Oscilloscope Takes U.S. Rights To ‘Reality’ 
‘Mud’: Did Cannes Save One Of The Best For … 
Will Smith’s ‘MIB3′ Beats … 
Cannes Podcast: Pete Hammond On ‘Lawless’, … 
Over-Achievers Of This Year’s Upfront 
Aussie Pay-TV Shakeup Impacts Hollywood 
USA: ‘Rebounding’ & ‘Modern … 
Interview: Philip Kaufman At Cannes With ‘Hemingway … 
R.I.P. Television Mogul Lee Rich 
Cannes Biz Shines Despite Wind & Rain 
Full 2011-2012 TV Season Series Rankings 
2011-12 Season Network Rankings: Fox Still On Top But Down, … 
HLN Set To Air Daytime Emmy Awards 
Grant Bowler Cast As Richard Burton Opposite Lindsay Lohan … 
UPDATE: Dish Network And Broadcasters Ask Courts To Decide … 
Cannes Surprise Screening: Change Of Plans On Juan Antonio … 
Kevin Hart In Talks To Join Kevin James In ‘Valet … 
Anthony Hopkins Up For ‘Red 2′ Villain; Can … 
Cannes Conflicted Over ‘The Paperboy’ As … 
RATINGS RAT RACE: ‘American Idol’ Posts … 
Ghost Of 2004 Hovers Over L.A. Screenings As Int’l … 
SUNDAY AM: What started as an episode of the HBO series Sex And The City and then became a bestselling advice book by Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo (and then Behrendt’s blink and you missed it TV talk show), has now begat the major studio movie He’s Just Not That Into You. Going for it was an ensemble cast of famous and beautiful age 40-and-under actresses including Jennifer Aniston, Scarlett Johansson, Drew Barrymore, and Jennifer Connolly playing for laughs their desperation to understand men not worthy of them in order to fulfill ambitions for love and marriage and babies. It’s a definite step back for women’s pics among which the most memorable and successful often center on a message of female empowerment rather than submission to male whims. (As critic Manohla Dargis points out so drolly in her New York Times review of HJNTIY, “Where have you gone, Thelma & Louise?”) Then again, this pic is from New Line/Warner Bros, a lethal combination when it comes to the body count in male action movies, but also SATC.
Yet before I continue on my soapbox after having seen the film, I have to look at its financial reality: women turned out in droves for He’s Just Not That Into You — a staggering 80% of the audience was female — and made it the No. 1 movie by a wide margin in North America this weekend. to finish the weekend with a bigger-than-expected $27.4 million. Warner Bros noted it was the best 3-day February opening ever for a romantic comedy. So it’s hard to argue with success like that — though I agree with Hollywood snark saying, with a cast like that, IJNTIY should have opened at $40M. It wasn’t the runaway female box office phenom of Sex And The City, but many big city theaters reported IJNTIY sellouts by early afternoon for Friday night — an indicator of “girls night out — let’s go to see this movie” – because of the savvy marketing of Sue Kroll and her team. Unlike SATC, its grosses actually increased for Saturday, by 5%. “We are well positioned going into Presidents Weekend. And with Valentines Day falling on a Saturday, it will be a huge plus at the box office for this film,” a Warner Bros exec told me.
Twentieth Century Fox’s Taken scored No. 2 with a spectacular hold — down only 18% from its opening a week ago — and scooped up male audiences for a $20.3 million weekend and $53.3M new cume. “This Pierre Morel actioner is in it for the long haul,” one Fox exec gushed to me. Among the newcomers, Focus Features’ animated Coraline shows again the power of higher-priced 3-D tickets in the marketplace right now. Opening in 3rd place in 1,004 3-D runs and 1,294 conventional theaters for a total count of 2,298, it soared +65% from Friday to Saturday for a $16.3 weekend. That pic starred Dakota Fanning’s voice, but Summit Entertainment’s Push cast the grown-up child star as one of the leads. The disappointing action thriller in 2,313 venues had targeted younger men and teen boys but wound up skewing older — 59% were age 25 and older, 41% under age 25 — for only 6th place. 
It fell behind Columbia/Sony’s Top 10 phenom Paul Blart: Mall Cop which keeps showing tremendous holds for Week 4 and made another $11M this weekend from 3,169 dates for a new $97M cume. But by far the weekend’s biggest disappointment was MGM/Columbia/Sony’s Pink Panther 2, the sequel to the 2006 remake which opened to $20.2 million and went on to make $82.2 domestically. But this weekend’s follow-up to the Steve Martin comedy eked out only 59% of the original’s debut at the box office to debut with only $12 million. “While we would have loved to see the film take in more, we expect a solid multiple in the weeks ahead,” Sony said Sunday. “Solid word of mouth coupled with its allure for families should bode well especially as an option during next weekend’s 4-day holiday weekend.” I say don’t bank on it because this tired franchise is played out.
WEEKEND TOP 10
1. He’s Just Not That Into You (New Line/Warner Bros) OPENER
$10.4M Friday, $10.9M Saturday, $6M Sunday estimate [3,175 theaters] Weekend $27.4M
2. Taken (Fox) $6.2M Fri, $9.1M Sat [3,184] Wkd $20.3M, Cume $53.3M
3. Coraline (Focus) OPENER $4.4M Fri, $7M Sat [2,298] Wkd $16.3M
4. Pink Panther (MGM/Sony) OPENER $4M Fri, $6M Sat [3,243] Wkd $12M
5. Paul Blart: Mall Cop (Sony) $2.7M Fri, $5M Sat [3,169] Wkd $11M, Cume $97M
6. Push (Summit) OPENER $3.5M Fri, $4.1M Sat [2,313] Wkd $10.2M
7. Slumdog Millionaire (Fox Searchlight) 13th Week [1,724] Wkd $7.4M, Cume $77.4M
8. Gran Torino (Warner Bros) Wkd $7.2M, 9th Week [2,705] Cume 120.2M
9. The Uninvited (Paramount) Wkd $6.4M, 2nd Week [2,344] Cume $18.3M
10. Hotel For Dogs (Paramount) Wkd $5.8M, 4th Week [2,734] Cume $55.2M
Editor-in-Chief Nikki Finke - tip her here.
Loading ...
WOW! thank god The Pink Panther 2 BOMBED. Also I’m happy to see that Taken and Caroline are kicking ass as well because those are actually movies that deserve their success. As for PUSH what can I really say. The movie did horribly and I guess the pre-tracking was pretty damn accurate because no one had it opening over 9 mill.
I thnik the movie bombed soley because everybody thought it looked like a wannabe Jumper. Now, I’m not saying it’s anything like Jumper, but thats what many other people thought and they just didn’t wan’t any of that this year. Especially since we have big geek anticipated films like WATCHMEN coming in out in a month alot of comicbook fanboys are more than likely waiting for that. The only reason I remember so many people seeing Jumper was becuase the plot resembled that of a orgin superhero movie, but since we actually have a superhero movie copming out this year theres no reason to see Push.
Peace Out !
Coraline is amazing! – saw it last night.
Caroline better than anything THE GREAT PIXAR has made since toy story. It’s a kind of movie pixar would never take a chance to make.
pink panther 2 vs coraline!
http://whichmoviewillamericachoosethisweekend.com/
they are neck and neck! i think coraline will prevail.
‘Ambegour!
‘Ambegour!
Man, that joke never gets old.
I work at the Arclight Sherman Oaks and I think Coraline will win. It’s spreading across a lot of demographics and not only this weekend but I think it’ll have some serious legs too.
@ Derek
Funny you would claim that Caroline[sic] is riskier than any Pixar output since Toy Story, since that is probably their most “conventional” film.
Regardless, it looks good. Nice to see Harry Selick back.
LOL @ Steve Martin’s career deterioration. This is just desserts for the shameless thievery he did of Peter Sellers without anyone in the media having the sand to call him out on it. Looks like there’ll be no Panther trilogy to further line this erstwhile comedic icon’s pocketbook!
I don’t understand why people pay big bucks to see movies like He’s Just Not That… when stuff of the same depth and quality is readily available for free on tv network airwaves in sitcom format.
It’s good to see Slumdog not having any Top 5 staying power since it’s unquestionably the most overrated film to come down the release pipeline in quite a while. We get it, the good fortunes of wealth and love are going to transpire for the slum kid because…it is written. Yech.
Also, Taken was incredibly entertaining – once Liam Neeson went into vigilante badass mode the grin on my face never subsided – and The Uninvited is very well done for a movie of its kind.
Yes, thank God Pink Panther 2 didn’t make that much on opening day. Now they won’t attempt to make a part 2, we won’t see any more remakes, and Hollywood will stop being rewarded for churning out lousy chick flicks.
TOLDJA!!! Way back when Nikki was begging WB to throw money at that turkey THE WOMEN, I said their better bet for a female-driven hit was HE’S JUST NOT THAT INTO YOU. It’s a popular cast and it’s based on a popular book. This was a no-brainer, review proof hit.
What about Fanboys? Is it only out in limited release or what? Damn you Harvey Weinstein!
Tracking for PP2 was actually better than the numbers for 2006′s PP, so it wouldn’t surprise me to see business pick up on Saturday. The audience for this film isn’t one that rushes out on opening day. (As evidenced by the 2006 PP, which didn’t do much better on its opening day.)
Coraline likely benefited from the fanboy crowd, who *will* rush out to support an animated film.
Are we almost done with those women-hating dick flicks aka romantic comedies that we (women) are so tired of?
Manohla Dargis said it best in her review of He’s Just Not that into You.
Female reviewers end up having to watch and write about dreck like Bride Wars etc. being the designated (as in only one) chick and all. Yuck.
I’d rather watch CORALINE (why did it open so small, I thought there was plenty of interest across age-groups?) or Paul Blart or even any of the bad horror-flicks that came out last month than another one of those idiotic boring and painfully unfunny un-”romantic comedies”.
I love romcoms. But not the kind they crank out lately. Have they forgotten how it’s done well? Whazzup?
BTW re: Pink Panther 2 — BERLIN FILMFEST
It screens at the Berlin Filmfest next week – in competition! (I don’t get that, but hey…). The tix sit there like they’re made of lead. Nobody cares. That doesn’t bode well for its opening in Germany next month.
THE INTERNATIONAL on the other hand (Clive Owen!
is one of the hottest tix in town, THE READER is also doing well. Can’t wait to see Hornby’s AN EDUCATION and Sally Potter’s RAGE next week. BTW: Renée Zellweger plays a mother in the comedy MY ONE AND ONLY. Gonna be an interesting week.
I am really happy to see a movie like Coraline succeeding. Like anyone else I love Pixar movies, but I was aching for new, inventive animated features; something that hadn’t been done before. Excited to see, what other movies that company will be doing.
FANBOYS is AWFUL! Even the tomatometer hates it.
Fanboys is not bad at all. In fact, the critics are just pandering to the “never released must be crap” hype. Too bad. Good movie especially for anyone who really likes Star Wars. It’s got some great beats and come on, who doesn’t want to know what Skywalker Ranch looks like?
Coraline was produced by Bill Mechanic. Ring any Bells? Hasn’t had a movie out since Dark Water…so this has got to feel good for him.
$58,000 Friday night gross for FANBOYS says “not bad at all” is not good enough. I don’t even know why anyone brings up this “film” here. It made the least of all the films and panders to a very small fan base. Who cares?
It could have been a TV movie.Talk about films that matter!
CORALINE was wonderful. Loved TAKEN.
Kevin Kline was smart to bow out of PP2 (he was replaced by Hollywood’s generic English comic actor John Cleese).
Come to think of it, Kevin Kline would have made a much better Clouseau than Martin.
The makers of the new film don’t understand that what made Peter Sellers Clouseau an entertaining comic marvel was his bumbling idiocy, lack of intellect and inability to navigate through his job without causing havoc which ultimately lead to the case being solved. In other words, Clouseau solved cases by accident, in spite of not because of his rank or skills.
Steve Martin’s take on Clouseau, however, is different, he plays him ‘smart’ – the egotistical take on the character is what killed the first movie for me.
Clouseau was never meant to be smart, he was supposed to be an idiot.
Look at something like PINK PANTHER STRIKES AGAIN (in my opinion one of the great comedies ever) and the setpieces (Clouseau storming a castle several times and ending up in a moat, the assasination scenes in Berlin with Clouseau accidentally killing off hitmen, etc – pure genius). Throw in Henry Mancini’s score, Kato as a sidekick (missing from the new movies) and the genius of Herbert Lom (as his superior) as well as Blake Edward’s talented comic direction and you get a comedy classic.
These new Steve Martin PP films are fast food comedy – they dishonor the franchise and Peter Sellers. If you think Martin repeating ‘Hauumburgah’ over and over is funny, you’ll love the new movies.
“come on, who doesn’t want to know what Skywalker Ranch looks like?”
That anyone would assume that is a universal desire is an automatic disqualification from being able to opine credibly on “Fanboys.” I am glad that “Fanboys” was released. Its anemic average proves that the Internet fringe, despite their whiny sound and fury, continue to signify nothing.
Next failure of the fanboys… “Watchmen.”
Looks like CORALINE’s per screen take was higher than TAKEN’s. Few more screens and it would have been in second place.
All in all, this will be a success for Laika and put then in the animation mix.
Expect their next feature to be announced soon.
When a movie with 9 well known stars gracing the cover of its movie poster makes only 28.5 million dollars, you know the movie can’t be THAT good.
With the likes of Jennifer Aniston, Ben Affleck, Drew Barrymore, Jennifer Connelly and Scarlett Johansson, this movie should have done at least 40 million dollars.
Yeah, where are the great romantic comedies like Thelma & Louise–what a great point Dargis makes. The women of HJNTIY would have been so much better off killing themselves. How romantic and funny that would have been. Oh, for the good old days.
Please allow me to expand of Dargis criticism: What romantic comedies lack today is the ability to show a woman who needs and wants nothing from a man. Why can’t they make a romantic movie like that? The best romantic comedy might be about a woman who falls in love with herself. Right? The public might turn away…but who cares about them.
“Coraline” is the best film I’ve seen this year so far. D’Works and Pixar have the market locked up but THIS MOVIE is on par with Wall-E and frankly better than all of the D’Works stuff (sorry Jeffrey, but you’ve turned into an assembly line and the films are soulless)
I predict very strong word of mouth and repeat business. (It got rousing applause in my theater) It’s the “Wizard of Oz”or “Lion, Witch & Wardrobe” for this generation.
Pink Panther will make a ton overseas. And man, I just love Steve Martin, no matter how silly the movie looks. He just kills me.
“Taken” a solid hit. Come on Liam, make another one please!
I don’t know what this “He’s not into you” movie is and man, what a shitty title.
“Push” is another sign that the superhero era is ending. Now everyone has superpowers. Enough already.
The PANTHER franchise isn’t played out; Steve Martin is a really bad Clouseau. Sellars played him as an insecure fellow in over his head, with worried, puppy-dog eyes — sad, even. Martin is all archness, posture, plastic-fake accent, and that cold, ironic distance that taints everything Martin does. I’ve never seen a Steve Martin movie where I thought anything resembling real feeling came out of him. If they re-cast it with an English comedic actor who could make you feel a bit of sympathy for him even as you laugh at him, it would succeed.