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Lost in the “how-much-money-did-it-make this weekend” discussion of Night At The Museum: Battle Of The Smithsonian is the fact that Shawn Levy has now directed 6 straight No. 1 or No. 2 movies in a row: Big Fat Liar, Just Married, Cheaper By The Dozen, The Pink Panther, Night At The Museum, and Night At The Museum 2. I’m not sure it’s a record, but you’d be hard-pressed to find another helmer who’s had so much opening weekend success from their first movie to their last. Which just goes to show: never underestimate the drawing power of a family film.
Editor-in-Chief Nikki Finke - tip her here.
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And he’s a nice guy.
shame none of those films are anything but drivel.
I worked with him a few years ago – in a town filled with backstabbing a-holes, its nice to see a stand-up guy succeed.
And nice guys win if you really look deep and hard.
. . . and a standing testament to the death of taste in movies.
And they’re all garbage.
He is a nice guy. Donna Martin graduates……
And they are all crap!
And you could not pay me to watch a single one of those movies.
…and almost all of them are complete garbage.
what a total joke…and a total hack. I hope he enjoys his Malibu beach house..
Ha! I love the jealousy. Perhaps you guys can one day make “crap” that opens at #1.
don’t ‘ya just feel the love in here? wonderful business we’re in when people celebrate each others’ failures and criticize their successes.
whether or not mr. levy wonders if he’ll ever get an artistic award, i don’t know, but i’m sure the man sleeps well knowing he’ll have a job the next day.
maybe some of it IS mindless crap, but some of it’s damn funny (“just married”) and every now and then he has a nice, deft touch at tugging on the heart that reminds me of early ron howard (“nightshift”, “splash”, etc.). good for him.
He really is a sweetheart, it’s great to see him have a good time. Worked with him years ago, I’d go back to one of his sets in a second.
It’s the Disney niche that Disney largely dropped – the Fred MacMurray/Dean Jones era. I see nothing wrong with that and I say more power to him. Totally a client worth having. Why disparage the guy for not being Kubrick when that’s clearly not the goal? Who controls the rights to “Topper” and “Topper Takes a Trip” – anybody? (R.K.O. in limbo I believe.) Get Lennon and Garant on those Principato! An old friend here says they’d be great at such a franchise if it isn’t already in the works. Will and Amy could play the married ghosts! Steve Martin a great Cosmo Topper.
Yes, the movies are routine, but trust me, kiddies, nice counts for something in this town. And he really is nice.
Pink Panther hardly a family movie. They’re pretty much all junk.
Jealous much. You people have director-envy. Not any of my favorite movies, but I don’t see any of you guys directing Beyonce, Steve Martin, Ben Stiller, etc……
He’s paid his dues. Earned his keep. I met him when he was an actor on Beverly Hills 90210, the Donna Martin Graduates eppy. Nice guy. I have also made his acquaintance several times over the past few years, once again nice guy.
He earned that Malibu beach house.
So, as a reward, does that mean he gets to try his hand at adult movies now?
Bitter people, the lot of you!
1) Perhaps you think Shawn’s movies are complete garbage, but his grosses are not anomalies- people outside of West LA and Manhattan obviously enjoy them very much.
2) Why are you faulting a guy for making a decent living? Shawn’s an excitable, down-to-earth, courteous guy. Save your bile for Jim Wiatt. And while I’m sure the bug will bite him at some point, Shawn doesn’t kid himself that he’s a junior Scorsese, like countless other comedy directors who have tried to “stretch” in the past in order to gain respect. I’d rather have a Malibu beach house than an Independent Spirit Award.
3) Yes, the first NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM could have been a better movie (have not seen the new one yet). But given the prep time Shawn had to make it, as the movie was willed into existence by Tom Rothman, who desperately needed a movie for that Christmas 2006 slot, he did a bang-up job for an effects-laden movie that began production, posted, and was released in the same calendar year.
If any of you sour grapes actually work in Hollywood, you should be thanking your luck stars for movies like Shawn’s, because they’re giving life to this business. Look at PAUL BLART, 17 AGAIN, HANNAH MONTANA, HOTEL FOR DOGS, and of course NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM 2. I guess you’d prefer that David Puttnam run all the studios.
But what do I know? Go ahead, take your 12 year old and your 8 year old to RACHEL GETTING MARRIED and REVOLUTIONARY ROAD. I’m sure they’ll have a blast.
I’m sure Shawn Levy is a great guy, but no, he’s not the only director with 6 straight number one or number two openings. I’m pretty sure Jim Cameron has done it was well (unless you’re wanting to count his partial directing of Pirhana 2 in there before Terminator, but Shawn directed a few tv and smaller budget films before Big Fat Liar).
Terminator (#1)
Aliens (#1)
The Abyss (#2)
Terminator 2 (#1)
True Lies (#1)
Titanic (#1)
and ‘Avatar’ will most likely make number 7.
I believe David Fincher also had six in a row before Curious Case of Benjamin Button broke the streak by coming in at number three.
Alien 3
Seven (#1)
The Game (#1)
Fight Club (#1)
Panic Room (#1)
Zodiac (#2)
Michael Bay and his hideous directing skills had five massive number ones in a row before ‘The Island’ killed the streak by coming in at number four. But now Transformers 2 will be his second straight again at number one. Americans love their kids and popcorn films. Lots of other directors have had six in a row (Spielberg, etc.) but I didn’t list them due to starting with first film.
That said, if Shawn is as good of a guy as some people say, I have no issues with him having success. God knows we need less egoistical douchebags in this business.
Keep sippin’ that Haterade…
It’s fantastic he’s a nice guy. Congrats on his success. But he’s still part of the problem which is the dumbing down of this culture to child-like levels.
As a 35-year-old, I cringe at the state of movies. It hurts me that I can’t find a decent movie to go see most weekends. And I like Hollywood movies. Problem is, the Hollywood movies suck so much I don’t even go anymore.
The REAL problem is: Movies that were smart could still be stupid fun and stupid fun movies could still be smart. And we had incredible serious films that you could stand to watch.
So, yeah, it’s great he’s a nice guy and his success gives the industry folk “jobs”. Meanwhile, those moviegoers not born in the last 25 years remember a time when movies were better and less insulting to our intelligence.
Uhhhh I don’t think anyone has ever understimated the drawing power of a family film in a looooong while
I have no problem whatsoever with this success story. In fact, it’s quite refreshing. Good on ya, Shawn.