Fans around the country enjoyed a very happy opening day of The Hunger Games yesterday. In its first 24 hours of release, the very well-received Jennifer Lawrence blockbuster earned $68.3 million, taking fifth place on the all-time single day revenue chart. It actually ranks first, however, for all non-sequels. What grade would you give The Hunger Games ? In fact, The Hunger Games is the only non-sequel to occupy a spot in the top 10 opening days in history, as you can see below: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 , $91.1 million The Twilight Saga: New Moon , $72.7 million The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 , $71.6 million The Twilight Saga: Eclipse , $68.5 million The Hunger Games , $68.3 million The Dark Knight , $67.2 million Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen , $62 million Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 , $61.7 million Spider-Man 3 , $60 million Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince , $58.2 million
From ‘Harry Potter’ to ‘Drive,’ MTV News mourns — and praises — the year’s best fictional deaths. By Kevin P. Sullivan Fred Weasley die in “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2” Photo: Warner Bros It is traditional at the end of the year to look back on those we have lost in Hollywood. Usually this means a poignant montage of actors, actresses and crew members during the Academy Awards, but it should also be noted that plenty of fictional passings occurred in 2011 as well. They may have been memorable, sad, thrilling or even funny, but each movie death meant something, and if we were to look back on the characters that passed away this year, these are the five that would get the biggest applause. It should noted that this article contains nothing but spoilers. Sebastian Shaw (Kevin Bacon in “X-Men: First Class”) All it took was a coin through the skull to remind us why Kevin Bacon should be in more movies. His character, Sebastian Shaw, lived large and in style, choosing a submarine as his method of world travel and double-breasted suits as his villainous costume. When Magneto finally met up with him to serve up some revenge extra cold, Shaw ate it in one of the most memorable scenes of 2011 . Fred Weasley (James Phelps in “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2”) Many characters didn’t live to see the end of the Battle of Hogwarts, but none hurt as much as the demise of one half of the ginger-haired duo. George may have lost an ear in Part 1, but he lost a twin brother during the series finale, and we were there with him. At the very least, we can all remember the fun times we had together and rest assured that there is still one genetically identical person walking Diagon Alley. Beth Emhoff (Gwyneth Paltrow in “Contagion”) The look of terror on Paltrow’s face from the trailer may rank among some of the year’s most horrifying movie images. Beth Emhoff’s death early in the film starts the chain reaction that sets the film’s wheels in motion, but none of the millions of the deaths caused by the virus are shown with as much intimacy. She may have been patient zero, but she’ll always be #1 in our hearts. Shannon (Bryan Cranston in “Drive”) Bryan Cranston’s Shannon didn’t have much time to accept his fate, and neither did we. Before we knew it, Bernie Rose (played by Albert Brooks) had declared it “over.” Even the toughest of moviegoers had to flinch at the sight of the razor blade cutting through the neighborly mechanic’s arm. Shannon added both comic relief and charm to a movie that benefitted so greatly because of it. Planet Earth in “The Tree of Life” and “Melancholia” The character we’re all closest with bit the dust not once but twice this year at the movies. It’s never an easy thing, watching the planet you’ve grown up on destroyed, just ask Princess Leia. But never has the destruction of our home world been shown with as much stunning cinematography as it was in mouth of these art house hits. Stick with MTV News as we count down the Best of 2011 , including the top Artists , Songs , Live Performances and EDM Artists of the year. For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com . Related Photos Best Movie Demises Of 2011
This past July was a bittersweet month for Harry Potter fans who flocked to theaters en masse to bid farewell to their beloved J.K. Rowling franchise with David Yates’s final film installment Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Part 2 starring, one last time, Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint. Fortunately for honorary Hogwarts members, J.K. Rowling’s mythical universe is still very much alive at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Parks in Orlando, Florida — where, this weekend, Warner Bros. hosts a junket for the Deathly Hallows — Part 2 home release.
While discussing the presidential biopic that he is gearing up to shoot in Richmond this fall, Steven Spielberg described what he does not want Lincoln to be. The 2012 title will “not [be] a battlefield movie. There are battles in it, and being in Virginia, we have access to those historic battlefields.” Additionally, “the movie will be purposely coming out after next year’s election. I didn’t want it to become political fodder.” On the other hand, Lincoln will chronicle “the great work Abraham Lincoln did in the last months of his life.” The drama stars Daniel Day-Lewis as the 16th president of the United States alongside Sally Field, Tommy Lee Jones, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and John Hawkes. [ Orlando Sentinel ]
Here’s a treat for all of you out there who squealed in your seats when Ron and Hermione engaged in their passionate first kiss in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 . After the jump, watch as director David Yates explains how adorably nervous Emma Watson and Rupert Grint were when their big smooching scene came up, then behold, the sight of two young actors — “they’re like brother and sister,” says Yates — jumping into action, face-first.
With the summer behind us and the much-anticipated fall films just around the corner, our friends at Movie Fanatic ask: What are the year’s 10 best right now? The films of fall often take over and dominate year-end lists such as this, so many of the pictures listed below may be absent from the Best of 2011 altogether. But hey, you never know, and some of these were pretty darn good. Do you agree? Check out Movie Fanatic’s 10 best films of 2011 to date and weigh in … Final Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Trailer Hanna Beginners The Help Bridesmaids Jane Eyre Midnight in Paris Tie: African Cats and Born to be Wild The Debt Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 Super 8 Nodding in approval? Shaking your head in disbelief? Wondering what the heck some of these even are? Head on over to Movie Fanatic and speak your mind!
Criss will take over for the ‘Harry Potter’ star in Broadway’s ‘How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.’ By Terri Schwartz, with reporting by Kara Warner Darren Criss Photo: Joe Scarnici/ Getty Images “Glee” castmember Darren Criss is taking his show-choir skills to Broadway, replacing Daniel Radcliffe in “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.” The actor will have a three-week gig starting January 3 when the “Harry Potter” star departs the production, the Al Hirschfeld Theatre confirmed to Entertainment Weekly. Rumors have been swirling for weeks now that the spot would go to Criss, who has never before appeared on Broadway. But as recently as last week, the job was still up in the air. “Right now, honestly, I’m just trying to get my head screwed back on,” he told MTV News at San Diego Comic-Con. “I’ve been traveling around a lot, and who knows what the future holds? But if that’s something, who knows, that’d be great.” Criss first made a name for himself with “A Very Potter Musical,” which he created with his production company, Team StarKid. In it, Criss plays Harry Potter, and even though he made an appearance at the “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1” NYC premiere last year, he has never met the man behind the Boy Who Lived. “The fake Harry Potter has not met the real Harry Potter,” Criss revealed at Comic-Con. “Only in my dreams, and that’s probably as close as I’ll ever get.” Those dreams might come true now that Criss will need to begin preparing for his stint in “How to Succeed.” There will likely be some sort of torch-passing moment from Radcliffe to Criss, and maybe even a resurgence in fans’ hope to see the two Harry Potters perform together at some point. “If they saw Dan and I do a number, I think ears would bleed,” Criss said at the “Deathly Hallows, Part 1” premiere.
Even Angelina Jolie can’t do it all. Between acting, directing, raising six kids and saving the world, she’s got a lot on her plate. As she gets older, the 36-year-old knows something has to give. What she’s likely to give up first is an easy call . The Oscar winner, whose directorial debut is in post-production, and who will be starring in a remake of the Elizabeth Taylor film Cleopatra , said: “As Brad and I get older we’re going to do fewer films. I’ve been working a long time, he’s been working a long time. We’ve had a nice run and don’t want to be doing this indefinitely, our whole lives. There are a lot of other things to do.” “You’re drawn to certain roles because they question something about life, about love, about freedom. You ask these questions as you grow up: am I strong enough, am I sane enough? Do I understand love, do I understand myself?” Jolie continues, “I’m older and I know who I am … and I’m less interested in the character helping me answer something … than in being able to answer it for myself, as a woman, as an adult, with my family.” For Angelina, answers that she once sought to find from her characters can now be found as she travels the world, taking her adopted children to their home countries and doing massive amounts of charity work. Of course, Jolie has said that same exact thing a number of times previously; she first mentioned it in 2006, and then again in 2008. Think she’ll really pull herself away?
