2008 July 01 « Entertainment Today and Beyond

Summer Blockbusters to come (maybe)

PREVIEW OF JULY AT THE MOVIES

7/3 HANCOCK – Critical reaction has been wildly split on this Will Smith anti-superhero movie. It’s based on an edgy novel titled Tonight He Comes. Some seem to love it, some seem to hate it. There’s no doubt it will have a sizable opening as Smith is as sure a thing at the box office as Paris Hilton is on a first date.

7/11 HELL BOY 2 The Golden Army – Advance reviews on the Guillermo Del Toro directed sequel have been terrific. I enjoyed the original Hell Boy and think Ron Perlman is nothing short of fantastic as the cult comic book character. Having said that, I still think its 85 mill budget is a gamble for Universal as this one, like the first, might not radiate to moviegoers outside its small core fan base. Even so – I won’t miss it.

JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH – Advance reviews have been surprisingly very positive on this movie which was shot in 3-D and specifically made as a movie going thrill ride. Don’t go in expecting a direct remake of the James Mason version. Brendon Fraser stars and this looks to be a good summer for Fraser as Mummy 3 also hits the theaters in August.

DAVE – Just going by its trailer, this looks like another why are you doing this Eddie Murphy high concept comedy? Of course we know why he’s doing this – for the big paycheck. Did I mention he’s once again playing multiple characters? Dave would have to be truly great to erase the bad taste of his Norbit disaster.

7/18 DARK KNIGHT – Advance reviews are so insanely great that it’s given me chills. I don’t think I have been this excited to see a movie in quite some time. It’s one of those movies I know I’ll just have to see multiple times in a theater. See the trailers in my other Dark Knight posts.

MAMMA MIA – I’m hoping its summers Hairspray. I love the trailer. Here’s a look. View Trailer

7/25 STEP BROTHERS – It’s a Will Ferrell comedy. What else do you need to know!

X-FILES: I Want to Believe – This second big screen movie will have to be really good to get people excited. David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson star.

Overall July looks to be a good one!

July 1, 2008 Posted by Entertainment Today & Beyond | Reviews | Brendan Fraser, David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, Guillermo Del Toro, Hellboy 2, Journey to the Center of the Earth, Mamma Mia, Mummy 3, Ron Perlman, Step Brothers, Will Ferrell, X-Files I Want to Believe | Leave a Comment

Just one more really cool Dark Knight Preview!

Here is the latest trailer Warner Bros. cut for its highly anticipated DARK KNIGHT. I think it’s the best one yet! I promise it’s the last one I’ll post. Bring on the movie! View Trailer

July 1, 2008 Posted by Entertainment Today & Beyond | And Beyond - Trailers & News | Heath Ledger | Leave a Comment

And Beyond… Sequels for 300 & Terminator / Godfather on HD

According to the trade publication, Variety, Legendary Pictures has confirmed it will move forward on a follow up to its 2007 worldwide hit, 300. Frank Miller is writing the script and Director Zach Snyder is interested in helming the project once again. While I personally liked 300 I don’t see myself jumping up and down at the thought of a sequel. Visually, it was unique and its storyline about the ancient Spartans was involving enough, but I just can’t get excited about another one.

The trades are also reporting that actress Helena Bonham Carter (Sweeny Todd) is in talks to play an important role in the fourth Terminator movie, currently in production. While the size of her part has not been disclosed, some media outlets are saying she will play the film’s villain. I think there will be a lot of excitement as its release date approaches since Christian Bale (The Dark Knight) is starring in the film as the now grown up John Connor, the man fated to lead the human race against Sky Net and an army of Terminators. Speaking of Terminator, I’m really glad that Fox TV gave the series a second season pickup as it’s a really good piece of television. It’s so much better than I ever thought it would be and I love the shows lead, Lena Headey who does a great job playing Sarah Conner. I think the show creators can really build off a solid first season.

Look for The Godfather trilogy to be released in the High Definition Blue-Ray format on Sept 23rd. The four disc set will come with five documentaries. Godfather1 and 2 underwent a digital restoration supervised by director Francis Ford Coppola which took more than a year to complete. Expect Blue-Ray to be the dominant format in home viewing within the next two years. Hey – there’s a reason your local Blockbuster is selling off two month old DVD titles, 4 for $20!

July 1, 2008 Posted by Entertainment Today & Beyond | And Beyond - Trailers & News | 300, Christian Bale, Frank Miller, Godfather Trilogy, Helena Bonham Carter, Lena Headey, Terminator, Zach Snyder | Leave a Comment

New 007 Quantum of Solace Trailer

MGM just officially released the first trailer for its new 007 film, QUANTUM OF SOLACE. It’s a direct sequel to CASINO ROYALE, picking up moments after the end of the last scene. The film, which stars Daniel Craig in his second outing as James Bond, hits theaters November 7, 2008. Watch it HERE.

July 1, 2008 Posted by Entertainment Today & Beyond | And Beyond - Trailers & News | 007, Add new tag, Casino Royale, Daniel Craig, James Bond, Quantum of Solace | Leave a Comment

The Weekend Box Office Totals

It was a great weekend at the movies in terms of Box office, as overall ticket sales were up 20% over the same weekend last summer. It’s no surprise that Pixar’s WALL-E opened big with 62.5 mill in business. The unexpected winner was Universal action flick, WANTED. The Hard R rated pic did a better than expected 51 mill in its opening frame. That’s the biggest June opening ever for an R rated film. Studios have been skittish of the R rating with Fox releasing its DIE HARD 4 last year with a PG-13 rating just to assure a broader audience. Producers of the upcoming fourth TERMINATOR film will also reportedly shy away from the R rating and produce a PG-13 product. In the case of WANTED, an R rating certainly didn’t hurt ticket sales. Universal is planning on turning the property into a franchise.

Indiana Jones and The Curse of the Crystal Skull is right at the cusp of passing the 300 mill mark in ticket sales. It will be the second film, behind Marvel’s IRON MAN, to do so this summer. Whether fans of the series have been satisfied with it is another story altogether. I’m a big Indy fan and was disappointed with the film and I know I’m not alone! Sex and the City is now up to 140 mill in 5 weeks of release. There’s no doubt Warner Bros will want a sequel. Whether the cast can all agree to a deal to bring them back for a second time is another question altogether. You Don’t Mess with the Zohan is struggling to get to the 100 mill mark. It’s currently at 91 mill and petering out. Could Adam Sandler’s box-office luster be wearing a little thin with his fan base? I love him but how long can he keep doing the silly stuff now that he’s now four decades old. Follow this LINK for this weekend’s Box Office Totals.