Carl Icahn Now Wants ALL Of Lionsgate 
Action Comedy TV: Showrunner Matt Nix 
SAG National Board Approves Joint Bargaining … 
SUNDAY AM: The movie that George Clooney directed, starred in and overhauled the script for, Leatherheads, stumbled badly at the box office this weekend, making only $12.5 million from 1,769 theaters and finishing only No. 3. (Interestingly, the pic's studio, Universal, claimed it was No. 2, but every other Hollywood major had it as No. 3 behind Sony's 21 and Fox/Walden's Nim's Island.) The screwball comedy about the early days of football was seen in Hollywood as a referendum on Clooney's popularity at the box office. Because right now he is a big movie star but not a big box office star, and his hefty paydays in big studio projects like this definitely depend on the latter. (To be fair, few movie stars nowadays are reliably performing at the box office...)
Instead, Sony's 21 casino caper fended off tough competition from three newcomers in the marketplace to score its second straight win as the #1 movie in North America. It earned a $15.1 million weekend, down only 37% from its opening last weekend, for a new cume of $46.5 million.
Family fare Nim's Island, starring Abigail Breslin and Jodie Foster for Fox/Walden, junped into 2nd place with $13.3 million thanks to strong Saturday kiddie matinees and a wide theater count of 3,513.
Another studio newcomer in release, horror pic The Ruins from DreamWorks /Paramount earned $7.8 million this weekend from 2,812 venues for 5th place behind #4 Horton Hears A Hoo!, the Dr. Seuss pic from Fox, which took in $9.1 million for the weekend finishing with a giant cume of $131M.
But Hollywood was aghast that Clooney couldn't open his movie. (As one studio mogul said to me, "He's no Will Smith.") The ability of superstars to generate domestic gross by putting North American moviegoers into theater seats is why studios hire them in the first place. Now Leatherheads is the latest of his non-ensemble big studio movies released wide to open $16 million domestic (Michael Clayton, Intolerable Cruelty, Solaris, Three Kings, Out Of Sight, The Peacemaker, One Fine Day...) and a few times not even half that. 
True, Clooney has received much critical acclaim for his smaller movies in limited release like Good Night and Good Luck and Syriana. But he doesn't get hefty paydays for those. In this case, he has only himself to blame for the lackluster financial performance of this latest movie. In addition to directing and starring, Clooney also did a major overhaul of the script to transform Leatherheads into a screwball comedy. [But a Writers Guild arbitration over screen credits went 2-to-1 against Clooney, who's still furious about it. See my previous story here.] And yet that's why the comedy seemed weak to top critics who gave it only 36% positive reviews. According to Rotten Tomatoes, "despite a good premise and strong cast, this pro football romcom is half screwball and half fumble."
After coming in at a cost of $60 million, the Universal pic was nurtured by a smart marketing campaign that combined football, romance, comedy and nostalgia. Clooney also won studio kudos for hyping the hell out of the movie, eking out every ounce of PR possible. The comedy had been tracking well with older men and older women, and strong with young males and teens. Universal had been hopeful for high teens and with luck even $20 million. But it was not to be.
The rest of the Top 10 were holdovers.
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I could never understand the “Clooney is a movie star” assertion. Just saying it doesn’t make it so. Hollywood’s fawning over him is sickening. His smugness is unbelieveable. I cannot sit in a theater and watch him in a movie. His persona in films seems to be misogynist. When he held a press conference to rage against the press after Princess Diana’s death – My GOD! The guy’s arrogance is breathtaking. Who does he think he is? He’s a goddam TV actor. This is why Hollywood is so fucked. When you’ve got TV actors thinking they are auteurs, we’re fucked. This probably explains why his movies make no money. Why would the average Joe spend 10 bucks to see this arrogant actor when he may lose his job at the factory tomorrow? Sorry to rant, but Clooney has been bugging me for a while. Note to Hollywood, you want butts in the seats? Raise the standards back up. If you keep to this road, you’ll be trying to tell us next year that this years winner of Survivor should win an Oscar for best actor. Jebus Christ. I gotta go lie down now.
Of course he can’t open movie even through he is a perceived as a movie star and well known, he just like Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie neither can open a movie on name alone, unless its mainstream movie, this movie just is not for the masses
Look, I love Clooney and he’s made some great movies. But you know why they’re great? Because they’re not commercial (Oceans trilogy being the exception, of course.)
If Uni wanted a hit football movie with George, they should’ve made it modern. Look at today’s demographics. Not saying what makes money is always great (quite the opposite), but Clooney doesn’t go for the popcorn films.
Leatherheads was too “strange,” a comment I’ve heard from family and friends. Renee Zellweger isn’t a star either.
Good Night and Good Luck, Michael Clayton, Syriana, Oh Brother Where Art Thou: some of the best films of the past decade. But George needs to go make some more Danny Ocean movies to keep his paycheck.
Hey mla28,
Guess what. Life isn’t a fairy tale. Actors get to have press conferences and presidents who can’t put a sentence together get to rape the country for trillions of our children’s tax money. I listen to Cloony talking about Di over that hillbilly telling us he’s got the economy under control any day. But I don’t get the Oscars reference. This year’s winners were very deserving. It’s not like Scary movie 4 was recognized as a actual film. And survivor is a TV show. It doesn’t qualify for an Oscar. Get a clue.
Clooney doesn’t open movies unless they are high concept and big ensemble casts.
GQ magazine just ran a story on that at the end of last year detailing all of his failures (and they have been many) even a bunch of the $100 million (international) movies were failures since the budgets were well over that number.
I like him as an actor, but if I was a studio head, I sure wouldn’t invest a ton of money in a film expecting him to open it up gangbusters.
I think George Clooney is talented. I thought he did a great job in Michael Clayton.
His career is mostly media hype that wasn’t justified by a hit movie that he can call his own. All of his hits are ensembles, counting Batman and Robin. That’s not a really good track record.
To me, him and Brad Pitt are the same, as far as boxoffice clout is concerned, in that they don’t have it, but are highly rated by the media and tabloids (Brad Pitt is worse though, and that’s probably why he hooked up with Angelina).
I’m not saying he is not talented. But clearly the public isn’t paying to see his movies. Media is mostly responsible for his A-list reputation and salary. He probably have a really good agent because he was able to con the studios of their money.
George Clooney is Hollywood’s movie star, he’s not the audience’s movie star. He’s spent the past ten years cultivating the media while doing nothing really for the audience outside of the Ocean’s # movies.
Plus there are the incidents of smugness and arrogance, that the media let’s slip, but audience doesn’t forget, like his Princess Di press conference, or his rather nasty joke about Charlton Heston’s Alzheimer’s. And then saying that Heston deserved it for being president of the NRA, forgetting Heston’s often overlooked civil rights work. The media quickly forgave him, because it was the politically correct thing to do, but the audience saw Clooney cruelly picking on an old man with a distinguished career dying of a terminal illness.
Hollywood has forgotten that in order to be a good box office draw a “star” needs the goodwill of the audience. Clooney’s career is built on the goodwill of the media, and hoping that they could spin success for him. But the media’s power to spin just isn’t what it used to be.
Um, wait a minute. Brad Pitt can’t open a movie? He busted his ass pr wise for Babel and that movie in which he was a supporting player has earned well over 137 million dollars with no budget.
The Assassination of Jesse James opened in 5 art movie plexis!!!!!! Why? Because Warners pimped the shit out of Michael Clayton instead when James was a far superior film in every way. Why? Pitt took his shingle to Paramount. Whaaa, whaaaa He left me. Sound familiar? And as far as Jolie is concerned The Good Shepherd wasn’t her film it was Matt Damon’s. It’s grossed close to 100 million. Beowulf the same thing, wasn’t her film but the studio put her out there in both of those films as the headliner when she wasn’t. Beowulf has grossed 197 million and that doesn’t count DVD receipts. If you’re talking about AMH, well that’s a different animal. American’s do not go to anything even remotely associated w/911. Paramount f’d up the release date on that one by putting in out in June. To date that movie has grossed over 36 million w/boxoffice and DVD rentals w/the DVD rentals being the majority of revenue. Jolie over the past three years has only picked supporting roles. She’s got Wanted coming out in June which looks like it will be huge and The Changeling w/Eastwood. Her first real starring role in 4 yrs. Her movies do better then Clooney’s. lol
George Clooney the last movie star as he and his people like to ram down our throats can’t outside of Oceans do those types of numbers on his own. He’s off putting to a large group of people. George the big movie star who got an Oscar nomination couldn’t bring in ANY Oscar viewership the past three yrs in a row. Face it, the general public just isn’t that into him. heh
Why release a football movie in April? That’s a big problem with this.
The Ocean’s movies STUNK! George Clooney is a monotone, a talentless f$#&! And his political rants just reveal more about his lack of character and egotistical need for attention.
ps I like the way the Bushhater posted as anonymous. Gutless wonders, all of them.
I forgot to add that many Americans these days refuse to support ANY anti-American left wing Michael Moore types. Look at the film industry and the newspaper business (eg., the NYT).
When will these celebrities learn to shut their mouths and just do their jobs? This guy’s political stances turns people off.
When I am at work I can’t just start running my pie hole about all my political beliefs. If I did I would be fired. It has no place in my work environment. Why don’t actors understand this? Whether it’s Clooney or the Dixie Chicks, they just don’t understand that what they do is a job and airing out your beliefs is bad for business and your career. If you want to run your mouth than be prepared for poor CD and box office sales and don’t complain.
I take no objection to what he believes. He is free to to think what he wants. But do it on the job and you are going to piss your customers off. It won’t be long before ole’ George throws a for sale sign up on his mansion in Italy if he keeps sit up.
I don’t jump up and down when I see Clooney’s name, but I don’t think “Leatherheads” was properly marketed or researched to see if an audience would care about a football comedy from the 1930s (?).
In other words, regardless of the star, this movie appears to be fumbling.
Hmmmm…. You gotta nurture your brand. Clooney hasn’t. To most movie goers he’s a political preacher man. That is not a good brand for the 50% his preaching pisses off, and for 50% of the rest who want entertainment not sermons in their screw ball comedies.
Too many don’t trust Clooney’s brand to deliver what they are buying for a movie ticket. Pity that actions have consequences, but they do, and for a lot of people they hear”Clooney” and the Dixie Chicks springs to mind. Whatever happened to them anyway? Do they still open movies… or whatever?
George Clueless – please, you couldn’t pay me to go see one of his bombs. I can’t stand him, when I have, by accident, seen him try to act, it was stiff and uninspiring. When I see he is in a movie, I pass right by.
Hollywood just gets weaker by the day. I am not interested in their politics and views of the world. I just want to be entertained when I go to see a movie, not lectured to. I want to see actors who view their careers as acting and don’t pretend their wealth and limited education gives them credibility in science, economics, foreign affairs, etc.
George Clooney..bad actor…worked a bit on the small screen….needs help to draw a crowd for a movie….proves Hollywood is in a dreamworld of their own.
I saw the movie. I liked it. I’ve never seen much of a correlation between what critics say and the movie itself.
well well only 20 years to determine one thing. One thing… hmmm what’s that one thing… TALENT. He’s got just enough to fool a ton of you. But, thank goodness, not enough to fool most/enough of you. He’s so average.
I have to wonder why “anonymous” would use a movie review comment box to ooze his/her boring venom over the president when the subject is a charismatic albiet unlikeable actor. I dont expect my presidents to be glib, nor do I expect them to be slick and easygoing in front of a camera. I expect my actors do be. I don’t expect my actors to be calling press conferences to vent about world events or foreign policy, I expect my presidents to. So “anonyous”, hillybilly or not, the president is doing his job just fine thank you, it’s Clooney who isn’t and you should get your head out of your ass and smell the coffee.
ditto…well written as I could not agree more.
AGD
Hey anonymous you do not make sense! Nor do you know what you say! “Our childrens tax money”? What….the money our children will need when the next democrat raises taxes?
You cannot denegrate, alienate and ridicule 50% of the paying audience because they have conservative values, and expect them to PAY to watch your performance. Thats a FACT jack !!!
Well, statistics (albeit incomplete) speak for themselves:
Tom Cruise $6.2 billion
Will Smith $4.9 billion
Johnny Depp $4.7 billion
Brad Pitt $4.2 billion
Ben Stiller $3.6 billion
George Clooney $2.8 billion
source: the-numbers.com
Could it be that many Americans, like me, find the only way to show the man we don’t condone his political views is by not attending his movies? I personally know many people who feel this way.
Clooney a movie star??? Only in the mind of the Hollywood hothouse. They need to get outside of their bubble more often and see what the real America thinks. I am sick of elites in Hollywood thinking they are the deciders for the rest of us.
hey anonymous –
mla28 gave his two cents. What I laugh at is it only takes you two sentences to wig out on the president.
I thought this was about George Clooney or this snoozer “Leatherheads” that he starred in. Whatever you think of Clooney is meaningless (that is for everybody). However, your inability to stick to the subject matter (or more directly) aim for the president makes you a giant pussy.
I bet you couldn’t go on a Betty Crocker website blogging about cake recipes for two seconds wthout blaming the president for the price of vanilla extract spiraling out of control. Probably tell everyone it has to do with some fetilizer embargo on some developing nation that our “nazi in chief” has it in for.
Clooney is a bore and is chock full of himself. Just like 99% of Hollywood. And mla28 is right on with the ridiculous rants regarding Clooney. Hey, you like him. Fair enough. Then why don’t you stick to the subject matter at hand and leave the president “playa hating” to the politcal blogs?
and as far as me getting off topic – chicken or the egg – you douche
The problem is for these clooney types is that they lose 40% of their potential audience whenever they take a public side of a controversal political issue like gun control, abortion, global warming, affirmative action etc. or support a political figure (mostly Liberal left leaning types). MAinstream media props them up because their views support their agenda as well. Now they’re all going down the tubes, the media and the superficial so called stars. People who have mediocre abilities and and perform poorly at the box office need every soul they can possibly find to buy tickets to their projects. Their arrogance is such because they’re celebrities they think their views on public matters is more important than those who may think the opposite of them. Thusly they bite off their nose to spite their face and their stupidity and arrogance is starting to show big time….Enough to diminish their results by 40% less than it could’ve been….
It’s always a delight to see the work of a self-annointed priest from the propaganda office of Hollywood, the left-wing Vatican, fail miserably.
Well, statistics (albeit incomplete) speak for themselves:
WORLD-WIDE BOX OFFICE GROSS
Tom Cruise $6.2 billion
Will Smith $4.9 billion
Johnny Depp $4.7 billion
Brad Pitt $4.2 billion
Ben Stiller $3.6 billion
George Clooney $2.8 billion
source: the-numbers.com
So now we’re equating the general public’s taste with quality in movies?
Yes, his big numbers are for the Ocean’s series. First they’re not original but remakes. Second, they’re crap. American Idol gets big numbers. Transformers gets big numbers. Anybody seeing a pattern here? Please, let’s at least try to call a turd…. well, a turd.
The problem with Clooney is he is not very consistent. One bad movie, then one good movie and then back to one bad movie again. In my opinion the best movie Clooney has done so far is one in which he wasn’t even the star – “Good night and good luck”. Many of his other films that he has either acted in or directed pale by comparison. While Clooney certainly has the looks to be a movie star, that is not enough. You have to have something more to have a lifelong career in the movies. Many stars of today do not have that missing element whereas stars of yesteryear had it by the bushel.
Well I have read a lot of the comments and agree with most of them. The one thing that is missing that I think affects his box office numbers is his outspoken political remarks about the administration and other political causes that alienate parts of the movie going public. If you look back to the great stars of the past and some of the stars of today like Clint Eastwood, Will Smith , Harrison Ford, etc I think you get the picture, The one thing they have in common other than talent and box office draw is they keep there political beliefs to themselves and not on there sleeves.
It’s great to see so many here proving my theory about no talent actors spouting politics and hurting what little career they may have. Too bad the George Clooney’s of this world make as much as they do. It would be great to see him as a janitor in some Beverly Hills hotel and Michael Moore as a garbageman (oh wait… he already is)!
political freaks,hollywood haters, etc –
why do you keep visiting this site
it’s an industry site
if you loathe the industry, don’t come here of your own accord
there are ample places online where you can properly vent your hate and irrational “thoughts.”
the discourse here always spins way out of the productive, civil arena into cuckoo-ville when the Bushies descend with their one-note fixations.
Did it ever occur to anyone that MAYBE a lot of regular folks have had it with Clooneys knee jerk anti-American crap?
Day and night you see this creep ranting about Bush.
Did he say ONE WORD when Van Gogh”s great grandson had his HEAD CUT OFF for his artistic expression ????
NO,,,,,,,,,,not one word. I puke when I see commments concerning Clonney”s “courage” in making a movie about some crap that happened 55 years ago with Sen McCarthy…….how about showing some REAL cajones and make a movie about the barbarians who want to kill folks for drawing a CARTOON!……..drop dead
I think Hollywood people overestimate the impact of “stars” (or people who are known). As someone living in the heartland (Illinois), I can tell you that I choose movies based on the story more than the actors in it. True, if a well-known actor (like Clooney) is starring in a movie then it gets my attention, but if the story doesn’t sound good, then I’m certainly not going to waste my money or my time trekking out to the movie theater.
Who on earth wants to see a football story from the 30’s? I don’t care how much of the country you ride through on a train- it just doesn’t sound that interesting.
It was the same problem with Micheal Clayton. I still haven’t seen that movie because I don’t know what the hell it’s about. I may have liked it, I may not, but life’s too short to waste my time finding out, despite the great cast.
George Clooney deserves his “movie star” status. I’ve never read a press release or heard from his agent,
but my family looks forward to every Clooney film (and they don’t all get a wide release!!! trying to find a theatre showing THE GOOD GERMAN was not easy!), and we feel that he is one of the few actors today with the combination of depth and wide appeal that harkens back to the Edward G. Robinsons or James Cagneys of the past. ANY movie with Clooney in it is worth seeing because he resonates class and quality. One can see some little-known Cagney or Robinson movie on TCM and appreciate it as a quality piece of work that still holds interest today, even though it may have stiffed in its original release. Clooney’s non-Ocean films may not have the box-office power of teen gross-out epics, but it’s a solid body of work and Clooney needs no apologies. I never watch television or read gossip magazines, so I wouldn’t know how the media is pushing or not pushing Mr. Clooney. The work is what matters, and Clooney ALWAYS delivers the goods as an actor and has great appeal as a star. Thanks, Mr. Clooney—keep up the quality work.
If Clooney were a female actor, he would’ve been relegated back to tv long ago and branded “over the hill.”
He “charms” studio chiefs into greenlights but audiences aren’t showing up.
I’m a conservative and don’t give a rat’s arse about his politics.
I like Clooney’s potential. He should have been the next Cary Grant. If he had been handled right he would have been a good physical comedian and a good leading man, as Grant was.
I was excited when I first saw the previews, but then realized it was some stupid comedy that did not look the list bit funny. A good movie about the early origins of football would be a great flick. I will have to say I can’t stand Renee Z. either, nor is she in the least bit funny. The cast, script, and timing all set this up to be nothing other than a failure.
Hollywood Loves Clooney because he hates the United States. You know, the enemy of my enemy is my friend. When Hollywood talks about loving this country it means it loves the opportunity to make money and the weather. But most people in Hollywood are ignorant of history or what this country even stands for. Clooney is college drop out. He is uneducated, like most entertainment people.
I’ve heard him speak plenty, unlike our President, he does a great job with public speaking. Also unlike our president, he is uneducated, hateful and ignorant about history. I, and many people I know, will never give a dime to anything he is connected to.
Brad Pitt is finished, too. He seems to realize that. He never quite made it to Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts status.
Jolie is simply not a movie star – she’s a tabloid star. She is dull on screen and does that same phony, affected embarrassing Russian-like accent for every role. Her serious non-campy roles tank. Her niche role is playing a female bad ass in a supporting role – this has served her, but grows thin with audiences.
Fear paralyzes studios from taking chances on fresh talent, instead of throwing too much money at undeserving and over-hyped celebs/tabloid fixtures.
Agencies have become bottom-line corporations, rarely interested in nurturing new talent.
Not surprised that Leatherheads won’t be number 1 this weekend. It’s a rainy Saturday on the east coast and a perfect day to take the kids to a matinee in the afternoon so Jodi it is! Clooney’s doing exactly the same thing he did w/Section 8. He’s deciding to star in all the films he’s producing. Clooney’s like Ben Affleck you can only take him in very, very small dosages and even then he needs other people around him. Otherwise, he’s just plain annoying. All these people calling Clooney a big international star put the crack pipe down. He WANTS to be big international star and he’ll make sure Stan keeps tell everyone he already is. Numbers don’t lie. (thanks stat man) He’s a very small fish in a very big ocean (pun intended)compared to those other big boys on that list.
The article says “So critical acclaim for his smaller movies in limited release like Good Night and Good Luck and Syriana may not be enough anymore.” Might not be enough? Might not be enough? Are you crazy? These two movies were Clooney’s proof that he is a whore for the left. Bingo…adios to over half the movie going public. George is handsome and fun to watch, but it’s still work for us to forget the stupid things the MAN says and focus on the CHARACTER…a lota work. Will Smith knows his job is to entertain and we flock to his movies and he gets paid nicely. These boneheads in Hollywood make the movies, but then forget that we decide where the money goes…sheesh…enough already.
Look if George Clooney is a good actor or not is not the point the point is just like many here have said, George (and many others) don’t understand that we want to see them act, or sing, or tell a joke, not go on and on about how they hate the war, or walmart, or big oil. nobody wants to see that when they just want have a good time and it’s costing them $10 or more to do it, don’t waste my money with your left wing dumbness. just make me laugh.
PS but like someone already said “1930’s football” whocares? do some reseach before you spend the studios money!
It’s nice to see another Clooney movie tank. Couldn’t happen to a finer jerk. When are the powers that be in Hollywood going to figure out a basic truth: When you’re politically “in-your-face” to half your audience, 50% or more of the audience is going to stay home, period. Not a very good business strategy. We vote with our dollars, everyday, with just cause.
I will never pay money to see films by Sean Penn, George Clooney, Tim Robbins, Danny Glover, and the like, and nor will anyone in my family. And it’s not because they’re radical liberal-socialists … there are many such radical liberal-socialists in Hollywood I’ll pay money to see … because they’re not in my face about it. They keep their dim-witted, puny views to themselves.
No, never, not one dollar of mine will ever be transferred from my wallet to theirs, so they can spit in my face, on my country, and monetarily support their mind-numbingly hostile organizations.
And, I’m not alone in this quasi-boycott of the hostile liberal-socialist left … in Hollywood, and elsewhere. Clooney is just one, lowly maggot; there are many others whose careers I’ve watched fall, or will fall, based soley on their “in-your-face” self-righteousness. Many of us out here love to watch these celebrities fall.
Clooney’s bad movie, Client #9, OJ jailed, Paris Freed, Whoopi and the View, all distractions. While mainstream media creates illusions, the gov’t steps on our throats by opening our mail, suspending habeas corpus, stealing private lands, banning books like “America Deceived” from Amazon, conducting warrantless wiretaps and starting wars for a foriegn gov’t.
Write in Dr. Ron Paul and end this madness.
Final link (until Google Books bends to pressure and drops the title):
America Deceived (book)
Also wanted to add that US box office numbers only make up 37% of to grand total. It’s not just about opening in America anymore. An actor has to be able to do both and more so overseas now. So, to try and put Clooney into that category is ridiculous. The only time he’s been able to open large overseas is when a guy named Brad is in the credits. Sorry, but true.
Hollywood is desperate for more stars, so they are trying to fabricate one out of Clooney. He’s just not the total package. He shows little if any real romantic ability, and has always had too cocky of a demeanor. Not attractive, not enough vulnerability.
I miss the young Burt Reynolds…He was more handsome than Clooney but the main difference — Burt was funny.
Clooney mugs for the Camera and ssys some unfunny remarks and the interviewer almost falls on the floor laughing at what I don’t know…Robins Willimas is the same, he babbles some unfunny sounds and the “entertainment reporter” laughs and laughs at nothing…..Hollywood needs more Burt Reynolds, John Waynes, Eduardo Verastegui, Guy Williams, James Caviezel, Elvis–Handsome men who don’t go around acting like they are better looking than everyone else and think they are funnier than everyone else…They just seemed like regular guys who just happen to be magnificently beautiful to look at.
There are 2 distinct marketing campaigns: one of a bunch of grizzled guys looking all angry n’ such and that’s fine, it’s the “romance” poster featuring what looks like Christina Applegate and some guy who looks like Clooney but with the facial skin of a 3 week year old baby that looks like it’s had 12 layers of makeup applied to it – what is that all about? It looks (a) phony and (b) like they’re trying to make him look in his early 30’s. Anyways: ultra phony and subtle things like that do stretch whatever credibility NBCU has to reach an audience. Do they really think younger viewers care about this old guy?
NBCU needs to think hard about who their audience is – this could have been interesting on a shoestring budget led by a lesser known actor, but dropping $60M in production costs on a polarizing mouthpiece like Clooney is just plain stupid and methinks someone should lose their preferred parking spot for this one.
Clooney is a legend in his own mind – he needs better advice – i.e. less is more, you need to hide your socialist politics a little better – audiences don’t care about your politics.
George is an obsequious snob living in the
Hollywood bubble.
Clooney is at the top of my list of actors not to see. When will these idiots realize that 90% of the country is pro-American and don’t like to hear actors run it down. They vote by staying away, in droves.
Stat Man,
Read the thread. Cloony has done 2.8 million with other ensemble casts. Check those top names. They CARRIED the movie and DREW the audience with THEIR name.
I’m sick of arrogance and hollywood actors who deem to lecture me on the wisdom of their political beliefs. They are actors and they need to shut up and act. At one time Hollywood made timeless movies with great stars who were talented and larger than life. It’s gone now, and we’re left with vapid intelligence and arrogant actors lecutring those they consider the unwashed. Pathetic. I won’t see a George Clooney vehicle, ever. Box office is the only thing Hollywood gets.
Clooney is a Brand, a Product, the same as Ford or IBM. The reason is that he represents his talent that has a worth to the public as does Lexus, or Re-Max Reality, therefore, any of his activities or attitudes enhance the Product or malign the Brand. The public wants to see Brands that they respect, and not pay hard-earned money to spend time with a Product that has offended them.
When the actor uses their Product to rail about a political, or Social event as Jane Fonda did/does, they create enemies that understand the only reason this person can insult them is because that they are given Face Time because they are a Product. The ONLY reason they are a Product is that people pay to view that Product. So why does the Movie Industry think that the public will pay to see a product that insults the public with their attitude.
The public is not dumb, some of these “Star Products” only have a High School education and have done nothing in life except to grab attention in a cause they have no qualification in talking about…
Simply put, when the Product or Brand presents their attitude, Political, Religious, or about Society, they often show their stupidity, and offend 50% of the public that will not pay to take abused from this person again. How far has Jane Fonda’s career gone? I will never pay to see anything she does, nor will my family! How many people has Clooney offended?
If you want to sell your Talent/Product, people will not pay if they have been insulted. Go ask the Dixie Chicks’.
The respondants are right as far as I am concerned. I will NOT support someone who pretends to know the answers to our country’s faults (amplified in Hollywood fashion) and foists their opinion and influence upon a population whose focus and intellect has already been damaged by the Media. I feel this way whether that person is George Clooney, Al Gore, Jerry Falwell, Rush Limbaugh or the person who rings the register at WalMart. The Media people who make movies, TV, News, Music et al will someday get this message…they should stick to their core business. If they want to espouse Politics, then put their money where their mouth is, quit their day job and run for office with all of the risks attendant, but until then, shut up and work.
3:41, Doncha know everything is Bush’s fault.
Bravo for summing up the size of your little pea brain.
And next time, stay on subject.
It’s about the MOVIE. Most of the movies made in the past several years SUCK. Contrary to popular belief Clooney isn’t all that talented. If Hollywood and Clooney types want to make money making movies, I suggest they try making some watchable movies instead of the crap they’ve been producing.
Few people watch or listen to the Hollywood elitists anymore. Get a clue. The big box office crowd are youngsters and teens on date night. They lost main stream America viewers long ago and it will be a long dry spell before they win them back again, if ever. There is life outside of Hollywood.
While I agree HW is out of touch with the main stream I really don’t think people make the decision not to see someone’s movie because of their political and/or religious beliefs, unless the film they’re in is a propaganda storyline for those said beliefs.
People don’t go to George’s films because there is something about him that people just do not connect with. Tom Cruise with all his crazy is still the biggest international movie star there is. People connect to him. What’s going to be interesting is when Burn After Reading comes out. I’m not sure the public can withstand more Clooney mugging for the camera and talking about his man love for Brad Pitt. But my guess is, that’s exactly how the studio will play it. It’ll be a Clooney/Pitt film even though Brad’s a supporting player.
If the numbers are as low as they appear they’re going to be Clooney’s got to be shitting himself and at the same time he needs to seriously re-think the direction of Smoke House
Hey anonymous (coward) April 5th @ 3:41am,
Even the 9-11 commission pegged Saddam as a threat given the UN not the US, did inventory WMD in 1991-1995.
And now recently withing the last two weks we learned that Saddam s intelligent services had a relationship with Al Quiada senior members…the problem is we just dont in what capacity.
We also dont know what happened to all the WMD inventoried by the UN.
But the point remains after allowing terrorist organizations (any of them) to run unchecked for decades and allowing other nations to fund and support them, WE GOT HIT. Saddam was known for financing Hezbollah terrorists in Israel, and his seemingly disregard for Iraqii lives that he hit with WMD himself…so it wasnt too much of stretch to say to this malcontent and threat Saddam (who was hooting at our sons and daughters who patrolled the no-fly zone), that if he continued to block UN inspectors we would come in and settle the matter. We also know know as of two months ago, that Saddam, thought we were bluffing, because how much of a pussy Clinton had been, and that the first Bush didnt seize the country. he was more worried about Iran, and his bluff to us, was intended to make the Iranians think twice about invading him, lest he have WMD.
So the reality is George Bush Jr (old stumble tooth), would have been impeachable if he left Saddam alone and Saddam later sold or support any terrorists that attacked us, thats a fact…because the POTUS constitutional duty is to defend US against all enemies foreign and domestic..leaving saddam unchecked would have been a real high crime against the people of this nation. So stop your liberal emotional drivel and GET WITH THE FACTS, dont ignore them, GET WITH THEM. The fact is Al Quiada wants Iraq, they are pouring a huge investmentinto getting it. Iran also wants Iraq they too are pouring a huge investment into getting it. Now both these scum bags have killed US boys and girls (our kids, fathers, mothers, and relatives)…and all libs can say is run…run away. I submit, you should all move to Jacgues Chirac’s France…its where all the cowards run.
We’re sick of all the trashy gross-out films, too – Stiller, Apatow, etc.
Old-school charm needs a serious comeback, it’s just that Clooney doesn’t seem genuine about it, it’s a persona which is why he goes apeshit over any press he doesn’t control with an iron fist.
hi i’m from Canada, just want to know why american movies cost so much to make. 60 million for one movie, holy cow, up here, that’s enough to make a hundred movies…good ones. hollywood suffers from too much money not enough heart and soul.
Clooney is cute funny and smart but when i hear he’s runs a casino on the side…i’m turned off.
hollywood is not a business, it’s a racket…was it ever a bunch of artsy fartsy people coming together to reflect on their own nature? a long time ago maybe.
what does ‘open big’ mean?
also, i think celebrities and the paparazzi eat from the same table, why are there so many food fights in LaLa land?
eat your food, don’t throw it. keep respect for each other. keep the drugs, spies and hydrogen peroxide out of hollywood.
i don’t like Britney Spears, however as a young child she was very talented, too bad those who guided her, guided her straight into the can and not into a long and properous career. hollywood eats it’s own.
sick and tired of hearing about celebrities with drug problems…i want to see them grow into mature happy well balanced individuals…not in rehab at the ripe old age of 23.
YUK! YUK! YUK!
in a kinda of way, this is good because Grassroots Theatre Festivals are cropping up everywhere because there’s nothing worthwhile to watch at the movies. We all want to see our own reflections on the screen, not the reflections of drug dealers, arms dealers or nefarious types who have money to bankroll a media blitz to blow the little artists out of the arena.
get chicks back onto the movie screens, not drugged up, bleached bimbos or twisted chicks…i mean decent, intelligent women of all shapes and colors…they will bring the audiences back into the movies houses. i would bet money on it.
Comment by A.
“it’s an industry site”
Hey A. you’d think the industry would be interested in knowing why the movies fall flat with the viewing public. The people posting here are trying to give the industry a clue. It will be ignored because the industry is more partisan and political than these commenters could ever hope to be.
I don’t understand why one movie makes Clooney less than a star. How can a #2 movie be a flop? And if it isn’t top-rated, it is more likely due to the subject matter and stupid clips I’ve seen. And why does an actor’s politics make any difference to anyone?
But here is what is even more interesting – Adam Carolla has a romantic comedy out right now called ‘The Hammer.’ Only a limited release on the West Coast. It is getting reviews with critics and audience and doing better per screen than Drillbit.
Hollywood – release this movie!
George Clooney — ignorant human, horrible actor!!
To Hollywood:
Do not let the comments of an obnoxious LUNATIC MINORITY dictate the movies you make.
These right-wing loonies, who inexplicably keep trolling an industry site, do not speak to the preponderance of levelheaded audiences.
The issue is not the politics of a movie, or of a performer, or of “Hollywood” as the loons like to cartoonishly label the business.
The issue is simply doing quality scripts, taking a chance on unknown talent – actors, directors, etc. Male AND female. There’s so much sexism in the biz, but you are cutting out 50% of the population who can make hits, and who will pay money to see films.
Of course this movie sucks. Sports based movies have done poorly for years. When will the movers and shakers of Hollywood realize we only want movies about gay cowboys and Mr. Limpet
Regular guys just don’t buy the ultra liberal, fashionably thin, metrosexual Clooney as an early football era “leatherhead”. Sorry Hollywood, there are still regular Joe’s out here.
I don’t know what the big attraction to George Clooney is. I think it’s the media who are in love with George. He’s not that good an actor and when he starts talking politics he’s even more nauseating.
Just for shits and giggles lets look at what Clooney’s produced.
Leatherheads-
Michael Clayton
Half Line of Timothy Berezin
A Scanner Darkly
Rumor Has It
Syriana
The Big Empty
Far From Heaven
Welcome to Collinwood
Insomnia
Rock Star
The Jacket
Criminal
I won’t even include the tv crap. Yeah, he’s brilliant. LMAO
I found the movie to be hilarious. We need a good ole fashion comedy..this was it.
I think a lot of negative comments on Clooney is simply because he is one of those far left Hollywood liberals. Fair enough. But the movie was great!
Hmmm… Movie about football from a pompus leftie. Gonna do well with the football crowd? Hmmm…
He should try some movie about some “metro” guy trying to “save the planet”. Like Leo did when he went to Vietnam (Thailand?) and trashed some beach in real life.
At the end of the day, somehow, someway this guy gets paid for the stinkers he makes. Strange days.
I dont like this guy!
When i watch a movie he is in, i see George Clooney..
i tired watching oceans but i couldnt get past George Cloony.
When you watch say, even the cheesy Rocky movies, you get into ROCKY…not Stallone,
OR watching any will smith movie you get into the character.
Clooney shows up on set..says the lines, and boom thinks he is a movie star..he is not.
This guy reminds me of another big TV star who left show, thinking he was a giant star..faded and came back to TV.
Clooney has never, and never will be a BIG star..
as for his political ranting…come on..the doods ego writes checks his fame cannot cash.
Americans, all have political views, but when we go to the movies we want to be entertained…simple..
we want to see america WIN the wars.
we want to see America WIN
you can trash our political leaders all you want but as a whole..leave the America bashing out of the movies.
Clooney is ANOTHER of the undereducated/uneducated of Hollywood who try to tell the rest of us how we should think and live. These jerks forget that there are more folks in flyover country than there are in New York City or LA. WE determine who is going to be a box office draw and WE decide who won’t make it at the box office. It’s the sycophants in Hollywood who cannot say NO to a no-talent hack like Clooney. He is from my state (Kentucky) and other than the fawning media no one gives a crap about Clooney. In KY he rides on his aunt & Dad’s coattails.
Liberalism Hollywood style has morphed into an obnoxious religion. And to top it off, parishoners like George Clooney insist on wearing their obnoxious religion on their sleeve.
Just look at what these nutjobs accuse conservatives of being like. Then you will see exactly who they are.
We’re not Clooney fans but politics has nothing to do with it.
All you right wingers can ever talk about is Iraq, Bush, politics. Actually, you don’t talk. You rant and spew illiterate hate, not intelligent criticism.
Get some balance and culture in your life [and fiber in your diet]
Btw, what’s so offensive about Clooney speaking out against genocide in Darfur? Granted, we’re sick of self-important celebs campaigning for Presidential candidates, but that goes for Repubs and Dems.
A lot of these actors seem to have shit for brains when picking material to produce. Cruise’s produced the Mission’s, Vanilla Sky, The Last Samurai and Lions for Lambs but the rest are unforgettable.
Tom Hanks has been no better with his only big movie hit My Big Fat Greek Wedding , Polar Express Those things you do .He’s done better w/HBO and Band of Brothers and now John Adams.
Leo’s choices are worst with the Aviator being the only recognizable film.
Pitt on the other hand has done The Departed, Charlie and The Chocolate Factory, Time Travelers Wife, A Mighty Heart, The Assassination of Jesse James, God Grew Tired of Us, and is going to be doing World War Z, Pippa Lee, Undaunted Courage, etc. He seems to be the one who realizes you aren’t going to be in front of the camera for the rest of your life. His choices are varied and he only starred in one. Interesting.
Even Will Smith has had a few with Hitch, Pursuit of Happiness, I Robert
Star power can’t hide an unfunny, wanna-be screwball comedy. The marginally funny bits were all in the trailer. Why should I pay $15 to see this?
Must comment on this blog’s support for our idiot President, who plunged us into a costly, fruitless war to benefit his Big Oil patrons. Mission accomplished: $4 gas.
Yeah, I’m a Bush hater for good reasons. He’s done substantially more harm to America than Osama, but some deluded Republo-fascists still praise him. History will judge his monumental stupidities harshly, especially for the black hole of debt he’s created.
“Lady from the Midwest” is right.
People see a movie if the story is good and the movie is well done, not because of an actor. It’s the rare actor who can pull in a crowd just because of who they are. Julia Roberts did it for a while.
It’s the age-old paradox – studios are looking to hedge their bets, they are trying to find a guarantee for their gamble, but there is no guarantee except quality
Clooney is a puss, he couldn’t do a real days work!
He’s hollywoods stat, not mine! I don’t go to his movies or buy his dvd’s. If I see him on the news, I just turn it off.
I used to love George Clooney, but since he started running his mouth against the President, I can’t stand him. I will not watch him in anything.
I think ole George is at his best when he’s doing comedy but to tell you the truth, I will not go see him because of his politics. In fact, it is rare that I ever go watch a movie at a theater or on TV for that matter because they either have a liberl message, their movies stink or I can’t see the character past their personal political rhetoric. I won’t add to their wealth when they think America is so bad. If these people in Hollywood want people to go see them, then they should stop with their political venom, be actors and do something about the quality of their movies.
Hey George, ER is still filming – give the producers a call.
Seriously, I will not watch ANYTHING with Clooney in it. I just don’t like him and his ridiculous acting and head jerking tic.
Glad to see on this site there are others with sense who see Clooney for exactly what he is: a non-acting, ignorant, wishes he were Cary Grant, Hollywood whore. I think it’s disgusting that he has an Oscar win under his belt for cowtowing to the Hollwood elite kook fringe and that oscar was his reward.
FOOTBALL FAN: I liked your comment “A good movie about the early origins of football would be a great flick.”
That’s encouraging because I’ve written that script…a great story about the early days of college football. I want to make it for $10 million as an independent film. Sure, I need some Hollywood stars, but we want to use unknown fresh talent also, shoot in the South (not South California).
If you know anyone with $10m laying around, let me know!
I will never attend another George Clooney film, primarily because of his over-the-top political beliefs. This guy, a few years back, did far more than just spout the typical Hollywood left wing drivel. He made horribly disparaging remarks about several individuals, including the president, attacking one for having a deadly disease. These uneducated Hollwood twits just don’t get it. People pay to watch them perform. Most of these “stars” are simply not that intelligent; we don’t care what their thoughts are on foreign affairs, the economy, tax policy, etc. Very few of them have the educational background to understand any of these issues on anything more than a surface-level basis. Take a look at the careers of those who have been politically outspoken in Hollywood; most of them are struggling. Compare them to people like Will Smith and some others, who continue to enjoy great box office appeal. The media won’t connect the dots, but a rational person can. Every anti-war film has bombed, the latest being “Stop-loss”. And everytime one of these flics bombs, the media tries to explain it away in the most ridiculous manner. Now we’re told that it’s just because people are tired of war. So go ahead Hollywood, make a movie about American heroes doing something good in Iraq, saing lives freeing a population from a tyrant, etc. Lets see some films about bravery in battle, like we did during WWII. Produce movies like this and you will find that people are not “tired of” the Iraq War. Their tired of fellow-Americans who openly cheer for us to lose that war, that’s what they’re tired of.
I like George Clooney. I like his talent, his wit and I like to be dazzled by his stunning good looks. Most of all I like the fact that he seems to live his day-to-day life with a strong sense of decency and cares about the way he treats his fellow man.
His politics, though, put me off. While he comes across as textured and complex, his politics come across as simplistic and knee jerk.
“Good Night and Good Luck” is a good example. Aesthetically, I found it to be a wonderful movie. It was compelling to look at. The black and white cinematography, the set design, the costumes, the acting. It was very well directed and a gem in many ways.
But it was not just the cinematography that was black and white. So was the dumbed down self-righteous perspective of its politics. (IMO)
I read recently where someone pointed out that in “The Way We Were,” Barbara Streisand’s character would have been handing out leaflets extolling Stalin.
Well, that is also true of the writers Hollywood cries about as having been blacklisted.
Why romanticize them? They were captivated by a totalitarian vision and were interested in spreading this vision. They idealized the Soviet Union and wanted that hell-hole to be replicated here. Why romanticize their stupidity.
Is there any question that there are writers now in Hollywood who are primarily interested in spreading their political agenda? Exhibit A — Aaron Sorkin.
Sorkin, imo, is illustrative of the kind of people those blacklisted writers were. Only they were trying to spread totalitarianism.
So why did Clooney choose to idealize and romanticize these types of people in Good Night and Good Luck?
It’s so funny to see anyone scratching their head and wondering why Clooney can’t open a movie!! And it’s even funnier they reject the MOST OBVIOUS reason, so eloquently stated by the any of the posters here.
The anti-American, ultra-left-of-liberal verbiage coming out of Clooney the past few years has worn thin on the “average” movie goer, and that means, we just don’t go to his movies anymore. For anyone to deny his politics and arrogance has nothing to do with it is in denial. There’s really nothing too scientific about this one people.
I believe many of us are plain sick of Hollywood and movies being produced. Nothing is very good. Couple that with stars who go on political rants and appear in anti American films. I for one, take it personal and do not wish to see them again, period.
I wasn’t aware Clooney made fun of Charlton Heston, that is so cruel!
LOL:
I have to laugh at the comment about “all us right wingers” who spill hate. The most hateful and venemous people I have every known have all ben liberals. Start with Michael Moore and work from there. The left cannot stand when anyone disagrees with it, which is why Democrats want to shut down talk radio. Free speech in irrelevant to the left when that speech happens to be conservative. History will show GWB to be a far better president than the way the current media treats him. Then again, the media never treats Republican presidents fairly. Reagan was crucified by the press every day he was in office; and he was indeed the best president during my lifetime. Go ahead with your stereotypes of “right wingers”. Most conservatives that I know are far more tolerant of opposing views than the liberal left.
i think the pomposity and arrogance that he displays is due to the fact that he seems to think that he’s the entire rat pack all rolled into one person. except the suave and debonair act he puts is just smarminess. the swagger is just arrogance and his “charm” is just a poor man’s dean martin impression.
oh, and his overbite is not the least bit attractive.
next time have the film star George Kennedy.
“It’s an industry site.”
The “Industry” seems to be a bunch of Carnies with teeth.
Large parts of Hollywood are very similar to an overly fawning parent — they basically take pictures of themselves and with their far-reaching film projector, share their self-love with strangers.
Most of these strangers have lives, but a small minority of giddy fans lead these Carnies with teeth to believe they are overly significant.
Combine that with their backyard award ceremony (aka the Academay Awards) and you have a typical grandiose, self loving family picnic.
But sometimes the movies are indeed entertaining.
But NO COUNTRY over ATONEMENT? Seems the “Hollywood Carnies” are a wee bit threatened by British filmmaking.
Strange days indeed. But yes, sometimes entertaining!
I look at Clooney like Johnny Depp before the Pirate movies or ever Matt Damon before the Bourne movies. Interesting movies but not big box office.
All Clooney needs is a good detective or spy franchise and he will be fine. Clooney call Clancy. Don’t direct it.
Pitt never has open well in the US but that never matter because he always put butts in the seats internationally. See Troy. With the dollar these days, this maybe even more important.
Leatherheads is a bomb because Clooney’s fans have deserted him.
Earth to Clooney: Fans count. Start paying them the attention they deserve. Autographs when you’re being a pr whore don’t count.
Bring back Burt Reynolds, hype him as much as Clooney, and watch Burt shoot right back to the top of the box office. In fact, keeping out of politics and keeping his political views to himself is one of the few smart things Burt has done over the years.
I am a red-blooded female who never understood the fawning over George Clooney. He has never so much as given me the ‘warmies’. He’s a smart-aleck actor and that’s it. Let his Hollywood friends ooh and ahh…..but the fact he can’t produce a No. 1 movie tells you what we, the poor masses, think of him.
I thought the film had a great look stylistically, but IT’S THE SCRIPT!!! This script went nowhere and left me feeling like I had made a bad investment in time. I was hoping the movie would turn the corner…it never did.
The problem with movies today is out of the sixty thousand or so scripts written each year those that are selected for consideration, are selected by readers; people, who have in most cases never written or sold a script in their lives let alone made a movie. Hollywood executives don’t read and wouldn’t know a good story if it slapped them in the face. They have become so fixated on the visual they have forgotten the story. Their perception of the world is so convoluted by their limited interaction with real life they see the world via the shot.