BREAKING NEWS! SATURDAY 8:20AM UPDATE: "The night definitely belongs to Twilight." This is what a Hollywood insider told me early this morning after NEW MOON's late Friday night numbers came in. Summit Entertainment is now saying it debuted to $72.7 million from 4,024 North American theaters. This shatters both previous All-Time Friday and Single Day records of $67 million set by 2008's The Dark Knight. So Batman was beaten by the Twilight sequel's vampires and werewolves which won't sit well with the superhero-loyal moviegoing community. But Stephenie Meyer's "Twilight Saga" novels -- New Moon is the second in the series -- are now proving as much of a phenomenon as comic books for source material at the box office. And New Moon once again has shown that when the female audience supports a film, it can absolutely dominate box office. Friday's total included New Moon's $26.27M in 12:01AM screenings from 3,514 theaters. That set a new midnight opening record, smashing The Dark Knight's $18.4M set on July 18, 2008, and Harry Potter And The Half Blood Prince's $22.2M set on July 15, 2009.

My insiders are tracking New Moon for a massive $125M weekend depending on how big a drop there is between Friday's records and Saturday's results. I hear the pic logged an "A-" CinemaScore which should mitigate. But that number won't break the all-time opening weekend record set by The Dark Knight of $158.4M in 2008 or by Spider-Man 3 of $151.M in 2007 or Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest of $135.6M in 2006. But it should surpass Shrek The Third's 4th place finish of $121.6M in 2007. But all three of those movies were released in the summer, unlike New Moon which should easily score the biggest Non-Summer Friday-Saturday-Sunday (3-Day) Weekend opening ever. (Note that none of these numbers have been adjusted for inflation or higher ticket costs or theater counts.) Amazing, especially since Hollywood thought New Moon might, repeat might, do Iron Man numbers of around $100M. New Moon also smashed the $36M earned by Twilight on its first Friday exactly a year ago. (Thursday night, Summit re-issued Twilight in 2,057 theaters and took in $1.3M.) Twilight’s opening weekend total was $69.7M.

Meanwhile, Fandango tells me that New Moon was trending to sell more than 10 tickets per second on the site throughout the course of Friday. Both Fandango and MovieTickets.com said New Moon became No. 1 on their list of the Top 10 Advance Ticket Sellers of All Time (unseating the Batman, Star Wars, Harry Potter, and Lord of the Rings franchises). Although Summit switched up directors, from Catherine Hardwicke to Chris Weitz, it kept screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg and of course the principal cast: heartthrobs Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner, and Kristin Stewart. And, always, the filmmakers pandered to the fans inbetween the time that Twilight left theaters and New Moon began filming. When the New Moon trailer was released online, it scored 5.8 million views in the first 24 hours, demonstrating the fans' pent-up demand. Right before the latest in the franchise was released, Summit marketed New Moon with a 15-city cast tour in shopping malls and NYC's Times Square. On Thursday and Friday, anecdotal reports were streaming in to me about gargantuan lines at United States and Canada theaters crowded with female tweens, teens, their mothers, and generally women over the age of 25. Moviegoers are also said to include boys and men, but to a much lesser extent. The Twi-Hards were playing Twilight trivia games, wearing Twilight T-shirts, reading Twilight Saga novels, and even doing homework while on line in their Team Edward or Team Jacob sweatshirts and movie costumes.

Internationally, New Moon will be in 75 territories total, rolling out from Wednesday through Sunday in 25 markets and maxing out by mid-December. This is said to be the tightest independent worldwide release ever. It's rolled out overseas to a big start, opening Wednesday in France to $4.4 million, which was nearly four times the $1.2 million earned there on the first day of Twilight.

Yes, there were other movies opening and playing in North America. According to my sources, Warner Bros' well reviewed and truly heartwarming newcomer based on a true story about rookie Baltimore Ravens player Michael Oher, The Blind Side was a huge No. 2. Based on the book by Michael Lewis, it features some of Sandra Bullock's best on-screen work. (This is her 3rd film released this year.) I hear the pic scored a rare "A+" CinemaScore. Even rival studios admitted the pic "hits that uniquely American chord." It opened to $10.9 million Friday from 3,110 dates for what could be an overperforming $32M weekend (thanks to all the New Moon frenzy at the box office). The movie sure blind-sided Hollywood which expected it to do only $20M tops!

No. 3 was holdover 2012, the mega-disaster pic from Roland Emmerich (who's a 25% gross proft particpant on the $200+M budget buster). "It actually held fine on the worst night it will face," a Sony exec told me about Friday's -65% domestic drop from a week ago for $8.1M from 3,408 plays. But it's expected to bounce back Saturday for a $30M weekend. Its new North American cume to date is $89.8 and its worldwide total is more than $313M (which does not include Friday overseas estimate). Sony believes it will come out of Week 2 with more than $400M.

Lionsgate's Oscar-touted Precious: Based On The Novel "Push" By Sapphire expanded its theater count again to 629 runs to take 4th place with a $3.5M Friday. The critical hit promoted by Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry as well as George H.W. Bush and wife Barbara is officially a box office hit as well as it racks up what may be a $12M weekend for a new $22M cume even after playing in very limited release until now.  

At No. 5, Columbia/Sony's Planet 51 animated comedy limped in for just a $3.0M Friday opening from 3,035 venues. But it should have a nice Saturday kiddie matinee bounce for probably a $13M first weekend. 

And, in 6th place, Disney's A Christmas Carol hangs in for its 3rd weekend with $3.5M Friday from 3,578 theaters for what should be a $14M weekend and fresh cume of $80M.

No. 7 was The Men Who Stare At Goats (entering its 3rd week) from Overture which made $860K from 2,056 dates. No. 8 was Universal's Couples Retreat (7th week) with $650K from 1,712 plays. No. 9 was The Fourth Kind (3rd week), also from Universal, with $620K from 1,648 runs. And, rounding out the Top 10, Paramount's low budget thriller Paranormal Activity (9th week) with $500K from 1,902 theaters.

I'm told that this weekend's top 6 films alone could total $225+M and add up to the 2nd biggest non-holiday weekend ever (besting 2008 Dark Knight summer weekend total of $260M), and the biggest non-summer (beating 2005 Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire's weekend total of $180M!) Wow!

FRIDAY AM UPDATE: Summit Entertainment just announced its New Moon debuted with $26.27M in 12:01AM screenings from 3,514 theaters. That sets a new midnight opening record, smashing The Dark Knight's $18.4M on July 18, 2008, and Harry Potter And The Half Blood Prince's $22.2M on July 15, 2009. (Summit's re-release of Twilight Thursday night in 2,057 dates made $1.3M.)  

THURSDAY PM: I've learned tonight from rival studios that Summit Entertainment's New Moon could break the all-time midnight opening record for a motion picture as it opens across North America in 3,514 theaters at 12:01 AM Friday. But can it really beat Dark Knight & Harry Potter 6?

The vampire and werewolf pic may also smash the all-time biggest single day and biggest Friday opening records, too, if it continues on a roll. The frenzy means New Moon could topple all those opening day records set by Warner Bros' The Dark Knight in 2008 & Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince this past summer. The Twilight sequel's presales already outdid the rebooted Batman sequel's, and those had been the #2 all-time box office winner. Indie studio Summit isn't reporting any midnight estimates tonight, so the majors have been trying to track the grosses with a mixture of fear and envy to see how New Moon will start its North American debut weekend.

"This pic is doing phenomenal. It's breaking records," one rival studio exec gushed to me at 5 PM PT Thursday night. "It's ahead of Dark Knight. It could break every existing record for Friday. But Saturday will be a different story." That is quite a statement.

Dark Knight scored the 2nd biggest midnight preview gross with $18.4 million in 3,040 theaters when it opened. It went on to debut $67M its first day. But then the Batman pic dropped 29% from Friday to Saturday, when it made $47.6M, and then did $43.6M Sunday, for a total $158.4M from July 18-20, 2008. Twilight, the New Moon prequel, had a big 49% drop from Friday to Saturday, and rival studios are predicting the same drop for New Moon this weekend because of its 2-quadrant appeal.

• TWI-HARDS TURN OUT: Long Lines, Huge Crowds At 'New Moon' Midnights
• 'New Moon' Opened Huge Internationally!
• 'New Moon' Opened Internationally Today
• MovieTickets & Fandango: 'New Moon' All Time No. 1
• FANS & FANGS! Hollywood Thinks 'New Moon' Can Do 'Iron Man' Numbers
• 'New Moon' 94% Of Online Ticket Sales
• FANDANGO: Twilight Sequel 'New Moon' #1 Advance Online Ticket Seller
• Twilight Saga Fans Already Lining Up For Monday's 'New Moon' Premiere
• Summit To Market 'Twilight Saga: New Moon' With 15-City Cast Tour
• Summit Buys Documentary About 'Twilight/New Moon' Town
• Twilight 'New Moon' Trailer Scores 5.8 Mil Views In 24 Hours
• 'Twilight 2': Diversity Casting Isn't Hard
• Taylor Lautner Locked In For 'New Moon'
• TOLDJA! Chris Weitz To Direct 'Twilight' Sequel; Helmer Reassures Fans
• SOURCE: 'Twilight' Sequel Offer From Summit Out To Director Chris Weitz
• Hardwicke Nixed For 'Twilight' Sequel; Summit Looks For 'New Moon' Director
• TOLDJA! Summit Announces 'Twilight' Sequel "New Moon'

Actually, this Compagnie Africaine d'Aviation passenger plane yesterday missed the runway in eastern Congo. But it's Friday afternoon. And this is what the CAA jet would probably look like. I'm no comedian. What's your best caption?

Beverly Hills, CA — The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced that 10 animated short films will advance in the voting process for the 82nd Academy Awards®. Thirty-seven pictures had originally qualified in the category.

The 10 films are listed below in alphabetical order by title, with their production company:

“The Cat Piano,” Eddie White and Ari Gibson, directors (The People’s Republic of Animation)

“French Roast,” Fabrice O. Joubert, director (Pumpkin Factory/Bibo Films)

“Granny O’Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty,” Nicky Phelan, director, and Darragh O’Connell, producer (Brown Bag Films)

“The Kinematograph,” Tomek Baginski, director-producer (Platige Image)

“The Lady and the Reaper (La Dama y la Muerte),” Javier Recio Gracia, director (Kandor Graphics and Green Moon)

“Logorama,” Nicolas Schmerkin, producer (Autour de Minuit)

“A Matter of Loaf and Death,” Nick Park, director (Aardman Animations Ltd.)

“Partly Cloudy,” Peter Sohn, director (Pixar Animation Studios)

“Runaway,” Cordell Barker, director (National Film Board of Canada)

“Variete,” Roelof van den Bergh, director (il Luster Productions)

The Short Films and Feature Animation Branch Reviewing Committee viewed all the eligible entries for the preliminary round of voting in screenings held in New York and Los Angeles.

Short Films and Feature Animation Branch members will now select the five nominees from among the 10 titles on the shortlist. Branch screenings will be held in Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco in January 2010.

The 82nd Academy Awards nominations will be announced on Tuesday, February 2, 2010, at 5:30 a.m. PT in the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater. Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2009 will be presented on Sunday, March 7, 2010, at the Kodak Theatre.

Yes, she's in the Twilight movies. But right now she's best known within the Industry as the actress who steals the probable Oscar nominated Up In The Air. This is the time of year when the major agencies hunt for awards-touted talent.

UPDATES: Oprah Promises Cable Show "Smaller & Different"; Wants Biz In LA Not Chicago; "Why Would Anybody Stay? It's Freezing Here, And I Have A Mansion In Montecito That I Haven't Been Able To Enjoy"

Hollywood is convinced her decision was all about the bottom line. (After all local TV stations were ready to balk at paying any more cash raises for more seasons of her syndicated daytime talk show.) But this morning, Oprah Winfrey held back tears but her voice was thick with emotion as she told her studio audience in Chicago that she would end The Oprah Winfrey Show in 2011:

Here are here remarks, which came at the end of Friday's show:

"After much prayer, and months of careful thought, I've decided that next season -- Season 25 -- will be the last season of The Oprah Winfrey Show. And over the next couple of days, you may hear a lot of speculation in the press about why I am making this decision now, and that will mostly be conjecture. So I wanted you to hear this directly from me.

"Twenty-four years ago, on Sept. 8, 1986, I went live from Chicago to launch the first national "Oprah Winfrey Show." I was beyond excited and as you all might expect, a little nervous. I knew then what a miraculous opportunity I had been given, but I certainly never could have imagined the yellow brick road of blessings that have led me to this moment with you. [Her voice grows thick with emotion] These years with you, our viewers, have enriched my life beyond all measure, and you all have graciously invited me into your living rooms, into your kitchens and into your lives.

"And for some of you longtime Oprah viewers, you have literally grown up with me. We've grown together. You've had your families and you've raised your children and you left a spot for me in your morning or your afternoon, depending on when the Oprah show airs in your town. So I just wanted to say that whether you've been here with me from the beginning or you came on board last week, I want you all to know that my relationship with you is one

... Read More »

NEW: Oprah Says "Much Prayer And Months Of Careful Thought" Led To Her Decision

UPDATES TOLDJA! Oprah Exits Syndication In 2011
UPDATES THE END OF 'OPRAH': Daytime Diva Giving Up Syndie Talk Show

EXCLUSIVE: This morning I have more information behind the scenes and about the future of the daytime diva's decision to end her syndicated The Oprah Winfrey Show in 2011. (I was first to report this back on November 5th, and she'll announce the news on her show today -- her last live show of the calendar year.) Yesterday, Oprah called the two Hollywood moguls who needed to know. First, her close friend Disney CEO Bob Iger whose owned-and-operated ABC affiliates long have made up Oprah's core station group. And then CBS Inc chairman Les Moonves whom she reached Thursday night (NY time).

"I just announced it to my team and I feel great about it," sources tell me Winfrey said to Moonves. 
"So you're going to do the show on Discovery?" he asked.
"No," Oprah assured him. "I'm not bringing The Oprah Winfrey Show to cable. I'll do something else with that channel."

So what is that "something else"? Besides overseeing programming, my sources say that, instead of a carbon copy of her longtime daytime talker, she's now privately talking about hosting a show "that's smaller and different" on the Discovery Communications start-up OWN, aka the Oprah Winfrey Network, which boss David Zaslav decreed two years ago would replace the Discovery Health Channel and reach into 70 million homes.

That show won't be based in Chicago: it will move to Los Angeles where the OWN headquarters is based, according to my sources who also say she wants to divest her real estate in Chicago "as soon as possible". [5 AM UPDATE: I'm receiving no definitive word on what happens to her Chicago-based company Harpo.] She explained to insiders, "Why would anybody stay in Chicago? It's freezing here, and I have a mansion in Montecito that I haven't been able to enjoy."

Another reason she hasn't is taxes. My sources say Oprah and her people have long limited the time she spends in Montecito so she doesn't exceed the number of days mandating her to pay exorbitant taxes as a California resident.

Oprah was supposed to reveal whether ... Read More »

"PHENOMENAL! BREAKING RECORDS!" 'New Moon' Doing 'Dark Knight' Midnights

Here are New Moon anecdotal reports from theaters around North America (photos coming):

MIAMI - AMC SUNSET: The lines were impressive because the venue had a TWILIGHT Event. They showed TWILIGHT first at 9PM and then NEW MOON at midnight. The crowd was huge with the line wrapping down the stairs, taking up two floors. People were in Team Edward and Team Jacob shirts, some homemade. People even dressed as wolves.

MIAMI - REGAL SOUTH BEACH: There were many teens, male and female, waiting for the opening of NEW MOON. Many had been there since 5PM waiting for their chance to see it. Most were in their Team Jacob or Team Edward shirt. The line was both on the upstairs floor and the downstairs floor.

SEATTLE - AMC CINERAMA: Early in the evening, there are about 30 people in line waiting to see the film. One group decorated their car and parked it right next to the theatre. The first fan in line has been camped outside the theatre since 4PM even through the rain and cold weather.

KANSAS CITY - AMC BARRYWOODS 24: At 7:15pm CST there were about 100 people waiting in line for the midnight shows. The general manager said that the earliest people arrived at 3:30PM today. Those waiting in line were looking through magazines (with NEW MOON actors on the cover) and chatting about the new movie. Several of those waiting were also shopping at AMC's NEW MOON merchandise table.

KANSAS CITY - AMC STUDIO 30: At 10PM CST there were about 500 people standing in line for the midnight shows. The line started inside with about 100 people and then grew outside winding around the front part of the theatre. Those waiting inside were purchasing merchandise from AMC's NEW MOON merchandise table while those outside huddled together under blankets. Several people were holding their copy of the NEW MOON book, or another book in the Twilight Saga. Every few minutes there would be an outbreak of teen girls screaming "Edward!", followed by a group of girls screaming "Jacob!"

MINNEAPOLIS/ST PAUL - AMC ROSEDALE: Fans were in line as early as 6PM for the showing of Twilight at 9PM. Fans began arriving around that same time for New Moon. The theater sold out all 14 screens, selling 2,400 tickets! By 10PM there were over 500 people already at the theater. ... Read More »

UPDATE (includes Harpo letter): Both Broadcasting & Cable & Variety, followed by The New York Times and The Washington Post, and every other media outlet just came out today with news headlines reporting what I did first on November 5th: That Oprah Winfrey will end her long-running talk show in 2011. They say she'll air this on her program Friday. Here was my original scoop: THE END OF 'OPRAH' AS WE KNOW HER: Daytime Diva Giving Up Syndie Talk Show & Moving It To Her Cable Network In 2011. Before I recap the news from my story 14 days ago, here is the letter which Harpo Inc President Tim Bennett sent out to affiliates and others today:

Dear Friends:

Over the past several weeks, my team and I have had conversations with many of you to help address your questions about the future of "The Oprah Winfrey Show". Of course, the one question we couldn't answer was the one that only Oprah could. And tomorrow, she will do just that.

But before she speaks to her loyal viewers, we wanted to share her decision first with you­ our valued partners for more than two decades.

Tomorrow, Oprah will announce live on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" that she has decided to end what is arguably one of the most popular, influential and enduring programs in television history. The sun will set on the "Oprah" show as its 25th season draws to a close on September 9, 2011.

We welcome you to share this news this evening with your colleagues and viewers. As we all know, Oprah's personal comments about this on tomorrow's live show will mark an historic television moment that we will
all be talking about for years to come.

We want to thank you for the partnership and friendship we have shared over the years. Your invaluable support has helped us to create the phenomenon of the “Oprah Show” that we’ve all been so proud to be a part of for the last 24 years. My staff and I will be calling all of you directly tonight and tomorrow. We look forward to speaking with you.

And, if you think the last quarter century has been something, then "don't touch that dial" as

... Read More »

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. – November 19, 2009 – NBC's "Chuck" returns to the NBC lineup on Sunday, January 10 with back-to-back original episodes in its season premiere (9-11 p.m. ET) before the series -- starring Zachary Levi in the title role -- moves to its regular day and time (Mondays 8-9 p.m. ET) beginning January 11. "Josh (Schwartz) and Chris (Fedak) and the writing team are doing a great job this season, and we think the loyal fan base for this show will be happy to see it back on the NBC schedule," said Angela Bromstad, President, Primetime Entertainment, NBC and Universal Media Studios.

In addition, "Chuck" returns with guest stars galore in its third season. These include: Angie Harmon (NBC's "Law & Order"), who will play Sydney, an enemy operative; Brandon Routh ("Superman Returns"), who is set to play CIA Agent Daniel Shaw; Robert Patrick ("Terminator 2: Judgment Day") will play Colonel Keller, a soldier and spy from Casey's past; Kristin Kreuk ("Smallville"), who will portray Hannah -- a potential love interest for Chuck; Armand Assante ("Judge Dredd") as dictator Premier Goya, who is the target of an assassin; Steve Austin ("WWE Smackdown!") will portray Hugo Panzer, who becomes entangled in Chuck's first solo mission; and Vinnie Jones ("Snatch") will play Carl Stromberg, an arms dealer.

In other programming news, a special two-hour episode of "Heroes" will be broadcast on Monday, January 4 (8-10 p.m. ET) and then the series moves to its new time slot of Mondays (9-10 p.m. ET) starting January 11.

ABC announced today the premiere of the 6th and final season of Lost, with a special all-night event on February 2nd. A recap special will kick off the night from 8:00-9:00 PM ET, followed by the two-hour premiere from 9:00-11:00 PM. The series will then air in its regular time period – Tuesday nights from 9:00-10:00 PM ET beginning the following week, on February 9.

The comedian who writes, authors, produces, directs, acts and does stand-up has signed with ICM. He'll continue to be managed by 3 Arts Entertainment.

These are all estimates. But in Australia today, NEW MOON's midnight results were the highest grossing midnight screening since STAR WARS: EPISODE 3 (which garnered $1.2M USD in May 2005). NEW MOON played on 466 screens and grossed a phenomenal $1.6M.

On Wednesday, NEW MOON launched No. 1 in France with 488,000 admissions for its first day from 751 resulting with $4.36M on Day One -- which is 4 times what TWILIGHT did (140,960 admissions and gross $1.15M).

Also Wednesday, NEW MOON grossed $2.7M in Italy from 625 screens in its first day of release, with screens still to report. Currently NEW MOON is the 3rd highest Wednesday opening ever in Italy behind HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE and HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX.

In Spain NEW MOON opened Wednesday with $2.2M from 652 screens. The 3rd best Wednesday opening day ever, just behind HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX and HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE, and finally surpassing THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING.