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What Happens in Vegas... (2008)

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Was The Race(r) Fixed?
13 May 2008 (StudioBriefing)
Warner Bros. on Monday was being accused of cooking the books Monday after it turned out that their box-office estimate for the opening weekend of Speed Racer was way off the mark. The studio had predicted that the film would wind up with $20.2 million in ticket sales, putting it in second place. "It's far from the first time a studio with an underperforming pic has overestimated its Sunday gross and avoided an embarrassing third-place finish in Monday morning box office stories," Daily Variety commented today (Tuesday). The estimated figure, not the final one, is the one that receives the most play in the press -- if for no other reason than that Sunday is ordinarily a light news day. Few analysts had believed the studio's estimate, given the movie's weak showing on Friday and Saturday. (Weekend estimates include actual figures for Friday and Saturday and estimated sales for Sunday.) As things turned out, the movie debuted with just $18.6 million -- a figure that will no doubt cause heads eventually to fall at the studio, which reportedly spent $250-300 million to produce and market it. Taking over second place was the debuting romantic comedy What Happens in Vegas from 20th Century Fox, which wound up with $20.2 million, the same amount that had been forecast for Speed Racer. Meanwhile, the second weekend of Iron Man earned $51.2 million, more than the debuts of Vegas and Racer put together, keeping it in first place.

The top ten films over the weekend, according to final figures compiled by Media by Numbers (figures in parentheses represent total gross to date): 1. Iron Man, Paramount, $51,190,629, 2 Wks. ($177,825,024); 2. What Happens in Vegas, Fox, $20,172,474, (New); 3. Speed Racer, Warner Bros., $18,561,337, (New); 4. Made of Honor, Sony, $8,116,323, 2 Wks. ($26,791,494); 5. Baby Mama, Universal, $6,225,790, 3 Wks. ($40,836,370); 6. Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Universal, $3,837,240, 4 Wks. ($50,781,745); 7. Harold & Kumar Escape From Guantánamo Bay, Warner Bros., $3,106,424, 3 Wks. ($30,667,308); 8 . The Forbidden Kingdom, Lionsgate, $2,169,323, 4 Wks. ($48,530,104); 9. Nim's Island, Fox, $1,463,622, 6 Wks. ($44,395,857); 10. Prom Night, Sony, $1,012,986, 5 Wks. ($42,785,107).

Farina Apologizes After Gun Arrest
13 May 2008 (WENN)
Actor Dennis Farina has issued a public apology following his arrest for felony weapons possession charges. The What Happens In Vegas star was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport on Sunday morning after a loaded gun was found in his briefcase. The star was charged with carrying a concealed weapon following the discovery of the .22 caliber, semi-automatic pistol. The former Chicago police officer was released on Sunday night after posting $35,000 bail. Farina says, "I apologize to anyone and everyone that I have caused any embarrassment or inconvenience to. It is my own stupidity to find myself in this embarrassing situation."

'Speed Racer' A Wreck On First Lap
12 May 2008 (StudioBriefing)
Warner Bros.' Speed Racer was barely able to go from zero to 20 -- $20 million, that is -- and could turn out to become one of the biggest box-office wrecks in history. Most analysts low-balled their predictions at around $30-40 million, a conservative figure in itself given industry estimates that it cost as much as $300 million to produce and market. Warner Bros. estimated that it would actually end up with $20.2 million, putting it in second place behind Paramount/Marvel Studio's Iron Man, which grossed $50.5 million in its second week.That extra $200, 000 may have been tacked on in a face-saving effort to put it ahead of What Happens in Vegas, which opened with an estimated $20 million to place third. Some box office trackers forecast that Speed Racer might well trade places with Vegas when final figures are released later today (Monday).

The top ten films for the weekend, according to studio estimates compiled by Media by Numbers: 1. Iron Man, $50.5 million; 2. Speed Racer, $20.2 million; 3. What Happens in Vegas, $20 million; 4. Made of Honor, $7.6 million; 5. Baby Mama, $5.8 million; 6. Forgetting Sarah Marshall, $3.8 million; 7. Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantánamo Bay, $3.2 million; 8. The Forbidden Kingdom, $1.9 million; 9. Nim's Island, $1.3 million; 10. Redbelt, $1.14 million.

'Speed Racer' A Slow Starter Overseas, Too
12 May 2008 (StudioBriefing)
Speed Racer hit the overseas market with all gaskets blowing. It earned just $12.8 million in 30 countries, to place third at the international box office, behind Iron Man, which remained the top film with a gross of $39 million in its second week. (It has now grossed $165 million overseas. With its domestic gross, its worldwide total has reached $342.1 million after two weekends.) Twentieth Century Fox's What Happens in Vegas actually earned more overseas than it did in the U.S., drawing an estimated $23 million in 36 countries.

Racing For Second
9 May 2008 (StudioBriefing)
Few analysts expect Warner Bros.' Speed Racer to win the box-office race this weekend. The film -- likely to attract mostly families with small kids -- is expected to gross around $30-35 million. That's about a third of what Iron Man earned a week ago, so if that film drops even 60 percent, it would remain at the top. Analysts suggest that such a plunge is unlikely, especially given last week's exit polls indicating that it may even do considerable repeat business. Today's (Friday) Los Angeles Times indicated that Warner's top execs are concerned that Speed Racer has been tracking so poorly that only "a narrow sliver of boys 7 to 11 years old" seem eager to see it. Warner's marketing chief Sue Kroll told the Times that she was "bewildered" about the tracking surveys, noting that preview audiences have responded favorably to the film. "There is a disconnect between how people react to the film and what the tracking is indicating," she said. The studio's concern is no doubt amplified by the fact that the movie may have cost some $250-300 million to produce and market. Analysts are also not betting that What Happens in Vegas will hit the jackpot. The 20th Century Fox film, the only other major movie to open wide this weekend, is expected to earn around $15 million, perhaps less.

Movie Reviews: 'What Happens In Vegas'
9 May 2008 (StudioBriefing)
What Happens in Vegas, starring Ashton Kutcher and Cameron Diaz, shoots snake-eyes with critics. Some of their reactions: Rick Groen in the Toronto Globe and Mail: "What Happens in Vegas should damn well have stayed in Vegas." Joe Morgenstern in the Wall Street Journal: "What Happens in Vegas should have stayed in development -- forever." Manohla Dargis in the New York Times: "One of those junky time-wasters that routinely pop up in movie theaters." Claudia Puig in USA Today: "A mediocre movie that takes no chances." Michael Sragow in the Baltimore Sun: "A screwed-up screwball farce." And while Speed Racer at least got props from a few critics for artistic merit, Michael Phillips concludes tersely about Vegas in the Chicago Tribune: "The movie looks like crud."

Diaz Remembers Late Father During TV Interview
6 May 2008 (WENN)
Cameron Diaz fought back tears during a TV interview on Monday as she paid tribute to her late father. Diaz made her first public appearance following the death of her father, Emilio Diaz, at the Los Angeles premiere of her new film What Happens In Vegas on Thursday and continued to promote the project on show Good Morning America with co-star Ashton Kutcher. The smiling but clearly emotional actress said, "Well you know, it's one of things you don't really sum it up in a few words. I just think we're so fortunate as a family to have the family that we have and my father, he was dad." Emilio Diaz died suddenly last month, age 58, after a bout of influenza developed into pneumonia.

Diaz Not Hospitalized
25 April 2008 (WENN)
Cameron Diaz's publicists are denying reports the actress has been hospitalized with stress following her father's recent death. The movie star's What Happens In Vegas co-star, Ashton Kutcher, reportedly told photographers in London that Diaz was receiving "medical attention," but her representatives insist he was either misinformed or misquoted. A spokeswoman for Diaz says, "These reports are absolutely untrue. She has taken time off to be with her family and plans to return to work next week." Diaz's father, Emilio, died suddenly last week after succumbing to pneumonia. Diaz hosted a service in honor of her father on Saturday in California. The actress is expected to attend the Los Angeles premiere of What Happens In Vegas after missing out on the trip to London with Kutcher.

Timberlake & Mayer Give Diaz Support At Dad's Funeral
22 April 2008 (WENN)
Pop stars Justin Timberlake and John Mayer paid tribute to Cameron Diaz's late father Emilio on Saturday afternoon when they joined mourners at a memorial service in California. Emilio Diaz died suddenly last Tuesday, aged 58, after a bout of influenza developed into pneumonia. A memorial service, dubbed a Celebration of Life, was held in Mahe in Seal Beach, where attendees were urged to embrace the late Emilio's humor and lively spirit in their dress. A source tells People.com, "Most people started arriving at 1:30 and hardly no one (sic) wore black. Lots of people were wearing Hawaiian shirts. It looked more like a party." And the What Happens In Vegas beauty was given the support of her ex-boyfriends, Timberlake and Mayer, who arrived early on and stayed until around 4pm, when the memorial came to a close.

Diaz Pulls Out Of Premiere Over Dad's Death
18 April 2008 (WENN)
Cameron Diaz has pulled out of the London premiere of her new movie following the death of her father. Emilio Diaz died from pneumonia on Tuesday aged 58, after the illness developed from a recent bout of influenza. And the actress has cancelled all of her forthcoming engagements as a result, including the U.K. premiere of What Happens In Vegas next Tuesday with co-star Ashton Kutcher. The organizers say, "Sadly she won't be attending. We're waiting for more news but as far as we are aware the premiere is still going ahead as planned with Ashton." Shooting on her latest movie My Sister's Keeper has also been temporarily suspended to allow Diaz time to mourn.

Diaz Dating Mayer?
17 August 2007 (WENN)
Rocker John Mayer has cooled rumors he is dating Dedication star Mandy Moore by romancing Theres Something About Mary actress Cameron Diaz over dinner. The couple were spotted enjoying an intimate dinner at New York eaterie Indochine and, according to spies, were "very playful and cozy." A source tells New York gossip column Page Six the couple "met years ago at a concert (but) their relationship just started." The actress is currently filming the comedy What Happens In Vegas opposite Ashton Kutcher.