Moviegoers in the U.K. continued to send Prometheus , Men in Black 3 , and Snow White and the Huntsman into the top three spots of the box office, while ’80s hair metal pic Rock of Ages , which landed at number four though its numbers actually suggested a softer opening than its U.S. equivalent , according to figures from The Guardian. Red Lights , which will not open in the U.S. until mid-July and starring Sigourney Weaver, Cillian Murphy and Robert De Niro, performed “landed limply.” With the U.S. number one release Madagascar 3 not in the mix yet in the U.K., Prometheus held supreme in the British box office, grossing £2,009,955 ($3,163,614) from 522 sites. That’s a PSA that’s roughly on par with its U.S. counterpart, though it’s been in theaters an extra week. Men in Black 3 took in £1,544M ($2.429M) from 495 sites. Snow White and the Huntsman stayed at number three, taking in £1,297M ($2.041M) at 496 locations, while Rock of Ages managed just over £1M ($1.57M) at 479 sites. Converted to dollars, its Per Screen calculates to about $3,278 compared to its opening $4,340 Stateside. Rock of Ages placed fourth on the U.K. box office. Red Lights landed sixth behind Sundance 2012 title The Pact , which will open in the U.S. on July 6th (it took in £475,936 -$749,433 – from 317 sites and has totaled just under £2 million since bowing June 8th there). Red Lights grossed £445,109 ($701,031) for a PSA around $2,434. Marvel Avengers Assemble (as it is called over there) placed 7th with £376,991 ($593,592) from 276 sites. Its U.K. £50.963M ($80.257M) cume is the 17th overall biggest so far. The pic opened there late April. [Source: The Guardian ]
It’s no secret that Chinese censors are tough nuts to crack when it comes to Hollywood imports like Men in Black 3 . And, sure — those scenes of aliens with reptilian tongues disguised as Chinatown restaurant workers serving up contraband foodstuffs played on easy jokes, and were reportedly excised from the Chinese release. But was there something more subtle and subversive at play when Agent J “neuralized” a crowd of innocent Chinatown bystanders? Per the Telegraph, Men in Black 3 ‘s Chinatown scenes were the focus of China’s censors, who took pains to cut out moments from the film that painted people of Chinese ancestry — well, aliens posing as Asians working in a Chinese restaurant, at least — in a negative light. Reports vary on just how much was cut out, with The Telegraph citing 13 minutes of edited footage. Sure, whatever. Take out the seemingly villainous Chinese folks. More interesting is the speculation surrounding why a scene depicting Smith mind-wiping a group of civilians right after his Chinatown brawl might have been removed. “This could have been a hint on the use of internet censorship to maintain social stability,” commented China’s Southern Daily newspaper (via The Telegraph ). Censoring the MIB neuralizer from audiences because it’s a form of insidious government mind control? Hilariously ironic. I’d like to think Barry Sonnenfeld and Smith and Co. had this kind of subversive agenda in mind, but YEAH RIGHT. All I want to know is, how can I neuralyze that hideous Pitbull song from my brain? [ The Telegraph ]
The Memorial Day frame wasn’t one quite worth remembering for Will Smith, who walked away with the holiday’s biggest opening almost by default as The Avengers waned — not a lot, but enough — in its fourth weekend. Meanwhile, the week’s other wide release suffered a catastrophic B.O. meltdown en route to sixth place overall. Your special holiday-edition Weekend Receipts are here. [All figures reflect four-day totals.] 1. Men in Black 3 Gross: $70,000,000 (new) Screens: 4,248 (PSA: $16,478) Weeks: 1 Will Smith ‘s first summer entry in four years didn’t exactly blow the roofs off America’s multiplexes — the third installment of the sci-fi/comedy mashups had a $55,000,000 three-day total that basically matched those of its franchise predecessors from 1997 and 2002. But that’s what foreign box-office is for: $133 million and counting, giving Sony a $200 million global total that it should be able to build on in the weeks ahead opposite the modest-looking Snow White and the Huntsman and the R-rated Prometheus . 2. The Avengers Gross: $46,878,000 ($523,563,000) Screens: 3,918 (PSA $11,965) Weeks: 4 (Change: -15.8%) In four weeks, Marvel’s blockbuster has settled into the fourth spots on both the all-time domestic and foreign gross lists. It’ll take the third spots from The Dark Knight and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 (respectively) in the next 24 hours. The Avengers , ladies and gentlemen! There are no words. 3. Battleship Gross: $13,769,000 ($47,274,000) Screens: 3,702 (PSA: $3,719) Weeks: 2 (Change: -46.1%) Don’t let the 46 percent decline fool you; the three-day total reflected a 57 percent plunge from its pillow-soft Stateside debut. Again, though, its foreign ardor persists — not quite enough to make the whole thing worth Universal or Hasbro’s while, but hey. At least there’s always G.I. Joe 2 ! Oh, wait . 4. The Dictator Gross: $11,755,000 ($43,603,000) Screens: 3,014 (PSA $3,900) Weeks: 2 (Change: -32.6%) I dunno, maybe this wasn’t the best weekend to be joking around about Middle Eastern despots at the movies? 5. Dark Shadows Gross: $9,405,000 ($64,888,000) Screens: 3,404 (PSA $2,763) Weeks: 3 (Change: -25.3%) Someone had to finish fifth. 6. Chernobyl Diaries Gross: $9,300,000 ($9,300,000) Screens: 2,433 (PSA $3,822) Weeks: 1 David Poland said it best : ” Oren Peli just isn’t a brand. Sorry.” Aren’t we all. [Figures via Box Office Mojo ] Follow S.T. VanAirsdale on Twitter . Follow Movieline on Twitter .
Sony has debuted a new chase scene from their upcoming sci-fi sequel Men in Black III , in which Will Smith and Josh Brolin (playing the young Tommy Lee Jones ) hop onto a pair of newfangled high-tech monocycles to chase some alien perps. But where have we seen these super-speedy circular vehicles before? Mr. Garrison, take “It” away… First, the men in black in their space-age cycles (via Yahoo ): “Do you have these in the future?” teases Brolin’s Agent K. “No,” the Fresh Prince responds. Well actually, in the year 2001 an enterprising Coloroadan named Mr. Garrison, fed up with airport security lines, invented such a contraption… Yep. Flexi-grips. The vehicle of the future! Er, or the past. Whatever. Men in Black III cycles into theaters May 25.
Back in January, MGM/Screen Gems tapped director Kimberly Peirce to helm their remake of Stephen King’s Carrie , updating the supernatural tale after Brian de Palma’s iconic 1976 film adaptation. The current frontrunners to play Carrie White, the sexually repressed telekinetic teen who wreaks bloody revenge on her classmates at the high school prom? Kick-Ass star Chloe Moretz and actress Haley Bennett ( The Haunting of Molly Hartley , Marley & Me ), according to Vulture . Can either fill Sissy Spacek ‘s shoes? Fifteen-year-old Moretz and 24-year-old Bennett reportedly have the edge over other candidates who’ve read for the part, including Lily Collins , Dakota Fanning , and Emily Browning , which might indicate what sort of Carrie they’re going for here — with the exception of Moretz, these are actresses in their early twenties who can play teenage and have already dabbled in more mature material. (Spacek was 26 when De Palma’s Carrie was filmed.) At the same time, Moretz is arguably the hotter name of the bunch. But is the world ready to watch Hit Girl get her period in the showers and go on a menstrual rampage at prom? I mean, I’m sure Moretz could handle the material. I’m just not sure I can believe her playing vulnerable while doused in blood; the strength of her many badass roles to date has been in how assuredly she handles extreme situations despite her young age, not the other way around. Bennett, on the other hand, isn’t as well known to audiences and could probably disappear into the role more easily. Then again, Spacek was great as Carrie because she had that twitchy virginal weirdo thing down, and I’m not sure many up and coming starlets these days possess the ability to flip their freak-out switch on quite like she did. (According to Vulture, Jodie Foster and Julianne Moore are being batted around to play Carrie’s religious fanatic mom.) Are there any other potential Carries out there, or are these the best candidates of the bunch? How about Lindsay Lohan ? Sound off below.
With the MPAA ruling in favor of upholding Bully ‘s R-rating, the Weinstein Co. has announced that they’ll release the documentary as planned on March 30 — in its full, explicit language-laden unrated cut. The question is, will theaters let minors see it? “I know the kids will come, so it’s up to the theaters to let them in,” said director Lee Hirsch in a press release, with TWC marketing head Stephen Bruno adding pressure to the theaters to ” step up and do what’s right .” It’s the latest moral prompt about movies, how we watch them, and whether or not we should let our kids watch them stemming from the tightly executed campaign around the doc, which has become a rallying missive against the widespread epidemic of youth bullying. So fervent is support for Bully that it’s no longer parents or the MPAA who have to get out of the way and let their kids watch it, but now the theater owners who might otherwise bar kids from attending showings of the unrated film. All of which actually raises a good question: Should theater owners and operators step in to help or hinder young audiences from seeing unrated films otherwise deemed rated-R by the MPAA? Perhaps on a case-by-case basis, as opposed to unrated films that contain sexually graphic or violent content, and primarily for younger moviegoers; in this case, Bully ‘s awareness-raising merits seem to outweigh the fact that audiences will hear the f-word uttered a number of times onscreen. When I was a kid, watching R-rated movies on cable TV wasn’t just educational, it was formative. Why not let kids hear a few “fucks” with their civics lessons? In contrast to most theaters’ rules when it comes to R-rated films (No one under 17 admitted without accompanying guardian) or NC-17 films (No one under 17 admitted, period), the unrated label is more ambiguously defined in practice. With a film like Bully — and, more effectively, given the media PR blitz it has going — I can’t imagine any chain operator ticket-taker turning away a group of 12-year-olds that come to watch the film. On the other hand: What if those 12-year-olds then sneak into Project X ?? Full press release follows. March 26, 2012 – New York, NY – After a recent plea to the MPAA by BULLY teen Alex Libby and The Weinstein Company (TWC) Co-Chairman Harvey Weinstein failed – by one vote – to get the film its deserved PG-13 rating, TWC is choosing to move forward with releasing the film unrated by the MPAA on March 30. Furthering proof that the R rating for some language is inappropriate for a film that’s meant to educate and help parents, teachers, school officials and children with what’s become an epidemic in schools around the country, the fight against the rating continues on. The outpour of support by politicians, schools, parents, celebrities and activists for the film’s mission to be seen by those it was made for – children – has been overwhelming. Nearly half a million people have signed Michigan high school student and former bullying victim Katy Butler’s petition on Change.org to urge the MPAA to lower the rating. Said BULLY Director Lee Hirsch, “The small amount of language in the film that’s responsible for the R rating is there because it’s real. It’s what the children who are victims of bullying face on most days. All of our supporters see that, and we’re grateful for the support we’ve received across the board. I know the kids will come, so it’s up to the theaters to let them in.” “The kids and families in this film are true heroes, and we believe theater owners everywhere will step up and do what’s right for the benefit of all of the children out there who have been bullied or may have otherwise become bullies themselves. We’re working to do everything we can to make this film available to as many parents, teachers and students across the country,” said TWC President of Marketing Stephen Bruno. For parents or teachers who are looking for more information or who may have concerns about showing children a movie unrated by the MPAA, please read Common Sense Media’s rating details of the film here: http://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/bully. “While it’s often heartbreaking and deals with tough issues like suicide, the movie addresses bullying in a frank and relatable way that is age appropriate for teens and relevant for middle schoolers if an adult is present to guide the discussion,” said James P. Steyer, Founder and CEO, Common Sense Media. “The MPAA’s ratings system is inadequate when it comes looking at a movie’s content through the lens of its larger thematic issues. Common Sense Media provides alternative ratings for parents who are looking for more guidance and context than the MPAA provides.” BULLY will be released in theaters on Friday, March 30th in New York at the Angelika Film Center and AMC Lincoln Square and in Los Angeles at The Landmark, ArcLight Hollywood and AMC Century City. BULLY is a beautifully cinematic, character-driven documentary. At its heart are those with huge stakes in this issue whose stories each represent a different facet of America’s bullying crisis. Filmed over the course of the 2009/2010 school year, BULLY opens a window onto the pained and often endangered lives of bullied kids, revealing a problem that transcends geographic, racial, ethnic and economic borders. It documents the responses of teachers and administrators to aggressive behaviors that defy “kids will be kids” clichés, and it captures a growing movement among parents and youths to change how bullying is handled in schools, in communities and in society as a whole.
As if you didn’t already have enough reason to be afraid of the coming megabudgeted cash-in that is Men in Black 3 , here comes the sequel’s poppy theme song, courtesy of rapper Pitbull and not franchise star/Fresh Prince Will Smith . Oh, it gets worse: “My 19-year-old daughter turned me on to Pitbull,” explained director Barry Sonnenfeld (via NME). “I’m thrilled that he wrote such a great song for our movie that totally gets it.” If this monstrosity “totally gets it,” we’re all screwed. Hit the jump to listen and find out why. Where do I even begin… How about by listing, in no particular order, the 9 worst, most idiotic and insufferable and insulting parts of this future hit single, which already inexplicably has 2,000 likes on Facebook and has virtually nothing to do with the movie itself? 1. The co-opting of Mickey & Sylvia’s “Love is Strange” AKA that song from Dirty Dancing that Jennifer Grey and Patrick Swayze crawled across the floor to which now sounds like that horrid Fatboy Slim “Brimful of Asha” remix. 2. Someone wrote these lyrics: “Excuse me, baby/Yeah, you baby/You’re groovy baby/let’s make a movie baby…” 3. Pitbull’s spoken intro , in which he claims to be “reporting live from Cape Canaveral.” YES OF COURSE YOU ARE. 4. ” Black suits, white shirts, black glasses with a matching tie/like Agent J or Agent K and I wish the whole world would… ” And aliens and dress socks and I wish the whole world would, too. You know. 5. ” I’m trying to make a billion out of fifteen cents. ” Oh, the crass commercialization of perverting an iconic rap line about desperate street hustling into a throwaway lyric in your blockbuster tie-in pop-rap ditty. It is hard to be legit and still pay your rent, isn’t it Pitbull? 6. ” Give credit where credit is due/ Know that I don’t give a number two . ” Worst. Line. Ever. You get credit for that for always. 7. At last, some words of truth: “To understand the future we have to go back in time…” Like to before I ever heard this song? Is that possible?? You see, in the movie Will Smith’s Agent J has to go back to the 1960s to save Agent K and, um, learn things. About the future. Clearly Pitbull was only given the Men in Black 3 synopsis to go off of while writing this. 8. Something something “Ray Charles.” Because why not? 9. ” Let’s save the world/Men in Black/I know y’all understand. ” Nope, I do not. At all. Sigh. Who else needs a palate cleanser? Here, this should suffice: “Back in Time” is credited to songwriters Armando C. Perez (Pitbull), Marc Kinchen, Adrian Trejo and Urales Vargas. Men in Black 3 is in theaters May 25. [via Coming Soon ]
At any other given time, no one would think a thing about Will Smith giving up an apartment in a city that he doesn’t live in. But being that we’re still not quite sure what’s good with him and Jada and they’re efforts to try to convince us that everything is still great aren’t really that convincing, the sale of this SOHO apartment is making folks ask questions. But really, it’s just because he’s done filming Men In Black 3. The actor, musician and producer snagged the rental in 2010 after a lengthy search in the Big Apple for the perfect temporary digs. According to an article in the New York Post last year, Smith reportedly hired one woman who flew to the East Coast to view one apartment before heading back to the West Coast a few hours later. Why the in-depth search? Smith was looking for not only a private and luxurious New York apartment, but one with room for his family and wife Jada Pinkett-Smith. The place at 25 Bond Street clearly fits the bill. One of only eight apartments in the building, the nearly $20 million home has over 7,300 square feet of living space, five bedrooms and 6.5 bathrooms. Smith paid a reported $55,000 a month in rent, which is one of the reasons to choose to rent rather than buy in this area. The monthly payment for this home, even with 20 percent down and low mortgage rates, is $84,302 with a 30-year-fixed loan. It’s no secret that New York real estate is expensive; in the NoHo neighborhood, median home values hit at $745,000, according to data from Zillow Mortgage Marketplace. Flip through and check out how Big Will’s been living in NY. Source
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