By Jason Apuzzo. • Twilight: Eclipse netted $30 million last night at the domestic box office, and I am now really angry at Congress for nixing movie futures trading. My retirement would’ve been set by this morning. And just imagine if I’d rolled my winnings into a double-down bet against Last Airbender? Fat city.
We’ll have our Twilight review up soon. The film is apparently headed for about a $180 million haul by Monday, which is genuinely astonishing. The long-term, macro-significance of the Twilight franchise is going to be to eat away at the current fanboy dominance of the cinema – and it’s about time, frankly.
• Talk about an odd career niche: Andy Serkis has been ‘cast’ as the lead ape in the Planet of the Apes prequel/reboot/preboot. Serkis played Kong and Gollum for Peter Jackson. The man has absolutely locked down all major simian roles for himself, and apparently has no competitors. Can a Curious George reboot be far off?
• A teaser trailer for Paranormal Activity 2 is out. News flash: this stuff works only once, guys. You’ll need to deliver more than a barking dog by the time this one comes out.
• Pirates of the Caribbean director Gore Verbinski will apparently be taking a crack at a remake of Danny Kaye’s The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. Just don’t cast Adrien Brody.
• Now The Last Airbender is getting hammered for its bad 3D conversion. Btw, is Larry King available in 3D?
• A new movie about the young Barack Obama has opened in Indonesia. According to the director, audiences will have the opportunity to “see Obama eating chicken satay.” I love chicken satay. I might see this film.
• AND IN TODAY’S MOST IMPORTANT NEWS … the key line of Christopher Nolan’s recent, lengthy interview with The New York Times comes from actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt : “It’s just not that common that someone as creatively inspired as Chris just gets carte blanche to do whatever the hell he wants … Anything he can think of — anything — he got to do it.” Those are not lines one wants in print if a film fails.
And that’s what’s happening today in the wonderful world of Hollywood …
[UPDATE: The Hollywood Reporter is saying today that Meryl Streep is in talks to reteam with her Mamma Mia! director Phyllida Lloyd for Thatcher, a biopic of Margaret Thatcher. Jim Broadbent is apparently also in talks to play Margaret Thatcher’s husband, Denis.
The film is being developed by Pathe and BBC Films. Mamma Mia!, by the way, did a whopping $600 million worldwide in 2008. We’ll keep an eye on this story as it develops.
The Iron Lady was of course one of Britain’s greatest Prime Ministers, and a genuine hero of the Cold War. So we hope they don’t screw this one up.]
Posted on June 30th, 2010 at 5:19pm.
Brody looks out of place in Predators. Still, dude’s got abs.
It’s easy to have abs when you weigh 80 pounds.
he long-term, macro-significance of the Twilight franchise is going to be to eat away at the current fanboy dominance of the cinema.
Pirates of the Caribbean, Harry Potter, Twilight, Hannah Montana – Jonas Bros – the last 3 Disney animated movies, all chick oriented franchises.
Where is this “dominance” of which you speak?
Every comic book franchise you can name. Also: I don’t think Harry Potter skews so heavily female.
“”“see Obama eating chicken satay.” I love chicken satay. I might see this film.”
Ha ha, very funny Jason. Now you make me want to have some chicken satay too. Just don’t make me watch the film!
I commented before reading your whole post, and now I just saw that Meryl Streep is going to play Margaret Thatcher?! Tell me this is a joke. There’s no way she can play the Iron Lady. This is just going to be another stupid hit job like “The Reagans” or “W.” or the Rush Limbaugh movie you guys recently mentioned. Why do the lefties keep pulling this crap?
Bigger question – why can’t conservatives just make these films first? Thatcher, Reagan, etc. are conservative icons, but somehow I never see our conservative billionaires funding any films about them. The left then swoops into the void and creates the movies that then trash their images. I’m sick and tired of this.