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Carter Reunites with Burton and Depp for Musical
19 October 2006 (WENN)
Helena Bonham Carter will re-team Tim Burton and Johnny Depp in the big screen adaptation of Sweeney Todd. Carter, Burton's longtime off-screen partner, has starring roles in Burton-directed films such as Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, Big Fish and Planet Of The Apes. Carter and Depp starred in Charlie And The Chocolate Factory together and both voiced characters in Burton's animated film Corpse Bride. She will play the devious Mrs. Lovett in the new film, a role originated onstage by Angela Lansbury, who is a murderess who dispenses of her victims' bodies in meat pies and becomes the girlfriend and accomplice of the Demon Barber of Fleet Street, played by Depp. In most stage productions of the musical, Mrs. Lovett has been nearly a decade older than the Demon Barber and is usually someone in her fifties, but Carter and Depp are both in their early forties. Media reports has British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen joining the cast as rival barber Signor Adolfo Pirelli, but the studio would not confirm whether he'll be part of the film. Shooting begins early next year for a late 2007 release.

'Fog' Obscures Box Office
18 October 2005 (StudioBriefing)
It was a dismal weekend at the box office. Final figures proved to be even lower than already low weekend estimates, with the top film, Sony's The Fog, earning only $11.8 million. DreamWorks Animation's Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit was close behind with $11.5 million. Two other new films were regarded as disappointments. Paramount's Elizabethtown had a soft opening with $10.6 million, to place third, while New Line's Domino collapsed with $4.7 million, placing seventh. The total box-office take amounted to $87.8 million, down 10 percent from the comparable weekend a year ago.

The top ten films over the weekend, according to final figures compiled by Exhibitor Relations (figures in parentheses represent total gross to date): 1. The Fog, Sony, $11,752,917, (New); 2. Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, DreamWorks, $11,527,216, 1 Wks. ($33,107,497); 3. Elizabethtown, Paramount, $10,618,711, (New); 4. Flightplan, Disney, $6,492,315, 4 Wks. ($70,783,611); 5. In Her Shoes, 20th Century Fox, $6,105,949, 2 Wks. ($20,056,003); 6. Two for the Money, Universal, $4,686,110, 2 Wks. ($16,595,490); 7. Domino, New Line, $4,670,120, (New); 8. A History of Violence, New Line, $3,600,474, 4 Wks. ($22,364,443); 9. Tim Burton's Corpse Bride, Warner Bros., $3,577,465, 4 Wks. ($47,769,285); 10. The Gospel, Screen Gems, $3,118,704, 2 Wks. ($12,091,852).

'The Fog' Clouds Box Office
17 October 2005 (StudioBriefing)
With little publicity or marketing, Sony's horror flick The Fog crept into some 3,000 theaters over the weekend and accounted for about $12.2 million in ticket sales. If estimates stand, it beat last weekend's winner, Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, by $500,000. Other new entries were fogbound. Cameron Crowe's Elizabethtown managed to take in only $11 million for Paramount while New Line's Domino fell with just $4.7 million. All in all the box office was down about 10 percent from the comparable weekend a year ago when the third week of Shark Tale led the field. But if major releases appeared lackluster, some films entering the market in limited release were performing winningly. They included George Clooney's Good Night, and Good Luck, which had three very good and lucky nights as it earned $1.37 million in just 69 art houses, for an average of about $20,000 per theater. Sony's The Squid and the Whale brought in $300,054 in its second week at 27 theaters, averaging just over $11,000 per theater. Warner Bros. did get some good news over the weekend. It crossed the $1-billion mark in total ticket sales for the year, marking the fifth consecutive year it has passed that milestone. It was the second studio this year to do so. Fox passed $1 billion last July, thanks largely to the performance of the final Star Wars movie.

The top ten films for the weekend, according to studio estimates compiled by Exhibitor Relations: 1. The Fog, $12.2 million; 2. Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, $11.7 million; 3. Elizabethtown, $11 million; 4. Flightplan, $6.5 million; 5. In Her Shoes, $6.1 million; 6. Domino, $4.7 million; 7. Two for the Money, $4.6 million; 8. A History of Violence, $3.6 million; 9. Tim Burton's Corpse Bride, $3.5 million; 10. The Gospel, $3.2 million.

Aftermath of the Curse
11 October 2005 (StudioBriefing)
Many of the sets and plasticine characters used for the filming of Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit turned out to be the only survivors of Monday's fire at a Bristol, England warehouse that destroyed the rest of Aardman Animation's sets, props, storyboards, and characters, the company said today (Monday). The Were-Rabbit artifacts, it disclosed, were saved because they were being exhibited elsewhere in England (including the Imperial War Museum) to promote the movie. Director Nick Park said that he had been carrying the Wallace & Gromit characters from the latest film in his suitcase. He told the London Sun: "They have been going with me on a world tour. I keep them safe in a special suitcase. They were with me at my house when the fire happened. ... I rang up the office this morning to find out how the film had done in the US. I was told the great news that it was Number One and then they said there was some bad news as well." In reporting on the aftermath of the fire the London Times observed today: "Not since Ben Hur's chariot went up in smoke when Cecil B DeMille's original wooden studio caught fire has the film world suffered such a loss."

The top ten films over the weekend, according to final figures compiled by Exhibitor Relations (figures in parentheses represent total gross to date): 1. Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, DreamWorks, $16,025,987, (New); 2. Flightplan, Disney, $10,764,440, 3 Wks. ($60,916,649); 3. In Her Shoes, 20th Century Fox, $10,017,575, (New); 4. Two for the Money, Universal, $8,703,240, (New); 5. The Gospel, Screen Gems, $7,523,571, (New); 6. Tim Burton's Corpse Bride, Warner Bros., $6,511,336, 3 Wks. ($42,116,028); 7. Waiting..., Lions Gate, $6,021,106, (New); 8. Serenity, Universal, $5,352,090, 2 Wks. ($18,020,875); 9. A History of Violence, New Line, $5,067,000, 3 Wks. ($16,638,684); 10. Into the Blue, Sony, $4,830,342, 2 Wks. ($13,903,087).

Movies To Be Beamed From U.S. To Japanese Theaters
11 October 2005 (StudioBriefing)
Warner Bros. announced in Tokyo Monday that it will participate in a year-long test of the new "4K" digital cinema format. The test will include Nippon Telegraph & Telephone, which will distribute Warner's films via fiber-optic cable, and Toho Cinemas, which will present the films in three theaters in Osaka and Tokyo, using projectors developed by JVC. As the tests expand, new 4K projectors being developed by Sony will also be employed. The films, beginning with Tim Burton's Corpse Bride, will be transmitted to Japan directly from Warner's headquarters in Burbank, CA.

For Aardman, The News Wasn't All Bad
10 October 2005 (StudioBriefing)
The fire that destroyed Aardman Animation studios in Bristol, England today (Monday) occurred just as studio officials were tallying weekend receipts showing that the company's Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit had opened in first place at the domestic box office with $16.1 million. It took in an additional $9.2 million in 13 other countries, including $5 million at 487 previews in the U.K. on Saturday and Sunday. Released by DreamWorks Animation in the U.S. (and UIP abroad), the movie performed about as expected during a lackluster weekend at the nation's theaters, which saw the Jodie Foster thriller Flightplan land in second place with $10.8 million after holding on to the top spot for the previous two weekends. The remaining top five were all new releases, with In Her Shoes opening in third place with $10 million; Two for the Money, in fourth with $8.4 million; and The Gospel, in fifth with $8 million. The critically acclaimed Good Night, and Good Luck, about legendary TV journalist Edward R. Murrow's 1954 clash with Red-hunting Senator Joseph McCarthy earned $420,000 at 11 theaters.

The top ten films for the weekend, according to studio estimates compiled by Exhibitor Relations: 1. Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, $16.1 million; 2. Flightplan, $10.8 million; 3. In Her Shoes, $10 million; 4. Two for the Money, $8.4 million; 5. The Gospel, $8 million; 6. Tim Burton's Corpse Bride, $6.5 million; 7. Waiting ..., $5.7 million; 8. A History of Violence, $5.1 million; 9. Serenity, $4.9 million; 10. Into the Blue, $4.8 million.

'Flightplan' Remains Aloft Box Office
4 October 2005 (StudioBriefing)
The Jodie Foster thriller Flightplan flew high above a slew of new arrivals at the nation's theaters over the weekend, taking first place at the box office for the second week in a row. Flightplan, which was released by Disney on 3,424 screens took in $14.8 million, averaging $4,324 per screen. But the No. 2 film, Universal's Serenity, which was released on 2,188 screens and took in $10.08 million, had a slightly higher per-screen average, $4,610. So did the No. 4 film, New Line's A History of Violence, which was released on just 1,340 screens and took in $8,1 million. It had the highest per-screen average of all films in wide release with $6,047. Meanwhile, Universal's The 40 Year-Old Virgin passed the $100-million mark in gross ticket sales after seven weeks.

The top ten films over the weekend, according to final figures compiled by Exhibitor Relations (figures in parentheses represent total gross to date): 1. Flightplan, Disney, $14,805,739, 2 Wks. ($45,912,018); 2. Serenity, Universal, $10,086,680, (New); 3. Tim Burton's Corpse Bride, Warner Bros., $10,033,257, 2 Wks. ($33,188,109); 4. A History of Violence, New Line, $8,103,077, 2 Wks. ($8,871,781); 5. Into The Blue, Sony, $7,057,854, (New); 6. Just Like Heaven, DreamWorks, $6,128,180, 3 Wks. ($38,424,283); 7. The Exorcism of Emily Rose, Screen Gems, $4,380,280, 4 Wks. ($68,502,023); 8. Roll Bounce, Fox Searchlight, $4,029,257, 2 Wks. ($12,677,124); 9. The Greatest Game Ever Played, Disney, $3,657,322, (New); 10. The 40 Year-Old Virgin, Universal, $3,120,045, 5 Wks. ($101,405,778).

Ho-Hum Weekend at Box Office
3 October 2005 (StudioBriefing)
Moviegoers showed little enthusiasm for a slate of new movies and instead returned Disney's Flightplan to the top position for the second week in a row. The film earned $15 million, down 39 percent from its opening-weekend figures. Universal's Serenity, based on Joss Whedon's quickly canceled TV series Firefly, debuted in second place with $10 million. Analysts observed that nearly half of those who went to see it identified themselves as fans of the TV show. The animated Tim Burton's Corpse Bride followed in third place with $9.8 million. Expanding into wide release, David Cronenberg's critically praised A History of Violence finished with just $8.2 million. Another newcomer, Sony's Into the Blue was set to come into the red as it posted just $7 million. And Disney's golf movie The Greatest Game Ever Played finished in the rough with $3.75 million. Overall, the box office earned $92 million, down 18 percent from the comparable weekend a year ago.

The top ten films for the weekend, according to studio estimates compiled by Exhibitor Relations: 1. Flightplan, $15 million; 2. Serenity, $10.1 million; 3. Tim Burton's Corpse Bride, $9.8 million; 4. A History of Violence, $8.2 million; 5. Into the Blue, $7 million; 6. Just Like Heaven, $6.1 million; 7. The Exorcism of Emily Rose, $4.4 million; 8. Roll Bounce, $4 million; 9. The Greatest Game Ever Played, $3.75 million; 10. The 40-Year-Old Virgin, $3.1 million.

Record September Box-Office Estimate Takes Flight
27 September 2005 (StudioBriefing)
Tim Burton's Corpse Bride fell short of the $20.1 million that Warner Bros. had estimated it would earn over the weekend, coming in at $19.1 million. Analysts had indicated before the final results came in that, with the No. 1 film, Flightplan, earning $24.6 million, for the first time two films had taken in more than $20 million on a single September weekend. The results, however, were the best for any animated film opening in September.

The top ten films over the weekend, according to final figures compiled by Exhibitor Relations (figures in parentheses represent total gross to date): 1. Flightplan, Disney, $24,629,938, (New); 2. Tim Burton's Corpse Bride, Warner Bros., $19,145,480, 2 Wks. ($19,656,451); 3. Just Like Heaven, DreamWorks, $9,621,591, 2 Wks. ($29,818,607); 4. Roll Bounce, Fox Searchlight, $7,570,366, (New); 5. The Exorcism of Emily Rose, Screen Gems, $7,448,102, 3 Wks. ($62,256,212); 6. Lord of War, Lions Gate, $5,034,906, 2 Wks. ($17,382,050); 7. The 40 Year Old Virgin, Universal, $4,310,270, 4 Wks. ($96,944,308); 8. The Constant Gardener, Focus Features, $2,324,326, 4 Wks. ($27,662,007); 9. Transporter 2, 20th Century Fox, $2,227,033, 4 Wks. ($39,902,491); 10. Cry_Wolf, Focus Features, $2,189,343, 2 Wks. ($7,454,801).

Foster Movie Is Top-Flight
26 September 2005 (StudioBriefing)
The box office took flight over the weekend as two new movies performed far better than analysts' predictions. Disney's Flightplan, starring Jodie Foster, premiered with $24.6 million, while Warner Bros.' animated Corpse Bride, widening its release, earned $20.1 million. Daily Variety observed that it was the first time that two new films opened with more than $20 million in September. The two hits helped push the weekend box office 39 percent above the figure for the same weekend a year ago, despite the fact that dozens, if not hundreds, of theaters were closed because of Hurricane Rita. (Houston, which was evacuated, is the fourth-largest market in the U.S.) A third new film, Roll Bounce, opened with $8 million, putting it in fourth place, just behind last week's box-office winner, Just Like Heaven, whose gross declined 40 percent to $9.8 million.

The top ten films for the weekend, according to studio estimates compiled by Exhibitor Relations: 1. Flightplan, $24.6 million; 2. Tim Burton's Corpse Bride, $20.1 million; 3. Just Like Heaven, $9.8 million; 4. Roll Bounce, $8 million; 5. The Exorcism of Emily Rose, $7.5 million; 6. Lord of War, $4.9 million; 7. The 40-Year-Old Virgin, $4.3 million; 8. The Constant Gardener, $2.2 million; 9. Transporter 2, $2.15 million; 10. Cry_Wolf, $2.1 million.

Movie Reviews: 'Corpse Bride'
23 September 2005 (StudioBriefing)
Tim Burton's animated Corpse Bride moves from limited to wide release this weekend and is continuing to draw rave reviews. Wesley Morris in the Boston Globe says that Burton "has rarely been in brisker, friskier form. This picture is 77 minutes, and while not all of them whiz by, they don't feel laden, either. ... The picture's industrious expressionism alone makes you forget the time." Bruce Westbrook in the Houston Chronicle calls it "the best-looking, stop-motion animation film ever." Roger Ebert in the Chicago Sun-Times observed that Corpse Bride "is not the macabre horror story the title suggests, but a sweet and visually lovely tale of love lost." And Eleanor Ringel Gillespie in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes: "The movie is a bit betwixt and between -- whimsical but eerie, funny but melancholy. That said, Corpse Bride truly is like nothing else at the movies these days."

Burton's 'Corpse Bride' Expecting a Lucrative Honeymoon
14 September 2005 (StudioBriefing)
Reporters and critics attending the Toronto International Film Festival are predicting that Tim Burton will have his second big hit in two months (the other was Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) with the animated Corpse Bride, which opens domestically on Sept. 23. The film uses stop-motion animation, which today's (Wednesday) San Jose Mercury News described as "probably the most labor-intensive form of filmmaking ever invented." However, Burton suggested that if the film turns out to be a hit, other films using the process will follow. He told the newspaper: "In Hollywood, they think drawn animation doesn't work anymore, computers are the way. They forget that the reason computers are the way is that Pixar makes good movies. So everybody tries to copy Pixar. They're relying too much on the technology and not enough on the artists. The fact that Disney closed down its cel animation division is frightening to me. Someday soon, somebody will come along and do a drawn-animated film, and it'll be beautiful and connect with people, and they'll all go, 'Oh, we've got to do that!' It's ridiculous."

Burton's Animated Film Evokes Cheers at Venice Film Fest
7 September 2005 (StudioBriefing)
Tim Burton's animated Corpse Bride, which screened at the Venice Film Festival tonight (Wednesday) received a "thunderous reception" at an earlier press preview, according to Reuters. The wire service said that it took 10 years for Burton to bring the project to the screen, since he relied on stop-motion animation using clay models, a time consuming process that allows only a few seconds of footage to be shot in a single day (although a gearing mechanism inside the puppets' heads to achieve changes of expression speeded up the process somewhat). "It can be tedious work," said co-director Mike Johnson in the production notes. "It's just the kind of thing that you have to be passionate about and willing to commit to completely."