Joseph Gordon-Levitt had quite a blockbuster 2012 with roles in The Dark Knight Rises , Lincoln and Looper , but he’s holding onto his indie big screen roots at this year’s Sundance Film Festival . Aside from his feature directorial debut, Don Jon’s Addiction , which will bow in the festival’s Premieres section, the actor and now filmmaker has been tapped to host the 2013 Sundance Film Festival Awards Ceremony. [ Related: Sundance Film Festival Reveals 2013 U.S. & World Competition Slate AND Sundance Film Festival Unveils Star-Studded Premieres & Documentary Premieres Lineup ] Gordon-Levitt is certainly no stranger to Sundance, having appeared in seven films post 3rd Rock from the Sun days including Mysterious Skin , Brick and (500) Days of Summer . He also debuted his directorial short Sparks at the fest in 2009 and his online production company hitRECord installed an exhibit in Sundance’s New Frontier in 2010, followed by a live performance in 2012. Don Jon’s Addiction , which stars Gordon-Levitt as well as Scarlett Johansson and Julianne Moore, centers on what the festival describes as “a selfish modern-day Don Juan attempts to change his ways” (above is a still from the film). It is screening Out of Competition. Last year, actress Parker Posey had been slated to host the awards show, but Sundance staff including festival Director John Cooper had to take over after she fell ill. Along with the overall festival, the awards are a harbinger of the year ahead for American indies and beyond. Beasts of the Southern Wild took last year’s Grand Jury Prize, Dramatic prize, while The House I Live In won in the Documentary category. Oscar short-listed docs Detropia , Searching for Sugar Man and The Invisible War were also among prize-winners last year. Noted Cooper in a statement: “Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s accomplished and original artistic perspectives have contributed greatly to Sundance Institute and the independent film community. As host, he is sure to add flair to our Awards Ceremony in similarly exciting ways, and we are thrilled that he will join us in recognizing outstanding achievements at this year’s festival.” The 2013 Sundance Film Festival takes place January 17 – 27. Movieline will be there with daily coverage.
Despite the fact that Princess Leia is every bit as iconic as Luke Skywalker and Han Solo , the fact remains that the entire Star Wars series has a total of five women with speaking roles, and only three of them — Padme/Amidala, Leia, and Anakin’s mother — count as major characters. It’s no wonder then, that Anakin had to be conceived by the Force itself, since apparently, there aren’t enough women in the Star Wars galaxy to populate a trailer park, much less a multi-planet republic, by normal means. But could the force finally be with the double-X chromosome squad for a change? If a cryptic tweet from Slashfilm ‘s Peter Sciretta hasn’t been misunderstood, the answer is a solid “possibly”! ‘Star Wars Episode 7’ Plot Possibilities Now obviously, we’re still very much in early speculation mode for Star Wars Episode VII . Will it be burping- and Jar Jar-free? Will it be based in-part on the Expanded Universe? Will we see aging stoner Harrison Ford playing an elderly Han Solo, like The Dude ? Who knows?! But speculation is the fuel on which the Internet runs, so far be it for me to say anything other than ‘yes, all those things will be true.’ The biggest mystery is, of course, just who the new films are going to be about. Everything, from the children of our original heroes, to the further adventures of Geriatric Luke, has been baselessly suggested, but Disney is keeping mum for now. Of course, even if Disney is bringing the full power of their enormous secrets-keeping machine to bear (seriously, how did they keep the Star Wars deal a secret for so long?), now that Episode VII is almost certainly in the full flower of pre-production, tidbits are bound to come out. Enter Sciretta, who tweeted this circumspect comment Thursday afternoon: Who said the lead character in Star Wars Episode VII is going to be a male star? :)— Peter Sciretta (@slashfilm) January 03, 2013 According to a Slashfilm Star Wars round-up post by Germain Lussier on Friday morning, Sciretta asked that this tweet be added to the article, but that “he couldn’t say anymore,” which strongly suggests he knows something specific, or at least wants us to think he does. The comment could be taken in any number of ways, of course. He might simply mean they’ll be casting a relatively unknown male actor in the lead. But the fact that he felt the need to specify male, rather than leave the question of gender blank, suggests the tantalizing possibility of a female lead. And yes, the sound you hear is millions of voices, crying out, “About damned time.” As for who this character could possibly be, don’t look to the established Star Wars Expanded Universe for answers. The official canon is incredibly convoluted at best. (See for yourself here .) It’s a tiered system in which the movies, and George Lucas himself, overrides everything else. Sure, we might see fan favorite Mara Jade, or even Leia and Han’s daughter Jaina, but given that public statements suggest the new films will plot their own course, I expect a completely new character. Assuming for a moment that Episode VII will mine the Expanded Universe, who would you like to see take the postulated female lead? Let us know, and feel free to argue about continuity, in comments. Ross Lincoln is a LA-based freelance writer from Oklahoma with an unhealthy obsession with comics, movies, video games, ancient history, Gore Vidal, and wine. [ SlashFilm ] Follow Ross Lincoln on Twitter. Follow Movieline on Twitter.
I never tire of looking at Kristen Stewart. In the new issue of V Magazine , which features the On The Road actress in a 10-page photo spread,by Inez & Vinoodh and on its cover, writer Sarah Cristobal writes that there is “a slightly feral air” to Stewart’s presence, and that’s exactly what makes her so fascinating to watch on and off screen. I wish On The Road had been a more cohesive movie, and a better showcase for Stewart’s talents post- Twilight Saga , but she clearly has no regrets. The actress tells V that the Walter Salles picture has been “a fucking amazing experience. I would have done anything, I would have played any part.” She adds that the character she did play, Marylou, who was based on Beat icon Neal Cassady’s onetime wife LuAnne Henderson, was “remarkable because she has a tough core. When you are a teenager a year can be crippling to maneuver through, you’re just out there questioning things and so to be completely ok with that and not think that there is anything wrong with you, that’s something I’ve recently understood,” says Stewart, who points out that she’s 22 where “Marylou started this whole thing when she was 15.” As Stewart told Movieline , playing Marylou helped her to be “unabashedly” herself , and she elaborates on that theme a bit with V . After a year in which she weathered a storm of overheated Scarlet Letter -style publicity and issued a public apology for cheating on reported boyfriend and Twilight co-star Robert Pattinson with her Snow White and the Huntsman director Rupert Sanders , Stewart tells the publication: “I have realized that you can close yourself off to life if you put walls up, but it’s a difficult thing…people can’t see in and you also can’t see out. So I have gotten quire comfortable with just being unafraid. I keep saying the same thing, its not about being fearless but really just embracing the fears and using them. (..) I don’t want to deprive myself of any bit of life. Oh yes, and if you’re wondering which actresses are on Stewart’s radar, she says there “are many cool girls out there” and name-checks Jennifer Lawrence, Amy Adams and her Twilight Saga and The Runaways co-star Dakota Fanning. Now check out some pictures. Read More on Kristen Stewart: Kristen Stewart Goes ‘On The Road’ & Chats Up Her Racy Role WATCH: Kristen Stewart Channels The Fierce Bella Swan In ‘Today’ Interview [ V Magazine ] Follow Frank DiGiacomo on Twitter. Follow Movieline on Twitter.
The best thing about the Die Hard Franchise (aside from the almost-perfect, couch-destroying original of course,) is the fact that when it comes to bad puns, these people have no shame. Die Hard 2: Die Harder ; Die Hard With A Vengeance ; Live Free or Die Hard . Brilliance. I can’t wait for Live Together Or Die Hard Alone , Live And Let Die Hard , Cowards Die Hard Many Times , and the teen spinoff I Am So Embarrassed I Could Just Die Hard . [ Releated: The Time Joel Silver Destroyed A $5K Couch During The Filming Of ‘Die Hard’ And WATCH: Bruce Willis Adds Gravitas (And A Little ‘Die Hard’ Confusion) To ‘G.I. Joe: Retaliation’ International Trailer ] Anyway, before we get to those inevitable classics, we first must get past the upcoming 5th installment in the never-ending story of cowboy cop John McClane, A Good Day To Die Hard . AGDTDH finds McClane going to Moscow just in time for a gigantic outbreak of terrorist violence, courtesy of an oily Russian who apparently just hates America a lot (boooo!). Conveniently, McClane’s son happens to be there, and also happens to be an American spy, so naturally the two of them team up to put the kibosh on the terrorist’s plans. The third trailer is out now, and yep, it is explodey. Yeah, buildings are damaged, wisecracks are made, and Ode To Joy returns as McClane’s theme song. But there’s no hint of yippie-kay-yay in this trailer, and that is in and of itself a miracle. Not as miraculous as the idea that McClane and his son wouldn’t be flattened into bloody wet pancakes when they fall into water like that, but a miracle nonetheless. A Good Day To Die Hard opens on Valentine’s Day. Follow Ross Lincoln Twitter. Follow Movieline on Twitter .
Trey Songz has already written a song about fear — literally . His track “Don’t Be Scared” soothes a hot chick who’s afraid of her carnal desire for some sweet, sweet loving. Of course, calming a girl into bed is easier than calming a girl while you’re both running from a blood-lusted maniac. But Texas Chainsaw 3D director John Luessenhop knew Trey Songz could handle the challenge when he saw the thrice Grammy-nominated R&B singer float down from the ceiling during the BET Awards and seduce Solange Knowles and the crowd; the next day, Luessenhop called his agent and asked if he could send him the script for the horror sequel — if Songz could control a stage, maybe he could command a screen. And so Trey Songz (AKA “Mr. Steal Yo Girl” as he calls himself in his club banger “Bottoms Up,” AKA Tremaine ‘Trey Songz’ Neverson) stumbled into his unlikely starring debut in a slasher flick playing the boyfriend of Leatherface’s cousin, a brunette goth named Heather (Alexandra Daddario). Will Songz’ fans still swoon over his six-pack abs when they’re slicked with blood? Maybe — although on YouTube, commenters are threatening to storm out of the theater if he doesn’t survive. (We won’t spoil anything, but, um, have they ever seen a horror movie before?) Not only is Texas Chainsaw 3D a first for Songz, Songz is a first for the Texas Chainsaw series: Its first MTV fixture-turned-cast member, its first black star, and the first male love interest to cross the color lines. Plus, it’s the first time in film history where someone dies because a Trey Songz jam on the stereo muffles their screams. We ask Songz about breaking ground in Hollywood — and if R. Kelly should follow in his footsteps. When you told your friends you were the first major black character in the Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise, did they immediately say, “You die, right?” Trey Songz: They wanted to know if I’d die in the credits! In the first ten minutes. It ain’t even a question if I died — it’s how quick. “How fast will it happen?” is what they wanted to know. On IMDb, the first three plot keywords for Texas Chainsaw 3D are: “interracial romance,” “pretty girl,” “interracial kiss.” What’s that about? It’s an obvious thing that’s still very present in this world. In Texas Chainsaw — a huge franchise that started in the ’70s that’s been remade four times, five times, however many times — there’s never been a relationship like this. And although it’s very present in here, I think it’s still a shock to some people that it’s so real. People are starting to erase the color lines. Which is awesome. It definitely is. In your songs, you have this reputation as being a player. I was curious to see if Ryan would be this sweet boyfriend who would change your image — but it turns out Ryan isn’t the best at monogamy. I think Ryan wants to be a good guy. He wants to be there for his girlfriend. You know, they’re young kids having a good time, and he’s messed up a time here or there. Heather, the girl who Alex [Daddario] plays, is kind of a mystery herself. She doesn’t know much about her past, and meanwhile her friend is going behind her back with Ryan and saying, “Hey, I was drunk, I didn’t know better — but let’s do it one more time.” Singing seems like it would be good preparation for acting. You learn that it’s not just what the line is, but how you say it. Singing is all about certain inflection on certain lines. I used to listen to tapes of everybody from Michael Jackson and Prince to Earth, Wind and Fire. They would have different vocal inflections. If the line insinuated pain, they would cringe on some lines. I remember Live at the London Palladium , Marvin Gaye is singing this song about love and he’s talking about how a man ain’t supposed to cry. And he’s going, “Oooohhoooh! Ohhhoooohh!” singing and crying at the same time. That was a good learning tool. Memorizing lines, too. I memorize my own words — I write my songs without writing the lyrics down most of the time, and that’s great practice. There’s a great scene in the movie where one of your friends is in the next room screaming for help, and you can’t hear him because you’ve got the stereo cranked up and playing, uh, one of your own songs. Rip in the space/time continuum? “I’m only here for the ladies and the drinks” — I’m going crazy. That’s funny. The beauty of that is this being my first film, a lot of people will relate to this as me being Trey Songz versus me being Ryan throughout the bulk of it. To those people that aren’t really within my world of music, it’ll be a good moment for them to tie that together as well. At the same time, you know, this is Trey Songz in this movie and this is Trey Songz’ song — if my fans go crazy, too, I’ll appreciate that. You’re already used to have cameras on you on tour and when you’re shooting videos. Do those same cameras feel different when you’re on a movie set? It’s a bit different, but I’d say having directed some of my videos, having shot I don’t know how many videos, and being in short movies sometimes or having very small roles in films, I have been prepared well. Most of the time I’m not speaking in these videos, but that’s probably about the only difference. You’ve said you were a shy child. Are you now used to attention? I wasn’t really ever that shy. That’s some misquoted s–t. I was the kind of kid who loved singing, I loved rapping, I loved attention. But for me, it was more about chasing the dream of being a superstar because of the town I was from and because of what I’d seen. That’s why I say wherever I go, all around the world, it don’t matter where you’re from, or what you’ve got going on, or who’s made it in what profession. You can do whatever it is you plan to do if you really stay focused. Several of the people you’ve worked with musically are making their own moves towards acting. I’m going to say a couple names — tell me what kind of movie you think would be perfect for them as their big break. Cool. Okay: Soulja Boy. A movie like Roll Bounce . Nicki Minaj . I think she could play anything. She’s a character within herself. Last one: R. Kelly. He’s always wanted to act. I don’t really know that about him, but if you listen to his songs, albums after albums after albums, they’re stories. He writes movies in his songs. He’s on Trapped in the Closet , like, 30 by now. I think he’d be good at it, actually. He could play any kind of role. He could play anything from a preacher to a villain. Which he kind of does in Trapped in the Closet . You wrote your joking response song “Out of the Closet” back when you were rivals. Now that you’ve made peace, when you heard he was making more chapters, did you want to get involved? That fact that he’s able to tell a story through music that’s so profound and deep — and with great vocals and great production — is amazing. That’s the end-all, be-all of it. Texas Chainsaw 3D is in theaters Friday. Amy Nicholson is a critic, playwright and editor. Her interests include hot dogs, standard poodles, Bruce Willis, and comedies about the utter futility of existence. Follow her on Twitter. Follow Movieline on Twitter .
In the wake of the Newtown, Conn. massacre, the national conversation has included no lack of conjecture that the media we consume is to blame for the violence. Most famously, NRA second-in-command Wayne Lapierre’s Dec. 21 speech in Washington, D.C. featured a lengthy segment in which he pointed the finger at video games and movies and singled out a number of decades-old films as particularly culpable. Lapierre was roundly mocked for his tone-deaf diatribe, but he was hardly unique. Numerous public figures on the right and left have gone out of their way to make certain we spend more time talking about Quentin Tarantino and Natural Born Killers than about access to assault weapons. Is all this talk of violent media having an effect on the public at large? A poll conducted by The Hollywood Reporter suggests that it is., but only barely. The survey, conducted with pollster Penn Shoen Berland, asked “consumers of movies and television” how their opinions regarding violent media had been affected by the Sandy Hook shootings. The findings are inconsistent, but they reveal interesting information about the mind of film and TV fans. Among them: * 60 percent of respondents still believe mental illness is the primary cause of mass killings. * 44 percent of parents polled said that the shootings made them “more aware” of how much violence is in the media their kids enjoy. * 46 percent of all respondents felt Hollywood should make fewer violent movies. When only parents are considered, the number jumps to 54%. * Women were more than twice as likely as men to call for fewer violent films. * Only 6 percent of respondents said they want more violent films to be produced. * 70 percent of respondents older than age 30 — a category so broad as to almost feel unquantifiable — feel there is too much violence in advertising for film and TV. * Despite that get-off-my-lawn attitude, only 34 percent of total respondents said violent advertising should face greater restrictions. * In fact, even parents aren’t grabbing for the pitchforks. Only 34 percent of parents polled believe it’s the job of the president and Congress to pressure Hollywood to change advertising. In fact, 75 percent of all respondents believe the opposite. * Not surprisingly, political affiliation matters: 68 percent of liberals held the NRA more responsible than the media; 74 percent of conservatives blamed the media over the NRA. It’s important to note that methodology, sample size, and demographics are not revealed in the report. (At least not in the online version.) It’s entirely possible the respondents are all Nielsen families in a rush to get back to watching Hawaii Five-0 . It also should be considered that responses to polls taken in the immediate aftermath of a significant tragedy might not reflect a permanent, or even accurate, change in mood. With the massive outpouring of public grief, not to mention the very real terror people tend to feel about such events, there is essentially a massive amount of peer pressure placed on people to respond in the ‘correct’ way. Note that a similar phenomenon is seen in polls of American church attendance ; people report much higher levels of religiosity than their behavior suggests. We should therefore expect that responses to these questions include at least a few people saying what they think they’re supposed to say, rather than what they actually believe. What’s interesting is that despite the number of poll respondents who have concluded that something needs to be done about violence in the media as a result of Sandy Hook, the results do not show a corresponding desire for censorship. In fact, they show the opposite: instead of blaming film and video games for mass murders the way rock music was blamed for suicides and Satanism in the 1980s, the poll suggests that your average citizen actually wants to deal with the real roots of the problem. Unfortunately,that’s not happening. Nearly three weeks after the shootings, we have yet to see a single proposal to address gun violence. We haven’t even seen a real proposal of any kind from the national government (unless you count the demand for yet another study on the effects of video-game violence.). The only concrete action we’ve seen? A community near Newtown has established a buyback program… for violent video games . President Obama said, in his statement on Sandy Hook, that “we can’t tolerate this anymore.” And he’s right. But until we identify what it is we’re not supposed to tolerate, we’re stuck, and so far it looks like the conversation is successfully being misdirected away from guns and toward popular culture. I don’t need a poll to tell me that’s a bad sign. [ The Hollywood Reporter ] Ross Lincoln is a LA-based freelance writer from Oklahoma with an unhealthy obsession with comics, movies, video games, ancient history, Gore Vidal, and wine. Follow Ross Lincoln on Twitter. Follow Movieline on Twitter.
Let’s kick off the new year with lady-killers of two different generations: Twilight heartthrob Robert Pattinson retains his seductive abilities in a very different kind of role, while Dean Martin gets embroiled in a 1960s sex farce. Both movies are thoroughly entertaining, but they’re also about as polar-opposite as it gets, making them the perfect antipodes for my first column of 2013. HIGH: Cosmopolis (EOne; $24.98 DVD, $29.98 Blu-Ray) WHO’S RESPONSIBLE: Written and directed by David Cronenberg , based on the novel by Don DeLillo; starring Robert Pattinson, Juliette Binoche, Paul Giamatti , Samantha Morton , Mathieu Amalric, Jay Baruchel WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT: Wall Street whiz kid Eric Packer (Pattinson) just wants to drive across New York City in his thoroughly tricked-out white limozeen (as Dolly Parton might call it) to get a haircut from his childhood barber. But between a presidential visit, anarchist riots and mysterious death threats, Packer spends most of the day hosting an assortment of visitors (from mistresses to business associates bearing bad news) in the car, exiting occasionally to share a series of elliptical conversations with his sexually-frustrated wife over meals. Is he doomed? Is the universe coming to an end? Anything can happen in this moody mix of Last Year at Marienbad via The Bonfire of the Vanities . WHY IT’S SCHMANCY: Cosmopolis would make a perfect double feature with another Cronenberg literary adaptation, Crash ; they both revolve around cars (and the juncture of man and machine) and everyone speaks in that whispery monotone that either makes you cock an ear toward the screen or storm out in irritation. This new film may test your patience with its seeming indifference to things like plot, but if you stick with it, you’ll find that it does build toward something fascinating, helped along by a strong Pattinson performance that suggests he’s got a post–sparkle-vampire screen career. WHY YOU SHOULD OWN IT: The Blu-Ray features cast and crew interviews, and both versions offer a “Citizens of Cosmopolis ” featurette and a director commentary; among today’s filmmakers, Cronenberg ranks as one of the most articulate about what he does (albeit in a whispery monotone of his own), so his commentary tracks are always worth checking out. LOW: How to Save a Marriage (and Ruin Your Life) (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment; $20.95 DVD) WHO’S RESPONSIBLE: Written by Stanley Shapiro and Nate Monaster; directed by Fielder Cook; starring Dean Martin, Stella Stevens, Eli Wallach, Anne Jackson WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT: Bachelor David (Martin) tries to save the marriage of his best friend Harry (Wallach) by seducing Harry’s mistress. David woos Harry’s sexy employee Carol (Stevens), not realizing that Harry’s mistress is actually Muriel (Jackson, Wallach’s real-life wife). When Carol and Muriel figure out what’s going on, they plot revenge. WHY IT’S FUN: In my house, New Year’s means another viewing of The Poseidon Adventure , which in turn reminds me of how delightful a screen presence Stella Stevens was in her heyday. One of her most charming screen performances comes in this fizzy farce, reteaming her with Martin, her co-star in the goofy spy flick The Silencers . This isn’t great cinema, by any means — and 1968 was a little late in the game for this kind of relatively innocent sexcapade — but it’s made by people well-versed in this sort of wacky farce: Shapiro won an Oscar for Pillow Talk ; he and Monaster crafted another classic Doris Day romp, That Touch of Mink ; and Cook’s other 1968 release was the slightly naughtier who’s-got-the-birth-control comedy Prudence and the Pill . WHY YOU SHOULD OWN IT: Even if you’re not as much of a sucker for this era of sex comedy as I am, the movie’s très groovy visual palette (to say nothing of Stevens in a series of slinky outfits) will make for great video wallpaper at your next party. Alonso Duralde has written about film for The Wrap, Salon and MSNBC.com . He also co-hosts the Linoleum Knife podcast and regularly appears on What the Flick?! (The Young Turks Network) . He is a senior programmer for the Outfest Film Festival in Los Angeles and a pre-screener for the Sundance Film Festival. He is the author of 101 Must-See Movies for Gay Men (Advocate Books). Follow Alonso Duralde on Twitter. Follow Movieline on Twitter.
George Lucas apparently has much atoning to do for his decision to sell LucasFilm to Disney. The Star Wars creator and film mogul comes in for a heavy tweaking in the list of 10 Celebrity New Year’s Resolutions posted by Will Ferrell and Adam McKay’s Funny or Die website. The resolution, one of 10 posted by A General Nonchalance, does not exactly suggest that hopes are running high for Disney’s reboot of the Star Wars franchise. Not all of the resolutions are movie-related. But those that do have a connection to film, however tenuous, are: That doesn’t sound so much like a resolution as it does large-scale fantasy fulfillment for potential Baby Goose stalkers out there. Meanwhile, Katy Perry’s “credibility” and Meryl Streep’s “modesty” are also in the crosshairs. Funny stuff, but the post left me wanting more. So, I invite all you wicked wits out there who read Movieline to submit your own movie-related barbs in the comments section. For instance, I could see Russell Crowe resolving: “More time menacing public with phones. Less time assaulting them with my singing.” Your turn. [ Funny or Die ] Follow Frank DiGiacomo on Twitter. Follow Movieline on Twitter.
Colin Farrell is back in another sure-to-be-very-good film that will probably not do so well at the box office, the upcoming revenge thriller Dead Man Down , directed by Niels Arden Oplev. Farrell plays a mob hitman blackmailed by a disfigured young woman (Noomi Rapace) interested in procuring his services to exact revenge on the man who cut up her face. That man happens to be a crime lord played by Terrence Howard , and naturally we can expect a lot of seething menace and angry looks between him and Farrell before things come to a head. The first trailer for Dead Man Down has been released. Here’s a look: This is Oplev’s first film since directing the 2009 original version of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo . That film was objectively awesom, and history will remember it as vastly superior to Fincher’s 2011 remake. Given Oplev’s record, the excellent cast, and the fact that it looks like we’re getting the In Bruges and Seven Psychopaths Collin Farrell instead of the Total Recall Colin Farrell, I have a hard time imagining that this will suck. Unfortunately, while the trailer is sufficiently moody and violent, it makes Dead Man Down feel like a billion other hitman-finds-redemption movies. Still, the cover of Shine On You Crazy Diamond is kind of amazing, even if it doesn’t displace The Scissor Sisters from the list of greatest of all Pink Floyd covers. Dead Man Down comes out March 8. Follow Ross Lincoln Twitter. Follow Movieline on Twitter .
The 23rd installment of James Bond became one of only a little over a dozen to score $1 billion worldwide. Also in Wednesday’s round-up of news, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey crossed a milestone of its own; Silver Linings Playbook snatches European awards; China’s Lost in Thailand marks a record at home. Skyfall Crossed $1 Billion Mark The 23rd installment of James Bond became the 14th film ever to pass the $1 billion mark globally. It has grossed nearly $290 million as of the weekend, Deadline reports . The Hobbit Crosses $600 Million Globally The first installment of Peter Jackson’s Hobbit pics hit the $600 million milestone over the holiday weekend. It has taken in $22.7 million domestically, putting it ahead of 2001’s The Fellowship of the Ring ($189.3 million), but below the 17-day come of The Two Towers ($243.6 million) and The Return of the King ($272.8 million), EW reports . Silver Linings Playbook Wins Most Awards at Italian-Hollywood Festival The feature directed by David O. Russell picked up four awards at the Capri, Hollywood Film Festival including the festival’s film of the year prize. Other winners included Benh Zeitlin’s Beasts of the Southern Wild , Juan Antonio Bayona’s action drama The Impossible and crime thriller The Iceman by Ariel Vromen, THR reports . Low Budget Lost In Thailand Becomes Highest Grossing Chinese Film The low budget Chinese-produced comedy is Chna’s highest-grosing domestically made film, passing the 1 billion yuan ($160 million) mark since debuting December 12, even beating out James Cameron’s Titanic in 3-D, last year’s most popular foreign film. Set in Thailand, the film revolves around two businessmen who link up with a tourist who explore the country. It’s full of slapstick humor and action scenes, Variety reports . Specialty Box Office: Zero Dark Thirty , Amour , Stellar in 2nd Weekend; West of Memphis OK in Debut, Promised Land Soft Sony/Columbia Pictures’ limited-run engagement of Zero Dark Thirty showed impressive stamina, and the studio’s specialty market distributor Sony Pictures Classics also had great news for Amour but not so great news for newcommer West Of Memphis in three-day estimates for the pre-New Year’s weekend, while Focus Features, Deadline reports .
