilight Saga: New Moon, which was reportedly downloaded 610,000 times during its first week in theaters. Clearly, however, the downloading has had little impact on theatrical ticket sales, which have already crossed the $1-billion mark. Those who have downloaded it still want to see it in 3D, a studio spokesman told the London Times, adding, "Seeing the movie in 3D in a cinema offers an experience that cannot be replicated." »
“Avatar” Opens In China -- Late
6 January 2010 10:44 AM, PST
Since China had already allowed its annual quota of 20 foreign films to be distributed during 2009, Avatar had to wait until Monday to be released -- but it nevertheless opened with a bang (by Chinese standards). The movie earned $4.8 million at 3D, 2D and IMAX theaters, according to the state-run film importer China Film Group. A publicist for the state-run distributor told the Associated Press on Tuesday that he believes the movie will break the current Chinese box-office record, set earlier this year by 2012. "I think it has very good momentum, he said. »
“Avatar” Likely To Sink “Titanic” 2
5 January 2010 11:57 AM, PST
It seemed more likely than ever Monday that James Cameron was likely to sink his own ship. Final weekend figures put Avatar's weekend take at $68.49 million, bringing the 20th Century Fox film's 17-day total to $352.11 million. (It crossed the $1-billion mark overseas.) It seemed clear that the film was also generating enthusiastic word of mouth and repeat business not seen since Cameron's Titanic. Moreover, Avatar has going for it something that Titanic did not: premium 3-D pricing in most theaters and premium-pricing-plus in IMAX theaters, where the movie has already set records. (The film's worldwide IMAX total now stands at $66.4 million.) But Avatar was not the only film to perform impressively over the weekend. Warner Bros.' Sherlock Holmes took in $36.61 million over the weekend, bringing its two-week total to $138.72 million. It came in slightly ahead of Fox's Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel, which wound up with $35.19 million to bring its two-week total to $155.92 million. In addition, in its seventh week Warner's The Blind Side crossed the $200-million mark. According to Daily Variety, it's the first film "driven solely by a top female star" (Sandra Bullock) ever to do so. »
Producers Announce Nominees For Zanuck Award
5 January 2010 11:56 AM, PST
The Producers Guild of America, one of the most trustworthy bellwethers of Oscar success, has selected the producers of Avatar, An Education, District 9, The Hurt Locker, Inglourious Basterds, Invictus, Precious, Star Trek, Up and Up in the Air as its nominees for the Darryl F. Zanuck Producer of the Year Award. Like the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which awards the Oscars, the 4,200-member PGA this year boosted the number of nominees from five to ten. All of the nominees have appeared on the awards lists of other film guilds and critics groups. The winner is due to be announced on January 24. The winner has gone on to take the best picture Oscar in 13 of the last 20 years. »
How Gay Will Sherlock Holmes Become?
5 January 2010 11:55 AM, PST
For reasons of his own, Robert Downey Jr. has chosen to embellish what some critics have seen as a "homoerotic subtext" in the new Sherlock Holmes movie. In one interview last month, Downey said that the movie was about two men who "wrestle a lot and sleep in the same bed." (Holmes and Watson do not do so in the movie itself.) More recently he remarked that he regarded Holmes as a "butch homosexual." His remarks may have proved intriguing enough to boost ticket sales for the movie, which had chalked up more than $140 million after only its second weekend, but they have not sat well with Andrea Plunket, who claims that she owns the U.S. rights to the Sherlock Holmes characters. She told the London Sunday Times, "I hope this is just an example of Mr. Downey's black sense of humor. It would be drastic, but I would withdraw permission for more films to be made if they feel that is a theme they wish to bring out in the future." (Plunket is the ex-wife of the late TV producer Sheldon Reynolds, who produced a Sherlock Holmes TV series in the 1950s. According to Holmesian.net, her claims that she owns the rights to the characters have been rejected in federal court, and her attempt to trademark the name Sherlock Holmes was likewise rejected by the U.S. patent office. Officially the Estate of Dame Jean Conan Doyle is registered as the owner of the Sherlock Holmes copyrights. In response to an email inquiry from Studio Briefing, Jon Lellenberg, the attorney for the estate said, "Her claims to own U.S. rights to Conan Doyle's protected works and characters are entirely bogus, and we are continuing to collect on several judgments against her for attorneys fees and costs in those federal court cases despite her attempts to evade.") »
DVD Rentals Rise Despite -- Or Because Of --Redbox
5 January 2010 11:52 AM, PST
Seeming to bear out Redbox's claim that consumers are not cutting back on DVD rentals, just renting more, a report by Rentrak's Home Video Essentials said Monday that spending on DVD and Blu-ray rentals rose 4.1 percent to $6.5 billion in 2009, even though rentals in video stores declined 3.2 percent. What accounted for the growth, the report said, was a 94-percent upsurge in spending at rental kiosks, particularly Redbox. According to the study, Redbox rentals generated nearly $1 billion in revenue for the year. However, total rental sales sagged during the fourth quarter, which Rentrak exec Brad Hackley attributed to the additional closures of hundreds of brick-and-mortar stores. »
“Avatar” Chases “Titanic”
4 January 2010 11:51 AM, PST
Propelled by enthusiastic word of mouth and repeat business unrivaled since Titanic, Avatar crossed the $1-billion mark in just its third week at the worldwide box office. Over the New Year's weekend, it brought in an estimated $68.3 million at the domestic box office to bring its North American total to $352.11 million after 17 days. IMAX screenings accounted for $66.4 million of that total, easily setting a record for the ultra-widescreen format. The movie already ranks No. 4 on the list of all-time box-office champs, behind Titanic ($1.84 billion), Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King ($1.12 billion, and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest ($1.07 billion). Even with Avatar out of the picture, the box office performed remarkably well. In its second weekend, Warner Bros.' Sherlock Holmes shot up $38.39 million and now boasts a gross of $140.68 million. Scampering close behind was Alvin and the Chipmunks with an impressive $36.6 million, bringing its three-week total to $157.35 million. Universal's romantic comedy It's Complicated deserved honorable mention as it took in $18.7 million, down just 15 percent from last weekend. Its two-week total comes to $59.1 million. »
2009: A Record Year For Hollywood
4 January 2010 11:49 AM, PST
Hollywood finished the year with a record $10.61 billion in ticket sales, up 8 percent from 2008. Admissions were up 4 percent to 1.41 billion but failed to break the record set in 2002 when 1.60 billion tickets were sold. The top-grossing movie of the year was Paramount's Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen with $402.1 million. However, that figure is almost certain to be eclipsed by Fox's Avatar, which has already earned $352.1 million. Warner Bros. was the top-earning studio, setting a record with $2.13 billion, representing 20 percent of the industry's total. Paramount placed second with $1.46 billion, followed by Fox with $1.45 billion, Sony with $1.44 billion, and Disney with $1.21 billion. The 2009 solid results came about despite labor unrest within the film industry, turmoil at the executive level of many studios, wholesale firings at lower levels, depressed media stock prices, and cutbacks in overall production -- not to mention the general effect of the worldwide economic downturn. »
“Hurt Locker” Picks Up Another Prestigious Award
4 January 2010 11:48 AM, PST
It may have only earned $12.7 million at the domestic box office and $3.4 million overseas, but Summit Entertainment's The Hurt Locker reaffirmed its status as a dark-horse candidate for a best-picture Oscar Sunday when the prestigious National Society of Film Critics selected it as the best film of 2009. The film had recently received similar recognition from the New York Film Critics Circle and the Los Angeles Film Critics Assn. However, such groups often give their top prizes to so-called art films or foreign-language productions that rarely receive similar recognition from Oscar voters. »
MPAA Criticizes New York Permit Fee
4 January 2010 11:47 AM, PST
The Motion Picture Association of America is balking at new permit fees being charged by some government-owned buildings in New York City to film and TV companies for location shooting. Particularly affected are the the city's courthouses, used in numerous movies and TV shows, including NBC's Law & Order. As reported by today's (Monday) New York Times, city officials maintain that the $3,200 charge is justified by the costs of processing the permits and providing staff to the production. However, MPAA exec Vans Stevenson told the newspaper, "Our concern is that this could start a domino effect among other city agencies, which could make filming in New York cost-prohibitive. ... What's to stop the parks and sanitation departments or police stations or hospitals from instituting similar fees? We are living in a time when production costs and budgets are very tight, and these kinds of charges can make a difference in terms of the decision process [to film in New York]." John Johnston, executive director of the New York Production Alliance, said that the fee is likely to pose a serious obstacle for independent film producers trying to film in New York on a shoestring budget. "This is a highly mobile industry," he told the Times, "and history has shown that when it's more advantageous to move to adjacent states, that's what happens." »
17 articles
