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SUNDAY AM: Talk about a tired premise. It's difficult to imagine a more overworked plot device than the body swap. But stick a tween dream like Zac Efron in this drivel -- and suddenly the domestic box office dollars flow. So the New Line/Warner Bros' 17 Again opened to $9.4 million Friday and $9.1 million Saturday from 3,255 theaters for No. 1 and a $24M weekend. After a successful Saturday Night Live hosting gig where he poked gentle fun at his fame and fans and sexuality, Zac has now staked a solid claim to a post-High School Musical career. (Disney is continuing the franchise without the original cast.) But the question still remains whether Efron can graduate to pics where he plays anyone older than a teen. But I wouldn't write him off just yet as not having the eventual range of, say, Leonardo DiCaprio. Then again, no less than Cameron, Spielberg and Scorsese took Leo to the next level. Zac may never get opportunities to work with great directors.
Working Title/Universal's feature film retool of the crackling BBC TV mini-series State Of Play had the kind of pedigreed cast and production values that screamed this is a cut-above kind of pic. But the studio first had to buck the trend of complex and smart adult drama/thrillers not performing at the box office. (International did only $9.3M. Body of Lies was just $12.9M.) So Universal tried to sell State Of Play not as a political thriller but as a journalistic thriller along the lines of Absence Of Malice or All The Presidents Men. (I hear studio toppers had these oldies in mind when they decided to move forward on the pic in the first place -- even though journos are even less popular than pols these days.) On Friday, State Of Play debuted to #2 but with only $4.6 million. It went up 28% for Saturday adding $5.9 million from 2,803 venues. So that's an underperforming $14.1M weekend. Opening weekend gross outside of North America was $2M from 3 territories. Would original leading man Brad Pitt have made a difference in the film's box office? Nah. Exit polling showed that the main reason moviegoers saw State Of Play was Russell Crowe (66%), followed by story (52%). With an "A-" Cinema Score, the audience breakdown was 55%/45% female/male, 75%/25% over/under age 35.
Coming in #3 was DreamWorks Animation/ Paramount's Monsters v Aliens with $3.5 million Friday and $5.5 million Saturday from 3,662 theaters for another $12.9M weekend and new cume of $162.7M. In 4th place, Disney's Hannah Montana, The Movie dropped a whopping -77% from its Good Friday opening for $4 million and earning $5.6 million Saturday from 3,118 plays and a $12.6M weekend (-60%) and new cume of $56.1M. Universal's overperforming Fast & Furious with the original cast was No. 5 and earned $3.8 million Friday and $4.5 million Saturday from 3,674 runs for $12.3M weekend and new cume of $136.7M. Internationally, the street racing actioner looks No. 1 again this weekend with another $36M from 59 territories for a big overseas cume to date of $145 million.
That leaves Lionsgate's latest Jason Statham actioner Crank 2: High Voltage to open a weak #6 with $2.7 million Friday and $2.4 million Saturday from 2,223 dates for just a $6.5M weekend. Meanwhile, in 7th place, Warner Bros' R-rated mall cop comedy (and I use that term loosely because of the offensive date rape scene) Observe & Report is officially and mercifully dead with only a $4M weekend (-63%) from 2,727 theaters and paltry $18.6M cume.
In 8th place, Summit Entertainment's Knowing finished the weekend with $3.4M from 2,408 venues for a new cume of $73.6M. DreamWorks/Paramount's I Love You, Man was #9 with $3.3M from 2,202 dates for a fresh $64.6M cume. And, rounding out the Top 10 is Lionsgate's The Haunting In Connecticut with $3.1M from 2,255 runs for a new cume of $51.9M.
This looks like another powered-up weekend at the box office with $112M, up 19.7% from last year.
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He’s the male version of Hannah Montana…I mean Miley Cyrus.Hopefully, he’s smart enough to milk this thing for all it’s worth, and not try to grow up and be taken seriously like all the Disney Factory starlets.And Nikki, those director didn’t take Leonardo DiCaprio to the next level, that he did all on his own.
Leo did do it all by himself. I think Leo has talent and well Zac has ? I still don’t know haha
I think that redmenace has hit the nail on the head.
Mr. Efron’s ego seems out of control. Sure, he was OK in ‘Hairspray’, and the snippet of HSM2 that I saw revealed an ability to (slightly) rise above the dismal Disney treacle that he was performing in. But he has not really shown any capacity as a leading actor, as opposed to a sparkling-looking merchandising icon.
For his own sake, I wish that those around Mr. Efron (especially his parents) would help him see that the money he has earned affords him the chance to take some time off, get some serious acting training, and then leverage a move into adult roles. But I’m sure that ‘Mickey the Un-Mouse’ and the others at CAA will be content to milk the cash cow dry and then cast Mr. Efron off as dross.
This cynical, derivitave movie does nothing more than attempt to exloit all of the marketing that Disney has already done on behalf of the HSM franchsie. And they’re lucky to open on a weekend without any other competition in the light comedy genre.
I’m so happy for the success of 17 again, but I can’t help but feel they would have had even more success had it opened in the summer when kids could watch it on the weekdays — now they are in school. But this is not just a movie for kids, its for adults as well and rottentomatoes gave it a fresh rating as well – so it’s getting great reviews. Hey, Ryan Gosling came from Disney as well and Zac could find success as well.
This is still pretty good for state of play — isn’t this crowe’s best opening in a long time?
I don’t know why they made a crank 2 — I thought crank 1 was one of the worst movies I have ever seen and I’m a big fan of Jason Statham usually.
Is observe and report that bad? After the unfunny trailer, I still wanna see it because I love Seth Rogen — which still shows from last week that he can open a film. So planning to see it tomorrow
Keep in mind that ‘State of Play’s target audience doesn’t rush out to the theaters on opening weekend. A majority of them wait for home video. I saw a screening in Boston on Tuesday night and the theater was maybe three-quarters full (they usually have to turn people away from screenings).
It’s too bad, too. The film is terrific and my hat off to Kevin Macdonald and company for making a solid adaptation of a great BBC series. And thank the Gods above that Brad Pitt took a hike. He might be okay in the new Tarantino film, but he would have been miscast as Cal McAffrey.
Leo DiCRAPIO is truly one of, if not, the most overrated actors in the world right now. He has no skill to pull off modulation in exhibiting an emotion. Everything is extreme with him. I’ll give him the ‘Departed’ and ‘Gilbert Grape’, but that’s it, everything else he’s done is just crap acting. He can mug just as good as the rest of them, but that doesn’t make you great. I can name several performers that would just wipe the floor with him. Hirsch. Gosling. Franco. Lebeouf. Levitt. Even Channing Tatum has more complexity than this boy girl joke. Old Cougars like Nikki just want to fuck him therefore giving him a pass.
Guys like Efron and the twilight dude have chops, but they can’t succumb to the pretty boy machine. They need to challenge themselves and break the comfort zone at every turn if possible. The road to fulfilling success can be found in Johnny Depps career. Follow his example and you’ll be okay.
I think we need to give credit where credit is due. A lot of reviewers are saying the only reason 17 Again succeeds at all is because of the cast, especially Zac Efron’s charm, charisma and, yes, talent. I’m not a fan of the Disney machine but I’d agree with that assessment having seen 17 Again. The kid can actually act.
He doesn’t have the range of Leo DiCaprio yet but he also seems to be aware of that fact and working hard on it because he is showing obvious improvement picture to picture. I’m interested to see where he goes and hope, since he seems like a nice guy, that he succeeds.
I feel like a lot of people confuse the tween crowd’s opinion of Zac onto Zac’s opinion of himself which is both erroneous and unfair.
I find it hard to believe that Zac’s ego is out of control when his behavior clearly demonstrates the opposite. He avoids unwanted publicity whenever he can, seems genuinely grateful for every opportunity he has been afforded, and works very hard at becoming a good actor and challenging himself. Zac is concerned with his education and feels that the experience he is getting on-set is an important part of that education.
I thoroughly enjoyed 17 again (even went back for a second helping to try and catch more of the geeky references to other movies). I was a little surprised at how much it wasn’t a chick flick, and how adult certain parts of it were. Great movie – go see it!
I thought “State of Play” was excellent and the exiting audience at my theater agreed (unlike the so-so reaction for “Duplicity”). This could do well over the next few weeks as adults go to the movies (unless adults flock to see “the Soloist”).
Glad “Observe and Report” bombed. Worst movie I’ve seen in a long time!
If it wasn’t for “Gilbert Grape” – where most of us discovered that Leo could definitely act – then he would be making his living appearing at “Growing Pains” conventions. Zac needs a movie where he can “act” as opposed to looking like a pretty boy for the tween set.
Personally, I don’t think it’s going to happen. I just don’t think Zac has the skill level and “fresh faces” in Hollywood grow old if you don’t have the talent to back it up.
Finally saw Observe and Report.
There is no date rape scene. See the movie and understand the context. Normally, I don’t jump on Nikki’s opinions, but in this case, I believe she has it wrong.
And the movie is very funny. Certainly not mainstream, but that’s okay. Sometimes, we need movies that aren’t made for everyone.
Crank 1 is an amazing film. It’s tongue in cheek bad to the extreme… I think it’s by far Jason Statham’s best film. And why even start to speculate on Zac Efron’s demise? He just had a #1 movie and he came out of the world of, not TV, but MADE FOR TV MOVIES. Pretty cool feat. No I won’t be seeing 17 again, but cool nonetheless. It’s also not a body swap film… it’s a reverse age film, like peggy sue got married.
“State of Play” represents the once n for all death of the drama that is sold as “It’s Really a Thriller”. These films can only work at Oscar time. That was the case for “Michael Clayton” which itself was not a blockbuster. Oddly enough, the really great journalistic drama of our time never got released. “Nothing but the Truth” died when Yari went bankrupt. Anybody who got their collector’s edition Academy screener can tell you that not only would it have been a nomination for Beckinsale and a win for Farmiga, but it would have made money. Why? None of the stars went full freight and it cost under $10 million to ake.
Jake, please stop this crap every week that every family movie would have done better had it opened in summer. Parents with kids are looking for entertainment ALL YEAR ROUND and titles like this do great BECAUSE the kids are in school and talk them up with their friends at school.
The summer release schedule is crammed with all-ages films – they all can’t open at the same time !
Observe and Report is not bad at all, although its far from a masterpiece. It seems that the author of this website really, really dislikes everything that comes from Judd Apatow or Seth Rogen.
This site still has the best and most honest box office analysis though, so her personal taste is just something I ignore.
@Jake: Yes, Observe and Report is just as bad as the trailer makes it look, possibly even worse. 17 Again was funnier, as was Monsters V. Aliens.
Zac will have a solid career. He’s a smart guy, made the perfect post-Disney step with 17 Again and if he turns in a solid performance with the Orsen Wells flick… well, he’s in.
As for Crank 2… It was 10 times more ridiculous than the first one… in a good way. I thoroughly enjoyed it just like I did the first one. Too bad it opened so poorly.
The R-rated action movie seems to be collapsing. (I hope not, but then again…)
Anybody care to warrant a guess as to how PELHAM 1 2 3, PUBLIC ENEMIES and BASTERDS will do?
What happened to Russell Crowe? He used to be a sure-thing at the box office. The last hit he had was American Gangster and that was largely due to Denzel. Not even his big collaboration with Leo DiCaprio could garner any heat. It also seems like he hasn’t delivered a powerhouse performance in a long time either. If his massive Ridley Scott-directed Robin Hood movie fizzles his name may officially be mud in that town.
Oh, and Nikki, stop whining about the alleged date rape scene in Observe & Report. The girl was inebriated but conscious. Halfway through she encouraged Seth Rogen not to stop. After the movie drops out of the Top 10 altogether next week please don’t use what you misinterpreted as happening in one throwaway moment as justification for its plunge down the charts. It was a really brutal dark comedy that has “cult sensation” written all over it. It certainly wasn’t a movie for people who like sitcom humor, so I can understand why the Judd Apatow crowd was nonplussed by it.
I honestly believe State of Play would have done much better with Pitt than Crowe and with Norton instead of Affleck. I for one would have gone to see it and I know many more that would have too but now we will never know. International box office numbers should be interesting. A true movie star, like Brad Pitt, would have probably taken this movie to another lever. Again, I believe Universal made a huge mistake and yes I’m a Brad Pitt Fan.
By the way, I took my kids to see 17 Again and I thought it was cute nothing major but cute enough to enjoy it.
I think you’re wrong about State of Play, Nikki. Pitt would have brought in bigger numbers especially paired with Norton. The reviews are mostly middling and remember many reviews are boosting its rating because it’s all about the media’s favorite topic – itself. The biggest complaint about it has been the script which is why Pitt rejected it and, my guess, the real reason Norton found an excuse to exit as well. Universal just HAD to push this thing despite the strike. They continue to try to paint Pitt as the villain instead of the real villain – their own greed.
“What happened to Russell Crowe?”
He got fat. People don’t like change.
Nikki, we get it, you only like vanilla humor that doesn’t push the envelope and you think there should be limitations and restrictions on which routes comedy can travel. You’re probably the type of person who would boo a stand-up comedian who told an off-color joke that was rife with political incorrectness. I thought you were hipper than that.
Sometimes when ghastly things are viewed through a humorous prism they get turned on their head and the power they wield in the real world is mitigated. I don’t understand why comedy is the one field of expression where people demand boundaries must exist. Maybe it’s because people are just overeager to feign moral outrage and righteous indignation so they’re looking to be offended by anything that presents itself. The real joke here is that we’re even having this conversation because as countless others have pointed out, no actual date rape took place in the now-infamous scene in question. I actually thought the only copout on the filmmakers’ behalf during the course of the movie was that they flirted with insinuating this but didn’t have the fortitude to actually commit. That would’ve taken real guts, and real comedic talent to pull off in a defensible way.
T&L, why don’t you see State of Play and actually determine whether you think it would have been better with Pitt. Even Macdonald agreed Crowe is more right for the role.
I saw it yesterday with the largest opening day crowd I’ve seen in my theater complex for an adult movie since Gran Torino. I’m not saying it’ll do numbers like that, because it won’t, but it is a solid thriller with a great cast and Crowe was excellent, as were Mirren, McAdams and Bateman. Ben Affleck was even quite good in a role that is right for him.
I do get a little tired of the ‘underperforming’ comments you read in these analyses. The demographic these movies are aimed at generally do not go to the theater on opening weekend and I think State of Play will have legs because of very good reviews and word of mouth.
Kathleen, Pitt may not have liked the final script but that doesn’t mean that this version is not a cracking good thriller, it is. I saw and loved the BBC mini-series and yes, this has changed and been condensed, but it is a very good movie.
The idea that Zac Efron, who I liked quite a bit in Hairspray (I don’t have kids so have not seen any of the HSM trilogy) has made a “major step towards adult stardom” is publicist’s poppycock, pure and simple. I have nothing against the kid, and wish him well, but the hyperbole displayed in some of the above posts is mind-numbing.
Beyond that, the real problem with this movie is the hackneyed regurgatation of hidebound, high-concept effluent that the über-hack Burr Steers has heaved onto thousands of multiplex movie screens. Judging from this original-idea-free movie, combined with the too-low-to-measure quality of his previous magnus-opus, Igby Goes Down, it is no wonder that Steers is desperately trying to grab onto Zac Efron’s coattails.
Zac’s acting is no worse than Brad Pitt acting and he’s 25 years younger. If Pitt can make it on looks alone… Zac should have no problem coasting on his looks, too.
I think that Zac was really good in Hairspray and in 17 Again. People need to give him a chance. I’m sure that he will prove himself. Geez, he’s only 21. From everything that I read, directors and producers have commented that he has a really good work ethic. He’s a very hard worker and prepares for his roles. I believe that he is going to be a very fine actor.
I agree with this statement by Elis: I find it hard to believe that Zac’s ego is out of control when his behavior clearly demonstrates the opposite.
That’s true. He’s not out partying and drinking and doing drugs and chasing women and getting into all sorts of trouble. He seems very grounded. He knows how lucky he is. He knows what he has and that it can disappear at any time. He certainly is a good role model for the kids. I’d much rather that my kids look up to him than Lohan, Spears, or Winehouse.
oh my God to whoever said “Nothing But the Truth” is good – in fact, it is laughably awful. There’s a reason no single other distributor in Hollywood would pick it up when it was shopped around.
Russell Crowe proves again he is still the best actor in the universe with his film “State of Play”, long hair and extra weight and all. Because of him and the strong supporting cast the film is a top notch political thriller. While I rate the film “excellent” I found the underlying theme of failing newspapers amusing. Gosh, wouldn’t it be wonderful if the newspapers could once again display the superb investigative skills of its reporters, as the film suggests, a skill long gone in the mindless spin of newspaper editors partisan politics.
Crank 2 only had a budget of $12.5 million. It’s a failure, but at least not a big one.
State of Ben Affleck
I skipped the move State of Play because I think Affleck can’t act and usually ruins every movie he is in. Just from the commercials for the movie he was wooden. They should have hidden the fact he was in the movie. Just think how many great actors are in Hollywood and they have to pick AFFLECK.
ps non related TCM’s Private Screenings are worth recording. Seeing Mickey Rooney, Child Stars, Lauren Bacall,Ann Miller and others being interviewed by Robert Osborne is wonderful entertainment.
I have to disagree about State of Play having the same opening if Brad Pitt were in it instead of Russell Crowe. First of all, Russell, much as I like his acting, hasn’t been able to open a movie since Master & Commander – 6 years ago. American Gangster was Denzel’s movie…much as Russell like to think otherwise. I seem to remember that media pundits said The Curious Case of Benjamin Button wouldn’t do well at the box office opening weekend either. Or Burn After Reading. Pitt has been choosing films based more on the story than box office potention for a quite a while now. However, if Pitt had been in State of Play, due to his current status as a tabloid staple and all the free publicity his relationship with Jolie would bring to the movie – I think the box office would have been at least twice what it will be with Crowe in the role.
Also, you have to think about how this movie will perform at foreign box offices. Studios are leaning more heavily on the foreign performance of movies than every before and if there’s one thing that Pitt can deliver it’s international box office numbers. If you look at the numbers for TCCOBB, media experts said it wouldn’t make $100MIL in foreign markes (or domestically). Yet TCCOBB is over $200MIL in foreign markets and because of that Paramount and Warner Brothers will recoup the movie they poured into TCCOBB – even if it didn’t win all the Oscars they hoped it would.
Conversely, if you look at Russell foreign box office for 3:10 to Yuma($16MIL), Cinderella Man ($47MIL), A Good Year ($35MIL) and Body of Lies ($75MIL)…well, let’s just say that Uni gave him a $20MIL payday for nothing. Russell just isn’t worth $20MIL anymore. At least with Brad Pitt in the lead role Universal would have made it’s money back. But instead, because they just HAD to have this movie made their way instead of waiting on the re-writes Pitt wanted, Universal is going to take a bloodbath on this movie. They spent $80MIL to make it and they’ll be lucky if it does $40MIL domestically and $40MIL foreign (after all, at least Russell had Leo as a co-star in Body of Lies and that was good for a higher foreign total…but Ben Affleck? Please…I think I’m being kind by saying $40MIL.) Maybe the movie will eventually turn a profit with DVD sales, tv and cable rights, etc., but I doubt Ron Meyer is holding his breath waiting for that to happen.
Michael Clayton was a drama that cost 20 million to make, and its opening weekend it did over 10 million, it went on to make nearly 100 million worldwide, and got a ton of award nominations.
So yeah, huge failure. Get some perspective, please.
Is the body swap really more of a tired premise than the generic political thriller? The film was entertaining enough but it didn’t come close to the classics that were mentioned. It was more like Ron Howard/Michael Keaton’s “The Paper” with higher stakes. A quality but forgettable movie.
And how were The International and Body of Lies “respected”? They got reviews as mixed as those for 17 Again.
At least 17 Again hit its target. State of Play was neither insightful nor a popcorn film. If Russell Crowe couldn’t get people to see the much better “The Insider”, he wasn’t going to get him to come to see this.
I just read somewhere above that someone thinks Channing Tatum and Robert Pattinson are better actors than Leonardo DiCaprio. . . and I have to wonder if that person is high. You want to talk about overrated? Try looking at those two and their movies. And let’s see, I think Step-Up and Stop-Loss. . . and Twilight. . . compare to Leo’s work as well as an ant to my shoe. Flattened is the outcome of the ant and not even a little speck on my shoe. Leo is by far one of the best actors around.
And as far as what Zach needs to do. . . he needs to stop relying on his looks to get roles and sell them. He’s around 20 now and he has to do something to make a splash and a complete shift of character could be just what he needs. It sort of worked for Ashton Kutcher in Butterfly Effect, let’s see him try something like that. Take a chance and see where it gets him. If all else fails, go back to making the Disney kiddie movies.
High school musical opened in October — during school — it opened to 42 million — ummm, did it pass 100 — which it most certainly could have like it did internationally if they had opened it when kids were out of school.
Don’t you hear it now — but mom I want to watch Hannah montana and 17 again — not until you do your homework or we’ll watch it this weekend. If they played in the summer, it would be okay let’s watch it.
17 again btw is good, got a cinemascore of A- and I would say is an adult comedy that happens to star a teenage star. I liked it and Zac can act, you do need hits to have a career to be able to do the oscar type films. I’m very happy for Efron.
A little clarification on what constitutes “rape.” If the girl says “stop” and you keep going, it’s rape. If the girl says “why are you stopping?” and you keep going, it’s not. Observe and Report did NOT have a rape scene in it, Nikki.
Observe & Report is one of the best films of the first quarter.
And that sex scene Nikki rants about is even the 5th most shocking thing about the movie. Most people will be disturbed by the heroin scene, the police beating & the slow motion chase scene.
No, moviefan, I will not see state of play; I would have with Pitt/Norton but certainly not with Crowe/Affleck. I don’t dislike Crowe per se but I really think that his signing to do this movie while the writers’ strike was going on was wrong on many levels.
How exactly does Zac Efron have an out of control ego? This is a kid who up until last year drove around a beat up Oldsmobile Alero. They had to force him to buy a new car. He keeps his relationship private. And he has a sense of humor about himself. I may not be a fan of the kid, but a big ego is something he does not have.
I just hate it when Russell Crow looks like a big, bloated pig – which he does in this movie.
Don’t get me wrong – I’m a big fan of his and have seen all of his films, it’s just that I cannot stand it when he looks this way. He reminds me of a homeless lush.
It’s like going to see Sean Connery doing an impression of Chris Farley – Yeeeeeecchh! I think I’ll wait for Russell to go back to doing things where his heavy drinking isn’t showing so obviously.
It’s rape if the person is so out of it they have no idea what is going on.
Yeah they put in that line with her coming to and saying, why are you stopping but given in the prior scene she doesn’t even remember throwing up it’s a stretch to call that consensual sex.
The actors of the movie even referred to the scene in interviews as the date rape scene. Farris thought it would be cut.
We should get rid of the term date rape anyway. Either it is or it isn’t. Have the “date” word makes it seem like it’s less serious than some guy jumping out of the bushes.
RE: CRANK 2
Don’t call it DOA when it just opened huge at # 1 in Germany. It brought in more than 3 times the audience the original CRANK did back when it opened.
I disagree re: Jason Statham’s best movie. Clearly THE BANK JOB!
Re: Zach Efron and 17 AGAIN
It’s a sin to be pretty, right? We should watch the currently much overexposed Philip Seymour Hoffman in anything he does – naked butt and all – because he can act? Who would be so shallow and expect actors to be handsome and have IT? Leo was called a “Pretty Boy” forever – after THIS BOY’S LIFE and after GILBERT GRAPE. I’m sure he got over that.
Efron has IT and he doesn’t suck in 17 AGAIN which only suffers from the author’s limited imagination re: what would adult protag in teen protag’s body do. Who’s the audience for that lame sex-ed class joke, for example? Oh, and it suffers from Michelle Trachtenberg’s limited appeal that hasn’t increased one iota since her Gossip Girl role. It’s still Michelle Trachtenberg… Some people don’t need to waste money on acting classes.
RE: OBSERVE AND REPORT …
There is a reason why you can’t sell this movie – based on the rape scene alone, never mind Rogen – to females. And no, we do love black comedies, but they ought to be funny and smart. Misogynistic? Not so much. And for the record: The guy who wants to drag us into OBSERVE AND REPORT or speaks highly of it — big red flag. So yeah, you guys have fun watching your boy Seth Rogen. Without us. (see box office numbers, natch)
RE: Date Rape Scene
I would pay $ 5 to hear arguments in court re: “it’s not date rape – the totally drunk chick consented! Previously passed out, she came to – during the act – and told rapist to go on! There!” Yeah, right. You guys are f%&$§”/ r%$§”!§
>”Date rape situations can occur where one party is too drunk or intoxicated to consent”. This was the first time they did it, right, there was no (sexual) history that could establish that she consented prior to being totally wasted, is there?
Duplicity opening weekend was 13.9 million at 2574 venues. Almost the same for State of Play which opened at 2803 venues. Yet there were stories of Julia Roberts death march. She was old and could no longer open a movie. But now with State of Play, it’s the genre is not performing not that Crowe can’t open a movie. Crowe may be the poison pill but we would not know it from the articles. If he is going to be paid 20 mill than he should be held to a higher standard like you did to Julia. BTW how much money do you think another Robin Hood movie is going to make with a old Crowe playing the part of Robin.
Why is movie studios still financing movie such as The International, Body of Lies ,Syriana, Michael Clayton, Absence Of Malice or All The Presidents Men and this clunker State of Play is beyond my comprehension!
That is naming you the likes of Leonardo, Crowe and Clooney. B.O poison.
And you guys kept saying how Kidman is a B.O poison when its clear the men are the worst of the bunch
Observe and Report stunk. Just not funny. Please no more Jody Hill movies, Hollywood. Please.
Who ever said that Pitt would have doubled the numbers must not be following his career that closely. Other than Mr. & Mrs. Smith, a sure fire popcorn flick, whats’ the last movie Pitt opened big in the US? Also whoever mentioned Norton must be smoking that great homegrown. He’s poison to a movie. How many people has he worked with in the last 10 years who he backstabbed with post-production or just walking through the movie. Hulk, wouldn’t do press. Italian Job wouldn’t do press and slept walked through the movie. The list goes on but I won’t bother. I think he’s making himself unemployed for a long time to come unless he can get his ego and check.
Stacey, I have no desire to get into a pissing match with you about Pitt v. Crowe, but to say Pitt would have doubled (or more) the b.o. of SOP is ludicrous, IMO. Burn After Reading was an ensemble piece and Clooney and the Coens were as responsible for getting folks into the theater as Pitt, not to mention it was a goofy comedy, not an adult drama. Pitt didn’t exactly rake in the b.o. with Jesse James, where he was lead actor. State of Play is a political thriller aimed at adults, its comparisons would be films like Michael Clayton, The International, The Interpreter, Breach, etc.
Anyway, it looks like State of Play is headed for a second place at the b.o. this weekend when most pundits were placing it at 6th. I think Universal will be happy enough with a $14-15m weekend, when considering what recent adult movies have brought in. The movie has very good reviews and from what I’m hearing great WOM, so I’m hoping it has legs. BTW, the budget was $60m, not 80. It will make money as the older audience it is aimed at, while not racing out to see movies in theaters, buys/rents exactly this kind of movie to watch at home on their elaborate entertainment systems.
I’m hoping this film does well because we need more well done adult movies that can lead to intelligent discussion, not more movies that you forget as soon as you walk out of the theater.
Russel Crowe is starting to look like Ron Jeremy. OH YEAH!!
State of Play is a movie that should be shunned by everyone in the industry. While the WGA was picketing there were re-writes aplenty being performed on this script. Brad Pitt spent days re-working the script with scab Kevin Macdonald. Then more work done when Crowe signed on. Scab. Scab. Scab.
Leo DiCaprio has range? He did his best work when he was still a teenager and has been coasting ever since.
I agree with Jon about Channing Tatum and ESPECIALLY Robert Pattison. Great looking guys both, but they can’t act. I think Pattison is one of the worse young actors around. Still, very good-looking and “bankable” and I suppose that’s the most important thing for some people.
Zac Efron is a great guy and will be the next Tom Cruise minus the Scientology obsession. Like someone already mentioned he’s very down-to-earth and hard-working. 17 Again was a good move & I look forward to his next films.
Leonardo Dicaprio needs to stop taking himself so goddam serious. Yeah he can act but he’s always so grumpy people are going to turn away from him soon. I would like to see him in a smart comedy drama next. Lighten up, Leo!
R Crowe ignored the writer’s stike with his greed and I made a vow to ignore his films. I will not be seeing SOP. Greedy studio plus greedy star Crowe will not get my money. Pitt was right about the script, and UNI could have waited for rewrites. Pitt’s films perform exceedingy well in overseas markets which is a plus for all studios and is one reason he remains in such high demand for roles. I have decided to support Pitt’s films no matter what so I will be there on opening day for IB in August.
I thought, Zac Efron was really charming in his movie.
obviously, the rockin’ success of monsters vs. aliens is entirely due to the inclusion of our cover version of the b-52’s great track, “planet claire,” at the pivotal moment in the soundtrack of the film.
of course, we may be biased.
Zac’s too pretty to have a serious career. Leo had just the right amount of edge to him.
Universal is pleased with those State of Play numbers. Word of mouth will keep it from dropping too much and it is already playing well overseas. Everyone is so quick to call something a bomb when it is anything but.
Anyone else besides me wondering how Every Little Step did this weekend? Easily better than anything else that opened…
I just saw observe and report — and I must say it’s not as bad as I thought it would be. for the record, I thought paul blart was awful. But I do have to bring up the “date rape scene” how is that date rape — she clearly passed out in the middle of it — he’s not holding her down — he was surprised that she fell asleep and he stopped and then she woke up. So where and how is this date rape?
Why isn’t Rob Lowe playing Zac Effron’s older self in the movie? That seems more likely than Matthew Perry (who looks really tired. Take a nap, man!)
“I have decided to support Pitt’s films no matter what so I will be there on opening day for IB in August.”
Yes, because walking away from a $60m film a few days before filming is sooo much better, potentially leaving hundreds of folks out of work. I guess you probably know this isn’t the first time he’s done that, either. Hey, I’ve got nothing against Pitt walking because he didn’t like the final script but it doesn’t mean it’s not a good one. Macdonald said he thinks he and Brad both subconsciously knew he wasn’t right for the part, they just hadn’t admitted it yet. Pitt wanted to wear cashmere sweaters as Cal, LOL.
Box Office Mojo says that for the opening weekend of State of Play, 55% of the audience was women and 75% of the audience was over 35. When asked why they chose the film, 66% said it was because of Russell Crowe, 52% said for the story.
Moviefan -
I get it now. You’re a Brad Pitt hater. Jesus. Give it a rest about Pitt walking away from SOP. Pitt was the one who babied that movie along from the beginning, brought Kevin McDonald onto the project and Universal stabbed him in the back. The fact that Uni’s prez’s daughter is best friends with Pitt’s ex-wife, Aniston, hasn’t been lost on people in the biz.
Pitt had script approval and Uni didn’t get the new draft script to him until a few days before the writers strike. The folks at Uni KNEW Pitt had problems with the script for months. That’s why it was being re-written so close to the WGA strike deadline. They tried to strong-arm Pitt into doing a different version of the script than the one he signed on to do. He got back to them with a “no” on the script within 24 hours of receiving it. Don’t paint Uni as the saints in this matter. They turned around bad-mouthed Pitt in Variety knowing they hadn’t gotten the script to him in a timely manner and knowing full well that he wouldn’t agree to the script in the condition it was in.
But then again – you know all of this. You’re just one of those people who surfs the web looking for places to bash Pitt. I visit a lot of movie sites and I’m still stunned by how often I see rants like yours. What Universal did to Pitt happens all the time. Actors dropping out of movies at the last minute happens more often than you’d like to believe. And don’t even bother bringing up The Fountain. Aronofsky himself admits that he was partially to blame for Pitt dropping that movie because once Pitt agreed to do the movie the studio threw $100MIL at him and he got wrapped up in all of that and lost control of the vision of the movie and Pitt was no longer interested in doing the souped up version. Aronofsky and Pitt are still friends, so you really need to let that shit go.
17 Again works for one reason that everyone is overlooking: the film’s producers, Jennifer Gibgot and her brother Adam Shenkman. Shenkman got his start when his sister hired him to direct The Wedding Planner and Gibgot has broken talent such as Channing Tatum in Step Up and now Efron in 17. Offspring is the Bruckheimer of the teen set.
I’d say the majority of Leo’s good performances were when he was essentially a child actor.
Jake,
Nothing against Effron but that movie is NOT for everybody. It’s for people that like generic crap. It is not fresh on Rotten Tomatoes by the way. It may well have been when you last looked, but not now. It’s garnered mediocre to average reviews. It’s crap. I’m not saying plenty of people don’t like crap. And crap can be for everybody. But this is B-Grade crap. Not fancy blockbuster crap.
Jen Gibgot’s brother Adam Shenkman?
LOL
Stacey, I am in no way a Pitt basher and I do not surf the web to bash anyone. I don’t ‘hate’ him, I don’t even know him. I was responding to your comments about how Pitt would have more than doubled the opening of State of Play, a comment others didn’t agree with either.
I don’t care how many movies he’s walked away from, and yes, I know it happens more often than you’d think, Crowe has done it himself a couple of times. When I brought up that Pitt had done it previously was in response to T&L stating he’d boycott Crowe’s movies because he signed to do SOP. Boycotting his movies because he agreed at the 11th hour to take Pitt’s place, well, I think it’s ridiculous, no writing was done on the script during the strike, but each to his own.
STATE OF PLAY is an impossible movie to market (political, talky), so they depended too heavily on selling the cast who appeal to an older audience. But the older audience is staying away from the movies these days.
When I went to go see the movie 12 Rounds,I can honestly tell you that the startup cinema’s business is down here. I figure that most of the audience went to Jackson Metro cinemas to see Hannah Montana,17 Again becouse they didn’t open here. I wonder if Disney’s Planet Earth is going to open here locally becouse they ran the Disney trailer with the Witch Mountain feature.